Chapter 11
I didn’t know if I was being showy by buying his folks expensive gifts, but I also knew it was the great conqueror.
When people knew you had money, and you bought them something expensive, they seemed to ease into liking you—I wanted them to like me.
I liked Jamie far too much for them to hate me, or give me feedback on my job.
Jamie’s bedroom was very different to what I thought it was going to be.
There was a double bed against the back wall and two nightstands with playful glowing blue teddy-bear lights.
There were posters on the walls with hockey players from the Maple Kings, and a nearly nude calendar of men.
And on the ceiling there were stars. He looked at me as I tipped my head.
“Those glow in the dark,” he said. “So, what did you get me?”
“Did you get me anything?”
He smirked really big. “Obviously,” he giggled. “And no, it’s not just chocolate.”
“Okay, I really hope you like what I got you,” I said. I’d spent more on the bottle of scotch than I did on presents for Jamie, but in my defense, I assumed I was the present for him—and I really wanted to be unwrapped.
Jamie led me to his bed, where I sat and placed the bag beside me. “What do you think of my room?”
“Surprisingly, not as many teddies as I was assuming,” I said, and considering I’d bought him one, I didn’t know if this was a good idea.
He giggle-snorted. “That’s because I tidied up.” He opened his closet door and out flooded so many small teddies. “I’m a collector of these Sublime teddies. Everyone collects them, it’s a bit of an obsession. I kinda just need them.”
I tssked on my teeth, sucking in air. “If I’d known that beforehand, it might’ve made buying for you a whole lot easier.”
“Okay, now I really wanna know what you got me,” he said, dropping to his knees in front of me. I liked this side of him. I liked the way he could switch from brat to complete begging sub in seconds. “Pweese, Daddy,” he whispered.
My eyes immediately went to the open bedroom door. “You’re gonna have to close the door if you’re going to talk to me like that,” I said, wiggling my brows. “But I don’t think we have time to do anything like that with your folks out there, and they’re probably waiting on us for dinner.”
He shrugged. “I’ve spent all morning with them. I’m actually excited to spend some time with you, alone.”
“We can tonight,” I told him. “Because there’s a gift in here that I want to make sure gets some proper use before I—”
Jamie pouted, nodding. “Right, because you leave soon and then I’ll be here, all alone, just thinking about you.”
I stared at him, placing a finger under his chin and focusing his gaze on me. “Are you sure you’re going to be alone?” I asked. “Because I know this is—”
“You want to talk about that now, or after dinner, or even after I see what you got me?” he said.
“I like you a lot,” I told him, and I didn’t like the idea of him being all alone as he put it, or even seeking out comfort from someone else.
He was cute—hot, attractive, like a bitter chocolate, sharp at first, then sweet once you’d sucked on it.
Which made sense because I liked a little bitter on my tongue.
Jamie stared. “I like you a lot as well,” he said softly. “And I—”
“This might be preemptive, but I actually got you and your folks tickets to one of our home games,” I told him. “I wanted to make sure you would see me again, and your parents could get some closure shouting at the players—they probably need it.” I let out a little snort.
He let out a giggle. “They said they wanted tickets to a game,” he said. “You can tell them that after dinner.” He pawed at the bag of gifts as I pulled it away.
“I wanna date you, Jamie,” I blurted. “I’m—I’m coming out to everyone, to date you.”
Leaning upright, he stared at me like I’d just confessed to something horrific. “For me?”
“No, sorry, I’m not putting that on you,” I said, rephrasing it. “I’m coming out for me, and I want to date you.”
“I thought we were already dating,” he giggled. “Or what were those restaurant meals you footed the bill for?”
“Okay, those were dates,” I said with the biggest grin on my face.
And his attention quickly went back to the presents, but before that, I wanted to know what it was he’d gotten me. I was curious more than anything, since I was notoriously hard to buy for.
Jamie scurried across the bedroom floor to the side of his bed and pulled out a bag. He scrambled back over to me on his knees. “Okay, let’s switch.”
“Deal.”
Swapping bags, he went through mine so quickly as I opened his, all perfectly wrapped with bows and ribbons.
As I went through them, the first box contained a cologne—it was a designer one.
I’d never been too fussed with colognes in the past, but this one looked good.
I unboxed it right there and gave it a spritz on my wrist. Jamie’s face darted to me.
“It’s my favorite smell,” he said. “On other guys, like it’s my favorite to smell in passing, or like . . . on a pillow, or clothes.” He began rambling. “And I noticed you didn’t really have a signature scent, so I decided to try and get one for you.”
“Oh.” It was musky vanilla, and sweet. I nodded. “I guess this means you definitely want to keep seeing me, then.”
“In passing,” he giggled, then tore through more of my gifts to him. I don’t think he’d even seen or registered what was in the pile of paper.
He’d even wrapped an envelope for me. Inside it was a Christmas card, hand drawn.
The front was of me and him, and he’d labeled it in case I wasn’t sure: Jamie and Daddy.
It was all done in crayons. Opening it, there was more writing.
Will you be my boyfriend? Tick below. Two boxes, one with yes and the other with yes (the right answer).
He’d watched me open it, and now stared like a little puppy.
“We’ve only just started dating like two minutes ago,” I told him.
“You can save it until you have an answer,” he said.
“You have a pen?”
Seeming to swim in the wrapping paper, he grabbed a crayon from the inside of his nightstand drawer.
“What do you think about the gifts I bought you?” I asked, as I looked over my choices. It was going to be difficult to answer.
“I freaking love them,” he said, wrapping the Maple Kings scarf around his neck and donning the team beanie. Amongst it all was a new teddy bear, which wasn’t equipped with a hole for fucking, unfortunately, and a new onesie.
“You’ve still got one left,” I said, noticing my favorite gift remained undiscovered.
He gasped, rushing to discover what it was in the bag. And there it was, the final gift. A leather paddle with Daddy cut through it—in a mirrored version. “This isn’t English,” he said, tracing the mirrored letters and then swatting it against his hand.
“Oh, it is when you hit it with force,” I told him, revealing the word. “It’s why I’m checking a box on your card.” I ticked a box and passed it to him.
Jamie held the card close for a moment. “But this is yours,” he said. “I don’t wanna open it.”
“Open it, or those two spanks turn to three,” I whispered. “And you know I don’t like odd numbers, so—”
He opened it. I’d ticked the box marked yes (the right answer), because while dating him these past couple of days, I’d realized there was some commitment there, and if we were to label it, I’d want to do it now while we were together, rather than over text or call when I was in Burlington.
“We don’t have to label it,” he said. “I just thought it would be fun.”
I tucked my forefinger under his chin and grabbed at him with my thumb, pulling him in. “I thought we already labeled it,” I whispered, getting close to his face. “You’re baby, and I’m—”
“Daddy,” he croaked, nodding.
“Good boy.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
We were soon called to dinner, and I was still processing the fact I now had a boyfriend.
I was in my late thirties—or so I was still telling myself, processing the fact I was now foty, and the last thing I ever expected was to be calling someone my boyfriend—or for them to be calling me Daddy, which had so many layers of satisfaction.
I wanted Jamie all to myself, for the foreseeable future.
Sitting beside each other at the dinner table, our feet and legs were intertwined.
It was quiet, considering how loud they’d all been earlier.
The food was incredible, and I wasn’t talking due to having food in my mouth at all times.
His mom had really prepared a feast. Mac and cheese, garlic potatoes, mashed potatoes with a hint of cheese—as she put it—ham, and chicken.
Out of all the Christmas dinners I’d had, this ranked among the top.
Usually, the guys who didn’t go away for Christmas or have family would all gather and it would be a potluck. They must’ve all been missing out on my cheeseboard—the one I claimed to have made myself but bought from the store like what most of the guys did.
As plates were scraped clean, I decided to announce the tickets.
Mr. Cooper was nursing a glass of amber liquid—the expensive scotch, I assumed—a big smile on his face, almost approving, which Jamie was grinning from ear-to-ear about. “Transport included?” he asked.
“Dad, you—” Jamie started.
“Of course,” I told them. “Luxury car service, to and from the event—or whenever you decide to leave.”
Mr. Cooper raised his glass. “I don’t like to remark on your relationships, Jamie,” he said. “But you should keep this one.”
I raised my glass as well. “Please do.”