Chapter 9
nine
CADE
“But where’s the cord?” I ask again, looking at the device in Mav’s hand.
Or Maverick. He told me his full name, and I like it more than what the other man he was with called him. He looks like a Maverick, smart and put together, but also fun.
He smiles gently at me, having the patience of a saint. “No more cords, other than the charging cable. All phones are wireless.” He passes me the phone.
For about an hour, Maverick has been showing all the strides in technology I’ve missed.
I’ll admit, things like the remote to the television and his phone are handy.
I remember having to get up to change the TV channel, and phones all had long, curly cords that would sometimes get tangled and wouldn’t reach the bedroom from whatever common area the phone was in.
There were loads of times I’d rather have taken my calls away from my kitchen, especially when talking to guys about more than hanging out.
“Wireless,” I repeat, tipping it left and right. “That’s convenient. And the headphones are also wireless?”
“Yep. They connect through Bluetooth.” He presses the face of his phone, and it opens something he called settings. “You press this and pair your headphones when you…”
A weight settles in my gut as I listen to Maverick try to explain things to me.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to figure all of this out.
It’s easy for Maverick because he grew up with this sort of thing.
Before I was cursed, I’d just gotten an Atari.
I saw Maverick playing a video game while I was a recliner and it was all so overwhelming.
The controller was wireless and had so many buttons, and the game’s graphics looked like a fucking movie.
I’ll probably burden him, always making him explain things I don’t understand. Technically, I’m a twenty-five-year-old man—being cursed as a recliner stopped me from aging—but I feel ancient, so far behind that there will be no way to catch up.
“Hey,” Maverick says, breaking me out of my morose thoughts.
He grips my hand tightly. “You don’t have to get all of this today.
We have plenty of time for me to explain.
And it might help for you to fuck with all this shit on your own.
The best way to learn is to do.” He taps on the phone so it lights up.
“Fiddle around with that while I get us some clothes. Then we can get dressed, grab some coffee, and I can show you around town.”
I do what he says, pressing all kinds of buttons and opening what he called apps, though I’m not sure why any of these buttons are called appetizers.
After a few minutes, I kind of have the hang of the call screen, until something pops up that says emergency and connects me with 911. I hang up quickly, but they call back almost immediately.
“Phone’s ringing!” I shout, not knowing what to do.
Maverick comes into the living room and looks at the call screen. His face softens, and he answers with a smile, telling the operator that he accidentally pressed some kind of panic button and doesn’t need services.
I huff and collapse back on the couch; my arms crossed over my chest. I’m not angry at Maverick—I’ll never be upset with him.
I’m mad that I got stuck in my recliner form for fifty years.
I’m mad at my own shitty behavior. I should have known the guys that told me to mess with Blossom’s animals were up to no good.
But I thought I was in love with one of them and he said nothing would happen because the owl would return.
What a fool I was in my young age.
Almost as if he can read my mood, Maverick climbs into my lap and rests his hands on my shoulders. Without thought, my hands snake around him, landing on his plump ass.
“Cade, it’s okay not to know everything right now,” he says in a gentle voice. “One day at a time.”
“Yeah, okay.” Is it too soon to tell him I love him? His patience and care endear him to me so much. A ball of light settles in my chest, pulsing only for him. “Can we go outside? I’d like some fresh air as a human.”
He leans forward and pecks a quick kiss on my lips.
“Yep. And hey, I found some sweatpants I was supposed to return ages ago. I bought them for my ex, but he already had a pair and said he didn’t want two pairs of the same pants.
They should fit you.” He scowls. “Fucker was always so ungrateful. Why I stayed for so long is beyond me.”
“Well, you’re with me now, so it doesn’t matter.”
The smile that spreads across his face is so bright and happy, my breath catches in my lungs. God, he’s the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen. He shows every emotion on his face, and I hope that never changes.
His warm hands stroke my cheeks and I close my eyes, soaking up the feeling. “Yeah, I am.” He steals another kiss, then pats my chest. “Come on. There’s a local coffee shop that I love. Their pastries aren’t as good as the ones we make at my bakery, but they’re passable.”
Maverick told me he’s a pastry chef this morning and my mouth immediately started watering. I’ve always had a sweet tooth and I’m sure fifty years as a recliner didn’t change that.
“Will you bake me something?” I ask as I follow him into his room.
He grins over his shoulder. “Even better, I’ll teach you. We’ll be together for a while, no?” I nod and smile, feeling warm all over. “Then I’ll have plenty of time to teach you all I know.”
I’m really lucky that Maverick is taking all this in stride. He could have easily kicked me out on my ass since I’m a random guy he doesn’t know, but he offered me a place to stay until we figure out our future. Though I’d rather not leave him at all. This is where I belong…with him.
I take the pants from Maverick’s hands and slide them on. They fit well, if a little snug. But being from the seventies, I’m used to my pants being on the tighter side.
I tug the shirt he hands me over my head, thankful that it’s a little loose around my shoulders. Maverick isn’t a big man, so it’s a wonder he has anything that fits me at all.
“Maverick?” He hums as his eyes trail over my body. I grin at him and flex my pecs, watching his eyes blow wide. I chuckle but put distance between us. I would love to lie around with him all day, learning what makes him tick, what makes him come, but I really want to breathe fresh air.
He meets my eyes and grins, his cheeks pink. “Yeah?”
“I don’t have money, but I would like clothes. If you can purchase some for me, I can pay you back as soon as I find a job. There has to be—”
He holds his hands up. “It’s okay. You’ve been a recliner for decades.
I can spring for some clothes for you, it’s no big deal.
Let’s get you acclimated to walking on two legs before I push you into getting a job, okay?
” His face softens as he takes a few steps closer to me.
“Besides, things might be overwhelming for you right now. It’s okay to figure out the world around you first.”
Sighing, I lean down and kiss him softly. “Thank you, Maverick. I’m glad you’re my mate.”
“Me too,” he whispers against my lips, then kisses me once more. “Now let’s go. Clothes, coffee, then we can walk downtown.”
We leave the house and I stop just past the threshold, closing my eyes and tipping my head back to breathe in the fresh air. Gods, it feels so much better to draw air into my lungs as a human than as a fucking chair. It smells differently in my nose, feels differently on my skin.
The smell of exhaust, dirt, trees, and flowers makes a smile spread across my face. I will never take my ability to shift for granted again. The smells alone are worth living for.
My hair sways gently in the breeze, lifting off my neck and swirling in my face. I let it be, just feeling, just absorbing.
When I open my eyes, I find Maverick looking at me, a soft smile on his face. “How does it feel?” he asks in a gentle voice.
“Amazing. It comes second to your hole around my cock, though.”
He makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat, his eyes wide with surprise. “Jesus, Cade.” He runs a shaky hand through his hair. “You said you wanted to get out of the house. Keep talking like that and we’ll have to take a rain check on coffee and clothes.”
I bark a laugh, then throw my arm around his shoulders. “I’ll be good, I promise.”
The area where Maverick lives is just beside a shopping center, so we stop there first to get clothes.
I spend way too much time trying clothes on, but I like the way they feel against my skin. Maverick seems to be having fun as well, handing me shirts and pants to try on, making me do a fashion show for him. I gladly oblige, loving how he looks at me.
Gone are the bright, vibrant colors, and flowers and other bold patterns on clothing. Now, the designs are more toned down, more solid colors. The pants are still a little snug, but the bottoms aren’t as flared, and they hang lower on my hips.
By the time we’re done, my arms are loaded down with clothes and shoes. It was odd watching Maverick pay for things with a card, saying that the funds would be removed from his bank account.
Before I was cursed, I had a bank card, but I could only use it at an ATM to withdraw money. It has to be convenient not to carry around hundreds of dollars anytime you want to have a shopping spree, but it’s just one more thing that makes me feel like I’ll never catch up.
Maverick picks up on my mood and takes a few of my bags, bumping his shoulder in my bicep. “Don’t rush things, Cade. We have time to figure it all out. Think of how much you’ll know a year from now.”
I smile and wrap my arm around him. “A year with you sounds great.”
He giggles sweetly, ducking his head so I can’t see his face. “You say that now, but I might turn out to be a handful. My ex—”