Chapter Twelve
“I know, Lenny. She yelled at me, too.” Eli trapped the phone between his ear and shoulder while he slid the meatloaf into the oven. “I’ve called my mom three times, and she’s called me four times in the past week, and yelling is always involved.”
Lenny groaned. “She’s going to hate me forever. She totally blames me for not telling her where you were.”
“Did you remind her that you literally didn’t know where I was, that I never told you?”
“Yeah… But she blames me for not trying harder to find out.”
“Oh boy.” Eli shut the oven door. “It’ll be a while before she forgives either one of us.” He washed off his hands, then headed to the den to relax before Avery got home. “Hold on a sec. I want to get settled in the other room.”
He was glad it was Lenny’s day off so they could really talk. All they’d managed since Eli first told him the good news were quick chats. Between Lenny’s work, facing his own family plus Eli’s parents, and moving back to his old apartment - Lenny’s dance card had been full.
Plus, it would keep Eli’s mind occupied until Avery came home.
Otherwise, his thoughts would be imprisoned, unable to focus on anything other than his first real spanking session.
A couple of light taps on his ass during sex were fine, but definitely not the promised official scene.
He stretched out on the long sofa in the den, threw a woven cotton throw over his legs, then unmuted the phone.
“I’m back. So, other than my mom’s wrath, what did everyone else say about our ordeal?”
Lenny snorted. “Other than my folks, no one believes me. They think I’m desperate for attention because you moved away. Like I don’t know how to survive without you.”
“I dunno.” Eli chuckled. “Sounds valid to me.”
“You’re hilarious. But seriously…” Lenny sighed. “I’m not sure what I’m doing anymore.”
Eli sat up. Lenny’s forlorn tone had gotten his attention. “What do you mean? I thought you were planning on joining Kiss of Leather? You were pretty excited about that before everything went to shit.”
“Yeah, totally. And that thing you said about one of the owners doing a demo at Club Sensation is cool. Obviously, they’re a respectable club.” Lenny sighed, a sound Eli wasn’t used to hearing from his friend. “But I wonder if maybe I’m in a rut. Maybe I need a change of scenery or something.”
Trying to convince Lenny to leave LA when his life was potentially in danger had been impossible. Yet now that there was nothing to worry about, he didn’t care about staying.
“What’s changed? I begged you to come here, and you wouldn’t budge.”
“I guess I assumed you were in Boston because of the murder, and that you’d come back once the danger was gone.” He grunted. “It didn’t make sense for me to uproot myself, go all the way across country, only for you to turn around and come back to LA five minutes after I arrive.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that? I could’ve explained how I was planning on staying, that I was moving in with Avery.”
“Yeah… I guess.” Lenny was back to sighing.
“Hey, I have an idea. There doesn’t have to be a big uprooting.
Come visit for a while, stay in the room Avery offered.
” Eli thought he might be overstepping, but he didn’t think Master Zane would mind the next part.
“And if you want, I bet you could work at Club Sensation’s At Your Service restaurant.
I happen to know for a fact that a dishwasher position just opened up.
” He snort-laughed. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. For real, though.
I think Zane still needs wait staff. Maybe Avery does, too.
The hotel has a pricey restaurant. You could probably make bank there. ”
Eli was greeted with silence, and he thought the call dropped. “Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Just thinking.” Lenny's voice carried a note that sounded like something between hope and hesitation. “You really think they’d hire me? I mean, I’ve got experience, but they don’t know me.”
“Are you kidding? You’ve been waiting tables since high school.
You could probably run circles around half the staff.
” Eli shifted on the couch, tucking his feet under the throw.
The idea of having his bestie nearby would be the cherry on the cake of his new life.
“Plus, you’ll have me to vouch for you. That’s gotta count for something. ”
“Maybe.” Lenny’s tone lightened. “Man, it sure would be nice to get away from everyone mocking me about the whole murder thing. Then there’s your mom, who I’ll never, ever be able to face again.”
“Give her time. She’ll calm down.” Eli had to keep reminding himself of the same thing.
“Welp. Until that miraculous day arrives, I suppose I could come check out what’s happening in Boston.” Lenny chuckled. “Oh, wait. I want to get there before the holidays, though. Attending family gatherings isn’t something I’m ready to handle yet. Do you think that would be a problem?”
“I know it wouldn’t, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll discuss it with Avery tonight, then call you tomorrow.”
“Awesome, thanks.” The sound of Lenny chewing punctuated his statement. “Now fess up. What’s it really like having a full-time Dom?”
“Dude. It’s literally been a week. Although…” He bit his lip. No. He couldn’t tell his friend before he told Avery.
“Although what? Don’t leave a guy hanging.”
Eli plucked at the throw. “Even if he wasn’t my Dom, I’d want to be with him. I’ve never met anyone so caring, a man who made me feel so protected.”
He ran his fingers along the edge of the throw, feeling the woven texture. Was that too corny to admit to his friend?
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Lenny said. “But I want the juicy details. Is he strict? What are the rules like? Are you wearing a collar yet?”
Heat crept up Eli's neck. “Geez, man. Give me a chance to answer. Yes, he’s strict, but not in a way that’s mean.
There are rules, but they’re reasonable.
Things like keeping him informed of my whereabouts, eating regular meals, taking care of the house, that kind of stuff.
Plus, we’re going to start working on ways to help me focus better.
Eli trailed the pads of his fingers down his bare throat. “No collar yet. That’s for someday.”
“What if you go to the club without him?”
“That’s different. We have a club collar, but I don’t really need it right now. I’m not in the space to randomly hang out there without him yet.”
“Damn.” Lenny made a low whistle. “Pretty intense, dude.”
The sound of the front door opening reached Eli’s ears, followed by the familiar jingle of Avery’s keys landing in the ceramic dish by the entryway. His heart rate quickened.
“He’s home. I should go.”
“Tell me more tomorrow,” Lenny said. “And I’m serious about visiting. I could use some of that magical Dom penis myself.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Dork. I’ll call you, bye.”
He ended the call right as Avery appeared in the threshold of the den. After tossing his phone on the table, he threw the blanket aside and jumped up to greet his Sir. Avery laughed, opening his arms as Eli ran into them.
Avery wrapped him in a firm embrace. “How’s my precious boy?”
“I missed you, Sir. When’s your next day off again?”
Avery laughed. “Tomorrow. I’ve been working with the manager to set up a new schedule for me. I’ll be less hands-on going forward.”
Eli froze. “Wait. Is that my fault? I don’t want to mess things up for you.”
Avery pulled back and tsked. “You’ve done the exact opposite for me. Until you, I was drowning in sorrow without even realizing it. How pathetic is that?”
“Don’t say that.” Eli ducked his chin. “I’m not allowed to talk bad about myself, so you shouldn’t either.”
Avery paused, then gave him a quick kiss.
“You’re right. Point taken. From now on, I’ll be more mindful of what I say.
” He let his hand fall to his side and laced his fingers with Eli’s.
“But I want to ease your mind by saying that stepping back from the day-to-day responsibilities at the hotel is my decision. It’s what I want, okay? ”
Eli could barely contain his joy. As long as it was what Avery wanted, then he’d enjoy every second of having his Sir at home with him.
“Sound great.” His cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. “I made a meatloaf using your mom’s recipe. Hopefully it turns out all right. This is my first time making something like that.”
Avery drew his eyebrows together, then scented the air. “I thought something smelled good when I came in.”
Eli tucked a cluster of curls behind his ear. “It should be ready in about thirty minutes.”
Avery loosened his tie as he led Eli from the room. “Perfect timing.” When they reached the entryway, he gave Eli a kiss before releasing his hand. “Let me change and I’ll join you in the kitchen.”
“Sure. Umm…”
Eli paused, the urge to tell Avery about Lenny right away tugging at him. Avery regarded him with a wrinkled brow, waiting.
“Go ahead, sweetheart.”
Eli cleared his throat. “So… I was talking to Lenny earlier. He’s been having a rough time. Everyone thinks he’s making up the whole murder story, and my mom is still furious with him.”
Avery sighed, shaking his head. “That’s unfortunate. He was only trying to protect you.”
“Right? And now he’s thinking about visiting Boston.” Eli fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “I kind of suggested he could stay in the guest room you offered before. And maybe work at Club Sensation or even at your hotel restaurant.” The last part came out in a jumbled rush.
A flicker of either surprise or annoyance crossed Avery’s face before his features smoothed out. Eli’s stomach clenched. Had he overstepped? He knew it would take a while before he was any good at interpreting Avery’s different expressions.
“I should’ve asked you first.” Eli’s words tumbled together. “I’m sorry, Sir. I got excited about the possibility of having him here and I…” He could barely take in a breath. “I spoke without thinking.”
Avery stepped closer, then gently placed his palms on Eli’s shoulders. “Take a slow and easy breath, boy. Like I showed you.”