Chapter 5
“Look at these potatoes. And the churros!”
Theo couldn’t help but smile at Will’s excitement about the food. He recognized it. He’d never had the chance to eat out much himself, so he could see how this was special, even with the ridiculous credit card in his pocket.
They’d found a nice table in a quiet corner, and Carl and Corvin were still roaming the buffet display.
“Are those the only things you got?” Theo asked Will.
Will nodded. “Yup. I can get you some too?”
“Nope, I’m good.”
Will looked at Theo’s plate. “That’s a lot of salad.”
It was. Fiber’s important. Maybe not so much if you’re a witch though.
“I never got a chance to ask. How old are you?”
“Oh. Twenty-one. You’re older, right? You look older. Not in a bad way! I definitely think you’re attractive.”
Theo chuckled. “Thanks. I’m twenty-four.”
Will nodded. “And you’re a student. Is that fun?”
Theo considered that. “Probably not as much fun as learning magic, but I like it. I had a lot of credits to make up for over the summer, but that worked out pretty well, all things considered.”
Will opened his mouth to ask another question, but before he could, Carl came back, drinks in his hands.
“I got the nice server to make you mimosas, just orange juice for me.” He handed them each a glass and placed Corvin’s at his place, then he eyed Will’s plate. “Are you planning to eat all those churros by yourself?”
Will turned to Theo. “Can I? That’s okay, right?”
“Sure.”
Will straightened. “See? If you want some, you’ll have to get your own. These’re all mine.”
Carl huffed. “Whatever you say.”
Corvin sauntered back with two plates in his hand. “Carl, here’s yours. Thanks for the drinks.” He slid into his seat and raised his glass. “What are we drinking to?”
“Getting off work early,” Carl said.
“Churros.” Will picked up his glass, looking altogether too serious.
Theo looked at the lot of them. He joined them. “To doing this again soon.”
Corvin brightened. “Yup, that’s the one.”
Their glasses made a sweet, sparkling sound when they brought them together. I don’t actually feel bad about skipping class anymore. How odd.
Theo’s guilty conscience caught up with him later in the afternoon.
They’d stopped by the bookshop Corvin had wanted to go to.
All of them had bought something, though Will had taken ages to pick out a single notebook with a beautiful flower design.
Theo had gone for a cis-het romance that was in all the charts and that he thought was going to make for a good paper, at least.
After that, they’d all filed back into Carl’s car.
Carl held up the cozy fantasy romance he’d found. “Fellas, I have to go home and read this. How about I drop you all off where you belong? That sound good to everyone?”
Corvin leaned forward from the back seat. “Only if we do this again. Carl, you don’t talk much, but you’re fun.”
“Thanks, Coconut. I’ll carry those books into the house for you.”
Corvin petted his extra-large shopping bag fondly. “Oh, it’s just a handful. I can manage.”
Theo groaned and turned in the passenger seat as Carl started the car. “Is that why you got that many? So that Carl would carry your shopping?”
“Huh? No. I read a lot.” He looked at the pile, frowned, and pulled out a collection of reimagined fairy tales. “Although… I have this one already. Ooops.” He turned to Will with a calculating expression. “Hey, do you want this one? Mike always makes me rehome any duplicates I have.”
Will’s eyes went wide. “Are you sure?”
Carl chuckled. Theo turned back, a stupid smile plastered on his face. They were almost at Corvin’s house before he realized that possibly, he’d managed to find a group of friends while lying to Peter and not going to class.
Theo ended up alone with Carl in the car as they pulled away from Will’s house, with its wildly overgrown garden.
Carl cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to pry, and I know the boss probably said it already, but just so you know, if you ever need a hand, a place to crash or whatever, Kira and I have a guest room. Just putting that out there.”
Theo turned to him, shocked. “I’m not breaking up with Peter! I lo—I really like Peter, okay?”
“Okay.”
Theo gnawed on his bottom lip. “It’s just that he doesn’t let me do anything, and I’ve never done that. I’ve never done nothing.”
“Double negatives what they teach at school these days?”
Theo eyed him. “Carl, are you making fun of me?”
“The correct answer is no.”
“Yeah, I heard the unspoken ‘but’ there. I’ve always worked to keep myself above water, okay?”
“Okay.”
Theo narrowed his eyes. “You’re not saying the ‘but’ again. I can hear it though. You’re not-saying it very loudly, Carl. You know we’re trained to work with clients, right? Celeste puts a strong emphasis on listening skills.”
“I know you’re retired. Anyway, all I was saying is, a lot of people might like a sugar daddy, you know.”
“Sugar daddy!”
Carl repositioned his hands on the wheel in a way that made him look nervous. “That’s not a bad thing. It can be enjoyable. Besides, if I had a mate, I’d want to be their sugar daddy too, if they wanted to use that term.”
Theo crossed his arms. “Vampires don’t have mates. I should know. Peter and I have a contract.”
The contract was what had brought them together in the first place and what had bound them.
What was still binding them. Theo mentally patted himself on the shoulder for remembering it and for not going sappy about his…
emotions. About how he’d grown to…like Peter.
A contract was easier, and he had to keep that in mind. It was tidier, safer. Safe was good.
“Right. Sorry. I’m just saying…I can see why someone like Mr. Collins would want to take care of you, and not even you specifically. Just in general.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “Right. Rich guy falls for his sex worker. Tale as old as time. Before, when I used to be a cam boy, do you have any idea how many people said they’d want to take care of me, and all I had to do was take care of them?”
“More than ten?”
“Yes. A lot more. It’s a stupid fucking tale. It’s a lie.” Theo slumped back in his seat. “But it’s moot. I’m your new part-time bar person.”
Carl brightened. “Oh, so you’re actually coming back to the Boudoir? Nice. Can I tell Kira?”
“Sure.”
Carl glanced over at him. “Have you told Mr. Collins yet?”
Theo crossed his arms. “I will.”
Theo had considered peeling off his sweater, but it was a little chilly after all, with clouds that had moved in a few hours ago. He left his bag in the kitchen and got out the book, then he looked at the stove.
I could go for some hot chocolate right now. It would be nice if Peter were here to make it.
Theo had half a mind to text Peter, but he didn’t. He got himself a glass of water and took his book to the expansive living room with him, chose a corner of one of the big couches, and curled up there. He still felt odd moving around here. Peter’s house was like a show home that no one lived in.
Apart from my desk in the conservatory. That’s more cluttered than the whole rest of this place. To think he got me a desk and put it in there.
With a sigh, Theo opened the book and started into the fantasy. The story wasn’t too bad, at least, even if the hero was sketchy, a little too sexy, and decidedly too aloof.
Theo was maybe thirty pages in when he heard the front door open. He checked his phone. It was too early for Peter to be home.
“Peter?”
“Yes.” Peter came into the room, looking as handsome as he had this morning in his suit. “You’re home already?”
“Oh. Yeah.” He showed off his book. “Stopped by the bookstore.”
Peter sat on the couch next to him and reached for Theo’s hand. “A Crown of Silver and Dragon Scale. I didn’t think that was for you. Dearest, your hands are cold. Should I—”
“Hot chocolate.” Theo blushed. “Only if you don’t have work to finish up. I just had a bit of a craving for hot chocolate when I got home, but it’s not like you have to.”
Peter’s icy eyes brightened. “I’ll make you some. Is there anything else you want?”
Theo almost didn’t say anything, but maybe some of the mimosas they’d had were still in his system.
“Uh, I’m going to help out Celeste at the Boudoir.
” Peter’s face fell. “Not like that! Just…behind the bar, okay? She’s a bit short-staffed, and I know my way around the place, know what to watch out for.
I already told her yes.” The brightness in Peter’s eyes dimmed.
“You’re not talking me out of this. I should be contributing.
Also, can we put something in the contract about you not seeing other people?
I mean, you can’t exactly put a collar on a cock, I know that, but prenups have clauses like that, right, so maybe our contract can too? ”
“You want to collar my cock?”
Theo’s eyes widened. “Nope. Unless you’re into wearing a cage. So you’re not mad?”
Peter sighed. “Dearest, why would I be mad at you?”
Theo shrugged. “’Cause you don’t want me to work at a bar?”
“You’re right, I’d rather you didn’t. Perhaps we can arrange something with Celeste. I might know someone who can work for her permanently, and then you can focus on your studies, Theodore. I’d not want you to get exhausted. After all, this job might involve late hours.”
He sounded entirely reasonable and objective. If Peter had been any kind of confrontational, it would have been so easy, so straightforward, but this? It felt like… Theo had nothing to compare it to. He just didn’t like how it felt. But I have to do it. I can’t give up working. It’s too dangerous.
“It wouldn’t be every day, okay? Maybe on the weekend. And once or twice during the week.”
“And when will you rest, Theodore?” Peter kissed Theo’s hand. “What if you get sick from exhaustion?”
Theo snorted. “What am I, some Victorian lady who can’t do without her breakfast wine and her fainting couch?”
“You’re very diligent. Diligent people often do more than they must.”
“It’s work experience, okay? And it’ll be just a few hours.”
Peter sighed. “I suppose spending a few nights a week out of the house would be—”
“You can’t come.”
Peter’s near-white brows rose. “Excuse me?”
“You’ll distract the clients being all handsome and aloof. Plus, you’ll distract Celeste.”
“Theodore—”
“You can pick me up. Or Carl can drive me home.”
“Who’s Carl?”
“He works security at the Boudoir. You’ve met. Look, I’m doing this.” Theo stood. “I’ll just go grab a pen to annotate this sexy dragon book.” He waved the paperback.
Peter wasn’t easy to walk away from though. He matched Theo’s steps, putting an arm around him. His touch was gentle and light. “If this is what you want, it’s how it will be. I’ll make your chocolate, and then I’ll amend our contract.”
Theo flushed. “So you don’t mind? Being exclusive. You’re okay with that? At least for now? I know things can change over time and—”
“They won’t change. I want no one but you. I never wanted anything else.”
“Oh.”
They were almost back in the kitchen when Peter said, “Of course, there are other people working at the firm. Objectively good-looking ones, even. Theodore, if you are set on getting work experience, perhaps you’d consider something at my office? You could keep an eye on me that way.”
Once again, it sounded so reasonable. And it made sense in Theo’s head.
A part of him wanted to say yes, wanted to sit in some fancy office chair outside some even fancier office where he could spy on Peter and keep track of who was talking to him, smiling at him, but that was ridiculous.
Theo could ask for exclusivity, but he had no right to demand it permanently.
Relationships changed, and theirs was only a contractual one to begin with.
Even if he really liked Peter very much.
“I’ll be fine at the Boudoir. Just get the contract amended. I trust you.”
And he did. Theo couldn’t quite imagine Peter treating anyone else like he treated him, taking anyone else down to the basement and watching an old movie with them.
Peter was perfectly still for a moment before he said, “Theodore, may I hold you?”
“If it means I finally get my hot chocolate, sure.”
Peter huffed. “Just for a second, precious one. I’ve missed holding you all day. You have no idea just how much.”
When Peter’s arms closed around Theo, he felt perfectly safe all of a sudden, and some tension he’d not realized had settled in the muscles of his back bled out of him.
A feeling came with being held that Theo had no name for.
He pushed it out of his mind and tried focusing and looking forward to the hot chocolate instead.