Chapter 20
Chapter twenty
Warner – Home
Home Again
After the long trip, I needed some downtime and since I didn’t have any clients on my schedule for another week, I took it.
Unfortunately, Cody had to work. There was still this tempting idea niggling at the back of my head that he shouldn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to do.
He could move in, and I could take care of him.
He could stay home and do nothing, or start a business or whatever he wanted.
I had way more than enough money to support both of us, even if I never worked for Drew again.
I worked for him because I loved it, and he let me do my own thing, plus I commanded a high fee that Drew received a part of.
I didn’t have to, though. That was the difference.
Cody felt like he had to work, and as much as I wanted to change that for him, it had to be his decision.
I left him alone, and instead, simply enjoyed a few quiet nights at home with him.
It had been a great vacation, but most of it had been spent with other people, with too few moments alone. I ordered Chinese food, and it arrived just before Cody did. “Hope you’re hungry.”
“I am. What’re we having?”
“Chinese. All of your favorites, so go wash up.” I gave him a little swat on the butt as I directed him to the powder room.
“Daddy, help me wash my hands.” Instant-little. Good. He must have had a hard time on his first day back. I wasn’t going to ask, though. It was better to run with the little time.
“Sure, baby. Dinner is all ready. Here.” I turned on the water, checking the temperature to be sure it was warm but not too hot, then put his hands under the water. I squirted some soap, lathered both our hands, and rinsed. “Ready?”
“Yes, Daddy. I got a growly-hungry belly.”
“Hop up on the barstool.” I helped by lifting him at his waist. These were the moments I cherished, when Cody was in the right frame of mind to let me take care of him.
“Mmm…good.” He dipped his chicken pieces into the sweet and sour sauce before shoving them in his mouth and making more yummy noises.
“Glad you like it.” I had General Tso’s chicken. “Want an egg roll?”
“Yummy! Yes, please.”
I handed him one, and he splashed the end of it in his sauce. How he could taste anything past the sweet and sour was beyond me, but it was his food.
By the time we were finished, Cody was squirming in his chair, and I didn’t think it was going to make for a quiet night.
“Do you want to go to the club? Vince said they could meet us there, and you can play with Joey and the others.” Vince and I had grown closer on the trip and were getting ready to combine forces to invest in something, we just didn’t know what yet.
“Sounds fun. I get to dress up?”
“Sure.”
There was that arm in the air. “Yay!” I obviously made the right call. “I’m going to find something to wear.” He pushed away from the bar and rushed to the stairs.
“Wash your hands. No sticky fingers all over the banister.” I leaned to the side so I could see him at the stairs, and he held his arms up over his head.
“Not touching.” He slowly walked up, and after a moment, I heard the water come on. Good boy.
I cleaned up the dinner mess, then joined him in his playroom.
He was pulling clothes out and tossing them on the daybed we had set up for him in there.
The room was done in crisp white and deep navy blue, and his bed linens featured an ocean-themed design.
He loved the water, so we wanted the room to feel a little nautical but without going over the top.
There was a fine line between playful and kitschy.
“What’s all this?” I picked up one of his T-shirts that had fallen bowling pins and the word Strike printed on it.
“I don’t know what to wear.” He pulled something else out of his closet.
“Maybe this.” He quickly changed into the plaid button-up, short-sleeved shirt.
“With this.” His dress pants fell to the floor, and he yanked on a pair of cuffed shorts.
He spun around and then looked in the mirror.
“I need spenders. Where are they?” He danced around, apparently looking for his suspenders, then took off running back downstairs.
“Hey, baby boy, why are you running in the house?”
“Sorry, Daddy. I’m so ‘cited. I want to dance and play with Joey.”
“Let me get ready then…”
“Okay.” He shouted from downstairs, then I heard music. He was going to dance himself out before we ever got to the club.
I took a quick shower and got dressed in a pair of white slacks and a short-sleeve button-up shirt with a dark green pattern that looked like a modern take on a Hawaiian print.
I paired my outfit with leather ankle boots.
I didn’t think it looked too bad. This could be a fun night, even if it wasn’t what I’d originally planned.
When I made it to the living room, I turned off the music. Cody stopped dancing and looked at me before whistling low. “You look good, Daddy.”
“You do too.” He’d found his skinny black suspenders and attached them and had already put on his Doc Marten shoes with ankle socks. He was simply charming.
“Yay! Let’s go then. I’ll text Joey on the way.” Out the door he went without looking back.
Afterglow was one of our favorite places to go. It gave us an outlet to cut loose and hang out with our friends. After the long trip, I was surprised that Cody wanted more time with our friends. But it was actually more about blowing off steam and having permission to be little. I was all for that.
The lights were low and dance music was playing when we walked in the front doors. After showing our membership cards, we headed for the bar. “What would you like to drink?”
“Only water. I want to play later.”
“You got it.” I ordered two waters, because I would never let him go into No Limits, the back part of the club where people got up to all kinds of kinky things, alone.
You had to pass a breathalyzer test to get in.
Maybe that seemed counterproductive for income, but the membership fees probably covered it.
They often held public events that generated more money as well.
For the owners, it was more important for No Limits to be a safe space.
So you had to be sober to play, whether that meant the little room, the dungeon area, or a private room.
I handed Cody his water, and he took a long drink.
“Let’s dance, Daddy.” He had to practically shout over the loud music.
He took my hand and led me to the floor.
I didn’t mind dancing with my boy like a lot of other daddies might.
Crow was usually hesitant unless it was slow dancing, but I liked to be close when Cody was shaking his fine ass.
That protective streak in me would not die.
Cody threw his hand in the air and wiggled as he turned before backing up to me.
I grabbed his hips and leaned into him. He smelled like the shampoo we shared at my place.
It was supposed to smell like the ocean, but I didn’t think it did.
It was more like citrus and roses. Still, it was nice wafting up from Cody in an alluring way.
We danced like that, his back to my front for a few minutes, his moves making my dick harder by the second.
It was impossible not to be aroused by him.
Then Joey and Vince showed up with Joey jumping up and down and waving his hands in the air, which, of course, got Cody going too.
Before I knew it, the Little Show was going down on the dancefloor with Vince and me shaking our heads and laughing.
As Cody and Joey danced around, Danny and Levi joined them.
It seemed as if these four were now a tight-knit group after the Pride Trip.
There were always a few other littles around the club, but these guys were solid, and their friendship mirrored the daddies.
Vince, Lee, and Hudson were all good friends of mine.
Lee hadn’t been as close, but had probably been pulled into the group more since Danny was such good friends with Levi.
But they were also all good friends with Skyler, whose daddy was my best friend, Crow, even though Skyler wasn’t a little.
I still suspected he was a middle, though, and sometimes he hung out with them in the little room.
Wow, our group was so interconnected. It was nice to have such a social group of close friends. Hell, I considered them family. I breathed easier knowing they were all around us, sharing the evening.
Before I got a chance to see if they wanted to go play in No Limits, the D.J.
was on the mic. “Hey, hey, hey…we have a regular dance party going on here tonight. Yeah. Time to really get your groove on. We’re going to have us a dance contest. Mr. Stryker will pick the contestants, and then Master Braxton will have all the bartenders and staff hand out ballots.
They all go in the box Mr. Stryker is setting up on the bar.
It’s a vote by number. First, Mr. Stryker, please hand out the numbers…
” His deep voice trailed off like some kind of radio announcement.
Vince leaned into me, bumping shoulders. “Did you know about this?”
“No.” I shook my head and watched as Stryker, who was a relatively new addition to the club, handed out paper numbers to some of the guys on the floor.
He’d started showing up more and more after the big renovation and was apparently becoming more involved in activities, too.
He handed numbers to our littles. All except Skyler.
“Now, if you don’t have a number, move to the side so these contestants can show their thing.” As the DJ finished, people left the dancefloor, leaving ten guys in the middle, four of whom were our littles.
Skyler stood next to Crow and crossed his arms over his chest, scowling deeply. “No fair.”
Crow bent low, comforting him, though I couldn’t hear what he said, but it had Skyler laughing, whatever it was.