43. Porter
PORTER
“Iam so happy to see you!” I tell my coworker, Lacie, as she walks behind the counter.
Will said he’d meet me here before my shift is done, so mostly I’ve been waiting for her to replace me.
“Yeah, yeah, you’ll get out of here in a second, let me just put down my stuff,” she jokes.
I finish the caramel frappuccino I’m making, eager to wrap this shift up and talk to Will.
I’m not excited about the topic, but we need to talk about summer because even though we’ve said “I love you” to each other, that doesn’t stop the fact that it’s nearly here.
I have no idea what the hell I’m supposed to do for almost three months without him.
I’ve always gone home to work, and as far as I know, Will is also planning to go home—and those homes are hours apart.
The timing of this all makes it so much harder too.
I wish we had a few more weeks before we had to face reality instead of it happening almost immediately.
We fucked around the whole semester—literally—and now finals are next week.
It feels like I just got what I wanted, and I’m days away from losing it.
Even if I do feel surprisingly solid about us considering how new it is.
It’s not like I even have my own reliable car to drive all the way to Maryland, either.
Maybe I should’ve let Will buy me one. Kidding, of course.
I don’t know the exact details of his family’s financial situation still—other than they have money—but that seems like an over-the-top gift no matter what.
The distance is the only thing I’ve been thinking about this whole shift. I turn back to the register and realize Will is ordering. He and Dom are laughing about something, and it fills my heart watching him get along with my friends, too.
The order prints out, and I grab the slip, expecting Will to have ordered his normal iced vanilla latte. He’s really stuck to those since I recommended it, and I smile as I confirm that’s exactly what he ordered… but that’s not the thing that really captures my attention.
On the order slip it says, “My boyfriend,” and I bite my lip, cheeks heating as I dare to look up at him and Dom who are both grinning at me.
Will really is going all out on this public claiming of me, and while I should be embarrassed, I’m not. I love being his, and his carefree attitude is rubbing off on me.
I make the drink, and he’s waiting off to the side, attempting to be innocent.
He must feel my eyes on him, and he mouths a silent “what?” to me, and I shake my head through a smile.
He slowly approaches me. “Aren’t you supposed to call out the name?
Isn’t that some type of requirement or something? ”
“Oh, I’ll call it out. Just want to make sure you’re happy for me to do this in such a public place.”
“Of course, I want everyone to know who you belong to.”
I nod but decide to have some fun of my own. Like I would with any other order, I call out the name, just not the one he put.
“Order for Daddy.”
Will’s eyes widen for a moment before his expression changes to one filled with heat. Dom is thrown over in a fit of laughter that I know is all amusement and no malice.
“That’d be me, thanks, Kitten,” Will says with a wink, then grabs me by the collar of my shirt, pulls me over the counter, and presses his lips to mine as he meets me halfway. It’s quick, just a peck since I am at work, and I’d really like to come back to this job in the fall.
I can’t stop smiling. “Let me go get my stuff, one second.”
As soon as I walk to the back, Dom is right behind me. “I knew it! There’s no way that man wasn’t head over heels for you!” he proclaims, and he’s right.
“How lucky am I that I’m head over heels for him, too?” I respond lightly.
“The luckiest. Maybe I’ll find that one day,” he muses.
“You will,” I assure him, grabbing my stuff and turning to leave. “See you next shift.”
“Bye, have fun with your man.” He gives me a small finger wave, and I laugh.
The stress from earlier about summer is still here, but I’m feeling slightly better. Will always has a way of making me feel more at ease. He’s sitting at a corner table, and I approach. “Ready?”
“Sure, let’s go!”
We head out of the building and walk toward his car, climbing in. Will turns it on and starts heading in the direction of my house, so I can change.
“I can’t believe summer starts next weekend,” I begin, trying to ease into the conversation.
“It’s crazy. This semester went so fast. I can’t believe the lacrosse season is over, too. I thought we were really going to go further than we did this year, but I think we will next year. I’ve got a good feeling about it.”
“Yeah, that would be cool. So, am I going to be able to see you at all this summer?” I ask, stomach in knots as I anticipate his answer.
“I fucking hope so. I only just got you. I don’t want to go months without seeing you,” he assures me. “I have been wanting to figure out a plan for us though. Are you still going home?”
“Yeah, as of now anyway. The money is good at the restaurant I work with and it helps me save a bunch for the coming year,” I tell him honestly.
“Do you want me to come to your hometown with you?” Will asks, turning to look at me as he parks in front of my house, and my heart stutters.
He’s never even met my family or been to where I grew up, but he wants to come, what?
Live there with me? As much as I appreciate the offer, I don’t think it’s what I want. Because I don’t even want to be there.
“I live with my mom, and I usually take every open shift. I feel like you’d be so bored, and Maryland sounds way more fun.”
“Then come to Maryland with me.”
“What?”
“I want to spend the summer with you. You can get a job anywhere, Kitten. You’re such a hard worker.
You said it’s a fancy restaurant so you get good tips?
There’s plenty of those in my town. So, we could go to your mom’s, my parents’, or we could stay here.
It’s up to you, but I want to be with you all summer. Or as much of it as I can be.”
I consider the offer for a moment. And I really appreciate how flexible he’s being by letting me choose.
But going to either of our parents’ sounds like it’d be a lot, and selfishly, I want to spend time with him alone.
Want to be naked, want to wear lace for him, want him to pin me down and fuck me and be as loud as we want.
So it’s a pretty easy decision if he’s giving me the option.
“Let’s stay here,” I decide, and the second the words are out of my mouth, I feel relief.
He reaches out to lace his fingers with mine, giving my hand a tight squeeze.
“I already gave my notice to the coffee shop for the season, but maybe I can take it back and work extra shifts, or maybe that place we ate with your family is hiring. But I don’t have anywhere to live… ”
“Live with me,” Will suggests eagerly. “My landlord rents our house to us through the summer. It’s super cheap too—he discounts the rate for college students.
Probably so he still gets some money since it entices people to stay, and it’s already paid for.
That is, if you’d be okay with Nathan and Cam popping in and out? ”
Cam is great, and I wouldn’t mind at all. Nathan is a bit distant with me, and even with Will it seems, but he’s never said anything negative to us. I’ve asked Will about it, and he’s assured me Nathan doesn’t hate us. Still, I wouldn’t want it to be weird.
“Would your roommates have a problem with it? What about Nathan?”
“Nah, I straight up asked if he’s got a problem with us and he said no.
The whole time he just kept telling me things like ‘people talk’ and ‘I’m looking out for you.
’ I don’t know what that means exactly, but it’s his shit to deal with.
He hasn’t opened up further about it yet. I think he needs some time.”
“Well, okay, if you think it won’t be a problem, I’m down,” I agree even though I am a little nervous. But I know it’ll be fine, and it sounds like I’ll get to spend the summer mostly just with Will.
“This is going to be the best summer ever.” Will smirks and leans over the center console to kiss me. It’s full of passion and desire, and a future that neither one of us expected when we met.
I can’t wait.