“Frank, I know a lot of people. If I put your name in as a suggestion, they’ll take it seriously. You’ve got enough skills that we should be able to find you something.”Enough skills. Is that supposed to be a compliment?
“I’m fine where I am. When I’m ready to move on, I’ll look for something else.” I leave out that I don’t expect tobe ready to find something else until I finish my degree. At least with my associates done, I’ll have a few more credentials to my name that I can use to get something at least semi-relevant to my field. If I take Ethan up on this, I’ll be stuck at that place for who knows how long, the whole time with everyone knowing that I’m only there because my big brother called in a favor. No fucking thank you.
A series of knowing looks pass between everyone at the table.
“Frank, you know we’re thrilled to have you back home.” I can’t hold back the scoff at my mother’s words. I’m not sure thrilled is the right word for their sentiment. “We’re worried you’ve derailed your life. You spend all your time out of the house, doing God knows what. Now you’ve got this older boyfriend. We’re not sure what to think.”
“I thought you liked Matthias?” He’d been nothing but a perfect gentleman when he was here. He decorated cookies, for fuck’s sake. As far as potential partners go, Matthias is what most parents dream of. He’s got manners, a stable job, and a good family.
I won’t mention the whole Daddy thing. I don’t think that would help my case.
“He’s very nice, but…” I can hear the question in my father’s voice. What’s Matthias doing with someone like me? The only answers to that question are not good.
“We want you to take the next step. Take your brother up on his offer. It’ll be good for you.”
“No,” I say defiantly. Am I exhausted from work and school? Absolutely. But for possibly the first time in forever, I’m genuinely happy.
“Then you leave us no choice.” My father looks to my mother for support. “If you don’t do somethingto find a new job—either on your own or through Ethan—by the end of the year, we’ll have to ask you to move out.”
My jaw drops. I knew they were after me for something, but I didn’t expect them to kick me out of the house. “That’s in less than a month.” There’s no way I can find a job or a home in that amount of time.
“Well, we wanted to have this talk a while ago, but you weren’t available.”
Seriously? That’s what they have to say for themselves. “It’s Christmas. No one’s even hiring.”
“Well, what if we gave you until the end of January?” My mother offers. I can tell by my father’s face that he’s not happy with this turn of events.
I mentally do some math. My first tuition payment for next semester will be in January. Even if I pinch pennies until then, there’s no way I’ll be able to afford my own place before then and tuition. If I took a semester off, I could probably afford an apartment and get a second job to build up some savings. It’ll put me back on my plans by a lot. Some classes are only offered in the spring, so I might have to take a whole year off before I can get back on track.
What’s another year at this point? It’s not like I’m on some four-year plan to graduate on time. At least that gives me a little time to plan and save. “Fine.”
“Fine?” my father asks, raising an eyebrow.
My throat is too tight to say anything else, so I nod.
“I knew he’d see the sense in our plan,” my mom says, grinning like they won the lottery.
I sink into my chair, pushing food around on my plate. I’m not hungry anymore. All I want is to curl up with Matthias and have him tell me that I’m doing a good job. Instead, as soon as Ethan gets in his car to go home, I make up an excuse to hide out in the basement. It only takes me afew hours of going through my financial statement to figure out how fucked I am. Guess that means all the math classes are paying off.
I fall asleep slowly, my mind spinning out of control, trying to figure out my next steps.
MATTHIAS
“I’m so excited.” Frank practically vibrates in the passenger seat of my car as we pull into the parking lot of the club I frequent. Or used to frequent. It’s been a while since I made an appearance. First, because I was busy with work, then because I was pining after Frank.
“I can tell.” I wasn’t sure how Frank would take it when I suggested hitting up the club that did a regular Daddy/boy night on Saturdays. Even if I see him as a boy, I’m not sure it’s a moniker that he would use for himself. Although, he takes to the role perfectly. We’ve spent the last couple of weeks slowly working out a dynamic that works for both of us. There are still plenty of things we’re going to need to talk about and work on, but for now, he seems content to let me take the lead on most things.
After our first date, most of the time we’ve spent together has been in my house. Not that I’m complaining, since it has plenty of privacy and easy access to the bedroom. It’s convenient around our work and his class schedule, plus it gives me the chance to ensure he’s spending enough time on studying. No more all-nighters for either of us. That said, it’s not the best way to show him how much he means to me. A fun night out, away from equations, is a move in the right direction.
He grumbled a little, saying that nights cuddled up on the couch are all he wants. Right until I told him my idea. Apparently, promises of music and dancing are the only things it takes to get him out of the house. And in the most delectable outfit. I told him anything was fine, but he insisted on going all out. The club doesn’t have a dress code. These Daddy-boy nights tend to attract a range of individuals in everything from casual clothes to more standard clubwear. To stand out, I think someone would have to show up in a full dinosaur costume. Even then, I suspect they would only garner a few shrugs.
My Firecracker is undoubtedly going to turn some heads tonight. His painted-on dark jeans and mesh tank top show off every inch of muscle in his body. Those long hours spent doing landscaping and construction jobs have formed his shoulders and biceps into a work of art. Normally, I only get to see them when he’s stripped down in my bed. Tonight, they’re on full display. I’m fully prepared to fight people off as needed.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been to a club.”
I smile softly, thinking about all the things he’s missed out on over the last few years. I never went through a club phase. The only reason I started going was because I saw these events advertised online during a time when I was trying to figure out what exactly I liked. I knew I was drawn to the lifestyle based on some interactions in online chat rooms, but I had no idea how to get into it. A theme night at a bar seemed like a gentle introduction.
“I know, Firecracker. I want you to have a good time tonight. Focus on having fun and let me worry about everything else.” Since I didn’t intend to let him out of my sight, that should be easy.
