Page 33 of Freddie

Menotté’s is empty when I arrive. The rain is falling hard, and once I dip inside, my trench coat is soaked as I remove it and close my umbrella, sticking it in the drying bin by the door. Freddie requested to meet here before the class as Craig and he usually grab flat whites beforehand. Telling the jealous beast inside me to shut it because Freddie isn’t mine; however, it also wasn’t Craig eating his own birthday cake off Freddie’s ass yesterday.

They are already here and laughing with one another as they collect their drinks. Craig pushes Freddie’s shoulder in response to something he must have said, and the brat turns in time to catch me scowling. Of fucking course he does. It makes him smile more, and I totally don’t hate that he caught me because his smile could light up a goddamn theatre. Ugh, what am I doing? Wanting someone so unbelievably unavailable. The universe must hate me. Was I an asshole in my previous life? Must have been for this to be my punishment.

I place my order for a latte then head to the end of the bar where my sub and his nude swimming coach are still speaking.

“Hey man, I’m Craig,” the nicest threat I’ve ever laid eyes on says as he introduces himself. I take his hand in a nice firm grip then catch Freddie rolling his eyes when Craig makes a small noise and shakes his hand off when I let go. I just shrug innocently.

“Hey man, nice to meet you. Looking forward to the class,” I tell him honestly. Nude swimming is something I’ve done before, alone, in a lake. But seeing Freddie naked, and being able to browse others in their birthday suits? Yeah, I’m game for that. I don’t have any huge hang-ups about my body despite nearing forty. I plan to age with grace. Let those grey hairs take over. I don’t care, as long as my dick continues to work until I die.

Kody shouts my order and I thank him, his face blushing like it always does at any attention. So shy that one. As we make our way onto the street, I sigh when I see Arnie strolling towards me. On approach, he is fucking giddy at seeing me out with Freddie without the club to hide behind.

“Oh, hi. Nice to see you again, Freddie,” he smiles, then introduces himself to Craig, who looks smitten. Shame Arnie has his own little sub he’s currently taming. Which gives me an idea.

“Can’t talk, we have a class. See you tomorrow,” I quickly say so he fucks off and leaves us alone. Working with Arnie is fun, and I know I’ll get it tomorrow at the uni, but right now I just want to hang out with my bo-. Whoa, was I about to say boyfriend? I mean my sub slash classmate of swimming. Who am I kidding? I’ve wanted him as more than that for so long that I don’t even know when it started. Arnie drops it for now, but narrows his eyes and tells me he wants details ASAP as he passes us.

The class is low impact and more of a fun way to explore self-love in a water setting. Not hating it, I thank Craig when the hour is up and agree to come back. He’s not such a bad guy after all. I’m just a possessive bear with a Scottish boy fixation. I had high hopes that Freddie would be uncaged and I could swipe a view at his cock, but he kept a pale blue one on much to my dismay.

“Heading home?” Freddie asks as he runs his fingers through his wet locks as we waltz down the street from the class. Having no idea what he would say if I asked him to brunch, then a fuckfest on my library floor, I opt for casual.

“Just work stuff from home, you?” He tilts his head as if trying to get a read on me, then must dismiss what he was going to actually say with something as pedantic as my lie.

“Yeah, gotta organise my latex panties today, y’know,” he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his pretty green eyes. I chuckle at the thought of him in his little cage, all fussed over organising his panties. My cock perks up and thinks it’s getting lucky, but I need to stop this. Stop spending time with him outside of scenes. My brain and cock hate me, but he’s not mine. Can’t be mine.

“The Y2K party is next month. Are we going?”

”Yeah sure. I’ll ask Arnie. He has a new sub and I don’t think he’s had him at the club yet so it could be fun.”

“Oooooh, fun like fucking with them fun?” I roll my eyes because, of course, he wants to fuck them. And my cock is now fully hard.

I wave him off with a promise to text over the details and watch his peach sway away from me with another chunk of my heart.

Chapter 36

Simmons

And so we find ourselves in a routine within limbo. Swim class once a week, Freddie shows up at mines unannounced on a weeknight. I’ve started leaving the door unlocked around 8 p.m.

He commented once about how reckless I am by being home with my door unlocked, as if I haven’t picked up on the pattern of his appearance and only leave it unlocked for him.

“I can’t understand a word, Freddie,” I laugh as he gives me a pointed stare.

“That’s what the subtitles are for!” he giggles as he grabs the remote from my hand. “Do not turn it off; it’s making me nostalgic. I can explain any jokes you don’t get. And don’t pout, I’m supposed to be the brat here,” he says as he pumps his eyebrows at me.

Lunging across the couch, I grab him and hold tightly to stop him wriggling away from me. We are panting, sweaty and laughing by the time he gives in to me. I kiss his temple, then sit back up.

“Okay, what’s so good about it?” I ask as I drag him into my lap.

We are both naked in my living room. The blinds are closed. The TV is on with some show that Freddie grew up watching called Chewin’ the Fat, and he has been trying to explain what the hell is going on in the sketch show for an hour. We both discovered that at home, we hate clothes, so we have taken to lounging naked on the large L-shaped royal blue sofa whenever Freddie is here. I love it.

I wish this could be us every night. Freddie has made himself at home here, and although some would say he is brash or too much, he is exactly who I want and need him to be. To take what is his, regardless of whether that is the last beer in my fridge or my heart.

“Well, it’s old but gold. My granny would laugh at the most inappropriate parts, and it always made me and my sisters laugh cause she was a proper wee lady. She would skelp the back of our heads if we even swore. So seeing her laugh at a wee guy getting a hard on is ridiculous,” he says, but his stare is a million miles away with his family and his memories.

It’s so sweet that I reach out and rub my thumbs on his cheeks, then his lips, and leave them either side of his neck as he tells me about his sisters and how his parents are still so adorably in love.

“It’s cheesy, but it’s what I want. Watching my Ma and Da together makes my heart yearn for the same. But I will never ever admit that to them, so never repeat it,” he warns me with a sweet look through his eyelashes and his finger poking my chest.

“Swear I won’t,” I whisper against his lips. He looks down with a sigh and then leans his head on my chest. Playing with the hair there, I think he’s fallen asleep, but then he looks up and licks his lips.