Page 144 of Pretty ’n Peak

Austin: Drive safely, darling.

Mateo wanted to press the phone to his chest with all the sweet words coming from it, but of course that was the last thing he could do.

His brothers Lucas and Andrés were somewhere below, along with half a dozen other colleagues who could be just as bad.

Not bad in a mean way, but telling Lucas that he couldn’t help put up the shed this weekend had opened him up to endless rounds of teasing.

He didn’t want to tell them that he was in an art show, because what if they looked him up and found the gallery? Mateo had already checked it out online, and there were small images of a couple pieces from each artist—many of them explicitly queer.

He couldn’t use rock climbing as an excuse either. They already thought he had a girlfriend who he went climbing with.

He’d finally landed on a lame art… class… that lasted two days… And the whole thing just felt ridiculous tumbling out of his mouth.

His family was convinced there was a girl.

If only they knew.

He wrote back.

Mateo: Yes, Daddy.

Even typing the word gave him a thrill. His phone already had it set in the autosuggest.

It seemed like the call on Monday had broken the dam on communication, and now he could text or call Austin whenever he wanted. He felt like a giddy teenager.

They’d stayed up late each night talking—even after Daddy had to work late on Wednesday—and texted throughout the day.

He’d tried to slow it down at first, but now he just sent Daddy anything that popped into his head. Descriptions of things he saw and wanted to work into his art. Funny conversations with his siblings. Questions about the queer and kink scenes in Portland. Naughty ideas that left him blushing.

Austin was starting to open up, too. He spoke freely about his family—parents in California who he rarely saw but felt comfortable with, and a brother who was six years older and lived in Germany with his wife.

He told intriguing stories about his kinky exploits over the past decade, sometimes getting Mateo so riled up that he had to jack off the moment he got off the phone.

Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to do that with Daddy still listening.

But in between, Mateo caught little glimpses of what Austin’s life had been like with his ex. Cam sounded like an asshole, and there were still jagged edges of anger, hurt, and defeat sticking out around his name.

Mateo wished he could take away all of that pain.

But most of the time Austin was upbeat and funny, finding ways to joke about his horrible job and flirting so smoothly with Mateo that it felt like he was always floating.

His phone dinged again, and since no one was watching, he set down the drill to check it.

Jamie: Did you leave yet?

Mateo rolled his eyes affectionately. Telling the brat about his weekend was either the worst or best thing he’d ever done.

Mateo: Nope, running late. But Austin is, too.

Jamie: Did you use the depilatory cream last night?

Mateo: This morning.

It was both fun and bizarre talking about his grooming habits with someone else. But Jamie was eager to share his tips and tricks, talking Mateo into things he would never have tried on his own.

The cream had been a little stinky and it took him a couple tries to realize that he needed the maximum time for his thick hair, but he had to admit that the effect was worth it. His legs were so silky smooth he’d spent a few moments just rubbing his hands over them. Since Jamie had advised him to buy a few different types for the different parts of his body, he’d moved on to other more intimate parts.

He was going to try his face right before he showered tonight. He was still going to keep his trim beard, since he liked the look. But he wanted everything else to feel like satin.