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ONE
AXEL
“This is where I’m at now.” I dropped a couple weights on each of the corners so the plans didn’t curl up. “What do you think?”
Jason and Tony were standing to my left. Jesse and Harris were on the opposite side of the table, all waiting for the big reveal. We waited until all the other dogs had been picked up for the day and Billy had left before reviewing the details. This project was supposed to be a surprise for him. I think he knew something was going on, but he wasn’t the type to ask questions that weren’t any of his business.
It was actually sweet to watch him peek around for hints while trying to be discreet.
“This is amazing, Axel!” Jason was bouncing on his toes. “Is that a laundry room?”
Tony pulled him close to his side and kissed the top of his head. “You guys need to be able to wash the towels here instead of lugging them home every weekend to wash there.”
“Thank god!” Jesse put his elbows on the lower half of the paper so he could get a closer look. “And that bathroom is amazing.”
“Well, in order to sell the story that the apartment is only going to be used for dog care and boarding, we need to make sure everything needed for dog grooming is included. Hence, a giant shower and washing station.”
“Is there a bedroom door so we can use the break room, even if someone is sleeping?” Jason leaned close to Jesse and they pointed out features to each other.
“Yeah, I’m putting in barn doors so the space can be opened up during non-working hours, but when he’s sleeping or needs privacy, the doors can close off and you can still access the kitchen and shower areas.” I pointed to the door between the water closet and the shower.
“So we can tell Billy the bathroom is totally his and we’ll only use the downstairs bathroom, but the shower could be used for grooming, if ever needed. I like it.” Jason was nodding as he spoke. He had been my primary contact in the design, but Tony was paying for the project, so he had provided some input as well.
“Yeah, for all the years I had roommates, the one thing I hated sharing with people was a toilet. So, he’ll have some privacy and a storage room that’s accessible from the bedroom, and then he can just go through the connecting door to shower.
“So, the big question now is…” Tony crossed his arms over his chest, looking like the business man he was during the day. As the owner of an urgent care facility and a prominent member of the city commerce department, he easily handled high-stakes decisions while balancing the well-being of those he cared about at the same time. Which is how he ended up getting involved in this project. Well, that was one reason. The bigger impetus was his boyfriend Jason mentioning that he wanted this facility for a doggy daycare with his dog-walking friend, Jesse. “How does the budg?”
Jason cut him off with his own question. “...the timeline look? When can Billy live here, for real?”
I smirked at Tony before giving Jason my full attention. He expected me to respect his boy the same way I respected him, so I knew he appreciated the gesture. “As far as the timeline goes, we’re probably eight weeks out.” I took a step back and pulled up my calendar on my phone. “I’ve got two projects to finish up next week, and then I’ll be here full-time for the next four weeks and then part-time after that until it’s done. But two months should be good, as long as we don’t encounter any hiccups with the permits.”
“That seems reasonable.” Tony slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. “And the budget?”
“We’re on budget. I’ve identified some of the fixtures that I can get a deal on, so if the plan is approved, I’ll get those ordered. They could start arriving within the next week or two.”
Jesse bit his lip and then tugged on Harris’s arm, silently conveying some concern that he didn’t speak aloud.
Harris slipped his arm around his boy and nodded, obviously aware of the issue. “Is there any way we can get a temporary area set up sooner than that? The boys are worried that Billy might not be totally safe at home.”
“What do you mean?” I didn’t know Billy well, had only met him a few times when picking up and dropping off my dog, but he seemed like a sweet kid who deserved better than what he was dealing with. “If he’s in danger, we can figure something out for him tonight.”
My daddy side had basically been dormant for the past few years. Between trying to work as much as possible and hitting the gym on a daily basis as a distraction to my loneliness, considering a relationship was the last thing on my mind. But after reconnecting with Harris and Tony…the thought of having someone I could call my own had been taking up more head space.
Jesse and Jason were such sweet boys, and the dynamics they shared with their Daddies made me a little jealous. I’d even considered going to Primal during one of their Little nights to see if there was anyone new that caught my attention.
But something always stopped me.
Work was the obvious excuse I used to keep my ass at home, but recently, there was also a budding attraction to the kid I was building this new space for.
Billy was exactly my type. Soft and shy…and so damn cute. The fact that he loved animals was just gravy. But he was going through shit at home, and that made me even more vested in getting him out of there.
“No, I don’t think it’s that bad.” Jesse was the one to speak up. He cleared his throat and sighed. “I’ve tried to get him to open up about how his dad treats him, but he brushes me off. I don’t think it’s abusive yet, but it’s definitely not healthy. The sooner he has the option to stay here, the better.”
Fuck. I tapped my finger against my jaw and thought about it. “The appliances I want to order should be in by Friday. If they are, I can temporarily install them in the storage room down here. And if he doesn’t mind sharing space with the boxes you have in there, we can probably have a backup plan ready for him in the next few days. At least as an option for those nights when he doesn’t want to go home.”
Jesse’s eyes lit up, and Jason was already nodding. “Yeah, that would be great. He’s not picky. I think he stays in his car sometimes, so he’ll be happy with anything. I’ve been tempted to buy a pull-out couch for him to use here, but I know the dogs will take it over, so it will get dirty pretty quick.”
“I’ll get it worked out.” I already had a plan of how I could rearrange the storage room to make something work. “Since you mentioned wanting a pull-out sofa upstairs in the breakroom long-term anyway, I can get one now and set it up for him. Then, we’ll just move it after the studio is done.”
