AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTERTWO
Luca
“Idon't understand why I have to go,” I said, trying to contain the whine in my voice. For some reason, Toby, one of the previous waiters here at The Tap Tavern, had insisted I go to a party tonight at his house for his crew of boys and their Daddies.
“Because you're one of us, and it's going to be fun,” Indie said in a no-nonsense voice.
Planting my hands on my hips, I asked, “I'm one of who?” And hello, did they all forget that I wasn’t in a relationship with anyone? Seriously, I’d be the only boy there without a Daddy, but I wasn’t bringing that up.
Julian chuckled, patting me on the shoulder. “Well, technically, youarea boy, but I think Indie means that you’re one of our besties, and we're going, so you are, too.”
I huffed out a breath and picked up more silverware to roll into napkins as part of the shift change duties. I couldn't believe I blurted out being a boy after all this time. If it hadn't been for stupid Harrison walking by and irritating me that day while we were having lunch, my secret would still be safe. “Stupid Harrison.”
“Yes, do tell us about Daddy Harrison.” Indie fluttered his lashes.
“Blech. The man makes me so angry. I wish he’d find somewhere else to hang out.” There was no chance of that since one person in his friend group owned this place, and the rest of them hung out here.
Julian tilted his head and studied my face. “I really don't understand what your problem is with Harrison. He’s always seemed like a perfectly nice guy to me.”
Indie fanned his face. “He’s one-hundred percent hot.”
Cameron appeared over his boyfriend's shoulder, shaking his head. “Why am I constantly catching you talking about other men?”
Indie fell backward like it was a planned trust fall, and Cameron immediately encircled his waist with his arms. “Oh, Daddy, you know I only have eyes for you.”
The two of them would make me nauseous if I didn't think they were so damn sweet. Everyone knew that Indie thought the sun rose and set with his Daddy, and as usual, Cameron was right there, ready to catch him. I couldn't even imagine how that must feel.
I sighed. “I guess I'll go if it means that much to you guys, but I still don't understand why he’s being so insistent.”
Cameron snorted. “Toby's been looking for a reason to get you over to his house to hang out with him and the others for years. If he’d known that you were a boy looking for a Daddy—”
Holding up my hand, I cut him off. If anyone knew that Toby wanted me to hang with them, it would be Cameron. Before Toby and his original crew, a group of our co-workers at the time, found their Daddies, he’d been their pseudo-Daddy, whether anyone had realized it at the time or not. But that didn’t mean anything else he was about to say was factual. “I amnotlooking for a Daddy. All I want in life right now is to finish college and work enough to pay my bills. I don't have time for anything else.”
“You seem to have time for us,” Julian said with a smile.
I shrugged. “Yeah, but that's different.”
“Why?” Indie asked, still in his boyfriend’s arms. Even though we were at work, and Cameron was the General Manager, and Indie was one of the waiters.
“I don't know. I guess because we work together so much.”
Cameron held up a finger. “And back in the day, you worked with Toby and his crew all the time, but I never saw you trying to make friends with them.”
“And,” Julian said. “Chip doesn't work with us, and you spend plenty of time with him.”
“Who wouldn't want to spend time with my boy?” Ollie asked, sneaking up behind us. How in the world did such a big man move so quietly?
“That's not the same,” I said. “Chip’s around all the time with the big guy here.” Which was true. From the minute Ollie decided Chip was his, he’d spent plenty of time at The Tap, sitting by the front door with his boyfriend. He’d naturally fallen into a groove of hanging with Indie, Julian, and me because he was new to town, and we saw him the most. Plus, it was cool watching the stoic Ollie become more demonstrative for his boy.
Ollie shook his head. “Nice try, Luca. You're going to Samuel and Toby'sLet's Get Ready For The Holidays Party,and you're going to like it. Chip wants you there.”
I huffed. Yet again, another Daddy who adored his boy and put him before all else. I was surrounded by them. Did I appreciate how great men like Cameron and Ollie were? Of course I did. Even Christian, the actual owner of The Tap Tavern, was amazing to his boy, Levi. Hell, for that matter, all of the Daddies associated with this group of men were amazing. But that didn't have anything to do with me. I made it this far on my own two feet, and I’d be damned if I let some Daddy derail my plans, especially since my desires leaned toward pretentious assholes like Harrison. But I was also self-aware enough to know that hanging with a bunch of couples might make me feel at least a teeny bit lonely.
“Why is he making that face?” Indie asked.
Dropping the silverware in my hands, I threw my arms up in the air. “I give up. You guys can finish rolling the silverware. I'm going home.”
As I turned to walk away, Ollie stepped into my path. “Sounds good. You might as well go home, finish your homework, or take a nap, and get ready. Chip and I will pick you up at six-thirty PM.”
