Page 37 of Just A Little Love

“Daddy, I’m too tired to take a shower.” I didn’t bother to hide the pout in my voice.

“I’ll wash your back.” Daddy said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“And my front?” My pout was getting bigger by the second.

“C’mon, baby, I’ll wash anything you want.”

Chapter 21

Gabriel

“Okay, Rory, it wasyourown fault you ended up naked in the goldfish pond at the house we rented in college.” Anders turned to give a few more embarrassing details to Daddy. “And the neighbors called the cops on us, but then the cops just hung out when they arrived.” He laughed so hard at the memory that his breath couldn’t push out of his lungs, and all he could do was wheeze while his shoulders shook in silent laughter.

“Rory, I had no idea you were such a bad boy! The cops and everything! Do I need to worry about the law getting called onus now?” I asked him with a wink and a shoulder nudge. Rory rolled his eyes at me and gestured around.

“This is the best I can do…lousy decor and amazing tacos.”

The taco spot we’d met Anders for brunch looked like a hole in the wall from the outside. We ordered our food at the walk-up window on the sidewalk before we went inside to wait for our order. We’d piled the table high with ceviche, empanadas, tacos, and a selection of dips and chips. It was the best Latin American fusion I'd had in years. Since we’d all either walked or took an Uber, the margaritas flowed like water.

It was abundantly clear that Anders and Rory were the best of friends. They finished each other’s sentences and knew where the bodies were buried. Hell, they probably buried them together. It surprised me how much Rory had explained to Anders about our situation. Even more surprising was how open Rory had been about the kink aspect. In a contest between Anders and me, I would be the loser every time. I couldn’t put aside the comforting thought that if something forever developed between us, Rory would have Anders for those times when I had to be away. I wondered if Anders was also a boy. He could’ve been a sub. There was just a vibe, but I wouldn’t ask.

While I could only describe Rory as a twink, albeit an older one with a baby face, Anders would look at home in a Scandinavian travel guide. Anders’ honey-blonde hair was up in a messy bun, and his icy blue eyes were piercing with intelligence. He was a keen observer, and I suspected few things got past him. Because of that, Anders’ willingness to take untold angst from his boyfriend baffled me. His boyfriend’s money and mind gamescrossed that imaginary line for me that went beyond being an asshole.

“Any news about the company buyout?” Rory’s question, with a mouthful of tacos, brought my attention back to the conversation. The daddy in me wanted to tell him to mind his manners, but as much as they had talked, I wouldn’t want to embarrass him. A conversation was definitely in order regarding where the line was in front of Anders.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure something big will happen soon. I don’t know if it’s a buyout, but it’s something. When I asked John about it, he said it was none of my business, and I couldn’t understand how these types of situations worked.” Anders kept an even tone when he spoke, but even I could see the tension written all over his face. “I asked for some financial records, so I could do some receivables paperwork and they yelled me out of the office. Maybe the new owner will keep me on if the buyout rumors end up being true.”

“Any guesses on who it could be?” Rory asked.

I loved how Rory’s concern was for his friend. When he first told me the other day about a spontaneous invitation for Anders to come stay with him, I didn’t understand why he immediately jumped in. Now that I’d seen them together, it made perfect sense. They were more like brothers than friends, and Rory would clearly do anything for Anders. It hurt that I’d had to remind himhemight not be staying there either.

“Emil Magnuson has come around more than I've ever seen, but he’s local. That might just be regular business. I don’t know, and I doubt John would tell me even if he knew. If something was going to happen, I wish they would get it over with and make a move. John keeps being really secretive. It sucks for me, but other employees will be blindsided.” The frustration was evident in his voice, but I didn't know if it was appropriate for me to offer my opinions, so I continued my silent observations instead.

“Did you think more about coming to stay with me?” Rory asked with a note of hesitation. His wrinkled brow and hand wringing were the telltale signs of his nerves. It did something to my insides that I could already pick up on Rory’s tells.

“You might not even have a place to live,” Anders snorted. “Did you get the code issues worked out?”

Both boys turned to stare at me. Both sets of eyes were hopeful and eager. “Actually, I do have some information on that front. Nico has a meeting scheduled with the permit office next week, and as your representative, I will see about getting a formal appeal filed. When Tobias started feeling poorly, he missed a few critical deadlines, and that was the reason for the permit denial. If allowed to continue, we might get the designation reviewed, which allows a variance in the permitting. We’ll still need to address the issues, but it'll provide a measure of protection and allow us to apply for city grants for preservation and repair. The guy I spoke with was excited to hear the address. Your Victorian has strong historical designation possibilities. He mentioned that he’d been reluctant to issue the denials, but without submitted paperwork, it was mandatory.”

“Do I need to come with you?”

“Nope, so long as you sign the paperwork I’m sending on Monday, that allows me to talk on your behalf with him. I cannot sign any permit paperwork for you, but I can act on your behalf until signatures are required. Nico, also got an appointment with a great contractor in a couple of weeks so we can get a plan together for repairs. The grants will be a tremendous help if you can get them, but even with them, it won’t be cheap.”

Rory looked overwhelmed, but Anders pulled his phone out and opened it to a note app. He instantly transformed into the consummate personal assistant. “What is the name of the contractor? I want to look up his license and get his information organized. Will you be doing the permits for them? Will his estimate be piecemeal or all for all repairs? Do I need to work on a repair list with Rory, or will you do that with him?” Anders gave me an expectant look.

I instantly understood why his shitty boyfriend kept him hidden in the shadows. People with the ability to quickly organize plans and activities were the glue of any organization and worth twice their weight in gold. A strong manager finds those people and makes them an integral part of their team. A dumbass forces them into the shadows so they can claim the rewards of their hard work. Yeah, It was perfectly clear to me why Rory detested Anders’s fuckwit boyfriend.

“His name is Quinn McGuire, and he owns a construction company. His company has two divisions: one does custom new builds, and the other focuses on rehabs. Normally, his rehabs are commercial, but he made an exception for me. Quinn’s specialtyare the customs, so he won’t be the foreman on site, but he said his guy was the best he’s got for historic rehabs. I’ve done some work with him a few times before and I agree. Tye isn’t super friendly, but knows his shit.”

“Rory, speaking of that… what about the budget? Even if he gets you a bid, you still have to pay for it. That house that you love so much because it’s wonderful is old. Do you have the funds to do this? It would break your heart to put all this time and energy and love into Uncle Tobias’s house and still not be able to keep it because of money.” Anders reached over and squeezed Rory’s hand. His tone was so gentle. I wasn’t attracted to Anders, but damned if I wasn’t feeling the love.

Rory glanced up at me and then back to Anders. “Da-, sorry, I meant Gabriel is working on some grants and stuff that the city offers for preservation. And I have the money that Daddy, I mean Gabriel, gave me for doing him that favor. I think it’ll be okay. Maybe. Shit, I'm mostly hoping everything will magically be okay.” Rory’s voice cracked, and I couldn’t stop myself from wrapping my arms around him. He needed to be soothed. I’d be damned if I’d let my boy get emotional, and I wouldn’t step in. Toxic masculinity could go fuck itself because I loved Rory's expressiveness.

“Oh my God, Rory, I know you call him Daddy. If you want to call him that, go ahead. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m pretty sure that John would literally have kittens if I called him that, though.” Anders cackled at his joke and Rory eventually joined in, but his cheeks flamed the prettiest bright red. Tomatoes had never done it for me, but it was an excellent color on Rory.

“Uhh, Anders, to be daddy, a guy should probably not be a dick, and that leaves John out,” Rory said in a cheeky tone. Anders shrugged his shoulders and gave what even I could tell was a fake smile. Rory glanced in my direction, and I returned a questioning look. It might very well be true, but I wasn’t sure how their relationship worked. Honesty was important, and all that, but now much was too much?

Rory reached over and grabbed Anders’ hand. “I would be lost without you. I want nothing more than for you to be happy. If that’s with John, then I’ll figure out how to deal. You deserve all the good things.” Anders turned away, but not before I saw him blinking away tears. I pretended to mess with my cuffs. He didn’t need to know I’d seen his watery eyes.

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