Page 76 of Their Little Helper

“You don’t seem to have enough staff if you had to do two jobs tonight. Why didn’t you get dinner? You didn’t eat, did you? I knew you wouldn’t have forgotten me.” He didn’t stop to give me time to answer anything, so I just tried to look apologetic as he kept going. “Was firing that idiot stressful? Do you hire people? What’s your job description? I thought you were just working at the bar to learn how to manage it not actually managing it.”

Daddy kept shooting out rapid-fire questions and telling me random things so fast we actually made it back to Papa’s condo before I could answer any of them.

The driver still seemed to find the whole situation hilarious, which made me wonder what they’d been arguing about on the ride over to get me. There was no way they’d behaved themselves because after we’d gotten out, Papa mumbled something about owing the guy a big tip.

It seemed like they only knew how to behave when I was around, so it was probably a good idea even though the guy was barely holding back a smile as he told us to have a good evening.

We were obviously all together but I was just glad none of us had said anything too interesting. I didn’t care if the guy knew we were gay or that we were dating. It’d be stressful but it’d be his problem if he was a dick about that. I couldn’t have handled the Daddy stuff or talking about my little side or Daddy talking about interesting things, though.

“Okay, back to the dinner questions.” Daddy looked stern as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You never answered that.”

Papa rolled his eyes. “Because you were shooting questions at him faster than he could answer them and he doesn’t want to upset you.”

Yes.

Both of those.

Daddy melted. “Let’s go inside so I can tell him how sweet that is.”

Well, at least he knew the sidewalk in front of Daddy’s place wasn’t the right spot for that conversation.

“He’s starving and needs food either way.” Papa wrapped his arms around us and herded us toward the front door. “There’s only so many nights in a row that anyone needs chicken nuggets, though.”

Oh.

I didn’t pout.

No. No pouting in public.

But I might’ve sighed as we went toward the elevator.

“I like nuggets.” Papa. But I didn’t say it. “They’re…they’re protein?”

And fun.

And yummy.

And they made my tummy happy.

And they made my little me happy.

“I…I like trees with nuggets.” Trees were good. Right? “Trees and dino nuggets are fun.”

Daddy snickered so that meant Papa was weakening. He even sighed as we went up and up. “I will concede to dino nuggets and trees being fun and a reasonably healthy dinner, but I think you’d like spaghetti too.”

Oh, noodles.

“I like noodles, Papa.” I was a good boy and said that soft as we got off the up and up. “I like them lots too.”

“I’m glad.” Papa kissed my cheek as he opened the door and let us into the big ’partment. “I saved you a big portion of it and it won’t take long for me to get it ready. Do you want water in your cup or juice?”

Papa asked hard questions.

“I’m still saying we should all have matching cups.” Daddy threw his arms up in the air and got naughty excited. “It’s only fair.”

Papa glared at Daddy. “And I’m still saying that you need to be careful what you wish for, drama queen.”

I was going to still say I needed sketty and a bath and Daddy cuddles ’cause it’d been a long long day.

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