Page 61 of Spencer's Satisfaction
That feels better than a thousand ‘Good Boy’s. We are on the same page, and I can see a bright future ahead.
No more constantly needy Tony. No more ridiculously overly protective Spencer. Balance. Love. Trust. Support flowing both ways. It’s perfect.
I beam back at him. “Thanks, Daddy.”
After another moment, he asks, “But…will you still move in with me?”
Tanya’s moving in with Braeden, but even if she wasn’t, I’d still answer the same way: “Hell yeah!”
* * *
Gerald welcomes me back grudgingly. He makes snide comments about me being one of The Grove freaks, which I find irritating but -for the first time ever- not upsetting. Whether it’s because his opinion doesn’t matter to me, or because I’d expected it, the attitude rolls off my back. I don’t pick up as many shifts, just enough to cover my share of the rent for the apartment I share with my sister, and I spend my free time furiously researching my idea.
I still plan to write, of course, but I need an income that’s not reliant on Spencer picking up the slack if my books don’t sell.
I do up a budget, consider my savings, and I gather the courage to organize a meeting with Charlie and Ted by myself. I know Daddy knows about it, but he refrains from asking to join me. He just gives me a knowing smirk, a peck on the cheek, and a playful swat on my ass when I walk out the door, my research in hand.
After I pitch my proposal to Uncle Ted and Charlie, the two men share a look and then turn to me with matching wide grins.
“This is great, Tony,” Ted tells me, holding up the stack of papers I’d handed him as I detailed my idea. “I don’t know why it hasn’t been thought of before.”
“Yeah?” I ask, unsure of myself despite their enthusiastic nods.
“Yeah,” Charlie says, running through my proposed budget. “I’d love to get on board as an investor, and I’m happy to arrange talks with The Grove. They’d probably ask for a percentage of the profits-“
“I’ve already taken that into consideration,” I interrupt him, giddiness starting to overtake me. I try not to bounce in my seat. Leaning forward, I point out the line in the expenditures column of my budget. “See?”
Ted gives a low, appreciative whistle. “I’m impressed,” he says, then taps his index finger on the sheaf of papers in front of him. “I want in, too. I think it’s going to be quite profitable. I can write up the contracts and you can have another lawyer look them over-“
“No,” I shake my head. “I trust you. Besides, you wouldn’t screw me over. Zephyr wouldn’t let you get away with it.”
He laughs and sits back in his chair, an indulgent smile on his face at the mention of his boy. “No, he wouldn’t. I’d be punished for that.” There’s something else in his tone that I can’t read, but it doesn’t sound negative, so I ignore it.
We talk over details some more, and when I leave, we’ve all shaken hands and I feel the most adult I have ever felt. I’m a businessman now. I’m going into business with two investors at my back.
Charlie has promised that he and Asher will help me learn the ropes on the day-to-day operations, and I know that Spencer will also help me with the set up, too, considering he started his own home business not all that long ago.
When I get back to Spencer’s house (I haven’t officially moved in yet, and I’m not calling it ‘home’ until I do) Frank greets me at the door, curling around my ankles and meowing for attention. I drop to my knees to stroke his silky soft black fur, still not over the way he pushes up from the ground to chase more pets.
“Where’s Daddy?” I ask him and he trills at me, purring and butting his head against my thigh. I chuckle. “That’s not helpful.”
It’s Frank’s turn to complain when I stand back up, intent on searching Spencer out.
I find him in his basement studio, which is soundproofed and has a red light above the door, indicating that he’s recording. I quietly scoot past the recording room door and slip into the closet containing the audio engineering panel - a long desk of buttons, knobs, switches and dials in varying colors and sizes, with tiny etched in white letters beneath each one. There’s a thick, soundproof window between the panel and the recording room, and Spencer lights up when he sees me through it. I flick the switch to relay his audio into this space and listen to him as he wraps up his current recording.
It’s a shifter romance and I can’t wait to hear the finished version, but there’s something to be said about getting to experience this moment in person. He’s still my favorite narrator, after all, and I feel like the luckiest fanboy ever, getting to watch the magic happen as he records the book.
When he hangs up his headphones, he stops recording from a small panel inside his booth, and then he gestures for me to meet him outside the two rooms, which I am more than happy to do.
I fling myself into his arms, practically vibrating with excitement.
“They’re investing!” I tell him with delight. “They’re investing in my idea! I’m going to own a food truck, and Charlie’s gonna help me work it out with The Grove to have it parked permanently in their car park. Ted will help me take care of the licensing and I’m gonna own my own business!”
It’s a rush of information, but Spencer takes it all in his stride, lifting me up and spinning me in a circle. “I’m so proud of you, angel,” he tells me as he puts me back on my feet. “You are going to do so great, I just know it!”
“And the best part is I’m still going to be able to write, too.” I’m going to hire staff to help man the truck so I can pursue my dreams on the side.
It’s all in my business plan, and both Ted and Charlie were impressed by how detailed my budget was. I tell Spencer all of this, talking his ear off about my research and the praise his friends gave me. Instead of being bored -or even insulted that I didn’t talk to him first- Spencer’s own excitement only grows to match mine.
