Page 27 of Various Intentions
Taylor shrugged. “Nothing fazes me anymore, Nic. Those sandwiches are worth it. Oh, and the marshmallow puffs! She knows I love those.”
I laughed, Matteo grinned and Vincent shook his head. We piled into the car. Vincent drove, as usual. I spent the time wondering what kind of tiny little sandwiches Daphne would serve and what lingerie Matteo had dressed Vincent in.
Snowflakes fluttered down from above like we were in a kinky snowglobe.
Daphne greeted us at the door and waved us in with a big grin. “Come inside! Come inside. Hiya, Sparky. I’ve got lots of work for you today.”
Taylor smiled. “Can I still have tea and cookies?”
“Of course!”
Taylor headed for the office in the back of the house as Daphne greeted the rest of us. “Hello, Vincent, Matteo, Nic.”
“Hello, Daphne. Are you paying Taylor for his assistance?” I asked.
She took my coat. “Yes, Nic. We have agreed on a modest hourly wage. I thought you didn’t want me to pay him for the work he did for me?”
“Well, not for that— Never mind. But if he’s doing technical, computer stuff, he should get something out of it. That’s a marketable skill.”
“So is what I do.”
“I know, but—”
She held up her hand. “I know, I know. You would like Taylor to explore other avenues of work before he ends up in the sex trade. Typical parent.”
“Yes, well, I am not a typical parent, but I still want the best for my…child.” Taylor wasn’t a child, and he wasn’t legally mine, but he felt like my kid. “And unfortunately, sex work is still not a respected field, and I don’t want him to come up against even more discrimination than he’ll face for being gay.”
“Yes, I agree. And while I value his assistance in my dungeon and I think he has an affinity for that kind of work, it took me a long time to build up enough clientele to make this a workable ‘career’. So, I do agree with you.”
“Oh. Good.”
Matteo, who had taken off his coat, embraced Daphne and kissed her cheek. “How are you, Mistress Daphne?”
“Fantastic, now that you’re here.” Daphne gestured to a tallish man, who had just entered the room. “All of you, this is Alexander. Alexander, these are Nic, Vincent and Matteo, my dear friends.”
“Alexander,” I said, offering my hand. “Delighted to meet you. Nic Walker.
Alexander nodded and cleared his throat. “Likewise.”
He was taller than me, and slim, with salt-and-pepper hair and a close-cropped beard.Very handsome. But, of course he would be. Daphne didn’t fuck ugly men, so she definitely wouldn’t fall in love with one. I only hoped Alexander’s heart matched his outward appearance.
The others exchanged pleasantries, and we moved into the living room.
“Are we having tea in here?” I asked, since we usually sat at the kitchen table.
“But of course!” Daphne said. “Since there are so many of us.”
Daphne’s living room decor consisted of a plethora of leather pieces, including a full couch and a love seat. These pieces were of classic design, rather than the popular but hideously over-stuffed reclining options. They were studded with metal along the edges and featured wooden arms with elaborate scroll work.
There was a leather armchair, also, and a large antique chest in place of a coffee table.
“Nic and Alexander, make yourselves comfortable. Vincent and Matteo, come along. I’ll show you what you’ll be serving our guests.”
My partners followed Daphne into the kitchen, and I found myself alone with Alexander.
I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. “Do you prefer Alexander or Alex?”
He shrugged. “Either is fine. My pronouns are he/him.”
