Page 11 of Icebreaker
“Whoa, slow down. There are plenty of steps between can’t find your notebook in the middle of a move and failing.”
Having Brennen Tate looming over me brought out all sorts of thoughts about littles and Daddies. For reasons I hadn’t figured out yet, he’d adopted me into his life, and it felt rude to notice how hot he was.
“I’m not doing anything right now if you want some help.” I shrugged. “I’m going to take that as a yes.” Brennen pushed the door open and sat on the floor beside me after he cleared a space. “I don’t understand though…”
“What is there to understand?”
“You’re so organized with our equipment. It is always lined up perfectly. The pucks and sticks look like soldiers. The tape is color-coordinated. How do you keep that so organized and this not?”
“Because that’s my job. If I don’t keep it organized, I’ll get fired. No job means no scholarship, and then I’m out of school. It makes sense when I’m there, but not anywhere else.” I stoppedto take a breath and then added, “I wish I knew the secret trick my brain used to keep me on track at work and school because I’d use it everywhere.” Despite the good night’s sleep, I was still tired, which made me blow everything out of proportion.
“But at least you have your bear, right?” Brennen reached out and traced a finger over my stuffie’s paw. “What’s their name?”
“Peaseblossom.”
“FromMidsummer Night’s Dream?”
“How did you know that?”
“My mom was a high school English teacher before she got married, had me, and stayed home. When I started school, she went back to teaching English lit part-time at the community college. She’s a big Shakespeare fan.”
“Do you like Shakespeare, or were you forced to read it?”
Brennen flashed a grin that reached his eyes before he answered, “Forced to read it is probably closest, but I only pretended to mind when she dragged me and my dad to go see plays.”
“Like Shakespeare in the park?”
“Yeah, one summer we went to New York City on vacation andMidsummer Night’s Dreamwas being performed in Central Park. It was cool.” Brennen reached out and traced PB’s paw again. “How did you pick that name for him?”
“He’s my favorite character from the play, and I got PB right after I saw it for the first time,” I answered.
“Are you an English major?”
“Nope, information science with a concentration on library services because I get to be surrounded by all kinds of books and knowledge and help people find things. A library’s like a treasure hunt every time you go.”
“And you ended up doing your work-study with us? That’s a tough break, man.”
“It was pretty bad in the beginning, but I like it now.”
“Yeah, why is that?”
“Which one?”
“Either or both.” While we spoke, Brennen had settled on the floor next to me and was casually folding the clothes within his reach. He’d deposited a pile in front of me too. It seemed natural to fold and talk.
“I thought you guys would be jerks to me because I’m not into sports. And, you know, the gay part.” I paused to hand him my completed items so he could stack them before continuing, “But I was ignored, which is totally fine with me, and sports knowledge isn’t part of the job. If I keep Mr. Haddad happy, then I’m golden.” Brennen had moved the books closer to the bookcases while I talked. I scooted over and started shelving them.
“Ha! He’s strict, so please share the secret to keeping him happy. I piss him off regularly.”
“It’s pretty easy. He tells me what to do, and then I do it. Easy-peasy.”
“Well, shit, I know where I’m screwing up.” He chuckled.
Brennen’s laugh came from his belly and always showed up in his eyes. They had flecks of gold in them and crinkled at the corners. Sometimes, when Brennen looked at me, I forgot my name.
Exactly what should happen when your Daddy—my fantasy, my call—looked incredible as he laughed.
“You ready for some dinner?” Brennen announced with a soft knock on my door. The latch wasn’t working right because that slight pressure pushed it open. “Oh shit. What’s going on withthis?” Brennen immediately knelt to jiggle it. “Yeah, the whole thing is gonna have to be replaced.”
