Page 29 of Becoming His Perfect Daddy
I wasn’t really concerned—this had happened before. But something in the back of my mind was warning me that this could turn into another six-month dry spell, and I’d have to calm myself down, breathe until the panic attack went away.
Yet another reason I could use a Daddy. It would be really nice to not have to endure my panic attacks alone. But then I’d have to actually trust someone, and that . . . wasn’t in the plan anytime soon.
And I wasn’t even considering the other manuscript I’d started, one that didn’t have a set release date yet because I wasn’t sure I’d ever even finish it. My encounter with Sam had given me the idea, and once I’d finished Charlie, Hudson, and Theo’s book, I’d jumped in with two feet. Our brief encounter back in the spring had never left my mind, and the words had initially flowed. At the time, I’d been convinced my mojo was officially back, but then, once I was in the weeds of the book release, inspiration had fizzled.
I was a mess.
At five o’clock, I rubbed my eyes and took the last sip of my water. I knew sitting was the new smoking, so I did what I could to reverse the effects by staying hydrated and moving my body when I could. I’d taken up yoga during my transition and kept up a consistent practice over the years, but lately, my routine was feeling, well, routine.
I pulled up a browser and searched for yoga classes happening tomorrow. Even my introverted self could admit I needed to be around people from time to time. And didn’t Tristan just say I should put myself out there? This should qualify, right?
I found a studio in a nearby neighborhood that had classes at seven am and five pm. Seven was way too dang early, so five it was. And bonus: Registering online was easy.
After an uneventful night and day, I was packing my yoga mat and a change of clothes in a gym bag just after four. Actually feeling excited about this was a new look for me. But okay, yeah, I was excited. This was a beginner’s class, so it might not actually be challenging, but I used that strategy when I visited a newstudio, anyway. “Beginner” could mean very different things to different people.
As I entered the studio, which was lit brightly by sunlight streaming in the wall of windows that made up the front façade, a cheerful young woman greeted me from behind the natural wood desk. The studio’s name and leaf-shaped logo was emblazoned on the front. “Hello, sir. How may I assist you?”
I couldn’t help but smile at the honorific. For two reasons, actually. One, I’d worked hard to become the man I was today, so I was beyond proud she’d acknowledged it. And two, I’d never be anyone’s Sir. “I’m here for the beginner’s class at five,” I said with a soft smile.
She nodded quickly, reaching to pick up a clipboard on the counter as I approached it. “Name?”
“Cameron Locke.”
Her eyes scanned the page quickly before she nodded once and scribbled a mark on the paper. “Yes, sir, excellent.” She glanced up at me with a smile. “I see you brought your own mat, and you shouldn’t need anything else for this class.”
I nodded back, stupidly lifting my bound mat into the air. “Great, thanks.”
She sat back in her chair, typing something into her computer before scanning the screen. “Looks like you filled out everything we need online, including our waiver.” I’d submitted payment online, too, but she didn’t mention that. “Any questions before you get started?”
I surveyed the reception area before lifting my bag again. “Anywhere I can store this?”
“Oh!” She leapt to her feet, hurrying around the desk to my side. I blinked at her sudden appearance. “The locker rooms are down this hallway on the left.” She led me over to an opening to the left of the front desk.
I nodded.
“Then you’ll go across the hallway to enter the classroom. You’re in the forest room today, but it should be clearly marked in case you forget.” She winked at me. Was she flirting right now?
“Whenyou come back”—she flashed what was definitely a flirtatious smile,—“you may be in one of the other spaces: the sun, stars, or ocean rooms. And by that, I mean I hope you enjoy your class enough to come back.”
I blushed; I couldn’t help it. Was a straight woman hitting on me? That never happened. She was objectively attractive, I supposed, but women had never really done it for me.
If this was what I got when I “put myself out there,” I might need to be more specific with the universe when I tried it again.
“Thank you, uh . . .”
“Jamie.” She extended a hand, and I took it to be polite.
“Jamie.” I dropped her hand as quickly as could be considered socially acceptable. “I appreciate your help. I should go drop this off before class starts.”
“Oh! Yes. Please don’t let me keep you any longer.” She headed back around her desk as I hurried toward the hallway. “Hope to see you again, Cameron.”
I waved and ducked out of sight, my breath coming fast. Holy shit; did that just happen? I pulled out my phone to text Tristan—who I hadn’t bothered to invite because I knew he’d still be recovering from his livestream yesterday—but then I saw I only had ten minutes before class started. I’d tell him later.
***
At four fifty-eight, I stepped into the forest room as directed. Jamie had been right; the doors were clearly marked with the class time. The instructor’s name was also listed, but this one had been crossed out on the simple sheet they’d printed and not replaced. I wondered what that meant.
When I entered the sunlit room filled with around fifteen other students, a good-looking Asian man at the front of the small room called out to me. “Just find a place wherever, and lay out your mat. We’ll get started soon.”
