Page 7 of Becoming His Perfect Daddy
I crunched on a chip as I considered the sender’s words. Who on earthwerethey? Not knowing was driving me a little crazy.
Refill in hand, I returned to my computer, mulling over my next steps. Should I respond?
That was a silly question—of course I should. I always did when readers took the time to reach out.
But what would I say?
I hit reply, trusting the words would come when I started typing. That was usually how it worked, fiction or not.
Nothing came.
I kept my draft open but switched over to a browser to pull up my email marketing site. I searched my subscribers for that email address, and sure enough, it was on the list. I exhaled loudly as I slumped back in my chair when I looked at the contact. No other information. Figures they’d have joined before I had my software collecting names.
Well, I was getting nowhere. Time to bring in reinforcements.
I sent a quick text to Tristan, my best friend.Send help.
Tristan was a boy—as in, Daddy/boy—I’d met in our Daddies and Subs Club that gathered every other Tuesday at Mix It Up, a modern, upscale gay bar that held kink nights every Thursday. We’d become instant friends when he started attending our meetings regularly nearly two years ago, several years after I’d realized I was a boy and started writing Daddy/boy books. He’d say he was my BFF. I’d say I was too old for childish designations like that. But I had almost a decade and a half on him, and he lit up when he called me that, so I allowed it.
His text came in quickly.What’s up, Cammy?
I rolled my eyes at his choice of nickname. I never knew what name I would get with him.I have 2—no, 3 problems.
My phone and computer rang simultaneously with an incoming video call almost instantly. I answered it on my computer with a sigh. “Hey, Tris.”
“Oh no,” he answered without preamble. “What’s going on?”
“Okay, first,” I started, “last night’s date was a horrific crash and burn. Like a car explosion you could see from space.”
Tristan’s mouth dropped open, and my lips twitched as they fought to curve upward. “Oh, shit. Really?”
I tried to nod solemnly, but my smile finally broke through. Just seeing Tristan on the screen commiserating with me was already making me feel better. “Really. Jason was a transphobic asshole. And even if he wasn’t, I think he had some anger issues. Got mad at me for daring to mention that I didn’t eat red meat.”
I felt Tristan’s eye roll in my soul. “Fucker.”
I snorted. “Exactly. So I told him off and came home.”
Tris nodded like that was completely reasonable. I mean, it was. How else should one deal with a bigoted jerk? “Okay, that sucks. So sorry about him, dude. You know there are better guys out there—you’ve just gotta keep trying.”
Sighing, I slumped in my office chair. “I don’t know, Tris. You know I was about to give up on dating completely when Ivan stranded me on the other side of town and left me with the dinner bill.”
Tris’s eyes were sparkling with mirth as he covered his mouth with his hand. But he couldn’t hide his snickering. “At least he wasn’t a raging transphobe?”
Unable to help myself, I started chuckling, too. “Sure, okay. He was kind of sweet until he jetted out of there with barely a backward glance because his childhood love wanted a second chance.”
Tristan was full-on laughing now. “At least you got Prickles out of the deal.”
Nodding, I laughed along with him, because if I didn’t, I’d start crying. But once I’d gotten myself under control, I sobered quickly. “Sure, yeah. But Tris, this was the last time. I’m so tired of having to weed through every single gay guy in Seattle just tofind the one diamond in the rough I can spend my life with. I’m done.”
Silence fell between us for a few moments as Tristan processed what I’d just admitted. I waited until he was ready to speak. “I hear you, Cameron.”
I nodded my understanding.
“I just hate to see you give up on love. I know you want—need—a Daddy.”
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back. “I know, Tris. But I feel like I’m a ping-pong ball being batted around—I’m just bruised, you know? Would I love to have a Daddy? Of course. Am I willing to keep putting my heart out there only to have it handed back to me in shreds? Yeah, not so much. The universe is just going to have to bring the right guy to me when we’re both ready. I can’t keep going like this. Besides, with a few rare exceptions, guys just can’t be trusted.”
“I hope I’m one of the exceptions.” Tristan smirked.
