Page 15 of A Little Christmas: Star
“Told them I had one of my sick headaches. I always get them when I work too hard.”
He’d never had headaches when we were together. Sounded like stress and like I’d gotten him away for this date just in time. “Do you have a headache?”
“No, but it feels like it’s looming, wanting to come on. I need this time with you, and I wasn’t going to let anyone steal it away from me.”
He had no idea. “I appreciate that, Star. I understand your work is important to you, but I would have been disappointed to miss our time together.”
We drove on for a few minutes before he said, “Now will you tell me where we are going? Are you a mall Santa on the side or something?”
“No and no. You’ll find out soon enough.” I chuckled.
He growled a little deep down in his throat. Or maybe it was a whine. “You’re a strict daddy.”
“I can be if that’s what you need, but probably not today.” Driving past Chained, I turned into the rear parking area. Ms. Lily had instructed me to park in the employee section this morning.
“Chained?” Star got that adorable line between his brows. “Aren’t they closed at this time of day? The clubs I have gone to were pretty much all nighttime. Is there a special event?”
“You might say that.” I parked and climbed out then opened the back door and got the backpack. Covered with stars and snowflakes, the red pack was about as Christmasy as I could find. If he needed another for the rest of the year, I’d take him shopping and we’d pick it out. But for now, it was exactly right. “Let’s go in.”
“Wait.” He dug his heels in next to the car. “This is the employee entrance. Won’t they get mad?”
“Let’s find out.” They would not be mad. Star had, it turned out, joined Collared, Chained’s sister club at some point, so he hadn’t even needed to be screened, and Ms. Lily asked if we’d mind coming in this way so they didn’t have to interrupt the cleaning crew and others in the front areas. “I’ve got you.”
“I’m so confused,” he muttered. “But intrigued. Very intrigued.”
“Then my evil plan is working.” I tapped the button by the kitchen door and a buzzer sounded, admitting us. Before we took two steps inside, Ms. Lily herself appeared, dressed in jeans and a button-down flannel over a casual light-blue T-shirt. Only her boots, black with heels, showed who she really could be. In the little room, she was a mommy, the mommy in charge, but I’d heard rumors that she enjoyed other parts of the club as well. “Hi!”
“Welcome!” Ms. Lily took my offered hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come right in. And you must be Star. I’d know you anywhere.”
He flushed, tensing, no doubt thinking it was a fan thing, but Ms. Lily—who hosted some of the biggest names in the country and even from farther away—would not feel that way. “He’s just as adorable as you said, Caelum. Taking his hand as well, she patted the back of it then released him. “Okay, even though nobody else is here except employees, you’ll need to leave your phones behind. I have an empty locker here.”
We turned over our devices and followed our hostess through a series of back halls. I was lost until we arrived at a familiar set of doors. A changing room had come with my booking, and Ms. Lily slid a card through a feeder. “Now, each of you place your thumb on this pad and it will record the print so you can come back here anytime during your visit to change or…or whatever.”
Once we had followed her instructions, she gave us a big smile. “I’ve got things to do while you’re here, but if you need me, just ask anyone and they will get me right over there. You have a nice daddy, Star, to set up such a special time for the two of you. Or maybe you’ve just been a very good boy.”
“I’m not—” I began, but Star cut me off, speaking in a different tone than I’d ever heard from him before.
“I try to be a good boy.” My heart squeezed as his little began to move into place.
“I’m sure you are. Now, as you requested, I had refreshments set up for you as well as games and a couple of crafts. We are all ready for Christmas around here. I hope you like it.”
Then she was gone and we were standing alone in front of the changing room door. “Ready to go in?”
He nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”
Chapter Twelve
Star
I didn’t know the details as to how Caleb managed to do it, getting us access to Chained while it was closed, but it was the perfect solution for so many of our current struggles. With the place being closed, even if we were discovered, it would be easy to get people to think we were there for some sort of conversation with the staff, maybe meeting with the owner or getting a presentation of some sort for a project. We couldn’t be there to play, after all. It was closed. Also, no club member would accidentally see and recognize me.
But, beyond all of that, this showed just how vested Caelum was in making things work with us. He saw what I needed and made it happen.
Yes, there was money involved, and that part showed that he was putting in more than just a passing effort, but it was so much more than that. He had to get in touch with the owner or manager or whoever helped him get approval for this, get them to see why he needed the space without saying too much, and then organize the timing. Even if we’d left that changing room and done nothing but walk around, it was the most considerate date I’d ever been on. Ever.
I wasn’t dressed super little. Not in a onesie or diaper or paci holder. Caelum had brought some choices for me to change into, and I went with Christmas pajamas. Was it silly? Maybe, but wasn’t that kind of the point? The place was decked out to the halls and all that good stuff. Ms. Lily hadn’t been exaggerating. What fit better for that mood than jammies.
If I’d wanted to be far more little looking, I could’ve. The clothing was there for that. And for a split second, I worried that choosing the way I did might hurt Caelum’s feelings. Thatvanished the second I picked up the clothing and he smiled bright. “I thought you might want to be an adorable Christmas little after you saw all the decorations around here.”
