I’m grateful it was served on nuclear hot plates. Otherwise, it would be inedible by now. They must be used to people getting distracted, so have worked out how to preserve the heat as long as possible.
“You bought me presents?” Oliver asks, making me chuckle.
“Yeah,” I say, reaching for my messenger bag. “That was my first hint that I was in hard-core denial about not seeing you again. They’re only small things,” I warn him before he gets his hopes up. I would have bought him the damn moon if I could, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself or freak him out.
Oliver shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter what they are. The fact that you got me anything is awesome enough. Thank you.”
How can he not see how lovely he is? Tallis and I are going to have some work to do, that’s for sure.
I place the two boxes in front of his empty plate. “You’re welcome, baby boy. Which one do you want to open first?” I tap them both. “This one’s naughty and this one’s nice.”
I grin, and he laughs. After a moment of consideration, he reaches for the naughty one and opens the box carefully, sensibly shielding it in case anyone’s looking. Again, not that people would probably mind in this place. I just want to enjoy the moment with a little privacy.
“Ohh,” he says with a gasp when he works out that it’s a blue butt plug with the words ‘little treat’ embossed on the flared bottom. I wanted to get teal to match his eyes, but I couldn’t manage both the color and the personalization in such a short amount of time.
Next time, maybe.
“Daddy, thatisnaughty.” He sounds delightfully scandalized by it, which just makes me grin harder.
“I know, baby boy. But I liked the idea of you wearing it when we’re not around, so you can feel us inside you still. Or maybe putting it in when you come to see us if we want you ready to go the moment we get you home.”
He hums and vibrates next to me, suggesting he’s as excited about my ideas as I hoped he’d be. “So naughty,” he hisses as he puts the plug back in its box. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Would you like your nice present now?” I ask, marveling as nerves sweep through me. I’m not as sure about this gift as when I bought it. Rather ridiculously, I’ve suddenly convinced myself that if he hates it, he’s going to back out and I’m going to ruin the relationship before it’s even begun.
“If that’s okay, Daddy,” he says sweetly. “I’d love to open that one as well.”
So I nod and watch on anxiously as he opens the second, smaller box.
Inside is a leather bangle mounted on a velvet circle. The bracelet has a few charms on it including a birthday present box, a candle with a tiny flame, and a shopping bag with a red heart gem affixed to it. I point at a little fishy one. “That was the closest I could get to sushi, I’m afraid. And this is supposed to represent vanilla,” I add, tapping the ice cream cone and laughing. “Which you aren’t any more.”
“It’s our weekend,” he says in disbelief.
I nod, warmth spreading across my chest. “I wasn’t sure if it would be your style, so you don’t have to wear it if?—”
“Are you kidding?” he says with a slightly hysterical laugh, already pulling the bangle out of the box and fiddling with the clasp. “I fucking love it.”
He scowls as it refuses to unhook for him. But my heart has just exploded with happiness, and the only thing that would make this moment more perfect is the opportunity to Daddy him.
“Here, let me help you,” I murmur.
It feels dainty in my thick fingers, but I use my nail to get it open and wrap it carefully around his wrist. He watches as I secure it there before touching the charms one by one, loving how they feel against his warm skin.
“I love it, Daddy,” he says again reverently. “Thank you.”
“There’s space to add a lot more charms,” I point out. “Maybe I could get you some more in the future.”
I expect him to hesitate. To question whether or not we even have a future. But he just continues to stare at the bangle, turning his arm this way and that to look from all sides. “I’d like that a lot,” he says, looking back up at me with a dazzling smile.
This boy. I’m going to show him how extraordinary he is if it kills me.
As he lets me handfeed him some fries, my mind starts to whirr, throwing back and forth some ideas for one of those big gestures Tallis is so fond of. There’s nothing quite like a humungous song and dance to convince a person they are truly cherished.
I’m sure my husband will want to brainstorm with me and probably take over, because that’s the kind of glorious asshole he is. But I’m pretty sure I’ve already got the bones of something really exciting.
If Oliver Carver needs us to figuratively stand outside his house with a boom box until he believes that we’re crazy about him, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
Although I suspect what I have in mind is going to involve a hell of a lot more lube.