by Nicki Rowe
I shake off my way-too-soon, way-too-deep thoughts and pull out my phone. You don’t know if you don’t try. I pull up Gideon’s number and hit send. His sweet voice washes over me on the third ring, making everything in my world seem right.
“Miss me already?”
I chuckle. “Something like that.”
“You probably just miss my ass.”
I lean forward with my elbows on the desk, and smile, remembering what it’s like being balls deep inside of him. “Yep, that’s it. Can’t get enough of that greedy hole.”
A low groan fills my ear, going straight to my cock. “You can’t say things like that, man. It’s not fair, I’m at work.”
“So am I.”
“Yeah, but you can hide behind the bar or in the office. Hell, you would probably get awesome tips if you served drinks with a hard on. I have to go out and see patients, this dog is already looking at me like I’m insane.”
I laugh again. Talking to Gideon actually makes me feel ten times lighter. “I’ll behave. I just wanted to ask you something.”
“What?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime this week?” The words come out of me like a train: loud and fast. I rub my neck.
The phone is silent.
“Like on a date?” he breathes out after several long moments.
“Yes. A date.” The phone is silent again, and my heart sinks. “Unless you don’t want to. If you just want to do some scenes together that fine.”
“No! I mean yes!” There’s a clatter in the background followed by a loud bark. “Damn it. I mean I would love to go on a date with you, Wally. I was actually getting up the courage to ask you on one.”
“Really?” I feel my smile deepen. Any more of this and my cheeks are going to start hurting. “We kinda got this all backward, ya know? You’re supposed to go on a date before you fuck.”
He makes some sort of noise, something between a groan and a sigh. “I was never one to follow rules, Wally.”
“I didn’t think so, Gideon.” I smile at the way he says my name. “I was thinking Thursday? There’s this concert in the park I want to go to.”
“Thursday’s perfect, man. I actually have off.”
“I’ll see you then.”
“Looking forward to it, Wally.”
My dick begins to harden at the breathless, submissive way he says my name, reminding me of when he calls me Sir.
I hang up and smile down at my phone. I can’t help but feeling like I am taking a huge step into the unknown, but I am excited about the plunge.
Chapter 12: Gideon
On Thursday I wake up giddier than I have felt in a long time. I wake to the sound of Amber banging around in the kitchen, and her singing along with Lady Gaga only makes the smile on my face widen. I roll out of bed and head out to the disaster that is my living room since Amber had turned the couch into her makeshift bed.
Amber looks at me from in the kitchen, still dancing to Lady Gaga with flour on her cheek. “You look like you got hit in the face with a happy stick.”
I stick my tongue out at her. “Since when do you know how to cook?”
She smiled, flipping the pancakes on the stove. “Since I graduated and binge watched the cooking channel all day for like a month.”
We reminisce about the nanny who had made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world while we work, and then we spread the food on on the small round kitchen table in the corner.
“How’s the apartment hunt going?” I ask around a mouth full of pancake and syrup. “I saw the ads on my laptop when I came home yesterday. That one with the blue accents looks like you.”
“I really like that one!” She squeals, practically bouncing in her seat. “I have an appointment to see it next week. The owner seems nice; I talked to her on the phone yesterday.”
“You’re going to be okay money-wise? Apartments aren’t cheap around here.” I know she says she has been saving her allowance over the years, and sure, our allowances were over a thousand dollars every month, but I couldn’t help but worry about her.
“Yeah.” She laughs, biting off an end of her banana. “I’m following after you, Giddy. Been saving since I was thirteen. I think I may have found a job as well.”
“Oh? Where?”
“At this boutique. I went in to buy interview clothes and saw they were hiring. The manager and I got to talking about fashion and stuff, and she hired me on the spot.”
I smile at her with proud affection. “Of course you did.” I had always admired and envied Amber’s charm and humor, she was one of those people that could get anyone to eat out of the palm of her hand with little to no effort. “What do you want to do today?”
“We should just hang out here until your date, Giddy.” She puts her fork on her empty plate and leans on her elbow with her arched brows raised. “You promised to binge all the classic Disney movies with me.”
“I did, didn’t I? Okay. Queue something up while I clean up.”
She skips across the apartment to the TV where she has already downloaded every Disney movie she could think of to my Amazon Prime account. Seconds later, the theme music fills the apartment, but she pauses it before the movie actually starts, she’s already belting the songs from the movie out at the top of her lungs.
“You’re going to make the neighbors call the cops!” I holler over her singing.
“Sing with me, Giddy!”
I laugh, and concede, belting out lyrics with her as I wash the dishes.
It’s been so long since we’ve had a marathon like this. When Amber was a child we made it a tradition to watch the movies once a year, but after I left for college it got harder and harder to keep that tradition. We tried when I went home to visit, but there were only so many movies you could watch in a weekend, especially with Mother constantly calling Amber away to study.
I settle into the couch while Amber takes the chair, curling around a pillow with her pink and purple blanket.
“Okay, Ames,” I tell her, getting comfortable, “let the childhood memories commence.”
~ ~ ~
It’s a little after five when I realize how late it is, and Wally’s coming to get me at any minute. The living room is worse than before, the coffee table is littered with an empty pizza box and the card game we had been playing earlier before we got bored. I peel myself from the couch, feeling sweaty and sticky from sitting on it all day.
“I gotta go get ready, Ames, but keep watching.”
“Are you excited?” she asks, her eyes leaving the TV for only a moment.
My heart is thumping in my chest, and my skin feels like it’s buzzing with a magnetic pulse. “Yeah, and nervous as hell. It’s been a long time since I went on a date with someone.”
My last first date had been with Oscar, it had been okay, but I had this feeling the entire time like we were just two buddies getting drinks. I had loved Oscar while we were together, but I had never felt this sort of excited nervousness when we had first started dating.
“It’ll be great. I know I only met Wally briefly, but I think he’s a good guy, and I haven’t seen you smile this much in a long time.” She gives me one of her I’m more mature than you looks. “You deserve happiness, Giddy. You deserve love.”
“Love?” I ask, trying to hide the flip that goes through my stomach and the heat the rises to my cheeks. It’s strange having this conversation with her; I usually talk to Alex or Anthony about this stuff. “Calm down, Ames. It’s only the first date.”
An unopened cheese packet hits me square in the face. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. I appreciate it.”
I stand and go to the bathroom to shower, stopping at my closet to grab clothes, but I soon realize I have no idea what to wear. I have no idea what band we were seeing or what we are doing besides going to the park. Finally, I settle on navy blue button up with flamingos printed all over it, and my black jeans.
I step under the spray wh
en it’s nearly hot enough to turn my skin pink. Images of Wally wet and naked fill my mind, and my dick begins to harden, my breath comes out in short bursts. I claw at the wall, desperately trying not to take my dick in my hands, and trying to remember Wally’s earlier command.
No cumming before our date.
It’s been two days since I got that text, and it has been hard, literally and figuratively. I have not been able to stop thinking about Wally’s big body pumping in and out of me. I need release, like ASAP.
The image of Wally’s soapy skin gliding against mine is still playing in my mind. Wally kisses my ear, my neck. His fingers trace over my skin.
Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. I fist my hand against the tiled wall, forcing my thoughts toward tamer things, anything to get this erection to go down.
When it’s manageable, I begin washing my hair and body, washing around my cock quickly, afraid prolonged touch will get it standing straight up again.
When I finish, I dress and exit the bathroom, Finding Amber still in the chair, the movie playing, but her phone is in her lap, and she’s picked up, so the living room is less of a disaster. She glances up at me, brown eyes judging my shirt choice.
“Is that what you’re wearing?”
I look down at my shirt, it’s one of my favorites, and then back up at her. “What’s wrong with my shirt?” I drag a comb through my hair before running my pomade through it. “It’s the shirt I was wearing when I first met Wally.”
“That’s cute, but that shirt sucks.”
“Should I change?”
The buzzer on the door sounds, announcing Wally’s arrival.
“Too late now,” she says, looking back down at her phone. “You’ll forever be known as the guy who went on the first date with the guy of his dreams in the shittty shirt.”
I make a face at her. My heart feels like it’s in my throat. “You’re not very helpful, Amber. You’re giving me a complex.”
She huffs, but smiles. “I’m giving you the truth.”
I roll my eyes at her, and buzz Wally up before pulling on my loafers and sticking my wallet into my back pocket.
“Do I really look that bad?”
She shakes her head. “No. I think you look fine.”
“Fine?” I sigh. “That’s a boost of confidence.”
A knock sounds on the door. I pull it open, finding Wally’s smiling face on the other side. He’s wearing a plaid button up, his leather vest that now brings wicked thoughts to mind everytime I see it, dark jeans and boots.
“You look good,” he says.
My heart flutters as his eyes devour me. “Amber hates my shirt.”
He smiles, stepping into the apartment. “It’s the shirt you were wearing when you dropped Alex off at Thorns and Roses a while ago.” His smile deepens. “You could wear a burlap sack, Gideon, and I would still think you looked amazing.”
I’m definitely going to melt into a pile of goo on the floor.
He leans forward, kissing me lightly. I want to kiss him all night, but he soon breaks apart, but keeps an arm around my waist as he smiles at Amber. “It’s good to see you again, Miss. Marshall.”
She makes a face that has all three of us chuckling. “Gross. I hated that. Call me Amber.”
“Amber. Any specific time you want me to have him home.”
“I don’t need a curfew!”
They both ignore me. “Nope,” Amber says. “Keep him. I like having the apartment to myself.”
Wally turns and kisses me again. God, I could get lost in the way his mouth feels against mine. “Pack a bag, baby,” he whispers against my lips. “You’re staying the night.”
I shiver at the promise in his voice and untangle myself from his big body. When I get to my room I throw whatever into my duffle. I don’t even know if I packed clothes, my lamp or nothing at all. When I return to the living room Wally’s sitting on the couch, one leg folded over the other, arms splayed over the back and singing along with Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast.
“Ready?” I ask, mildly amused that this big man is singing along with a children’s movie.
Amber’s eyes meet mine, she’s smiling as she mouths, What the fuck?
Wally stands and says goodbye to Amber before taking my hand and leading me out the door.
“I didn’t know you liked kids movies.”
“Everyone loves Disney, Gideon,” he replies with a chuckle, “but Beauty and the Beast was Sam’s favorite movie when he was little. Doris put it on whenever he was having a fit, and he would shut right up.”
“That one was my favorite too.”
He smiles and wraps an arm around me, and I can’t help but feel safe and protected wrapped against his big body.
We exit the building and walk a block down the street to Wally’s motorcycle. He hands me the helmet. “Put this on.”
I oblige, even though I hate that I am going to mess up my hair, but there’s not room for argument in Wally’s voice. Truthfully, I don’t want to argue. It’s nice having someone worry about me. I pull the helmet over my head and climb on the back of the bike behind Wally, hugging him around the middle and scooting as close to him as I possibly can. He turns around partially, pinning me with his moss green eyes. He smiles and winks and then then we’re off, flying through the city.
We pull into a parking spot near Kerry Park where it seems most of Seattle has turned out for the concert. There are so many people about, all carrying blankets and glowsticks. I hop off the bike and pull the helmet from my head, frowning when I see my flattened hair in the side view mirror. Wally chuckles at me, and opens on of the saddlebags, pulling out a plain black snapback.
“I had a feeling you would be upset about your hair.”
I take the hat and, for some dumbass reason, I am struck with the need to cry and laugh all at once. This--this--is what I have been waiting for. This is what I have been looking for with those other doms, what I had been to untrusting of them to give me. All I have ever wanted was to find someone to take care of me, to provide me with a sense of safety and security.
Have I found that? I hope so. Being in Wally’s presence was like being wrapped in a cozy blanket on chilly winter nights.
I supposed I should feel some sort of weirdness at feeling this level of comfort and security with a man I had only fucked once, and was on my first date with, but I had always believed when you clicked, you clicked. And I definitely feel like Wally and I click.
“Come.”
He leads me towards the grassy area, and spreads a blanket out on the ground. There’s a sea of people around us, the buzz of laughter and chatter fills the air. There’s a very small stage further down, and people setting up for a small concert.
“Who’s playing?” I ask, settling onto the blanket.
He’s pulling containers of food from a small cooler. The blanket is soon covered with grapes, cheese, wine and crackers. He looks up at the stage. “Small band from San Fran. Poisonous Winter, I think Sam said they were called.”
“That sounds like one of those hard core metal bands.”
“Mmm,” He replies, leaning back next to me, our fingers intertwining on the blanket. “Sammy said they are a little metal, but mostly their songs are haunting, melodic. They tell a story.”
“Sounds like the bands Alex listened to in college.”
“Angsty?” he guesses.
“Very.” I pop a grape in my mouth. “Is this the type of music you normally listen to?”
“Sort of.” He looks at me, and I’m enamored with the way the setting sun is cutting across his face. “I listen to a lot of 80’s rock, and 90’s grunge. My favorite bands are Led Zeppelin and Nirvana.”
“I love Nirvana. Remind me when I am slightly drunk and have very little cognitive function to sing you Heart-Shaped Box. It got me first place in the Kappa Phi Nu talent show.”
“I bet it did.” He captures my hand, twining our fingers together. “That’s one of my favorite songs.”
&nb
sp; “Mine too.”
“Eat up, Gideon. We have a long night ahead of us, and you’re going to need all the energy you can get.”
His words go right through me, straight to my cock. He moves closer, wrapping an arm around me, and drawing me to his side. He kisses the top of my head as the night darkens and the lights on the stage blare with light. People begin screaming, and a guitar rift blasts through the speakers.
I look over at him, the red and yellow lights play over his face, making him look shadowy, but not less beautiful. “Thank you for inviting me to this, Wally.”
He puts two fingers under my chin, pulling me closer to him and capturing my undivided attention with his intense green gaze. “There is no one I would rather be at this thing with.” Then he captures my mouth with his, sliding his tongue inside, taking and tasting every inch of my lips. He tastes like wine and Wally, and I want more. I want so much more. I brace myself on his biceps, my fingers digging into the flesh as he devours me.
On stage the band begins singing, the haunting melody of their song, Divining Light, seems to fuel the flames of our intense, all consuming kiss.
Chapter 13: Wally
“Let’s play a game,” Gideon suggests later as we’re sitting in a dimly lit booth in an Indian restaurant. The low sound of a sitar is playing over the speakers, and the air is filled with the smell of spice. The restaurant isn’t overly packed, but there is enough buzz of conversation to drown out the words between tables.
I look up from my plate of tandoori chicken and rice and set my fork down. I lean back against the booth, watching the way the low light flickers over Gideon’s features, and tug lightly on my beard. “Okay. What kind of game?”
“Twenty-one questions.” He leans forward on his elbows. “It’s the easiest way to get to know someone.”