Settling Down

by Nicole Forcine

  ANOTHER DAY, two more interviews.

  At least one of them looked promising.

  She rocked the ’90s andro look—short blue hair, silver hoop in the right nostril, flannel shirt over a black tank top, cargo shorts, honest-to-goodness beaten-in Docs.

  So many points awarded.

  “Cheri at your service.” She extended her hand and smiled with crooked teeth, one at the bottom missing, but it was all so damned charming. “I hope at your service, anyway.”

  “Only one way to find out.” Tim returned the smile and led her to the office. “Pardon the boxes. It’s part inventory.”

  Gloria, counting the drawer to start the shift, was already giving signs she was pleased with this choice. She hadn’t burst out laughing at Cheri’s clothing choices and gave Tim a thumbs-up behind the girl’s back.

  For someone who said she didn’t find Ms. Pantsuit’s judgment bothersome—they got two negative Yelp reviews out of that whole kerfuffle—she’d gotten more up-front about her opinion of interviewees. Tim appreciated it. They’d have to work with both Gloria and him of course.

  “So, Cheri, what brings you to my shop?” Tim asked as he took a seat in front of his desk.

  “Well, you need a clerk, I’ve got clerk skills. I’m hoping we’re a good match.”

  Honest. Good. “I noticed from your résumé that you have the experience, but this isn’t a bookstore or a clothing shop. At least unless you had to give sex advice as well there.”

  Cheri didn’t blush or blink. “Can’t say I have. But in college I helped organize some condom giveaways and STD workshops.”

  Even better. “This is bit more personal than just ‘here’s a condom, don’t catch a bug,’ but it’s a good start. Have you been here before?”

  “Nope, just moved back into town after I graduated.”

  Tim was on his feet, encouraged for once. “Let’s have a little tour of the place while I ask you very off-beat questions that, I swear to you, I’ve been asked, and we’ll see how you handle them. I don’t expect you to know all of the answers, though. Working here will be a learning experience.”

  The distraction was so welcome Tim could have done twenty more interviews with twenty more Cheris. Her eyes got super wide at the fist-shaped toys, and her laugh at the music-player-operated vibrators was more amusement than shock. She asked more questions than he did.

  “So, like, you have to field a bunch of really dumb questions, do you?”

  Tim held up a hand. “There are no dumb questions. Each one helps someone have a good time, or at least not hurt themselves or someone else. Though, yeah, some questions do give me the urge to facepalm, it’s not a good idea to do it in front of a customer.”

  Cheri nodded “Yeah, I get it. Make ’em feel bad, and they won’t buy anything. So what’s this thing?” She pointed to what looked like a pile of leather straps on the other side of the shop.

  “Oh, that’s our kink section. You familiar with it?”

  “Um, well, I’m kinda new….”

  Tim patted her shoulder. “No worries. You’ll learn, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I’m an old hand at this sort of thing.”

  “Stop hogging the girl, bitch. It’s my turn,” Gloria insisted as they passed the counter.

  Cheri busted out laughing. “There’s enough of me go around.”

  “Oh, I like this one,” Gloria declared and pointed to the video section. “Now come on, let’s see how you handle some possibly creepy situations.”

  No one had gotten that far along in an interview. Tim could have done backflips.

  With the two talking and laughing, Tim found his thoughts returning to the dreaded news. Max was in town. Jae’s parents were due in a few days, and he’d be picking up Poppa the day after. His fingers flexed involuntarily, and he needed to do something. Gloria had the counter organized. Everything was organized and clean, and nothing needed restocking. They’d only been open an hour. Fuck.

  “Hey, Tim!” Gloria yelled from the video shelves. “What happens when you touch latex again?”

  “I die. That’s all anyone needs to know. Can’t touch it, can’t smell it.”

  He swore his scars felt itchy at the explanation.

  The bell on the door rang, and Tim was relieved to have a distraction.

  Until he saw who was entering. Older man, bearded, broad shouldered, blond, with brown eyes that looked right at him with surprise.

  Tim swallowed hard, keeping more bile down, and arched his chin. “Welcome to Little Earthquakes. How may I help you?”

  Max Fielding narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

  Same voice, rough, once good for making his dick hard, now made the poor thing want to retreat into his abs. But this wasn’t a dungeon. “This is my shop. May I help you?”

  His shop. His turf. His. He could even tell the asshole to leave. Wasn’t being this close violating the restraining order, anyway? Wait, that was online interactions only. Fuck!

  Oh, the surprised expression he got was so satisfying. Didn’t think a “crybaby” like Timothy Myers could own his own business, did he? What did Max expect, for him to hide under his bed for the rest of his life?

  “I was told this was a good place for condoms. But I think I’ll go somewhere else.”

  “Good,” Tim wanted to say. He could be as polite as possible, but damn it, he’d rather see Max go buy his Magnums elsewhere.

  “Told you,” Gloria crowed as she and Cheri returned to the counter. “But we keep an EpiPen at the counter, because we can’t afford to lose him.”

  She quieted and glanced at the door, then at Tim. “Is there a problem, Timmy?”

  “No, Mr. Fielding was just leaving,” Tim replied, extra emphasis on the “Mr.” He was no master here.

  It almost made the urge to vomit again go away.

  Max snorted. “Actually I changed my mind. I think I’ll browse, see what this place has to offer.”

  Fuck Tim running backward in an apple cart. On fire.

  “But of course,” Tim replied, and turned his attention with all of his might to Cheri. “What do you think of the place? Have any questions?”

  Cheri side-eyed Max as he moved from the door. “Yeah, what’s the protocol for creeps?”

  If it were anyone else, Tim would have hugged her. “Unless they’re being creepy to us or other customers….”

  “…or trying to have a wank in the bathrooms…,” Gloria added, watching Max like a hawk.

  “We tend to leave them be until after eleven. Then they have to buy something or leave. We take the safety of customers and staff here very seriously.” Keep talking. “So I like you, Gloria seems to like you, and if I have to look at one more résumé, my eyes might fall out. Let’s get a background check all sorted, and we can welcome you into the Little Earthquakes family. Sounds good?”

  Cheri rubbed the back of her close-shaved head. “Well, you might find a misdemeanor in that check, just a heads-up.”

  “For what?” How Gloria managed to keep up with the conversation while staring in the other direction was a wonder indeed.

  “Me and some friends glitter bombed a preacher who was calling everyone whores on campus. He pressed charges, and we pleaded to some months of community service. Dude tried to force us to serve at his church, but the judge turned that down.”

  “Girl, that’s nothing. Come back when you have a few down for soliciting.” Gloria snorted. “Now scram. Your new bosses need to chat.”

  “Gloria,” Tim sighed, and reached for Cheri’s hand. “Either way we’ll give you a call.”

  “I could use some help here,” Max said, his head hard to miss among the black leather in the back.

  Gloria started in that direction, but Tim stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Allow me. How about getting Cheri’s info to the PI, yeah?”

  Gloria glared at him and hissed under her breath. “I know who that is. ‘Mr. Fielding.’ That’s the Maxhole!”

&nb
sp; “Yes, and shut up,” Tim growled just as quietly.

  “Excuse me,” Max said, now looking directly at them. Fuck.

  “Right away.” Tim walked around the counter and Gloria, remembering to keep his chin up because that helped the oogy sensation a little bit.

  Too bad it grew the closer he got. “How may I help you?”

  Max smirked. “Got anything here for a hardcore player? I’m looking for a cock cage.” And then he whispered, “No collar, I see. Can’t find anyone else to put up with your bullshit?”

  Tim rolled his shoulders. Stay frosty, he told himself, don’t take the bait. “You’re in luck. We have a limited selection of chastity toys over here. If you’ll follow me.”

  He turned on a heel and started in the correct direction.

  “You don’t think I notice your friend there looking at me? Does she know who I am? Who else around here knows?” Max kept talking at Tim’s back. “My lawyer’s been keeping a lookout for you online, you know.”

  “I kept my end of our agreement,” Tim replied, stopping at the restraints and pointing at two boxes on the shelf. “Here you are. Are you looking for long-term or short-term use?”

  “But that doesn’t stop you from running your mouth, just like you did in Atlanta.” Max leaned on the shelf, blocking Tim’s view of the counter. “Do you know how many play partners I had drop me after that stunt you pulled? I’ve had to go out of town for decent scenes. I was dropped out of the running for Mr. Southern Leather last year due to ‘questions about my character’….”

  “…and that is all very sad, but are you interested in either cage, Mr. Fielding?” No pity, no mercy. Max lost some people to torture. Tim nearly died. He won the pity race hands-down.

  “And you don’t even give a fuck, do you?” Max turned his head just in time for Gloria to appear at his shoulder.

  “Hey, Timmy, the PI needs our customer number, and I forgot it.”

  It was such a blatant lie, and they all knew it. But Tim was gonna bite. Hard. “Of course. Mr. Fielding, if we don’t have what you’re looking for, then I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

  His store. His turf. His.

  “Technically if you’ve been bandying my name around, that counts as breaking our agreement.” Max turned and started for the door. “And you know what? I never thought I’d own a sex shop before. We’ll see.”

  Thank fuck Tim made it to the bathroom before emptying his guts once Max was out of the building. He hadn’t closed the door securely, so Gloria followed him in, rubbing his back.

  “That’s bullshit,” she said once the gagging stopped. “He can’t keep you from never speaking his name again. Can he?”

  “I don’t know,” Tim said weakly, clinging to the toilet as waves of panic stole his sense. “I need to double-check. Oh God, Gloria, what if I fucked up? The shop’s all I’ve got. I live here!”

  “First things first, get your ass upstairs and take a break. Let me hold down the fort. Then we can wonder what to do.”

  “This is….”

  “If you say anything that sounds like you’re planning on handling this shit yourself, I’m shoving your head in that gunk and flushing. Because you’re not. You don’t have to.”

  “Did you just threaten to give me a swirly with my own puke?”

  Gloria stroked his hair. “I just did. Because I love you.”

  “Your definition of love is fucked.”

  Chapter FIVE

  “SAY IT again.”

  Jae sighed and squeezed Tim’s hands in his from over the dinner table. “You don’t have to do this, pet.”

  “But I’m choosing to. Now say it again.”

  Tim’s brow was furrowed, making a little crease Jae wanted to smooth away with his thumb. He shouldn’t look that troubled unless they were playing. And only in certain circumstances.

  Damn, but he could be determined when he wanted to be.

  “Fine, anyoung hashimnikka.”

  The furrow deepened. Tim’s brain hamsters, as Jae privately referred to his thought process, were running overtime. “An-yo-ha-shi-neek-a”

  The heavy Southern accent just killed the attempt, and Jae bit his lips too late to suppress the snort.

  “Are you seriously laughing at me?” Tim yanked his hands free. “I’m trying my best here.”

  “And I’m telling you it’s not necessary. My folks speak English. They learned it in school and have been speaking it since they moved here. Before they had me. You don’t need to know how to say hello.”

  Not to mention the most complicated, respectful way. But this was Tim, and if he had a Thing in his head, it was going to be the best Thing he could do. Jae couldn’t be surprised even if he tried.

  “But these are your parents. I want them to feel comfortable with me around. I want to make a good impression.”

  So much so that for the past couple of days, Tim had spent his time after work coming over to clean and neaten up and do laundry and grill Jae for details from his mother’s favorite color to the sort of aftershave his dad used. He was relentless as Jae’s pet, balancing prep with making sure Jae was taken care off.

  Jae promised not to tell either parent about the spectacular blow job Tim gave him in the middle of the sparklingly clean guest bathroom.

  He reached for one of Tim’s hands again, and Tim allowed him to take it. He kissed the knuckles. “You want to impress them? Make that vegetarian lasagna I like so much. I promise you you’ll impress the pants off them.”

  “And don’t suggest a good Korean barbecue place.” His voice was flat, not even hinting at what Jae hoped was a joke.

  “Not unless you want to annoy my mother.” He even tried a soft smile, encouraging Tim to do the same.

  Tim sighed, and the signs of stress were so clear. The furrow never really left, his shoulders were tensed, and there was the start of little bags under Tim’s eyes.

  According to Gloria’s texts, he’d been the same at the store since Max’s visit. And it was driving her up a tree.

  Put that man over your knee and beat his ass until he calms the fuck down before I do it myself.

  He was not taking any part of this well. And with both sets of parents arriving soon, Jae needed to create some space between their relationship and their kink, treat Tim like his boyfriend and not as his pet. He was sure Tim’s dad wouldn’t be too happy with Tim behaving like a houseboy, no matter how much it turned his son on.

  “One more time, or I swear I’m looking it up on Google.”

  The thought of Tim making good on that threat, bowing to his mom and dad and saying something like “my hovercraft is full of eels” was enough to put the fear of some God into Jae’s very soul. They’d never live that embarrassment down. Fine. If it would give him one less thing to worry about. “Anyoung hashimnikka. An-yoh hashim-nee-kah.”

  “An-yo hashim-ne-ka.”

  Jae smiled as he managed to make the words sound more correct. “Lengthen the ‘nee’ and the ‘ka,’ and you’ve got it. Practice it.”

  Tim’s smile was tired but pleased. “I will, Sir. I will get it right.”

  “Good, I’m gonna grab a shower. Let’s see what’s on Netflix.”

  “But Sir….” Tim looked around the dining room. “I didn’t put out the good dishes on the table yet.”

  Jae held up a hand. “Leave it for now. You need to think about something else, and I need you next to me.”

  That was it. Make it something Jae required. It would work for now.

  MAX HADN’T shown his face back at Little Earthquakes since that first day, and Tim was still on pins and needles about it.

  He and Jae were waiting at the airport for his parents, and he couldn’t get the fear out of the back of his mind.

  Gloria was doing an awesome job of running things so he could take Saturday off, even if she threatened all sorts of mayhem if he texted her one more time. The background check on Cheri came back clear, so she was due to start right after the Leat
her Ball. His Mad Hatter costume was all put together, leather top hat and all. The goodie bags were halfway finished, each one hand tied with leather cord. Jae and Gloria’s ideas of silicone bracelets and cheeky stickers were not only wonderful, but didn’t eat into the budget as much as Tim thought it would. Things were going as smoothly as they could. Hell, he caught a glimpse of Jae looking at websites for collars, which filled him with a lovely warmth. Soon the world would know he was claimed.

  So why was he drumming his fingers against his thigh? And why couldn’t he just relax?

  Right. Max. That threat hung over his head like another box waiting to fall on his face and ruin everything. His teaching, his demo bottoming, his shop. Everything.

  Jae took one of his hands in his and squeezed. He looked up at the man and gave him a tight smile. This was one thing Max couldn’t take from him. A boyfriend, a master, and Head of the Household in training.

  And Tim melted a little at the thought. He was about to meet Jae’s parents. That was a big step.

  “Are you all right?” Jae asked.

  Tim nodded. It was mostly true. “You know, I could just pick up Poppa tomorrow myself since it will be very early. I know you’ve got that project you need to work on.”

  “With my folks around? I’m going to have to pull some all-nighters anyway.”

  “Aww.”

  Jae darted his eyes to the opening sliding doors, and Tim saw his entire body light up. Tim followed his gaze as his folks started rushing over toward them. Jae slid his hand out of Tim’s and strode over to meet them halfway. Tim followed at a slower pace, wanting to give the family a moment to say their hellos.

  Jonghyun Seong stood nearly as tall as his son, with a dusting of gray in jet-black hair pulled into a short ponytail. He squeezed Jae’s shoulder as Jae hugged his mother close.

  Sun Seong noticed Tim first as she stepped back from the hug. Dark eyes shone from behind silver wire-rimmed glasses. Her hair was stacked in a loose bun. Both his parents seemed far too young to have a thirty-five-year-old son.