by M. A. Innes
“It sounds like you know what you’re looking for. It might not be as hard as you think to find someone again. Just look at Gavin and I—we met online.”
“That just seems so impersonal. I can’t imagine trying to find someone to have a real connection with and only being able to judge that connection by a picture and a couple of badly-worded pickup lines.”
Gavin nodded and Lucas just shrugged his shoulders before responding, “It’s better than the other options. And I just have to say that Gavin’s pickup lines were very sexy.”
“What other options?”
Gavin looked at him like it was obvious. “Trying to decide if the cute pizza boy, or in your case girl, who flirts with you might be open-minded enough to try something that most people think of as kinkier than anything they did in Fifty Shades.”
“That sounds frustrating and nearly fruitless.”
“Agreed. Which is why online dating might be your best option.” He hated it when Lucas was right more than he hated it when Gavin was right.
“I hate it when you’re right, too.”
“I know.”
Before he could respond to Lucas’s teasing, his phone started going off in his pocket. Checking the screen, he looked up and apologized. “Sorry guys, I’ve got to take this—work.”
Sliding his finger across the screen he answered, “Sebastian Phillips speaking.”
His normally well-spoken assistant seemed hesitant and off as he responded. “I apologize for calling so late Mr. Phillips, but I wanted to let you know that I picked up the receipts today that needed to go to the accountant and…well…I think I may have been given the wrong package because they aren’t the typical receipts from The Mailspot that I normally pick up.”
What could he have—Oh, no. Suddenly he knew exactly what Mark had been given. “Were you given an envelope or a small box today?”
Gavin and Lucas could tell something was wrong but Sebastian knew that they wouldn’t be able to guess what he’d done.
“An envelope, sir.”
No wonder the poor boy was nervous. Oh well, it couldn’t be helped now. It’s not like it was something he was ashamed of anyway. He and Allison had been fairly private but many of their friends and family had known about their lifestyle.
“I’m sorry, those are papers for my accountant but they’re related to my home remodel and one of my other businesses. You should have been given a box with the normal receipts.”
He could tell by the wide-eyed expression both men were now wearing that they’d guessed some of what the problem was. His other business was an adult store that sold things most people would never have thought to look for.
There was a long pause where he could practically hear Mark’s mind spinning in circles. Clearly he wanted to know more about what he’d seen but there was no socially acceptable way to ask at this point.
To Sebastian, the most important question was why he was curious. Was it gawking at an accident curious or something more? Something about Mark’s tone made him pause, however. It was probably just wishful thinking but it made him think that for Mark it was something more.
“Would you like me to work on these receipts the same way I would normally do the others?”
Definitely not what he was expecting. “If you don’t mind, that would be wonderful and it would save me a lot of time.”
“It’s fine. Not a problem, sir.”
That “sir” had recently started getting to him. Something about the way that Mark said it maybe. It wasn’t the same way Ally had called him Sir or Daddy but it was nerve-wrackingly similar. He was probably just missing that connection, the need to be someone’s daddy, their everything.
“Sir, I will have some additional questions about the remodel and the categories for the new business so that I can organize everything correctly. If that’s alright?”
“Of course. Can you hold on for just a moment, though? I need to wrap something up.”
“Not a problem, sir.”
There was that “sir” again. Something so ordinary and everyday but when his sweet assistant said it he somehow wanted it to mean more.
“Okay, one minute.”
Looking up at his incredibly curious friends, Sebastian had to shake his head in frustration. Lowering his voice, he tried quickly to answer some of their unspoken questions. “I inadvertently gave my assistant some of the paperwork for Novelties and not the paperwork for the packing store. So I’m going to have to head out and answer some interesting questions if I don’t miss my guess.”
Laughing, Lucas and Gavin didn’t try to hide how incredibly funny they found his predicament. “Laugh all you want. Thanks for the support.”
Giving them each a quick hug he continued, “I’ll talk to you later. Thank you again for making me come tonight. And Gavin, thank you for not being little tonight. I know these gatherings are more fun when you can be little but it was wonderful to have your support tonight.” During the weekend, Gavin was normally little from Friday to Monday morning so it was incredibly sweet that he’d taken the time on a Sunday night to come out of his role.
“You’re welcome. We missed you.” Gavin’s tearful response pulled at Sebastian.
“I missed you too. I won’t miss another dinner. No more hiding.”
“Good. Now go talk your assistant down from the ledge because he’s probably very confused.”
“Fingers crossed he doesn’t quit. It’s been hard doing everything myself since the accident. I figured out right away finding help for the online store wasn’t going to be as easy as hiring someone for the other stores.”
“I’m sure it will be fine. You’ve had nothing but wonderful things to say about Mark.”
“I have?”
“Yeah, you’ve mentioned several times how much you enjoyed working with him.”
“Hmm. I guess I didn’t realize. Well, I have to go. I’ll see you two soon.”
“Dinner later this week. Just us. I’m not going to take no for an answer.” Gavin was going to do his best not to let Sebastian hide away again.
“Absolutely. Call me later this week and we’ll figure it out.”
Walking around the side of their house, his long strides eating up the distance quickly, Sebastian brought his phone up to his ear and took a deep breath before jumping right in. “Mark? Thanks for holding for me.”
“I don’t mind. I’m glad to help.”
Climbing into his car, he continued, “What kind of questions do you have?”
Sebastian heard Mark take several deep breaths before he answered. “Well, to start with you mentioned that the receipts were for a remodel and for another business that you own. Is that correct?”
Okay, simple question. “Yes, I recently remodeled a room in my house so some of the paperwork is for that project. I also run an online company out of my home and the rest of the paperwork is for that company.”
Mark’s voice faltered as he moved to ask the next question. “Th-the the remodel. What kind of project is it? Something for business use or personal?”
Now they were moving into touchier areas. Sebastian wondered if Mark would let him get away with a simple answer. “Mostly personal use but I purchased a lot of the fixtures and furniture at cost from my company so the accountant needs to take that into consideration.”
Mark veered away from the personal questions. “The company would be S and M Novelties?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of online store is it? I just need a basic idea so I know how to organize the papers and what kinds of paperwork that might come in.”
Definitely a more interesting question. And one he would have to answer honestly. He wouldn’t lie to Mark. “S and M Novelties is an online retail store that sells products for adults interested in alternative lifestyles. Primarily those who are involved in age-play relationships or those with some kind of little roleplay in their life. We also have sections on the site that cater to other kinks, but our primary market is
the age-play community.” There. That sounded professional and somewhat reasonable considering what he was saying.
“Oh.” Mark’s pause was long enough that Sebastian quickly glanced down to check that the phone call was still active.
Not wanting to rush Mark, Sebastian just continued the drive home as he waited for his assistant to digest what he’d explained.
He was almost home before Mark picked up the conversation again. From the sound of things, he didn’t seem to realize how long he’d been silent.
“Okay, that gives me a good idea where to start. I’ll look around the website tomorrow. That should help things as well.”
Sebastian wasn’t sure looking around the site was strictly necessary but he wasn’t going to point that out to Mark. “You’ll let me know if you have questions?”
“Of course. When I’m done with the receipts I’ll send them to the accountant. I’ll also stop by the store and grab the other receipts tomorrow or Tuesday. If that’s okay with you?”
“That’s fine. But first, I need to call the store and see if they even have the receipts or if I somehow took them home by mistake.”
“Wonderful. Just let me know if I can pick them up and I’ll let you know if I run into any questions with these.”
“I’ll let you know tomorrow morning if I’ll need more time to find the box. I’m just not sure what I could have done with it at this point.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Goodbye, Mark. Have a good evening. And thank you for letting me know about the mix-up.”
Pulling in his driveway Sebastian heard the click of the call disconnecting. Turning off the car, he leaned back in his seat and tried to analyze how the conversation had gone. From his perspective, it didn’t go as badly as it could have.
However, Mark had seemed really thrown. Much more than he thought most people would have, even considering the nature of the business. Mark didn’t come off as a holy roller that was disgusted by the idea of an adult novelty website. No, it was something else. But why would it upset Mark that much?
There was no way he could ask. He’d look crazy or creepy if he called Mark and wanted to know why the idea of adults in diapers upset him so much. Yeah, can you say sexual harassment lawsuit? No, not the kind of advertising his business needed.
Waiting through the pause had been hard. The “daddy” in him had desperately wanted to gather the boy up in his arms and demand answers.
As he sat in the dark, fighting the confusion and need, it occurred to him that it was the first time in two years he’d wanted to be someone’s daddy. Even in the most abstract way.
The one that fixed their problems and held them tight. The first time since his baby girl was taken from him that he’d thought about having another little to tend to and cuddle. And it was his assistant. His male assistant. His straight male assistant. Damn.
Chapter 3
What had he done? Sitting down at his desk the next morning, he was looking at the paperwork spread out on his desk, still in shock. He had already been sitting there through three cups of coffee and he still hadn’t been able to work up the nerve to start going through it again. Not a good start for a Monday.
He was also starting to think that he had too much coffee, which was just a terrible thing to say, because he was starting to feel jittery and just couldn’t sit still. Maybe he’d made the coffee stronger than usual this morning? Okay, no more coffee because at the very least he had to go out later and pick up the correct receipts from The Mailspot. And caffeine and being away from the house just didn’t mix well.
He didn’t know how he’d gotten to this point. He’d had every intention of offering to take the paperwork back to the store, because he’d practiced the speech a dozen times before he called Mr. Phillips, but when he’d opened his mouth it just wouldn’t come out. Instead, he’d offered to handle the new papers, too.
Something about Sebastian Phillips made him lose his mind. There was nothing else to blame it on. If he had run into the same situation with any of his other clients he would not be in this predicament.
With anyone else he would have been able to offer to take the papers back to the store and just forget about it. It was probably just because Mr. Phillips was such a long-time customer or because he was Mark’s first local customer. But now he was stuck with the receipts and work orders spread out all over his desk, and evidently, without the balls to start the work.
He could do this. He would just treat it as any other job. Categorize, organize, total, and get everything ready for the accountant. Simple. He could do this. It was just like the other businesses he handled for Mr. Phillips.
“Okay, first things first, let’s look at some rough categories and go from there.”
He started with the work orders because they looked a little less intimidating. Looking at the online orders and company receipts he felt a bit like a kid waiting for the monster under the bed to eat him. Work orders it is…just furniture and remodeling, nothing scary about those.
The first hour went reasonably well with the exception of a few tense moments when he started reading the work orders in more detail and realized exactly what room Sebastian had gotten remodeled. A nursery. An adult sized nursery. He finally figured out why the furniture seemed off yesterday.
Trying to remain detached and professional, he pushed the pictures and ideas that formed in his imagination away. Not his business. It doesn’t matter what’s on the papers…categorize, organize, total…not his business. Eventually, his imagination won and the pictures just wouldn’t stay away.
He could almost see the demolition of the old nursery and the new one coming together. Paint colors and design notes let him see what the new nursery must look like. And the scary part was that it didn’t seem scary at all. Dark woods combined with soft pastels in the bedding and curtains. It would be warm and welcoming and if you could ignore the oversized baby furniture it would probably look incredible.
It took him a while to fill in the blanks, longer than it should have, he admitted, but once he’d seen the notes about the demolition of the old nursery he’d finally realized whose nursery it was: Sebastian’s wife.
Mark hadn’t met her that many times but she’d always seemed polite and welcoming, professional and smart. He was having a hard time reconciling the two images. Nothing about her had screamed freaky—in fact, at the time he remembered noticing how much in love they were.
Sorting through the papers he couldn’t imagine how hard this must be for Sebastian. The fact that it had taken him two years to change the room was telling. Would having the constant presence of her nursery been a comfort to him or would it have been a reminder of what he lost?
Mark remembered the dark times after Mrs. Phillips was killed. When the drunk driver took her life, something in Sebastian seemed to have died too. It had been almost 9 months before he’d started to see pieces of the old Sebastian coming through again.
Lately, Sebastian was active in the businesses again and was lighter somehow. Dressing more professionally and happier in general. Even if he couldn’t seem to remember to get a haircut. Mark decided that Mrs. Phillips had to have been the one to remind Sebastian because without her around his normally short dark hair now always had a decidedly messy look. Like Sebastian had just rolled out of bed even at three o’clock in the afternoon. He wondered what had caused the change. Was he simply ready to move on or had something happened? Could he have met someone?
Blaming his now-queasy stomach on too much coffee, Mark decided to take a quick break before tackling the rest of the papers. Looking down at his phone as the alarm started going off he quickly silenced it.
“Perfect timing.”
Heading back into his bedroom he took a minute and used the restroom before resetting the alarm on his phone.
“Probably should do forty-five minutes this time. Entirely too much coffee today.”
Technically it was time for lunch but Mark
knew he hadn’t accomplished enough to take a break. Walking back to the office he ignored the pull of the coffee maker in the kitchen.
“No more coffee. You’ve already had significantly more than the doctor recommended. Kidneys don’t need any more damage, genius.” Logically he knew that due to his underdeveloped kidneys and bladder, he shouldn’t have any more than one cup a day but sometimes his stress levels just wouldn’t let him.
For some reason, the receipts didn’t look as overwhelming as they had this morning. When he looked at them now all he saw was Sebastian and the nursery.
Jumping right in, it took Mark an hour of sorting and organizing the receipts and documents from the website sales before he was satisfied. They were as organized as he could make them without knowing more about the business.
It was probably enough for the accountant, but Mark prided himself on being thorough for his clients. Quickly dismissing the idea of interrupting Mr. Philips over something so trivial, he knew the only way he was going to understand the business better would be to look at the website.
If he put if off any longer he might talk himself out of it. So he quickly moved over to his laptop and started typing in the web address on the paperwork. After the standard disclaimer about needing to be over 18, the site opened up to a professional looking webpage that could have been any online company. As long as you didn’t look at the merchandise too closely.
Browsing through the different categories and kinks he quickly became lost in the descriptions and curious merchandise. In addition to the traditional merchandise descriptions, the site gave detailed instructions on the use of the different products and links where people could get more information on different kinks.
For some reason, before he had started he had the image in his head of the online equivalent of a seedy back alley adult store but he knew he shouldn’t have. This was Sebastian’s store. He wouldn’t do anything seedy.
Clicking through the site and reading the descriptions and explanations took Mark longer than it technically needed to but he told himself that he wanted to be thorough. If it gave him a better picture of Sebastian that was just a side benefit. It was always good to understand clients, after all. Forty-five minutes later that excuse was starting to wear thin even for him.