8. Chapter 8

eight

Nathan

T he Seals beat St. Louis after a high scoring game on both sides, but I had to admit I missed a lot of big plays. Will was one of a thousand people on the field between both teams, the television crew, and all of the maintenance workers, but I found myself tracking his movements.

Being on the sidelines to find out all of the football players were literal giants was fun, but I moved up to my seat before the first quarter when I realized I couldn’t see Will from down there. The ticket he got me was amazing, only fifteen rows up from the thirty-yard line, and I had access to the club lounge with all the food and drinks I could want.

After one beer, I stuck to soda. I wanted to be sober and present for Will after the game. I made friends with the people around me, some season ticket holders and others friends or family of staff like me. I chose not to mention I was on a part of a date with Will in case he was private about it at work. We cheered on the team, but mine were constantly a few seconds behind everyone else.

There was just something about Will. How could I not want to spend more time with a sexy queer man who loved the same team as me?

A lot of fans stuck around after the game to cheer while the quarterback and tight end were interviewed, but I was facing the tunnel Will brought me in through, hoping he’d reappear. It was less than twenty minutes before he caught sight of me and made a beeline for me. He surprised me by taking my hand and leading me onto the field.

“Am I allowed out here?” I couldn’t help asking.

“We need to press some divots in and then I can head out,” Will explained, letting my hand go to demonstrate. Kicking a clump of loose grass over, he put pressure on it to cover a hole. “Like in polo.”

“I can’t say I’ve even been to a polo match,” I chuckled, following his example to fix my own clump of grass as we wandered around the field. “Grew up outside of Portland.”

“I worked for San Francisco Parks and Rec out of College, and I learned a lot about turf maintenance on the polo pitch,” Will explained. “If we don’t do this, the spots die by morning.”

It occurred to me Will had planned to do this task before meeting up with me, considering his estimate of an hour after the game. My best guess was he had wanted me to join so he didn’t have to wait as long, and I couldn’t help the warmth spreading through me at the thought.

“Where’d you go to college?” I asked to keep up the conversation as we crossed the fifty yard line.

“Davis, two decades ago for horticulture. I love working outside to make things grow,” Will told me with a sheepish little smile. “Then SF State for a masters in Facilities Management a little over five years ago. I didn’t want to stop being a gardener, but I knew the groundskeeper job was opening here.”

“Wait,” I stopped him with a hand on his wrist and gave him a grin. “If you’re a trans gardener, does that make you a trans-plant?”

Will blinked at me with his mouth popped open in a little O-shape and I wondered if my spur-of the moment dad pun wasn’t in bad taste. Then he sputtered and doubled over in laughter. “Oh, my, god.”

“I’ll take your laughter to mean I’m hilarious and you definitely want a second date?” I crossed my arms and raised a brow, enjoying the view of the large and shy man laughing without restraint.

“Nathan, no,” Will straightened and wiped tears from his eyes. “That was so bad.”

“What?” I wasn’t sure what he was saying no to, but he was still laughing. “No second date?”

Will noticed my confusion and stopped laughing. He stepped closer and took my hands in his. We were in the middle of a giant stadium, the lights bright since the sun had set during the fourth quarter, but everything else slipped away when Will’s eyes met mine.

“I definitely want a second date,” Will bit that plush lower lip again, and I couldn’t help the soaring joy. Until he added, “But your dad jokes are terrible.”

“I’ll win you over with one.” I stepped close enough for the toes of our shoes to touch. “Give it time.”

“Promise?” Will asked, his deep brown eyes staring into mine.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” I confessed.

Will licked his lips and squeezed my hands to emphasize his words. “Then kiss me, Nathan.”

Not one to hesitate when given such clear instructions, especially when it was exactly what I wanted, I pulled Will against me. He wrapped his arms around my back and I took his face between my hands, soaking up the moment of anticipation as I leaned in.

Will closed his eyes and tilted his head, and the last thing I saw before I followed suit was his lips parting to let me in. I started off gentle, waiting for him to press back into me, before I sucked his lip into my mouth. A low grunt vibrated through his mouth to mine, and I licked at the seam. Will opened for me and let my take over as I licked into him, tasting salt and mint.

The man had freshened up for me, and I couldn’t help my smile. The movement broke our kiss, and I realized people were clapping and cheering. I took a few moments of basking in the chemistry between Will and I before some of what they were yelling penetrated my thoughts.

“Yeah, get it Wilson!”

“Oh, fuck,” Will pulled back and looked around to see people I assumed were coworkers clapping and wolf-whistling. He stepped back from me but kept one hand on my waist. “We should finish up and head out.”

“Whatever you want,” I gestured toward the field and saw a bald man approaching. I had to hope Will wasn’t in trouble, and judging by the man’s grin, he wasn’t.

“One sec,” Will told me before walking away to meet him halfway. He spoke with the man for a few minutes while I found a few more divots to fix before rejoining me and taking my hand. “Maury and some of my maintenance guys are going to finish up. Let’s get out of here.”

Following him out a different way than we came, we exited to the employee parking lot. “You're going to drive me home, sweetheart?”

Will stopped in the middle of putting his keys in the truck door at my term of endearment. I hadn’t decided to use it, but it felt right for him. Until he let me call him my boy.

“I have to work in the morning,” Will explained.

“But maybe we could plan that second date on the drive?” I offered, making Will smile.

“I’d like that.” Will seemed surprised when I offered him a hand to help him in the truck, then closed his door and walked around to the passenger side. “Isn’t that supposed to be my role?”

“There’s something you need to know,” I started, and kept going when he looked scared. “Last week at my store wasn’t the first time I saw you.”

“That’s ominous,” Will chuckled and started his truck.

“I promise it’s a good thing,” I reassured him as he backed out. Then I got the rest out as fast as I could. “I saw you at X Club a couple months ago. And I’ve seen your profile. I know you’re a boy.”

Will's face was unreadable, and I could only see flashes as we made our way out of the parking lot. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’m a Daddy.” Taking a deep breath, I add, “And I want to plan a date to show you can be a little no matter your age.”

He doesn’t say anything for a couple minutes, so I put my address into his GPS to give him a few minutes. Will took the whole ride to think, and I’m worried I ruined everything when he pulled to a stop in front of my place.

“Okay,” Will whispered.

“Okay, what?” I asked to clarify.

“You can plan a date for me…like that.”

At that moment, all I wanted to do was pull him in for another kiss, but I held back. Will had a lot to think about, and I’d give him space.

“Text me when you get home safe?” I commanded, though it sounded like a question. I didn’t have the right to command him to do anything yet.

Will nodded and I let it go. Hopping out, He gave me a small smile and waved when I closed the door. I didn’t fuck it all up, and I would show him how much fun a Daddy could be.