4. Adam

Chapter 4

Adam

“And for so many, the contributions we…” I scanned the crowd, glancing in every direction to make sure the audience knew I was engaged with them. I cared about them. Was there for them. All of that was true until I caught the eye of a guy in the front and couldn’t look away. “Um, the contributions.”

He just stared up at me with his full attention and the biggest eyes I’d ever seen. Like he was hanging on my every word, even though mine suddenly were lost in my mind.

I cleared my throat and tried to focus on what I was being paid to do. “They make a difference in so many lives.” When I finally pulled my gaze away, the speech I’d given a hundred times came back to me. The words began to flow as I spoke on autopilot, pausing when I needed to pause, chuckling when it was right for the moment, and progressing through the few slides I was projecting on several screens behind me.

Although the words came easily, my eyes kept darting to that cute guy up front. I’d never seen him in any previous conferences, and the way he hung on my every word made me wonder if he was hearing some of this information for the first time.

That was an exciting thought. I loved sharing the joy and satisfaction that came with helping others learn about and teach lactation. Whether he was a lactator, a support consultant, or a client, I hoped he decided to stick around and ask any questions he had.

My favorite part of in-person events was meeting new people and shedding light on any of the fears or concerns they had been grappling with, especially if he was new to this world.

As my speech wrapped up, I went off-script and decided to speak to any of the newcomers personally. “With this journey comes a lot of challenges, but in almost every situation I’ve encountered, those challenges were worth the immense gratitude that our clients feel when we can help them fulfill the needs of their body. If you're brand-new to lactating or supporting others in their lactation journey, please feel free to stay behind and ask any questions you have. I’ve got this room for the next hour, so don’t be shy.” I looked right at the boy and smiled. “I love to meet new people, and I’m here to help.”

I ended the talk by inviting everybody to grab samples of some of the products I couldn’t live without from the back of the room. Then I stayed up front as most people filed out. A small group migrated toward the front of the room with questions and to share stories, but the guy in the front didn’t move. He stayed rooted in place, peeking up at me now and then, but pretending to be looking at his phone.

A man who was new to lactation had a million questions about being both a consultant and a wet nurse, so I spent several minutes pulling up resources for him and pointing him to The Lactin Brotherhood for some of the workshops they hosted, but my attention was shifting from curious to concerned when the guy in the front still hadn’t moved at all.

Once I cleared the room of everyone with questions, I grabbed a bottle of water from my bag and went to go check on the guy. “Hey there.” I kneeled down in front of him so I was closer to his eye level, not wanting to intimidate or frighten him. “Do you have any questions I can answer?”

He shrugged and swallowed hard. “No, not really. I’ll leave in just a minute.”

I placed my hand on his calf and gave him a soft squeeze. “No rush. You can sit here for as long as you need.”

He glanced at me with tears in his eyes that immediately began to fall down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I came into the wrong room, and I think I’m lost and…” He sniffled loudly and took a shuddering breath. “Now I feel bad because I’m keeping you from your day.”

“Not at all.” I held up the bottle of water in his direction. “Would you like some water?”

“No, thank you.” He shook his head and looked down in his lap again.

I followed his gaze and noticed an erection he was obviously trying to hide. “Is there anything you’d like to talk about? Seems like you might have some things on your mind.”

He scrunched his eyes closed and sighed. “I’m so embarrassed, but I’ve just never heard of someone like you having milk…for someone like me.”

Someone like him? Pieces started to come together, and it was clear that he was a Little on the verge of regressing in the least convenient place possible. “Someone like you? Do you mean sweet boys who listen politely in meetings they don’t have to stay in?”

He grinned and shook his head. “No, more like sad boys who had to drink chocolate milk last night because there wasn’t any plain milk in the store.”

“I see. Well, I happen to know where you can get some plain milk.”

His eyes went wide, and he immediately looked at my chest like I might tear off my shirt and invite him to suckle. The fantasy was tempting, to be honest. But that wasn’t what he needed. “There’s a whole conference full of guys like me who can supply you with everything you’ll ever need.”

He looked around as someone might appear in the empty room with us. “That sounds interesting.”

“Glad you think so. And I’m glad you decided to come to my talk today. There are lots of people like me who would love to meet boys like you and chat about…supply.”

He sucked in a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. “Supply…as in milk?”

I chuckled again. He was so cute. “Yes, if that’s what you’re looking for.” I put my hand on his calf again and brushed up and down. “Is that what you’re looking for?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I thought I was going to a different meeting and accidentally came in here. But this is way better than the dumb work meeting I was supposed to be in. This one was…amazing.”

His excitement was infectious, and I wanted to pull him into my arms for a hug. “I’m glad you think so. Usually the people in my talks have been in the industry for years, so it’s nice to meet someone with a fresh perspective.”

He cocked his head to the side and glanced down at my chest longingly. “Fresh is best…”

Okay, this sweet boy had a silly side too. “I’m Adam, by the way. And where do you need to be next?”

“I’m Riley, and I’m supposed to be…” He tapped his phone and turned it to show me his schedule. “Here.”

The tower he needed to go to was on my way back to my room. “I think I know where you’re going. I’d be happy to show you.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Like, show me show me? Or ‘give me a million instructions that I’m gonna forget’ show me?”

I laughed as I pushed up to my feet and held my hands out to him. “I’ll walk you to the door and make sure you’re exactly where you need to be. Unless…”

He reached for my hands and let me pull him to his feet. “Unless what?”

Even though I knew I was about to do something I shouldn’t do, I couldn’t stop myself. I held both of his hands in mine and made sure he heard my words exactly as I intended them. “Unless you could use the help of a Daddy right now.”