Chapter Six

Cliff

He's little.

And he's at Chained.

More than that…in the little room. I had left my friends behind in the conversation area to pop in and see what was going on. Or, rather, to do what I had promised myself. Find a little to scene with so I could take the edge off and stop focusing on a certain employee I had no business wanting.

Forrest could never know how I felt, even though he'd made that one comment about forgetting I was his boss. He probably just referred to my request that he call me by my first name. Nothing more had been said since then, and so far as I know, he had no more interest in me than I should have in him. Chained had a nice little room where I could find one of the single littles I'd scened with before or maybe someone new.

There were always, well almost always, some littles who wanted to scene with a daddy they were not fully bonded to. Some didn't want that kind of a relationship at all, happy to just meet up for a few hours and enjoy that side of themselves before returning to their day-to-day life.

And, of course, others were open to a long-term relationship but hadn't met the right daddy or mommy. Just like anywhere else in the world, in all kinds of kink and non-kink arrangements, people had to come to terms with what made their lives work.

Things could be a little more complicated around here. For example, some littles wanted their caregivers and partners for when they were big to be different people. Some preferred a single partner in all things. And of course, there were many more permutations, and daddies like me also had their needs and desires they came to Chained to fill.

Tonight, I was looking for nothing more than some time with a little who wanted the same. So, with that in mind, I made my way to the little room. As I drew close and stepped inside, my mood lifted some. The intensity of much of the club did not extend to the little room from which laughter spilled. It was a happy place, for the most part, just the ticket for the mood I'd been wearing like a dark cloak. Don't look at Forrest —my mantra. And a difficult one to act on since I saw him multiple times a day now. My boss-ethic was strained to the breaking point.

Absolutely, tonight was the perfect antidote for what ailed me. An evening playing with blocks or reading a story to an adorable little in knee socks had never failed to raise my spirits. I took a deep breath and let it out along with as much of the day's tension as possible, but before the last of the air left my lips, it halted because the first thing I saw in the brightly lit little room was a tall pile of colorful blocks, and as they came tumbling down, they revealed their builder.

Forrest.

No wonder he'd been so responsive when I comforted him over the lost gift. Other times in the office came immediately to mind. When he brought me the candy, definitely a little move. Yes, it was my favorite, and he'd gone to the trouble to find that out, but the sweetness of the gift and his expression as he laid it on my desk reflected a little mindset.

I should have recognized that for what it was at the time. He brought all my daddy instincts to the fore, and all my intelligence and sense of self-preservation told me then and now to ignore the attraction.

I had to leave. It had been a few weeks since I'd been here, and Forrest was relatively new to the city, but for all I knew, he'd been here every night since he arrived. Was he a member? What would I do?

I felt like a cartoon character, backward tiptoeing out of the room and trying not to be noticed. But just then, Ms. Lily stopped beside Forrest and bent to speak to him…then looked up and spotted me. She lifted a hand in greeting, and I froze like a deer in headlights. Just for a second before waving back and turning to leave. But had the damage been done? How uncomfortable might he feel to have his boss see him here without warning.

Not that I was ashamed to be a daddy, and presumably he was not ashamed of being little, but it would be a shock. Sometimes seeing people out of context made them not look familiar. I'd been approached at the grocery store, for example, by people I hadn't even noticed because I didn't expect to see them there.

Forrest looked so different in his little outfit. His onesie said I love blocks and made me think this was probably one of his favorite activities. I'd also seen his adorable short shorts and knee-high socks, classic for the littles of Chained but twice as cute on him.

I, on the other hand, wore my more casual club clothes. Button-down black shirt, black jeans, and low boots. That was different from work. Maybe he hadn't known it was me.

But I needed to forget this because the memory would make it hard to work together. Which was the only relationship we could or should have. The hallway from the little room to the main area felt miles long, and my steps dragged. I was going back to the conversation area, saying good night to my friends, and heading for home. I wasn't even going to say anything to them, although I knew they'd understand. But at this point, I was just trying to figure it all out in my own head before I was ready to talk to anyone else. Then, I'd probably seek some advice because daddies were good at helping one another. And if I couldn't achieve clarity, they'd be there for me.

"Wait, Cliff!"

I froze. It never occurred to me he'd follow me out. I had been hoping he hadn't recognized me, but that seemed obtuse now. He'd been facing me when the blocks tumbled down, and Ms. Lily's wave would have drawn his attention to me as well. And by not going in and up to him, I'd given him the opportunity to pretend he didn't see me if he chose. An opportunity he obviously chose not to take advantage of.

Despite my concern, I was glad he approached me. At least we'd be able to clear the air, and since I was the boss in our other life, his choice here made it better. Maybe. Yes, it was.

I turned around and offered a friendly smile. "Hi, Forrest. Are you having a nice evening?"

"Is it weird that I saw you here? I don't want it to be weird. Did you need me to transfer to a different department? I promise not to tell—but I don't want to not come here to avoid you—"

My heart ached for the yearning I heard in that spill of words. And I had to reassure him, to try to ease him. "Littles need a safe space to be themselves, and Chained is that for sure. I would never take that from you."

"It's my first time here, and I like it. But what about work?"

"I wouldn't take your job either. You're safe both places. But I am your boss, and there are concerns. For good reason. Nobody should ever feel like their personal life endangers their job or that you should have to change departments."

"But I want to play with you. Isn't that off the table if I work under you?"

"We'll cross that bridge if it happens."