16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Samuel

I was just finishing up the daily crossword when Mars came into the kitchen. I’d left him curled up in a ball, asleep in bed. He went straight to the coffee pot, poured himself a cup of coffee, and then sat down at the table.

I loved seeing him in my space—whether it was curled up in bed or here in the kitchen, dressed for work in jeans and a long-sleeved sweater. I watched as he filled his cup.

“There are scrambled eggs and bacon,” I said.

“You’re spoiling me rotten,” he replied.

“Well, I think you could use a little spoiling.”

He took his plate out of the oven and came to the table.

“You’re pretty good at it,” he said. “How’s today’s crossword?”

“I’m just about finished,” I replied. “So, what are your plans for today?” I asked.

“Well, it’s the beginning of November, which means the crazy Christmas season is about to start. I’ll be decorating the shop for the holidays.”

“It’s not even Thanksgiving yet,” I pointed out.

“True, but unfortunately, most of the big box stores had their Christmas decorations out before Halloween. If I want to compete with them, I have to follow their timeline to some degree,” he said. “I’ll also be working late a few days because I have some holiday workshops coming up. One’s a Make Your Own Yule Log class, and the other’s a Winter Solstice Wreath session. Last year, I ended up doing the yule log class three times, so we’ll see how many people sign up this year.”

“Okay,” I said. “How about I swing by the office store and pick up a calendar for the fridge? That way, you can write your schedule on it so I’ll know when you won’t be here.”

“That sounds good to me,” Mars said. “You can do the same for your schedule.”

“Have you scheduled any of those classes yet?” I asked.

“No, not yet. I probably won’t do the first one until mid-month.”

“Good, because I’d like to take you out on a date Friday night,” I said.

“Like an actual date-date?”

“Exactly like a date-date.”

“Okay. Where are we going?”

“You don’t worry about that, Kitten. I’ll take care of everything.”

He carried his empty plate to the sink, rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher. I got up and did the same with mine before turning to look at him.

“Don’t forget a jacket today. It’s chilly out there, and it’s supposed to rain,” I reminded him.

“Is it really?” he asked.

“Yeah, it is. Maybe you should take a few minutes each morning to check the weather instead of just horoscopes or star charts.”

He chuckled and kissed me on the cheek. “I could, but why should I bother when I have a Daddy to do that for me?”

“True enough,” I said, grinning. “You can also grab an umbrella by the garage door if you want one.”

“Well, crap. I don’t have a jacket. I guess I need to make getting one a priority,” he said.

I hadn’t even thought about the fact that he might not have a jacket. I had a few, but he could practically swim in mine.

“You wait right here,” I said. “Let me see what I can find.”

I went to my closet and pulled out one of my Vesper Fire Department hoodies.

“Here,” I said, handing it to him. “You can wear this until you find one for yourself. We probably need to sit down and make a list of exactly what you need for the season. Obviously a jacket, gloves, and probably some scarves.”

“Yeah, all of those,” he agreed. “Every time I think I replaced everything, something else comes up. Did you know I don’t own a pair of nail clippers? I had to go dig around in your bathroom for a pair the other day.”

I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug. “It’ll be fine. We’ll get you whatever you need. In the meantime, we’ll just share.”

“Like I said, you’re spoiling me.”

“Well, that’s a Daddy’s job.”

“Maybe you should’ve mentioned that part sooner,” he teased.

I kissed him on the cheek, reminded him not to forget his lunch, and sent him off to work.

I had to admit, having someone at home made it harder to leave every morning—especially for the morning meetings since, technically, I didn’t have to be there, which was a good thing because I made it just as they were wrapping up. I stood off to the side while Robert finished the meeting, and the guys dispersed to their chores. Then I grabbed Robert and Keith.

“When y’all are finished with this,” I said, gesturing toward the bay where they were restocking the truck, “come to my office. I’ve got something I want to ask y’all. It’s personal, not work-related, so no rush.”

“Well, what we’ve got can wait,” Robert said. “You can’t say something like that and then leave us hanging.”

I glanced around to make sure the other guys were occupied.

“I want to take Mars on a date,” I said. “And I have no idea where to take him.”

Keith tilted his head, studying me. “How long has it been since you went on an actual date?”

“And hooking up at the club in San Antonio doesn’t count,” Robert added.

“Long enough that I don’t remember,” I admitted. “That’s why I’m asking for help.”

“You could always go classic with dinner and a movie,” Keith suggested.

“Or do something unusual, like axe throwing,” Robert added.

“What does he like to do in his spare time?” Keith asked.

I thought about that for a second. “I don’t know. How can I not know? He’s been staying in my house for weeks, and I have no idea what he does in his free time. How did I miss that?”

“Maybe you didn’t miss anything,” Robert said. “He’s a business owner. That doesn’t always leave a lot of spare time.”

“True enough,” I said. “He’s always at the shop, running workshops, classes, drumming circles, and other things. Maybe he doesn’t have much free time. That might be something we need to talk about.”

“Well, you could take him to see the play the community center is putting on,” Keith suggested.

“I assumed they canceled the production since the Majestic burned.”

“Jana Williams convinced the high school to let them use their theater,” Keith explained. “She said everyone worked way too hard to let the fire stop the production. She said the show must go on.”

“That might work. I’ll think about it.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend the evening at a play where we couldn’t talk, but it would work if I didn’t think of anything else.

“Mini golf is always fun, too,” Robert said. “I took Del, and she loves it.”

“That’s also an option, thanks. Now, when you’re done out here, swing by my office for work reasons. I want Fox to brief everyone on the progress he’s making with the investigation.”

Mars

I took some time after Samuel left to do my morning routine. Living here with him had rearranged things, but for the better, not the worse. Luckily, I liked the way our schedules meshed. I could get up, wander into the kitchen, have a cup of coffee, and spend a little time with Samuel before he left for work. Then, I had about an hour and a half before it was time to open the shop, which gave me plenty of time to do my morning meditation, pull my cards for the day, and get ready.

My mother had always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, go-with-the-flow kind of person. What I was learning here with Samuel was that I actually liked routine. It was nice to wake up in the morning and know what was going to happen next.

I pulled on the hoodie he’d left for me and looked in the mirror. I had no idea if he had a bunch of hoodies in his closet to choose from and picked this one on purpose, or if it was just the only one available. Either way, I couldn’t help but grin at the words Property of VFD printed on the front.

I got Kismet in her carrier, and we headed up to the shop.

Ziva was already there, which didn’t surprise me. She was obsessed with the idea of decorating the shop for the holidays—not just Christmas, but all the holidays. Before I left yesterday, we’d discussed getting a head start on the Christmas decorating, and she’d already pulled most of the boxes out of the storage closet.

I looked around at the mess and grinned. “Well, somebody sure is in a festive mood this morning, aren’t they?”

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” she replied.

“Didn’t you just say that a few weeks ago about Halloween?” I asked.

“You say tomato, I say to-mah-to,” she said with a chuckle. “Personally, I think every holiday is the most wonderful time of the year.”

“Well, you’re definitely in a good mood, and I don’t believe stringing some lights and putting up some window clings is the reason for it. So, what’s going on?”

She smiled. “I had a date last night. It was fabulous. She was amazing.”

“Spill the tea, girlfriend. Who was she, and where’d you meet her?”

“It was a blind date, believe it or not.”

“No way. I thought you said no more blind dates.”

“I did. Yes, I did. But you know my sister.”

“I do.”

Her sister was an amateur matchmaker, and she’d made it her mission for a while now to make sure Ziva was as crazy in love as she and her husband were.

“Apparently, Charlie works at the place where Molly gets her hair done. When Molly went in for her appointment, she saw a rainbow flag decal on Charlie’s mirror. She asked her stylist if Charlie was a lesbian and if she was single. She said she was both, and naturally, Molly did what Molly does.”

“But it went well?”

“So well, and now Molly will never let me live it down. She’s going to take credit for this for the rest of my life.”

“Do I need to help load the U-Haul ?”

She picked up a stuffed snowman out of a box and threw it at me. We both laughed.

“Seriously, I’m happy for you, Ziva. It’s about time you found someone who appreciates you. Besides me, I mean.”

We spent the next couple of hours decorating the shop. When we had the last of the lights up, I stepped back to admire all we’d accomplished.

“It looks great,” I said. “But it’s only the second week of November. We’re both going to be so sick of this by the time we take it down.”

“Speak for yourself. I’d leave it up all year,” she said. “It’s almost noon. Do I need to pick us up some lunch?”

“Not for me. I brought mine.”

“You mean your man made you bring yours.”

“True enough. It was all him.”

“I think that’s sweet.”

“Right? I’m not complaining.”

I’d just heated up my lunch when Mika walked in.

“Hey, Mika,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Not much. Mrs. Thompson had doctor appointments this morning, which meant she didn’t need me, so I thought I’d stop by to see what you were up to. I didn’t mean to interrupt your lunch, though.”

“Don’t worry about it. Have you eaten? Ziva was about to run and get some lunch. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind picking something up for you.”

“No, that’s okay. I had a late breakfast, so I’m not really hungry.”

Ziva stuck her head around the corner. “Are you sure? I’m heading down to Frank’s Pizza to get a slice.”

“Thanks, but I’m sure,” Mika said.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few.”

“She’s really nice,” Mika said after we heard the door close behind her.

“She’s the best. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

“So, how are things going with you and Samuel?” he asked.

“Good, I think.”

“You think?”

“Yeah, he’s the best.”

“But? I think I hear a but in there.”

“But I’m worried I’m not enough for him.”

“Not enough? What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve never been anyone’s boy before. I’m not even a hundred percent sure what it means. I don’t know what he wants or if I’m giving him what he needs.”

“There aren’t rules for this type of relationship. It’s not like if you’re a boy, you have to do this, or if you’re a Daddy, you can’t do that. It’s about what works for the two of you as a couple.”

“Yeah, but nothing’s really changed.”

“What do you mean, changed?”

“I mean, other than the fact that we’re sleeping together, everything’s pretty much the same as before.”

“Did you want things to change?”

“No. I like things the way they are, but he gave me this whole speech about being a Daddy and how it’s a part of who he is. I guess I expected something to be different.”

Mika chuckled. “Mars, do you want me to tell you why nothing’s changed?”

“Yes, oh great wise one. Please enlighten me.” I rolled my eyes but gave him a smile.

“Because Samuel was already your Daddy.”

“What do you mean? Not to sound stupid, but you’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

Mika smiled. “Okay. What did you use to have for lunch?”

“Whatever Ziva picked up that day… fast food, pizza, stuff like that.”

“So not the healthiest of options. And now?”

“Now I have this,” I said, gesturing at my healthy lunch. “Because Samuel made it.”

“And how long has he been doing that?”

“Since I went to stay there.”

“Exactly. What other little things like that does he do?”

“Well, he makes me breakfast every day, and he gave me this hoodie because I didn’t have a jacket.”

“You still haven’t bought a jacket? Mars, it’s November.”

“No, but now I don’t have to, right? I have this hoodie.”

“Exactly. From the moment you moved into Samuel’s house, he’s been taking care of you.”

“So there’s a chance I’m not screwing this all up?” I asked hopefully.

“There’s a very good chance you’re not. But if you’re worried, you should talk to Samuel. Communication is key in a relationship, especially one with a power imbalance. You have to be honest if you want it to work.”

“Fair enough. So, why did you tell me you were off men? You seem to know a lot about this stuff.”

Mika looked away for a moment. “Not everyone is lucky enough to find a Daddy like Samuel.”

“I can see that. Did you have a bad experience?”

He scoffed. “Bad experience is an understatement. I got mixed up with a really bad dude. I should’ve known better, but I got carried away with the idea of being important to someone who didn’t give a damn about anyone or anything but himself. I’m not sure how else to explain it really, except that everybody knew that he was bad news. They always talked about how he’d never settle down or claim a boy for himself, and I guess the fact that he wanted me made me feel special, and that kinda blinded me to what an ass he actually was.”

“I guess that’s why bad boys are so appealing,” I said.

Mika shrugged. “I wish I could say that I’d been strong enough to leave the first time he laid a hand on me, but I wasn’t, and by the time I realized who he really was, it was too late, and he wouldn’t let me go. I did the only thing I knew to do. I ran… just took the clothes on my back and left. That’s how I ended up here in Vesper.”

“I’m proud of you for leaving,” I told him.

“It was hard, but I figured a mid-sized city in nowhere West Texas was my best bet. No reason someone from Nevada would look for me here.”

“I’m glad you chose Vesper, and I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Me, too. But the problem is, he was totally my type. I love big bad alpha men who feel a little bit dangerous.” He rolled his eyes. “I know what I like, and that’s why I don’t trust myself when it comes to men.”