Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

A s the well-dressed silver fox walked out, Mack watched from the servers’ stand. Little? Mack had considered his disguise to be excellent. He’d checked to make sure Poutine hadn’t escaped from his bun immediately. The miniature stuffie seemed to be securely hidden in his hair.

When the door shut behind Grey, Mack felt like the air was sucked out of the restaurant. He shook off the feeling of having just lost something and headed to check on his tables. Grey had shared he came in often. Hopefully, he’d get to see him again.

Leaving out the back door when his shift was over, Mack walked toward his temporary home. His last lover had kicked him out when Mack refused to participate in a three-way with a woman from his ex-lover’s office. A married woman…

Mack’s sexuality was fluid. He’d had both female and male lovers. Not many. He was picky.

He needed something better than just being someone’s side piece or third. Maybe what he wanted wasn’t out there.

Circling around the building to reach the street, he joined the stream of people walking purposefully downtown. Most had finished their days and were heading home or to a restaurant or bar. His required white shirt and black slacks fit in fairly well with the suit-wearing crowd.

Appearances could be very deceiving. Working in an office would be Mack’s worst nightmare. After floundering at school despite actually trying, Mack had no interest in learning a trade. He wasn’t good with tools. What he was good at was working with people. Being a server was perfect for him.

Good food brought out the best of most people. Unlike that woman with Grey today. He’d sent her away. The handsome man’s radar about people was spot on. Mack was still reeling from his comment about being Little. How could he know?

He loved the smiles he received and returned them with genuine warmth. Mack was aware others considered him good-looking. He worked out frequently and ran every day. The complete opposite of stuck-up, Mack didn’t feel superior to anyone. He was simply a guy with good genes.

When type-A personalities approached him for his looks, they enjoyed having him around. Mack was fun, entertaining, and loyal. Despite his commitment to them, each one hadn’t considered a long-term relationship with Mack when they found out he had no drive to change careers. Dating a server didn’t have the boastability of going out with an executive or another professional.

He shook his head at that thought and felt Poutine shift in his bun. Sorry! Mack quickly grasped the mound of hair as his other hand unfastened the hair tie. He released the rest of his hair to stream down his back as he helped Poutine escape. After checking to make sure the otter was alright, Mack raised her to his lips for a kiss before tucking the hand holding the petite stuffie into his pocket. Having Poutine with him made Mack feel better, so the small otter went with him everywhere.

Distracted by this rescue process, Mack wasn’t focused on the people around him. He’d just rewound his hair into a messy bun when a familiar man stopped in front of him. Mack tried to finish securing his hair quickly. Locks of hair cascaded to his shoulders, foiling his efforts. “Hi, Grey. I’d offer my hand, but I have a rebellion brewing here.”

“No problem, Mack,” Grey said with a low chuckle that made Mack’s heart beat a bit faster.

He made himself concentrate and, thanks to years of practice, got his hair secured at the back of his head. “Rebellion squashed,” he joked.

“Is your shift over?” Grey asked.

“Yes. I’m on my way home. I hope you are, too,” Mack said with a smile.

“I am. I don’t suppose you have time for a drink.”

Mack hesitated. Grey was likely to choose somewhere exclusive, where the drinks would be expensive. He needed to keep his tip money. Besides, this guy seemed to deduce things about him that Mack didn’t need him to know.

“There’s a coffee shop on the next block. Let me treat you to something with way too many calories and whipped cream on the top,” Grey offered, seemingly reading Mack’s mind.

“Oh, you don’t have to pay for mine,” Mack said automatically.

“When we are together, I will take care of you. I’d like to talk to you. Will you take a chance?”

Staring into those gray eyes, Mack couldn’t tell him no. He didn’t want to. Spending time with this magnetic man suddenly sounded better than anything. He forced himself to be nonchalant. “Okay.”

“I love your enthusiasm,” Grey teased. “Come on. It’s around the corner.”

Mack loved the warm hand Grey pressed to the small of his back lightly to guide him to the coffee shop. Once inside, they made their selections and took chairs at a table in the back where they could talk as they waited for their names to be called.

The hubbub of conversations and people moving around created a privacy bubble around them. No one was listening or could hear the next table’s discussions clearly. Mack relaxed against the back of the chair. This was a perfect place to get to know each other.

“So, you’re a lawyer? What kind of law do you specialize in?” Mack jumped in to start the conversation on a safe topic.

“I’m an intellectual properties lawyer. I deal with things like trademarks and copyrights.”

“So, I shouldn’t try to sell a new soft drink with the name PepsE on it?” Mack asked with a laugh.

“I definitely would stay away from that idea,” Grey agreed with a smile.

“Man bun,” the twenty-something server called loudly over the coffee shop buzz.

Mack rolled his eyes and stood to retrieve his drink. He was nice to the flirting server but didn’t return her level of interest. When he returned, Mack sat down and rotated his cup to see she had indeed labeled him as man bun. He shook his head and commented, “Oh, to be twenty again.”

“Silver fox, your coffee is ready.”

Mack couldn’t keep the laughter inside at the OMG look that flashed over Grey’s face. “Be careful. She’s pretty aggressive.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Grey said with a shake of his head as he walked to the counter.

He returned a few seconds later with a scone in addition to his coffee. “I got a bonus because ‘something yummy should walk across the floor with something yummy.’ I may never be able to come here again.”

Mack couldn’t help but laugh at the complete bewilderment written on Grey’s face. “She must really appreciate your buns,” he kidded the older man. “I’d sit down if I were you, so she doesn’t fall over something as she stares at your ass.”

Grey turned automatically to look over his shoulder to see if Mack was making that up. The young woman was busy working but noticed Grey looking at her. Obviously misinterpreting Grey’s glance as a sign of interest, she waved excitedly.

The older man turned back around to face Mack. “You deserve to be spanked.”

“Probably,” Mack agreed, and couldn’t control his laughter. He hadn’t had this much fun in months.

Grey took a sip of his drink and smiled. “She did get my order right.”

“Mine’s great, too. And you got a scone.”

“Here. Help me eat this,” Grey requested as he pulled the treat from the bag and set it between them.

Mack broke off a piece and popped it into his mouth. He hummed his approval and nodded. After swallowing, he suggested, “Hanging out with a silver fox has some advantages.”

“Two.”

“Two?” Mack asked, as he helped himself to another bite. It really was delicious.

“That’s two spankings I owe you. I’m just going to tally them as we go and deliver them later.”

Mack swallowed hard. Grey’s matter-of-fact tone made it clear he wasn’t joking. “Sorry, I’ll never even think silver fox again.”

“Oh, it’s okay if you think I’m a silver fox. I like the man bun. I just don’t want someone else flirting with either of us. It gets in the way of our relationship,” Grey explained.

“Do we have a relationship?” Mack blurted.

“Are you seeing someone now?”

“No, I just escaped,” Mack admitted.

“Are you ready to have another?”

“If it’s right, yes. Leaving was my choice. I didn’t want another person added to our dynamic. It was time for us to go our separate ways,” Mack said, feeling the last of his unhappiness in how everything ended dissipate.

“Good. Then we see if I’ll be a good fit for you.”

“And me for you,” Mack added.

“Oh, I already know that. I’ve looked for you for a long time. How long have you known?” Grey asked.

“Known what?”

Grey just looked at him and Mack knew what he was referring to—being Little.

“Since I found a book wedged between the booth and the wall in a restaurant I worked in. The manager told me to throw it out when he saw the cover. He didn’t want that at the front desk. I put it away with my things in case the customer came back in to retrieve it. They didn’t. It could have been there for days.”

“Not too many people cleaning like you did?”

“Never. Armando’s is different. It’s like a family-run place. Everyone feels like they’re part of the family. They take care of that place.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Grey said with a smile. “So, what happened to the book? Did you throw it out?”

“No. I took it home at the end of my shift. I love to read. It would have killed me to destroy a book. Especially this one.”

“What was so special about that one?” Grey probed.

Mack hesitated. How much could he tell this man?

“You can definitely tell me it’s none of my business or you want to wait until we’re alone. Anything you say to me will go no further, Mack.”

Mack decided to risk it all. In this big city, Grey would never find him again if this didn’t work out. “It was an ageplay book—about a woman, but it felt like someone had eavesdropped on all my fantasies.”

“Have you ever acted on your feelings?”

“I talked to the man I was dating then. This was a few years ago. He wasn’t into it. I think that’s what ended that relationship, so I figured I was a weirdo and never mentioned it again. It must be something that only happens in books.”

“First, you are definitely not a weirdo so erase that out of your thoughts. Second, everyone is wired differently. Shame on him if he judged you. And third, I’d bet there were other things that caused the relationship to fall apart.”

“Wow. You are a lawyer, aren’t you? That pretty well argued away everything.”

“Good.”

The two men drank their coffee and silence stretched between them for a few seconds. When Mack had his thoughts gathered, he leaned in and met Grey’s gaze directly. “You’re a Daddy?”

Grey inclined his body toward Mack before answering. “Yes. I’ve known it for a long time. I’ve had relationships with three Littles—two females and one male. All at different levels of Littleness.”

“There are different levels of Littleness?”

“Of course. There’s a range from Middle to baby Littles. What intrigues you the most?”

“I’m not into being a brat and getting spanked all the time,” Mack said immediately. He’d read a different book like that.

“Perfect. That age is a bit too independent for me,” Grey shared.

“I guess I would need to experiment a bit,” Mack said hesitantly.

“That is a good way to figure out what is best for you. Things can also change from day to day.”

“It’s always the same here,” a voice said from next to the table.

They looked over, and the barista from the coffee shop stood by their table. “Hi! Just checking on your coffee.”

“It’s great. Thank you,” Grey said.

“I get off in an hour if you two would like to go grab something to eat.”

“Sorry, we have plans for this evening.” Grey took care of the invitation for him.

Mack tried to look sorry.

“Next time, maybe. I’m only working here for the next week and then I go to the Broadway store,” she reported.

“If we miss you here, we’ll stop in there,” Mack promised.

“Awesome!” She grimaced when a coworker called her name as customers lined up at the order window. “Got to go. See you soon.”

“I will never go to the Broadway coffee shop ever again,” Mack vowed, making Grey laugh.

“That sounds like a good idea. Want to get out of here and go have some dinner?” Grey proposed.

“Honestly, I’m stuffed. I ate pasta during my break at work. I was going to go home and grab my things before going to the gym.”

“I’m not hungry, either. The portions at Armando are huge. I’ve got a professionally equipped gym at home. Would you be interested in working out with me? I promise you, it smells better at my place than it does at your gym.”

“I can see if the bus goes past your house if you’ll share your address,” Mack said, pulling out his phone. The two exchanged phone numbers, and Grey didn’t hesitate to let Mack record his address on his device.

“How about if I drive you to your place and then on to mine? I promise to bring you back when you’d like.”

Mack hesitated for a minute. Grey seemed to be a great guy, but…

“I’m glad you’re smart about your safety, Little boy. Let’s do that when we know each other better. Can I walk you to your bus stop?” Grey suggested.

“Yes. I’d like that.”