Chapter 7

Les

Les waited in the lobby.He'd called Rae-Rae's room and been lucky enough that she was there. He'd forgotten to get her phone number before parting. If she'd have been out and about, he wouldn't have reached her to let her know he was up.

He kept looking down the hall to see if she was approaching but he hadn't seen her yet. He was more nervous than a teen boy on his first date. It really wasn't surprising, but it was kind of annoying. He was a forty-five-year-old man. A simple meeting with a woman shouldn't make him nervous.

Not just any woman, though. Rae-Rae. His Rae-Rae.

And that was the crux of the matter. He looked one more time down the hall and his breath caught. There she was. She wore a jumper with different shades of purple swirled in a psychedelic pattern over an orange shirt. She wore knee-high socks that were swirled with a similar pattern, this time in purples and oranges. Her dark blonde hair was up in pigtails high on her head and decorated with purple bows that had orange gems in the centers. The white canvas shoes completed her outfit and were practical for exploring. She was adorable and he felt his body reacting to her. Strongly.

He was frozen in place so long that she reached him before he'd even taken a step in her direction.

"Hi," she said shyly. Her voice was barely more than a whisper and she fidgeted like she couldn't stay still.

"Hi, there. You look adorable." He smiled down at her, hoping to put her at ease. It seemed to work just a bit, but he could tell she was still nervous. He could relate.

"Let's go talk first." He took her hand in his and guided her toward one of the sitting areas in the vast lobby. They'd both feel better once the details were worked out.

He settled her onto the cushions of a loveseat and sat beside her. Pulling out his phone he opened the notes app, and typed out the title, the words making him feel on top of the world.

DD/lg Dynamic agreement between Raelynn Sutherland and Leslie Williams.

This was going to be the best week of his life.

"The first thing I'd like to discuss with you is the possibility of this dynamic being twenty-four-seven. I'd like to be your full-time Daddy if you're agreeable."

"Full time?" Raelynn seemed confused. He wasn't sure why she would be. They'd been full time when they'd been together twenty years ago. He knew she flourished when she was free to be who she was anytime she wished.

"Yeah, I'd be with you all the time if I'm not working or sleeping. I know we're on different schedules, so I can't be with you as much as I'd like. I'm actually thinking about taking time off. I have some saved up."

"How would that work? Don't you live somewhere else?"

"I live in the staff housing on the property, but I was thinking I could move into your room while you're here."

"Um." Rae-Rae hesitated, and for a minute, Les' heart sank. He really wanted her to say yes.

"I guess that could work. I do want as much time in Little space as I can get while I'm here."

Les didn't pump his fist in victory. But it was close.

"Okay. Now, I'm sure your limits have changed in twenty years so we should go over those."

For the next thirty minutes, the two of them went over rules, limits, expectations, and safewords. When they'd finished, there was only one burning question left in Les' mind.

"What about physical intimacy? Are you open to that? Do you want only certain aspects? Or would you like me to list it under hard limits?"

Raelynn's cheeks grew pink, and she twisted her hands. "I don't know," she said, her words sounding more like a question than an answer.

"Maybe I can just note down that we'll see how it develops. If it happens, it can happen organically, and if it doesn't, that's fine too."

God, he hoped it happened, but he'd respect her wishes in whatever she decided.

"I think letting it develop or not on its own is a good idea. I don't want to completely discount the possibility, but I'm not keen on planning it out either."

Thank fuck.

"Okay, I think that's everything," Les declared after typing in the last bit and closing the app on his phone. "Would you like to get some dinner? Then maybe we can find something to do before my shift. I can move what I need for the rest of the week to your room in the morning, after my shift."

"That sounds great... Daddy."

Holy Christ on a cracker! Hearing her call him that name sent shivers of lust through him. It was a good thing they weren't alone, or things would be developing right then and there.

Before his thoughts could go too far down that rabbit hole, he stood and offered her his hand.

"Let's go eat something, babygirl."

Raelynn

Dinner had been a simple affair.Nothing too complicated. They'd gone to the Italian restaurant and had chatted more about things that had happened to each of them while they'd been separated. The only serious moment in their conversation was when Raelynn couldn't take it anymore and had blurted out, "I'm sorry I left like that."

Les' fork had stopped halfway to his mouth as he watched her with caution. Finally, he lowered the utensil and said, "I'm sorry I did something that made you feel you needed to."

"What?" she asked, genuinely shocked. "Les, you didn't do anything. It was all me. I was freaked out about my feelings for you and my age. Thinking I was going to end up like my mother. I had all these people's words ringing in my ears about how our relationship wasn't normal, or how you were controlling, or how I'd regret making such a commitment so young. I found that ring in your drawer and I panicked. I knew if I stayed and talked to you, I'd never leave and that freaked me out, too. I was young and stupid and scared of how in love I was."

"I don't know what to say. Part of me feels like accepting your words, but part of me thinks if I'd been just a little bit better of a Daddy, I would have seen how upset you were, and we could have talked about it. I guess we'll never really know now, but we have this time together. I forgave you for leaving a long time ago, so there's no need to apologize."

Raelynn felt a bit lighter, knowing he'd already forgiven her. Maybe now she could forgive herself. She searched inside and realized that might take some time. The guilt she carried was heavy and it ran deep.

Raelynn reached for Les' hands and took hold of both. "You did nothing wrong. You were the best Daddy in the whole wide world, and I've regretted leaving since before I even did it. I'm glad we have now, and I know you'll still be the best Daddy in the whole wide world." She gave him a smile she hoped showed her joy at what the future might bring.

"You still fascinatedwith mystical stones and such?" Daddy asked as they headed out of the building and into the early evening light.

A crisp breeze blew, and the rays of the sun lost strength with each passing moment. The mountains seemed to shimmer where the light touched, and Raelynn had the fanciful thought that they looked like pointy cupcakes with white glitter frosting. She almost giggled at the thought, but Daddy nudged her, and she remembered he'd asked a question.

"Yeah, I love them. They really do help. I know you never believed it, but they do. Plus, they're pretty and they sparkle." She smiled big at him, and he laughed. It was a wonderful sound. Rich and deep and unbridled. Like he hadn't a single care in the world.

"There's a sapphire mine here, you know," he told her. "Maybe we can visit it tomorrow, and you might find a new, pretty stone to add to your collection."

"I saw that! I really do want to go." Her excited words were punctuated with a happy little jump and clap of her hands. Before he could reply, she continued, "and I want to go horseback riding, and do some crafts and maybe some hiking, but I don't own any hiking boots. I couldn't find them in purple."

Less laughed again and put his arm around her shoulder. "So, what you're saying is you want to do it all."

She grinned up at him. "Pretty much."

Daddy's eyes landed on hers and she couldn't look away. She remembered from when they were together before, that his eyes turned more blue than gray when he was happy. In that moment, there was almost no gray to be seen, just a light blue color that held her in a trance. Her breathing sped up and she felt tingles forming in places that hadn't tingled for a very long time.

Daddy's head moved just a bit closer, and Raelynn wondered if he was going to kiss her. Part of her hoped so. She wanted to find out if kisses from him were as amazing as she remembered, but some silly part of her brain was saying it was too soon. That they didn't know as much about each other as they should. Before she could contemplate it more, Daddy cleared his throat and looked back toward the sun.

"Look, babygirl," he said as he turned her around to face the setting sun.

Raelynn's breath caught in her throat. The sky was alight with shades of red, orange and pink, glowing and shifting with the movement of the sun. "It's so pretty."

"That it is, babygirl. That it is."

But when Raelynn smiled at Daddy, she saw that he wasn't watching the sun setting in the sky. He was watching her.

They watched the sunset until the last ray faded and the sky turned Raelynn's favorite color. A beautiful shade of purple, fading into black spattered with sparkling stars. It was the most peaceful she'd felt in longer than she could remember.

The more time they spent watching, the more she felt herself slipping into that mindset where she was carefree and happy. Responsibility didn't exist, and she knew without a doubt that Daddy would take care of her.

By the time the last drop of purple had bled from the sky, Raelynn was fully in Little space. It was the best place to be.