10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Andy

"I can't believe they actually added the second Daddy Night," Mika said.

"I know. Jesse's been hounding my brother to do it for a while, but I didn't actually expect him to agree."

Mika had come over to my house so we could split a ride share. Neither one of us wanted to be the designated driver tonight. We just wanted to dance and have a few drinks.

"I wonder if very many people will show up."

"I don't know, but I hope so. It doesn't happen often with the way our shifts rotate, but sometimes I have to work on Daddy Night, and I hate missing the one night of the month I can be me." I glanced in the mirror at the clothes I had on and almost laughed at myself for even saying that. I had on a tight pair of skinny jeans that made my ass look great, and a flower print silk shirt that I bought at a boutique in New York ages ago, so it wasn't like I didn't look good, but all my club clothes were still in boxes in the back of my closet. In the almost year I'd been in Vesper, I hadn't even bothered to open the box, so was I really being me? Fuck, did I even know who me was?

Mika grinned as he applied another coating of shiny lip gloss before puckering his lips at himself in the mirror and blowing himself a kiss. "I'm glad they added a night. Basically, a second night doubles my chances of finding a Daddy of my own. I tried dating apps, but they just aren't my thing. Most of the guys there just want to hook-up, not actually date."

Mika was one of the first people I'd met when I moved to Vesper. It was shortly after I arrived and found out Vic's club had a Daddy Night. He was there flirting with a big old bear of a Daddy. That hadn't worked out for him, unfortunately. But Mika was the sweetest guy ever, and I didn't know anyone who deserved to find the real thing more than him.

"Will Jesse be tending bar?" he asked, trying really hard to sound innocent.

"I have no idea. I don't keep track of Jesse's schedule."

He gave me a cheeky grin. "Oh, don't you, though?"

"No." I hip-checked him. "I don't."

"You want to kiss him. You want to kiss him," he sing-songed, dancing away from me where I couldn't reach him.

"That's the last time I tell you anything," I grumbled.

When we'd got back from the camping trip, I'd foolishly confessed to Mika that Jesse was the sexiest man I'd seen since I moved to Vesper and that being cooped up in a tent with him but not being able to touch had been all kinds of unfair.

"No, it's not. You love me. You'll share all the deets with me when it happens."

Sadly, he wasn't wrong. I most likely would tell him everything, not that I thought there would be anything to tell.

"Our car will be here any minute now. Are you ready?"

He made a face in the mirror and adjusted his shirt, like that would last through the car ride there. "Yep, I'm ready. Let's go find us a couple of Daddies."

That sounded good, but the truth was, I hadn't gone home with anyone from the club since I'd moved to Vesper. It was too weird with my brother owning the place, and the last thing I wanted was to find a Daddy who felt the need to go back and tell my brother all my business. I was going to be around other people like me, not to hook-up.

A short time later, Mika and I walked into Kirby's and looked around. My brother had been worried about adding another night, but if the number of people who came back just two weeks after the last one was any indication, it was going to work out fine.

"Wow, I didn't expect it to be this busy. Everyone was just here for a Daddy Night two weeks ago." Mika stood up on his tippy toes, trying to see over the people out on the dance floor. "I don't even know where we're going to sit. Are your friends here this week?"

"I know Keith and Caleb are coming. Apparently, Caleb has a monthly book club that normally meets on the second Friday of the month, and when they found out there was a second Daddy Night at the club, they all unanimously voted to move their book club to the first Friday instead."

I glanced over at the bar to see if Jesse was there, even though I swore to myself I wouldn't, and sure enough, there he was, looking sexy as ever.

Last time I was here, I made a point to go over and say hi, and he totally blew me off. Okay, he didn't totally blow me off. But he didn't seem super excited to see me or anything, still, I could take a hint. I would treat him like any other bartender.

"That was nice of them. Are they boys?"

"What? Are who boys?" I'd let my mind wander and totally lost track of what we were talking about.

"Caleb's friends, silly. The ones who moved the book club, are they boys?"

"Oh. He said they say they aren't, but he isn't so sure about a couple of them."

Mika laughed. "Sometimes you don't know until you know. Of course, I think I knew right away. Like the very first time I heard about having a Daddy, I was like, Oh! I want one of those."

"Let's walk around and see if we can find a place to sit. We can get ourselves a drink and then hit the dance floor. Who knows, maybe tonight will be the night you find one."

He shrugged. "Maybe, or maybe my special unicorn Daddy isn't out there anywhere. Or maybe he's out there somewhere wandering around in a club in another city wondering where his sweet prince is, and here I am, still stuck in Vesper far, far away from him."

"Dramatic much, babe?" I teased. "Have you ever considered giving community theater a shot? I bet you'd be great."

"Drama is my middle name. Didn't I ever tell you that? Oh! Look, there's Caleb."

I followed to where he was pointing, and sure enough, Keith and Caleb were sitting in the same booth they always sat at. I wondered how early they had to get here to get the same spot each time. Pretty early, I imagined.

We made our way over to the table where they were sitting with Jeremiah. I hadn't expected to see him here tonight, but I was glad to see him joining in. I introduced Mika to Jeremiah and then looked at Caleb.

He'd gone all out tonight. He was wearing his contacts, which he rarely did. His curly hair was carefully styled in that I woke up like this way that I always thought looked so good on him. But tonight, he'd added a little eyeliner and was wearing a cropped top that showed off his stomach.

"Caleb!" I exclaimed. "Is that a belly button ring?"

"Yeah." He blushed and bit his bottom lip. "Is it stupid? I think maybe it's stupid."

Keith cleared his throat, and Caleb's eyes cut to his. "What did I tell you, Rabbit?"

Caleb took a breath and let it out. "That it was sexy, not stupid, and that I shouldn't talk about things I like that way."

Keith reached over and gave the shiny barbell in Caleb's navel a tweak. "Exactly."

"Well, I think it's awesome, Caleb," Mika said.

"Thanks."

I slid into the booth first so I would be sitting between Mika and Caleb.

"I'm really glad you guys were able to come. It was nice of your friends to change the night for you."

"They're a fun bunch. They even said they might try coming with me sometime. Besides, they don't care when the book club meets as long as we read good books and drink lots of wine."

A couple of hours and a few drinks later, Caleb, me, and Mika were out on the dance floor. Keith's leg was about healed from his accident, but it was still tender, so he wasn't dancing tonight, which was fine with me because that meant I got Caleb as a partner. Not that Caleb was a great dancer, but he was an enthusiastic one, and that made it fun.

Mika had floated off and danced with a couple of different Daddies throughout the night, but none that he'd danced with long. It really surprised me he wasn't finding anyone, especially since it was obvious the Daddies were interested. It made me think there was more to Mika being single than he let on, and maybe he didn't want a Daddy of his own as much as he said he did. Or maybe he just had very discerning taste.

The song we were dancing to ended, and we all needed a break and a drink.

"Hey, I'm going to run and grab another drink at the bar. Since you're refusing to even look at the bar tonight, I assume you don't want to come with." Mika raised one eyebrow like it was a challenge. Little did he know, I wasn't one to do stupid shit because of a dare or a challenge.

"I'm good. I'll have the server bring me one."

He let out a sigh and shook his head. "Fine, but I'm parched, so I'm gonna get myself one instead of waiting."

He turned on his heels and sashayed off towards the bar.

"What was that about?" Caleb asked.

"Nothing. He just thinks I should go talk to Jesse, is all."

"Ah, so I'm not the only one who thinks there's something there."

"Nope, but we talked about this already. He's Vic's bestie. The end."

We went back over to our table, and I guess the server was paying attention because he made his way over to us pretty quickly. We ordered drinks for us, and Keith ordered a beer.

"Where did Jeremiah go?" I asked.

"A boy caught his eye, and he took off. I like him. It's a shame there isn't a full-time slot on A shift for him."

"It is, but we're going to be glad to have you back."

A little bit later, the server came back with our drinks, but Mika still hadn't returned. I took a sip of my cocktail and looked out over the dance floor, hoping to spot him, but I didn't see him anywhere. At first, I thought I must just be missing him because there was a good-sized crowd out there.

"Hey, Caleb, do you see Mika anywhere?"

"I don't."

We spent the next song looking for him, but neither of us saw him anywhere.

"He probably went to the bathroom. The crowd's big enough there might be a line."

"Maybe. I think I'll go check."

I left the table and headed towards the bathrooms, keeping an eye on the throng of dancing bodies, hoping to see Mika, but he didn't seem to be there. He was pretty short, so it would be easy to miss him, but I just had a bad feeling.

The dimly lit hallway to the bathrooms was a stark contrast to the main room's vibrant chaos, but no one was there waiting. I checked both the men's and women's restrooms, but there was no sign of Mika.

Just as I was about to give up and enlist either the bouncer, Paul, or Jesse's help, I heard a muffled sound coming from the back door. That door was supposed to be kept shut at all times to prevent people from sneaking in and not paying the cover charge, but tonight, someone had propped it open slightly.

I gave the door a push and stepped into the cool night air. The alley was poorly lit, but I could make out two figures near the dumpster. One of them was Mika, and the other was, of all people, fucking Sebastian Demarco. I'd already had to intervene between the two of them once. Mika had made it very clear that he wasn't interested, but no wasn't a word Sebastian seemed to comprehend.

Sebastian had Mika pinned against the dumpster, his face twisted in a malicious grin. I didn't even have to see Mika's pale face, trembling lip, or his wide-eyed expression to know he wasn't here willingly.

Sebastian always picked on little guys who couldn't defend themselves. That was why he'd never bothered me. I might identify as a boy, but I was a fucking firefighter, and I could hold my own. Without thinking, I rushed over and grabbed Sebastian by the shoulder, yanking him away from my friend.

"Get off him!" I shouted, anger boiling in my veins.

Sebastian spun around and glared at me. "Mind your own business," he said, sneering. "Just cause your brother owns this club doesn't give you any authority."

I stepped between him and Mika, tucking Mika in close behind me.

"You think not?" I smirked. "One word from me, and you'll be out on your ass, permanently."

Jesse

I'd spent most of the night trying my best to avoid watching Andy out on the dance floor, but fuck if the boy couldn't move.

I'd lost track of him a few minutes ago while I was serving a large crowd of boys and their Daddies at the far end of the bar, and it was taking all my willpower not to search the crowd for him again.

I'd just handed Stone a drink when a boy I didn't recognize ran up to the bar.

"There's yelling coming from the alley. I think someone's fighting."

Well, shit. That's the last thing I needed tonight. "Okay, can you go tell Paul for me?"

I threw my towel down in the sink and headed for the back door. I could hear raised voices before I even got there. I pushed it open and stepped out, looking around to see what was going on.

Andy was standing between Sebastian Demarco and his friend, Mika. I wasn't sure what had happened, but poor Mika looked terrified.

I wasn't able to hear what Andy said to Sebastian, but the fuck you on his face said it all.

"You asshole," Sebastian hissed back. I could tell what was coming, but there was no way I could get there in time.

Sebastian reared back and took a wild swing at Andy, but he saw it coming. He ducked and countered with a solid punch to Sebastian's jaw. The man stumbled back, clutching his face, his expression turning from arrogance to shock.

"You're done now, you fucker. I'm gonna sue you and your fucking brother. I'll own this club by the time I'm done with you."

I reached them then and got between the two boys and Sebastian. "Is that right? Are you sure you want to do that since we have the alley under surveillance?" I pointed to the camera that was up over the back door. I didn't know if it actually covered the dumpster or not. That was Victor's area, not mine. But what mattered was that Sebastian didn't know for sure either. "If I pull those tapes and it shows you assaulting Mika here, I'm going to recommend he press charges, and I'll be happy to testify on his behalf. I can tell everyone all about what a waste of space you are."

"I didn't assault anyone," he insisted.

"Maybe not. But think about how things are going to look from that angle." I motioned to the camera again. "Whose story do you think people will believe?"

He rubbed his jaw where Andy had clocked him. "Fine, you just stay the fuck out of my business. You hear me?" He reached around me to try to poke Andy in the chest, stupid fucker, and I grabbed his wrist and twisted. He cried out and jerked his arm back, holding his wrist to his chest.

"You're out of here, Demarco. Permanently. I don't want to see your face back at Kirby's ever again."

"Whatever." He huffed and marched back to the door, pulling on it until he realized I'd let it shut all the way and he couldn't get back in that way. He didn't even look at us, just turned on his heels and stomped around the building.

I turned to face the boys. "Mika, are you okay?"

"I am now. But if Andy hadn't come looking for me, I don't know what would have happened."

"Well, the good thing is, he did."

I looked at Andy, and our eyes met. On the one hand, I wanted to lay into him for putting himself in danger like that, but on the other hand, he'd probably saved Mika tonight, so I couldn't really blame him.

It was obvious he was fine and could take care of himself, but I still looked him over just to satisfy myself that he really was okay. That was when I saw his hand. Shit, that was going to leave a bruise.

The back door pushed open, and Paul stood there. He looked at the three of us standing here and shook his head. "Did I miss all the fun?"

"You did. It was Sebastian Demarco. He isn't to be allowed back in."

"Tonight?" he asked.

"Ever," I said firmly.

"About fucking time."

He wasn't wrong at all. It was well past time, truth be told. "Y'all were here with Keith and Caleb, right?"

Mika nodded.

"Paul, can you take Mika back to his friends and ask Shae to bring me a bag of ice? This one here thinks he's a bruiser."

Mika and Andy exchanged a look that I wasn't sure exactly how to read, and Mika placed a quick kiss on Andy's cheek and then headed up the steps with Paul to go back inside.

I lifted Andy's hand to the light to take in his bloody knuckles. "Okay, slugger. Let's get you inside. We'll get this cleaned up and put some ice on it."

"It'll be okay. I must have caught his tooth or something."

I pulled open the door and kicked the piece of wood Paul had used to stop it from closing off the porch. Andy went inside in front of me, but before he went too far, I reached up and grasped his arm around the wrist.

"My office."

He let out a sigh but nodded his head. "Do we have to tell Victor about this?"

"Yeah, Andy, we have to tell your brother. I just banned Sebastian, and after my threats, I don't think he'll cause any problems, but he might. I'm not sure he's the smartest banana in the bunch."

"I know, but Vic's fixing to go on that vacation and everything. When's the last time you remember him taking time for himself?"

I directed him to the chair in my office. "Never. Like, not as long as I've known him, but we still have to tell him."

"I just don't want him getting all worried and thinking he has to stay."

I pulled the first aid kit out of my desk drawer and knelt down in front of him. "I understand that, but maybe I can tell him what happened in a way that won't worry him."

"He was already freaked out about the arsonist and everything. This is just going to make it worse."

He got that same adorable little pout that I'd seen on his face that day he did the photo shoot. I forced myself to focus on his hand and not those lips, but damn if I didn't want to lean over and kiss them.

"You let me worry about your brother. I'll take care of it, okay?"

He rolled that bottom lip in between his teeth and bit down slightly, and I had to hold back a groan. I reached up with my thumb and gently pulled that lip back out. His lip was wet and red from where he'd bitten it, and I just couldn't help myself. I ran my thumb over it in an attempt to soothe it. "I think you already did enough damage tonight, slugger. No need to hurt your beautiful lips, as well."

The office door swung open, and we both pulled back. "Here you go, boss, you wanted some ice." Shae froze in the doorway where she stood, looking at both of us. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's fine, Shae. Thank you for the ice."

I handed the bag to Andy. "I guess you should probably go check on your friend. How are you two getting home?"

"We took a ride share here, but I think I'll see if Keith can give us a ride home. I'm sure Mika is pretty shaken up, and he won't mind."

"Okay, if he can't leave, let me know, and I'll take you. Shae can handle the bar for a while."

"That's nice of you, but I'm sure Keith will. He's probably about ready to get Caleb home, anyway."

He stood up and went to the door, but he paused before he reached for the knob. "Jesse?"

"Yeah, slugger?"

His lip tweaked at the new nickname. "Thanks for the ice."