2. David

Chapter 2

David

I adjusted the camera so it was pointed just above my neck when the Zoom meeting started. I’d leaked through my fucking shirt again and didn’t have time to change. My client, Express Organics, was proving to be a nightmare, and I didn’t want to give them any additional reasons to complain about me.

That’s why I was two minutes early and waiting with a smile when their team finally logged in.

“David, thank you for joining. Sorry this call was so last minute, but a few things have come up since yesterday.”

Of course they did. They always did. “No problem at all. I'm here when you need me, Allen. So what’s new?”

“Well, we thought it might be nice to host a customer appreciation dinner the night before the event. Just about fifteen customers. But, actually, they’ll probably bring a spouse, so assume thirty guests and about ten sales staff and executives on our side. That makes…forty people maybe at a rooftop bar with drinks and appetizers?”

“Of course. Do you have a budget in mind?”

“Forty people. Two hundred bucks a head. Eight grand should do it, right?”

“I would think so, but I’ll make some calls. Do you have any venues in mind?” I asked.

“Not really. Just someplace nice and walkable from the convention center.”

“I’ll get right on it.” And now my day was completely shot.

“Oh, and three more people will be joining for the full conference, so if you can get a couple more rooms and register them with full passes, that’d be great.”

I sucked in my breath and smiled yet again. “I checked last week, and every hotel within a three-mile radius was booked, so as long as you don’t mind them being a little farther out, we should be okay.”

Allen cringed as if that were unthinkable. “Three miles is too far, David. I think we need to be within a mile and a half. Max. See what you can do.”

“Of course.” I already knew there was nothing I could do for them, but I wasn’t about to say that without putting at least a few minutes of time and effort into it. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow with some options for both.”

“Good man, David. I knew we could count on you.”

Before I could even say goodbye, the meeting ended, and everyone disappeared from my screen. “Well, okay then. I guess we’re done.”

I looked down and realized I had two big wet spots on the front of my shirt. Fuck me.

I didn’t have a change of clothes in the conference room with me, so I awkwardly held my laptop up in front of my chest and made the walk of shame through the office to get to my desk.

Before I could get there, Taylor passed by and nodded at me. Then he seemed to notice my awkward stance, so he stopped and took a closer look. “Follow me.” He nodded toward his office.

I sucked in a deep breath, and because I couldn’t think of a good excuse not to go, I reluctantly followed one of the senior executives into his office and stepped to the side as he closed his door.

“Looks like you’ve got a bit of a problem there.”

Fuck. I thought I was doing a decent job of covering it up. “Sorry. I’m usually able to control?—”

He opened his closet and glanced between me and a row of hanging shirts. “This one should fit.”

Shaking my head, I took a step back. “I’ve got clothes at my desk. But thanks.”

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Dry wear?”

“What do you mean?” I’d heard the term before, but I wasn’t exactly sure what context he meant it in. “Like, dry clothes?”

Taylor showed me the label on the shirt. “Xander’s Dry Wear. It’s the best. If you don’t have any, you need to get some. You’ll never leak through again.” He reached for one of his pecs and gave it a squeeze. “I leak all throughout the day, and it never makes it to the outer layer.”

My jaw dropped as I looked at him in shock. “You do?”

“I do. Take the shirt and make an appointment with Xander. You won’t regret it.”

I reached for the button-down and felt the soft material. The outer layer was standard cotton, like any other dress shirt, but a separate panel on the inside was super thick and apparently absorbent enough to keep me out of situations like this. “Thank you, Taylor. I really appreciate it.”

He gripped my shoulder and gave me a light shake. “Guys like us gotta stick together, man. Are you a member of The Lactin Brotherhood?”

I shook my head and folded up the shirt so I could tuck it in front of me as I walked to the bathroom. “No. I’ve thought about joining over the years but I haven’t had time.”

“Make the time, kid. It’s worth getting to know not only the people there but also the resources they offer. You’ll be shocked to find a whole world out there that revolves around lactation.” He chuckled. “Honestly, it changed my life.”

Well, that was a ringing endorsement if I’d ever heard one. “Yeah, I will. Thanks again.” I headed out of his office and went straight to the bathroom to change.

Taylor was right. It was one thing to get by on layered performance shirts and hoodies when I was in college. But now that I was a professional and had clients expecting me to always look my best, I had to level up.

And that meant investing in some real grown-up clothing that worked for my body type.