8. Saber

Chapter 8

Saber

I was surprised Frederick agreed to dinner so easily. But mostly, I was grateful. It was an interesting opportunity to expand the market for the product he was so passionate about. And Nate was just obnoxious enough to ask Frederick every question that would be totally inappropriate for me to ask as his subordinate.

And I had so many questions.

Frederick had hinted about being “neutral,” and I took that to mean some variation of asexual, but I wanted some clarity on that. As much as he could provide. And if he couldn’t be more clear, that was okay too. I just needed to know if I should back off or keep pushing, because I really wanted to explore something with Frederick if he was up for it.

And if he wasn’t, well, I needed to know that too. For his sake and mine.

Once we got to the restaurant, I guided Frederick to our table as if he were my date. It was totally inappropriate, but I couldn’t stop myself from touching him. And he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he inched into my side as if he wanted to be even closer.

“Nate is just over there.” I pointed to our table just before we reached it and then pulled out the chair across from Nate so I could sit between the two of them. “Nate, this is Frederick, my manager at Floom.”

“Frederick, it’s nice to meet you.” Nate stood up and shook Frederick’s hand over the table. “I’ve heard some great things about you from Saber.”

Frederick chuckled. “He’s only known me for two days, so I guess we’re still in the honeymoon phase.”

True to his personality, Nate didn’t let me down. “Well, you know the best part about the honeymoon phase.” He waggled his eyebrows. “No need to leave the bedroom. Am I right?”

Frederick choked on air as he dropped into the chair. “Um, I wouldn’t know.”

I rolled my eyes at Nate as I gave him a quick hug before sitting between the two guys. “Don’t embarrass Frederick yet. He’s a bit shy about these things.”

“I’m not so much shy as just…” He shrugged and kept his eyes on his napkin as he unfolded it in his lap. “Inexperienced with such things.”

“You mean, milky things?” Nate didn’t even lower his voice when the server dropped off a basket of garlic bread and our waters. “Because that’s a bit of an acquired taste, but most people definitely acquire it.”

“Oh. Yeah. Well…” Frederick shifted in his chair, and I could see he was adjusting his dick underneath his napkin. “Is anyone drinking? I feel like I need a drink.”

“Me too.” I wouldn’t survive the night without a bit of a buzz. Otherwise, I’d be adjusting my dick the whole time too. He was just too cute when he was all awkward and squirmy. If he really seemed uncomfortable, I’d get him out of here. But Frederick seemed to have developed some courage and determination overnight and didn’t appear ready to pass out. I was calling that a win.

A moment later, the server appeared to take our orders. Nate was first to drop his menu and look up. “I’ll have an old-fashioned and the lasagna.”

“Frederick, what about you?” I watched him study the menu like it was in a foreign language. “Do you need another minute? I can go next if you do.”

“Yes, please.” He half-smiled and continued to stare at all the options.

“I’ll have a gin and tonic with lime and…” I usually ordered the gnocchi, but I had a feeling Frederick was feeling self-conscious about ordering what he really wanted to, so I wanted to make it easier for him to choose. “Spaghetti and meatballs, please.”

Freddy immediately looked up at me and smiled. “I was thinking about that too.”

“You should get it. Or if there’s something else you’re debating, you can order that and we’ll share both.”

“Oh.” His shoulders visibly dropped as he looked down again. “I also like the cheese tortellini.”

“Good choice. It’s one of my favorites.”

He cocked his head. “And you wouldn’t mind sharing with me?”

“Not at all.” I turned to the server. “Could you bring a few extra plates?”

The man made a note on his pad and then tapped his lip. “If you’d like, I can have the kitchen put half of each on two plates and just bring them out like that.”

Frederick had a happy expression on his face, so I figured that was the right choice. “Sounds perfect. Thank you.”

As soon as he stepped away, Nate jumped right in. “You two are fuckin’ adorable. I love this Daddy/Little dynamic you’ve got going on.” He smacked my arm. “Exactly what you’ve always wanted.”

Frederick gasped, and I could feel him pulling away and into himself. “Nate, fuck! Just chill on the shipping. Frederick is my boss. I just started working for him. If anything develops, that’s gravy. And private.” I hooked my ankle behind Frederick’s as a way of touching him without Nate noticing. “Tonight, let’s stick to business. You wanted to talk to him about your ideas for expanding BillForce to meet the needs of small businesses, right?”

Nate took a minute to read the room, thankfully, and got back on track. While we each finished our drinks and ordered seconds, Nate and Frederick had a lively conversation about the possibilities for BillForce. By the time we were halfway through our entrees, Frederick was slurring his words and giggling at almost everything we said.

“Excuse me. I’m gonna run to the restroom.” I got up from the table and asked the server to switch Fredrick’s drinks and mine to Sprite and limes.

I was pretty sure he wouldn’t notice, and he definitely didn’t need any more alcohol. As it was, there was no way he could get himself home. He hadn’t been overserved, but it was clear he didn’t drink much and had a low tolerance. Which made me feel even more protective over him.

The server was bringing our third round right as I got back to the table. I watched from the side of my eye as Frederick took a long pull from his straw. “These are so good. Saber, don’t you think they’re so good?”

“I do, Freddy.” I took a sip of mine. It was definitely sweet. “Thanks again, Nate, for meeting with us. Your ideas could really make a difference for our team.”

“Anytime. And I’ll let you know how things go during my interview. If it all works out, we could be working on the same team in just a few weeks.”

“That would be super duper, Nate.” Frederick stood up quickly and his chair flew backward. I managed to grab it before it hit the ground, but Freddy swayed, falling right into my chest. “Whoa. Why is the room spinning?”

“A lightweight, I take it?” Nate grinned and helped keep Frederick upright while I got the chair up and out of his way. “You need help getting him home?”

“Nah, I got it.” I handed Nate my credit card. “Can you take care of that while I see if he needs to take a piss before we leave? He’s had three drinks and water, so he might not make it all the way home.”

Nate cringed. “Yeah, see if he needs to puke too because I have a feeling that’s what you should really be worrying about.”

Frederick tugged on the front of my shirt. “What did Nate mean by Daddy dynamic?”

Fuck, this was not the time for that conversation. “He was being silly. Do you need to use the restroom?”

Frederick threw his head back to think and then swayed even more. “Yeah, I think so.” His hand moved down to his crotch and whispered louder than appropriate for a family-friendly restaurant. “Can I peepee if my penis is hard? It keeps being hard no matter how many times I make an orgasm.”

Nate walked up just in time to hear that. “Shit, Sabe. Looks like your boy needs some of your special brand of help with his little peepee problem.”

I yanked my card out of Nate’s hand and ignored his comment. “Leave a good tip and I’ll call you this weekend. And send me your resume if you want me to pass it on to my uncle Ralph.”

He patted Frederick’s head and nodded. “Take care of this one. He seems like a keeper.”

Yeah, he definitely was.