Page 8 of A Daddy for Maddy

No one paid any attention to me, although I could see the other boys at the table looking up through their eyelashes every few seconds at each other as they furiously colored in their own books.

The boy who’d told me I couldn’t have my drink on the table had his tongue out and was now dragging his crayons across the paper so violently his pages were tearing.

Coloring was a good way to hide my fascination. I could fill in the lines well at the same time I was watching what others were doing in my peripheral vision. The room was not silent, so I also managed to eavesdrop on several conversations.

Two boys on the floor to my left we're setting up a race car track, giggling and talking.

The first one said, “I like the red car best. My daddy gets me all the colors I want but I always ask for red. I have ten red cars better than these at home.”

“So what? I have cars at home, too.”

“Probably not as good as mine.”

“Oh yeah? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, except that it's just the truth.”

As they continued to mumble, I grew bored listening to them, so I focused on the daddies sitting on the couches as I colored one unicorn’s horn pink.

The first daddy said, “Yes, he can be difficult at times, but he's really, really good where it counts if you know what I mean.”

The second daddy chuckled. “Where it counts? Valente, you’re so shallow.”

“There are plenty of pretty boys around. If I was so shallow, I'd grab one of them. The reason I put up with him goes far deeper.”

“Ah, are you telling me you're actually falling for him? You? The confirmed bachelor of ten years?”

“Don't tell anyone, okay?”

I wondered which boy they were talking about. Not any of the ones coloring. Probably it was the guy running around the room in teensy shorts and no shirt yelling incomprehensibly and throwing stuffies and blocks everywhere, making a total mess. He had a mass of dark curls, down his back, and long limbs and a slender waist. I had to admit he was beautiful with absolutely zero filters or inhibitions. I couldn't imagine behaving like that. I was far too shy.

As I colored, trying to make my picture the prettiest of all, my body slowly began to relax and enjoy the process. Without knowing anyone here, I still felt more at home than I had in a long, long time. And there was so much to see. To process.

If anything intimidated me, it was the daddies. Most of them were all muscular, big leather dudes with lots of hair on their arms and, from what I could see, on their chests as well. I could imagine they dominated their boys with great intensity. That thought sent a little thrill through my body. Intimidation within reason could be sexy as hell, I decided.

The very bad boy who was still running around the room and making a mess, and looking quite beautiful and cute as he did so, stopped immediately when one of the men on the couch called out.

“Sully! Stop! Pick all of that up now.”

The boy stomped his foot. “All of what?”

“All the toys on the floor. Do it. Now.”

Sully’s hands curled into fists. “But Daddy, I didn't do anything wrong.”

“You know the rules, Sullivan. You make a mess, you clean it up.”

“I didn't make all the mess.” He whimpered. “Some of it was here when I got here.”

“I don't care. Do as I say.”

Sully stomped his foot again. “No!”

“For a neat freak, you've been a very naughty boy tonight. What's gotten into you? Did you sneak too much sugar again?”

Sully giggled. “I love sugar.”

The daddy said to the other daddy, “This is not like him. But we come here so he can let off some steam.”

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