Page 182 of Plaything

“Well said—” Niko was cut off.

“Now Niko’s parents are much different,” Aiden began again.

Niko perked up. “What’s wrong with my parents?” He defended immediately.

Aiden pressed his lips together as if buffering what he was about to say. “They’re kind of snobs. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very kind, but they hated me for years because I wore a baseball hat the first time I met them... when I was 13,” he gave me a look.

Niko’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Fine, they’re a little bit snooty,” he admitted. “But look at her!” He gestured to me. “I’ve never seen her in jeans... have you? They’re cut from the same cloth when it comes to being snobbish—sorry, Cariño, I mean that most endearingly,” he said quickly.

“I am a snob,” I agreed, nodding. I wasn’t offended. I had extravagant taste; that wasn’t something to be ashamed of. I held my hands up, stopping their conversations. “So basically, Niko’s parents will size me up, and Wyatt’s family might tackle me,” I concluded.

“No!” Wyatt widened his eyes.

“I wouldn’t let them do that,” Niko scoffed.

“Exactly,” Aiden smirked.

They all spoke at once, making me laugh. I trusted Aiden and was grateful for his bluntness. “I’ll think about it, okay?” I decided.

Wyatt seemed content with my answer and gave me a little tap on the ass. “If you do go, I will be using you as a human shield to get away from my cousins and aunties,” he chuckled.

With a sarcastic roll of my eyes, I turned to Aiden again. “What about your parents and Dominic’s? You’d warn me about meeting them, too, right?”

Aiden nodded. Niko slightly tensed before turning to look at Aiden as well. I didn’t think much of it. “They won’t be there. My dad doesn’t come around much, and Dominic’s parents are dead,” he said nonchalantly.

I widened my eyes, feeling guilty for my question. Aiden mentioned that his mom passed away when he was young but never mentioned his dad. I was glad Dominic wasn’t in the room—dead parents were obviously a touchy subject, and I didn’t want him to have to think about such sadness.

Wyatt and Niko glanced at Aiden with a look I didn’t quite understand before they nodded in agreement.

“Sorry, I didn’t think that through before asking,” I mumbled.

Aiden chuckled, brushing my apology off. “Don’t be. It was a valid question. If I were you, I’d ask the same.”

After careful consideration and lots of back-and-forth, I decided to go. Meeting families was way out of my comfort zone, but so was going to the club. I figured it would be similar to that—just hopefully less nudity. I’d be nervous and get stares for the first hour, then any attention would die down.

Wyatt wanted me there, and they all did. In their own ways, they assured me the reunions were always fun. Although I was nervous to meet Wyatt and Niko’s families, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued by them myself. I had my own preconceived notions about them, what they’d look like, and how they’d act.

I’d never met them besides pops, but I thought highly of them. They raised such caring, affectionate men.

Everyone there (besides children for obvious reasons) knew that my professors liked to... share. While they’d never brought another woman home, their preferred lifestyle wasn’t a secret.

At Aiden’s suggestion, I dressed somewhat more casually than I typically liked. He insisted that Wyatt’s relatives weren’t exactly accustomed to heels and pearl necklaces. He told me to wear whatever I’d be comfortable walking around in grass. So, naturally, I wore a knit beige button-up sweater, matching brown plaid skirt, thick socks, and black loafers. My hair was tied back into a black bow, and I decided not to carry a purse.

It was a cute yet casual outfit. I wanted to impress their parents, and hopefully, I wasn’t over- or underdoing it. My professors assured me I looked lovely, giving me all the confidence in the world.

They dressed casually as well, in jeans and sweaters. The air had a bit of a bite today, but the sun was supposed to occasionally peek out.

Wyatt’s parents’ house was small, but the land around it was vast and went on for miles. Hay and corn fields surrounded the house and a small barn. Gravel crunched under our shoes as we walked from the car to the house. I could see dozens of people sitting at large tables behind the house—I assumed that was where the reunion was happening.

Overall, it was very cute. It was like they picked up a chunk of land from the south and moved it up here with them. I’d never seen anything like it in person.

“It’s the big guys!” Children running up to us while laughing broke me from my thoughts. Five or six children, all under ten, surrounded my professors and me.

“Uncle Wyatt! I’ve been waiting for you!”

“Lift me up, lift me up!” A boy clung to Dominic’s arm while he effortlessly curled him a few times.

“Me next!”

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