Page 58 of Losing his Daddy

When in doubt,find a princess.

It was not the motto I would initially have thought up before, but after my time at Princess Aster’s place, I realized he and his friends boosted my confidence in a way I had never experienced. If I was going to show up in Wes’s world, I had to be stronger than I was. I needed people who believed in me enough to tell me I was worthy. I needed people who didn’t look at my past and feel pity.

The minute I texted Princess Aster to see if he was busy, he told me to come over. It was one of the days that I sent lunch to Wes, so there was no reason I didn’t have plenty of time to visit with the other man.

Little did I know that he would call in the cavalry.

I arrived at his place to find the lot filled with several cars. At first, I assumed it was maybe a customer or two who had come to shop at his boutique. The small space boasted quite a bit of inventory. With the additional playroom for any active members of the community, it means that his place was always bustling. Except instead of customers when I walked in, I found familiar faces, along with a few unfamiliar ones.

“Did I interrupt something?” I hesitated right inside the door. It was obvious to anyone watching that I was a second away from bolting. Princess Aster floated over to me in a full dress in a light pink color. The material looked soft. I kind of wanted to touch it, but at the same time I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression.

I had never realized how touch starved I was until coming to live with Wes. Everything about him drew me in. All those tiny touches, no matter where they were, sent me reeling. I had found myself more than once running my fingers through his beard or rubbing the muscles of his chest. Each time I would freeze and stop, he would encourage me to keep going.

Somehow, that habit had become more than just about Wes. I watched the pink fabric sway the closer he got. As if he could read my mind, Princess Aster pinched part of the dress and held it towards me.

“It’s super soft,” he said. “See.”

I reached out at his insistence and ran my hand over the material. “It is," I praised.

“Are we already at the petting part of the day?” A snarky voice called from the sidelines.

The man in front of me turned and stuck his tongue out. The group around us giggled.

“Not everyone is as standoffish as you, Vaughn. Some of us like to be petted like the pretty people we are.”

“I just got a visual of a people petting zoo. It’s a really weird concept, but someone would probably love it.” I knew that voice. It was Doyle.

Charlie, Princess Aster’s husband, stepped forward. “Let’s move past that. Now, Princess Aster did not call us all here just to pet him, though I’m sure he might someday. Gerald, come sit. What brings you back to our neck of the woods?"

I eased down into one of the open chairs. “I need some advice. And maybe a confidence boost.”

“Oh, I’m perfect for that! Tell me the scenario. We’ve got your back.” Princess Aster moved over to sit across from me. Charlie stood behind him while the others made their way to circle around us.

It truly felt like I had a squad of cheerleaders ready to help me face whatever I was going to tell them.

“Wes has a black-tie function for work. And… he wants me to go as his plus one.”

“You said yes, of course.”

I gave Princess Aster a firm nod. “Of course. I’m not a complete idiot. It’s just that since then, I’ve been thinking about it nonstop. I don’t want to be a disappointment or let him down. What we have is —” I broke off, unsure how to describe it.

“It’s new and exciting,” one of the men I didn’t know said. He was younger than me and had an air about him. Something in his gaze spoke to me. “You’re worried you’ll mess up by not being someone you think you have to be for him.”

Princess Aster snapped his fingers. “Tucker is right.”

“Of course, I am. They're both in this predicament in part because of me,” he replied. At my confused expression, he elaborated. “Well, me and P.A., really. When Wes called me to say he needed help, I called here, and we set up the interview for you.”

My mouth fell open. “You’re Tucker? From the club, Tucker?”

The other man smiled as he pointed a finger at me. “I’d be the one and only.”

It was then I noticed more about him. He was wearing a full one-piece pajama get up in light purple, and he had a pacifier clipped to his chest. There was a hood on his back with a stuffed bear tucked inside.

“Thank you, then. You’ve done more for me than you’ll ever realize.”

A wave of gratitude followed my words. He smiled softly, then tilted his head. “It’s always a pleasure to help others in our network. I can’t say that I make it out here near as much as I want since the club has everything I could ever need, but when I do, it’s always a great time. Right, P.A.?”

“Always!” he agreed. “Now then, about your issue. I need you to hear this next part loud and clear. You are worthy, Gerald Grimes. Worthy of love, worthy of someone’s time, and worthy of them showing you off. Wes wouldn’t have asked you if he didn’t want you to go. All you need to do is trust him to not let you fall.”

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