Page 63 of Losing his Daddy

His smile gave me hope. It made me curious.

Would he want to go sometime soon? And what would he be most curious about?

I used the surge of adrenaline to direct our group around the room for the next few hours. We drank our non-alcoholic beverages, which Tucker and Pat were quick to join in on. We ate the too small dinner portion. We laughed and kissed and had a perfect night.

If only I’d known it was going to get even better.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Gerald

“We’re goingto give Tucker and Pat a ride, Sir. Is that ok?” I asked after Wes said his last goodbye of the evening.

He turned to me, an endearing smile lighting up his face. “Of course. Where did they run off to?”

“They’re right outside. I told them to wait while I asked.” And they’re also telling the driver the plan so we can surprise Wes.

I left that extra bit out. He didn’t need to know anything before it was time.

In the back of the town car, Tucker talked endlessly about the evening, the food, and some of the funny moments we’d all witnessed. It was the perfect distraction for us all as the car wove through the dark city night.

It was only when we came to a stop that our location registered for the man beside me. “You guys not going home?”

“Nope,” Tucker singsonged. “And I’m not sure you are either.”

Since Wes was by the door, he startled as the driver opened it to let us all out. We all had to use the same door thanks to the busy traffic on the other side of the car.

Once we were all free, Patrick tugged on Tucker’s hand. “Come on. I need to talk to the front desk first.”

Tucker winked at me, then trotted after him. “See you!”

The driver shut the door behind me. Wes watched him walk around the car, and a minute later drive away. He still didn’t speak.

“If you’re not comfortable with me going inside, I’ll understand. But if you’ve been hesitant because of me, if you’ve been waiting, you don’t need to anymore. I want to see what it’s like. To experience it all with you. If you’ll let me.”

“I don’t want you to feel pressured,” he rushed to say. “It’s not that I don’t want to. You can’t unsee what goes on in here. And if I triggered you in any way, I don't think I’d be able to forgive myself.”

“Then let me work on the forgiveness. I know what this means. Tucker and the others in Princess Aster’s friend group made it very clear to me how this could go if I kept an open mind. And this is me, here now, with an open mind ready for you to show me your world.”

I watched him examine me for another long minute. Whatever he found gave him the go ahead he needed. Fingers laced tightly with mine, he led us inside past the bouncers and the line of patrons waiting for entry.

Once we crossed the entryway, it was utter chaos. Bodies writhed everywhere as club music played. There was a bar in the distance, which I quickly turned away from. While I didn’t often go out for drinks before when I was at my worst, I didn’t want to tempt any nostalgia from forming.

“We just need to get through the main area. Stick close to me.” He had to shout to be heard over the party around us.

I did as he asked, chasing him as he led us to a hallway that was heavily guarded. The men gave us a nod, then allowed us to move past. A door at the end led into an office. Patrick and Tucker were waiting inside.

“Yay! I knew you’d convince him to come,” Tucker greeted from his spot on Patrick’s lap.

The other man chuckled as he tapped Tucker’s leg. They stood slowly, then came our way.

Patrick handed me a stack of forms. “Even though you’re a friend, I need you to fill out the basic forms. NDA, safety waiver, and visitor log. Nothing done here gets shared with the outside world. That's the beauty of a club like ours. Your privacy is guaranteed.”

“He’s right. We keep everyone in check with these,” Tucker added as he waved at the clipboard I held.

I filled it out quickly since I was eager to get to the next section. I had no clue what awaited. I only knew it was going to change my world. Change our world, really, since Wes and I were in this together.

“All done.” I handed over the stack. Patrick read through it and grinned.

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