Page 74 of Tutoring Mr. Hotshot

“Little genius,” I greet as I hold out my hand for him.

He scoots past Ma to get to me. I wrap him in a hug and kiss his lips, careful not to let it go too far. I respect the woman beside us enough not to maul him.

At least not in front of her.

“You didn’t tell me he was here,” my boy argues when we pull apart. “You were supposed to come get me.”

Ma crosses her arms and grins. “I was talking to him. No need to worry. All is fine.”

“That’s not the point —ugh. Let’s go. She’s being this way on purpose.”

I wink at Ma, which makes her laugh. Then I’m following my boy as he marches to his car. I get him in the car and buckled in before moving to my side.

He mutters about his meddling family members the entire drive to the restaurant. I don’t have the heart to tell him this dinner is also part of his family’s desire to jump into our relationship.

While I didn’t lie about Bellamy recommending the place, it was Aries who called to get us a reservation and cover the bill. He texted me about it in the Daddy Alliance chat a few days ago.

He’d been checking in more since I told the guys about the fight. They were worried something else would happen. Granted, they were all ready to do whatever was needed to help us out.

Bishop showing up at practice a couple of weeks ago was one way they’ve helped. Continuing with the social media push has been another.

I can’t deny how much it’s helped. There are more eyes on us than ever. I don’t think anyone will get away with messing with Rodney now that he’s in the spotlight.

Part of me wonders if that was the key to this all along. Aries is smart enough to connect those dots, even though he tries to act like he’s not sometimes.

At the restaurant, the valet takes the keys for the car and points us inside. The space is fancy, which makes it difficult to navigate. Thankfully, it’s not too crowded.

The hostess takes our name, then rushes to get us seated. It makes me wonder what Aries told them about our meal tonight. Knowing him, he probably conned them into treating us better than they would have. I can’t complain. It’s nice to be able to spoil my little genius, even if it means using outside help.

Once the girl leaves us, Rodney leans over the table. I move closer as well, curious about what he needs.

“This place is fancier than I thought it would be,” he whispers.

Smiling gently, I nod at him. “It is. But that’s why tonight is special. We get to have a new experience together.”

He hums as he picks up the menu to look at the options. I do the same, taking note of what I think he’ll like best. I want to get something he’ll enjoy as well in case his meal isn’t as good as he hopes. Taking care of my boy is more than sex and cuddles. It’s all the things in between as well.

Though he might not be into age play, it doesn’t mean I can’t find ways to take care of him that aren’t traditional in the sense of a relationship.

“Anything sound good?” he asks. “I’m not sure what to get.”

“I was thinking of getting the steak with a side of pasta and some toast.”

His eyes went wide. “That’s a lot of food, Daddy.”

I love how easily he says it now. It wasn’t something I expected to hear in a public setting like this. Yet somehow, it managed to be the first thing he thought to call me.

“Well, I’m extra hungry. Also, if you decide you don’t like your food, I’ll have extras.”

My boy’s jaw drops. He looks as if I’d just told him something much more shocking.

“You… that’s… wow. I didn’t expect that answer. It’s really thoughtful.”

“I’m always thinking of you, little genius. Is there something you’re curious about but need help? We can ask our waiter about it.”

He nods quickly right as the waiter appears. “Oh,” Rodney squeaks.

“Hi there! I’m Imir, and I’ll be helping you out today. Any questions? Do we know what we want?”

---