Page 28 of Lost Little Boy
He took my hand as we walked up the ramp of the parking garage and crossed the street to go to Courthaus Social, the beer garden and German food restaurant across the street. He twined our fingers together as we came out of the garage, and my heart pounded.
I glanced around to see nobody was staring at us. I didn’t go to clubs to know what people thought of seeing two men holding hands or showing affection. I’d read many scary stories on social media of men being harassed for being gay, and that’s pretty much what I expected. Surprisingly, the people we walked by didn’t give us a second glance.
“Can we sit outside, Daddy,” I asked as we approached the entrance. There were a bunch of tables outside the restaurant under a canopy, and a band was setting up, too. On a few warm Fridays after work, I’d stopped to watch the band as I headed to the bus stop. In the winter, there were large heaters to warm the patio, so the tables were used year-round unless it was snowingheavily.
“Sure, sweet boy. Did I tell you how cute you look? You have nice legs.” Wex leaned forward and kissed my forehead as we waited in line to be seated by the host.
I glanced down to see my knobby knees, slouched tube socks, and old black Vans that I found at a thrift store. They were barely worn, and I could use them for work. I saved my running shoes for when I had time to get some exercise. Mr. Warrick suggested I get a pair of steel-toe boots because of the nature of my job, but I was yet to run into a task that put my feet in danger.
“You’re making fun of my knees.” I was teasing him, but I wasn’t offended. I had scars on both knees from falling and crawling on gravel or concrete when I was a kid. I didn’t have nice legs; he was just being sweet.
“I would never make fun of one inch of you.” He turned to the host and smiled. “Table for two, please. Can we sit on the patio?” Wex wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and smiled down at me, making my breath hitch.
For the first time in my life, I felt like someone cared about me. I was Wex’s boy, and I’d be the best boy I could because I was falling in love with my Daddy.
Chapter Fourteen
Wex
We ordered a sausage board with beer cheese dip and hot pretzel bites. We were sitting at the end of the patio where we could still hear the band, but it didn’t drown out our ability to converse.
“So, Daddy, what are your rules?” Perry had an inquisitive expression with those big brown eyes and sassy grin that I loved tosee.
My head was filled with things I wanted to tell him, but it was best to start slowly and add rules as necessary. If I barked out the things I was thinking, I was sure I’d scare him away.
“I already told you I want you to let me know where you are. Texting is fine, but since you’re going to live in your old apartment, I want you to call me before you go to bed so I can tell you a proper goodnight. Also, I expect you to eat regularly. I get the impression that you don’t always eat a full meal, and that’s not good for you, sweet boy. Working in the center in the afternoons, those kids will run you ragged, so you’ve got to take care of yourself. If I need to step in, I can promise you won’t like it.”
I was so grateful the part-time position in the daycare center had worked out. At least he had something to look forward to, and he could decide if it was what he wanted to pursue.
I took a breath before I told him the rest. “I went today and signed the six-month lease at your old apartment in my name. I paid the rent up front and the security deposit. The workers were already in the apartment filling holes and getting ready to paint. The leasing agent is going to change the locks on Monday morning, so you can move back that evening. We’ll drive by there to get the keys on the way to work.”
His face flushed, and I could see he was gearing up for a fit. I reached over the table to take his hand again. “Another rule. No arguing with me if we don’t agree on something. I will do anything for you as long as I believe it’s in your best interests, Perry. If you have a specific issue with something I want to do for you, I’ll listen to your reasons against my proposal, but I may not change my mind.”
He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest, staring at me with a snarl—just like a disgruntled child. “Another rule. If you act out because you don’t like something I’ve said or done, youwillbe punished.” That wiped the snarl off his face in a heartbeat.
“Punished? Beaten like I was when I was a kid? That’s a hard no for me. Excuse me. I’m going to the restroom.” He stomped away, and I chuckled. He was a live wire as I suspected. I didn’t want to break him. I could see he’d had a hard life, and I wanted to replace those horrible memories with much better ones.
I had to show him I wasn’t like whoever had been responsible for the hell he went through.
“Youcan be mad and disagreeable if you want, but we need to have these discussions so we both know what to expect from each other and this relationship. Now, what pissed you off? When I mentioned punishing you, you immediately got angry. I want to know why.” I started the car, figuring he needed to stew on what I’d said so I drove us to the building where I lived while in Virginia.
We got out of the car, and I grabbed my messenger bag while Perry got his backpack. I reached for his hand, but he jerked it away. I longed for the connection to him as we talked, but I wouldn’t force him. Seemed as though a lot of people had forced him to do things in the past that he didn’t want to do.
I needed to make one thing very clear. “Perry, I will never ever put my hands on you in a way you don’t want.” The elevator dinged, so we stepped on—the silence between us hanging in the air like a foul stench.
He’d said nothing since he’d returned from the restroom at the restaurant, and it was maddening. I had no idea why he wouldn’t talk to me. When we got to the eleventh floor, we stepped off the car, and he followed me down the hallway. I unlocked the door and opened it for him to go inside.
I put my messenger bag on the chair by the couch and took off my suitcoat, hanging it over the back. Perry stoodin the middle of the room looking around for a few moments before he stared at me. “Where are my things?”
It was a two-bedroom apartment with two full bathrooms. I didn’t want him to feel trapped, so I’d put his things in the second bedroom so he could decide where he slept and dressed. I hadn’t opened the suitcase, and I had put the box with his private things in there, too.
“First bedroom down the hall. You want a beer or wine? You didn’t eat much and you didn’t drink your beer at the restaurant.” Without responding, he dashed down the hall.
I opened the cabinet over the refrigerator and pulled down a bottle of something harder than wine or beer. I grabbed a glass and poured two fingers of Jameson before shooting it back and adding another two fingers before going to the living room.
I put my glass on the end table and untucked my shirt to get comfortable. I took my drink and stepped out onto the balcony to take a breath of the night air.
There was a small outdoor table and chairs, so I took a seat, watching the traffic on Wilson Boulevard as everyone had a better time than me. I’d had such high hopes for our talk, but obviously, that all went to shit in a hurry.
