Page 27 of Eddie
One of us had to remember the plan and be in charge.
“I think you’re going to have to wash me again.” The giggle in his voice and the way he pressed a kiss to my neck said his brain was finally clearing. “I like getting dirty with you, though.”
Kissing his cheek, I straightened and chuckled. “Because even though you look sweet and innocent, you’re a very dirty boy at heart.”
That had him blushing adorably but he couldn’t argue about the truth. “I think I’m very glad that you like to help dirty boys.”
“Just this one.” He was the only one I was keeping too and the only one I was going to make sure found friends and a job and stayed healthy.
Yes, my Shelby was nearly a full-time job, so he needed someone who could keep a close eye on him.
“Thank you for bringing me to the club and helping me feel so good.” Snuggling closer, Shelby rested his head on my shoulder. “I’m having fun on our date so far.”
“Me too, but I think it’s time to get you all clean again so we can move to our next step.” It was time for Shelby to find some new friends.
****
“You know everything about everybody, right?” His frantically whispered question said he wasn’t talking about just everyday gossip.
Nodding, I didn’t downplay my answer as we came out of the changing rooms but I was quiet. “Yes, I’ve done most of the reviews for new applicants and the ones that I didn’t do I went through and reviewed later.”
There were a few people I trusted to handle stuff like that. However, I was a trust but verify kind of guy.
“So you know who I shouldn’t talk to and who I’ll annoy, right?” Shelby had asked me five different variations of that question but I didn’t take offense at having to repeat it again.
“That’s correct.” But since he needed a more concrete example, I slowed us down and glanced around the main room. “Do you see the man in the blue shirt?”
As Shelby nodded, I squeezed his hand. “He’s…very smart and very blunt. There are too many things that annoy him to list but we would both annoy him.”
I wasn’t sure how he ever got laid but being attractive seemed to make up for being a genius pain in the ass.
“And the man over in the corner?” When Shelby nodded again, I gave him a bit more gossip. “He’s been pissy for a while because he likes two different guys and they’re twins and they’re still working on what they want. It’s making him frustrating to be around, so we’re not going to hang out with him either.”
For some reason, Shelby got more relaxed the more ridiculous people I pointed out, so I gave him a bit more random gossip before we grabbed water and wandered deeper into the lounge space. “And now Austin has decided to be an attention whore so let’s go sit down with him for at least a little while or he’s going to call me daily for the next week and complain.”
That was one omega who held a grudge.
Shelby’s smile and quiet laugh said he didn’t mind. “He seems nice and he liked my underwear so I don’t have to worry about what I’m wearing.”
I would never understand people who were passionate about clothes, so I didn’t bother giving him any response other than to nod. To make it more confusing, Shelby never really cared what he was wearing other than it was appropriate for the situation and tags didn’t rub on him in weird places.
He had a small selection of his wardrobe that he only wore to work events but the rest of his clothes were things like jeans and pajamas. He’d even gone to check his mail and run down to the corner store in his pajamas so many times his neighbors had stopped thinking it was weird. It hadn’t even come up in their group chats in months.
“He thought they were very nice and he appreciated being able to talk fashion with you. Most people he hangs out with don’t seem to have the same appreciation for it and don’t know anything about the business side of it.” Like me.
That actually had Shelby coming to a random stop. “But it’s so important to him.”
Okay, good point.
“His friends and family are more important than his love of clothes. So he’s adapted and doesn’t expect them to get it.” Most of the time they were careful not to make fun of him for it, but they definitely didn’t understand it.
“That’s sad.” Somehow, giving my worrier something new to worry about had him looking a lot more confident. “I’ll be his fashion friend.”
Had we solved theI need friendsissue just through Austin’s love of clothes?
Was Shelby not worried about the rich and famous part any longer?
Was he going to start hanging out with Austin dressed in his smiley face pajamas or was that just for going down the block to pick up ice cream?
