Page 107 of Stabby Little

"Hell no. It's straight from the grocery store."

"One thousand dollars. Then we've got a deal.”

“A thousand bucks?”

“You're the CFO of the largest financial institution in Manhattan. You can afford one thousand dollars."

"I said second-largest," the Daddy snaps. "I'm not made of money."

The boy drops to his feet. "Fine. I'm ready for my drink now, Daddy. Are you going to give it to me or what?"

The Daddy grins. "I'll get it from the fridge. You're such a perfect kitty."

I turn my eyes away from the scene. I'm happy the Daddy found someone to be his kitty, but I'm glad it's not me.

I just want to be with Grant. What's he doing tonight? Is he watching TV? When I was a boy, Grant loved staying up late and watching shows likeFix It or Flip ItandShark Tank. He poured himself bowls of potato chips and cracked open beer as Kevin O'Leary chewed someone out for a terrible valuation on their company.

Sometimes, he allowed me and Miles to watch with him, patting the couch cushion and handing us a blanket. He tried to explain what the men in suits were saying, but it never made sense to me. I wasn't good with numbers: I flipped them upside down and had difficulty with multiplication. Miles understood more.

I just feel so safe around Grant. Biting into that buttermilk pancake he prepared was everything. I felt like a boy again, full of hope for my future and ignorant about the dangers of the world. In that kitchen, I wanted to snuggle up to him like I did when I was younger, before my captors took me, and pretend like everything was all right.

"You only need to be here for another hour." I dig my feet in the ground and force myself to put on my big boy face. "Then you can head to the black room for your private show. Your mystery man won't ask you to drink milk."

I don't want to see my mystery man. He's not Grant. It's unfair to compare him to Grant because truthfully, Grant's the patron saint of my heart. If I hadn't fantasized about him for years in the warehouse, I might be able to see him for the man he is, i.e. without my rose-colored glasses. But that's not the case. Every person here, no matter how sexy, is a consolation prize next to Grant.

I haven't even kissed Grant, but he's ruined all other men for me.

I decide to join the boys serving drinks. Standing around moping isn't helping my mood, and besides, this is what Valentin ordered me to do.

First, I retrieve my dragon stuffy from my bag in Valentin's office. My stuffy helps me feel comfortable, and if anything makes me anxious, it'll quell my nerves. I stuff it in my back pocket and leave my bag on the floor.

Fluffing my kitty ears, I cross the room and head to the employee quarters. I open the door, then wave hello to a few of the boys in the kitchen.

One's pouring rosé into champagne flutes and dusting his silver tray with rose petals. Another peers into a mirror and applies lipstick, a hot pink shade that makes him look stunning. The third boy tears off his shorts and slides into a sexy maroon maxi dress, one that hugs his hips. I see his bulge through the fabric, leaving little to the imagination. He assists his friend with the drinks, then steals the lipstick from the other boy.

I walk up to the boy in the dress. "Hey."

The boy looks me up and down. "Aren't you a snack."

“I'm not sure what you mean.”

“You shouldn't be here. We'll suck you off and leave you wiped out before you meet your Daddy."

I shake my head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not into boys my age."

"I can change your mind." The boy in the dress wraps his arm around my shoulders. "You're so cute in that kitty outfit. You make me wish I topped."

I make a face. "What does that mean?”

Feigning innocence is the best way to avoid confrontation.

The boy with the champagne glasses chuckles. "You're too innocent for us. Come here. I'll give you a tray and we can serve clients."

"They really shouldn't allow virgins to work here," the boy with the hot pink lipstick drawls. "We corrupt them."

I take a silver tray in my hands. "I have plenty of bedroom experience, thank you." Most of which was nonconsensual. "I'll corrupt you if anything."

"I'd like to see you try," the boy says. He blows me a kiss. "Maybe we'll find a cute Daddy to please together. The more fun he has, the more tips we make."

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