by Sammi Cee
“Hmm?”
“Thank you for today.”
“Thank you, boy. Today was all you, and I was so proud. I think the guys really enjoyed themselves. Did you?”
“Thank you, Daddy. I did.” After a long, soft sigh, he continued, “I think they all approve of us being together and everything.”
“I never had a doubt, and I wouldn’t have cared if they did. All that matters is how we feel, and as long as you’re happy with me, I’m exactly where I want to be.” He turned his head, so I placed a kiss on his lips, then I kissed the back of his neck, resting my lips against his warm skin until his breath shifted subtly, and I knew he had drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Nineteen
Davis
“Hey, sugar, what are you doing today?” Billy asked in my ear.
“Working tonight, same as you,” I said with a laugh.
It’d been a few weeks since we had everyone over for dinner, and they found out that I had a Daddy. From that moment on, my friendship with Billy had gotten stronger since I was starting to feel like my authentic self.
Speaking of which, Daddy was sitting beside me on the couch, reading a magazine about motorcycle parts while I spoke to Billy on the phone. He kept his focus down and didn’t blatantly listen in on my conversation, and I didn’t feel like I needed to get up and go to another room to take the call.
“I’m actually going to Twisted Scissors to get my hair cut. Do you want to go with me?” Billy asked.
“I, uh, hold on a second. Let me see if he has anything planned.”
“Take your time. I’m debating on what to wear, anyway.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and hit the mute button. “Billy wants me to go with him to get his hair cut. Is that okay?”
Daddy lowered the magazine he was looking at and stared at me with a smile. “I appreciate you checking, but it’s perfectly fine if you want to go. You don’t need my permission, just give me the respect of telling me when you’re leaving.”
I blew out a breath. “Okay. I just wanted to double-check.”
“Thank you, boy.” He cocked his head to the side. “Are you going to get yours cut, too?”
I started to chew on my cheek, but Daddy’s narrowed expression stopped me. “I’d like to. I definitely need one.”
“So, why don’t you?”
I shrugged. “Money’s tight.”
“Was,” Daddy corrected me. “It was tight. What did I tell you about your tips?”
“They’re mine to do with them what I want.”
“Exactly.” He gestured toward the phone. “Tell Billy you’re going, and you’ll be getting your hair cut as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
While Daddy picked up his magazine, I unmuted the phone and told Billy I was in. “I’m getting my hair cut, too.”
“Oh, thank god. Sugar, you’re cute as a button, but that mop on your head is in desperate need of some attention. I’ll be by to pick you up in about half-an-hour, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“Is he picking you up? Or do I need to take you somewhere?” Daddy asked when I disconnected the call.
“He’s picking me up.” I fiddled with my phone for a second. “I guess I’d better go get ready.”
“Take your time. I’ll let him in when he gets here.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
Daddy kissed my cheek, and then I went to get ready. By the time I emerged from the bathroom, completely dressed, I could hear Billy’s voice carrying down the hallway.
“I have to say, before we were all invited over, I was beginning to think you lived in a cave. You have that growly, neanderthal thing going for you, boss.”
Daddy chuckled at Billy’s observation. “Well, as you can see, I’m just like everyone else. I just sign your paycheck and don’t indulge in forced conversation.”
Billy opened his mouth to say something I was sure was outlandish and borderline inappropriate, so I rushed to cut him off. “I’m ready.”
“There he is!” Billy said cheerfully. “It’s about time. I’ve been forced to keep Sarge company while you primped in the bathroom.” He gave me a wink.
“I’m not sure it’s you I need to worry about.”
“Whatever could you mean? I'm excellent company.”
Daddy scoffed. “I haven’t had any alcohol to deal with this. Don’t you have an appointment to keep?”
“Yes.” Billy slapped his hands against his thighs before jumping to his feet. “Dani doesn’t wait.”
“Danny?” Daddy asked.
“Calm down, boss, and lower your hackles. It’s Dani. One N and an I. She’s been cutting my hair for a while.”
“I am calm. I’ll see you when you get back, duckling,” Daddy said to me before giving me a quick kiss.
“We won’t be long.”
We were in the car when Billy finally pounced. It was hard for him to get me alone at work to ask the questions I was sure were burning through his mind, so of course he’d take this opportunity.
“You and Sarge… I’m almost jealous.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Really?”
Billy snickered. “You’re just as bad as he is. But don’t worry, I’m not after your man. I just respect him as my boss, nothing else.”
I smiled. “He’s more than that to me. He’s my Da--” I started to stay, then snapped my mouth shut.
Coming to a stop at a red light, he snuck a glance at me and smirked. “It’s okay to call him your Daddy. I’m your friend, and I’m glad to see you and Sarge happy. Never censor yourself around me, okay? Well, unless you hate my outfit or something.”
I laughed. “You have a style I only wish I could possess. I’d never dare hate it. But seriously. Thank you. I appreciate all you’ve done for me, and I hope one day you’ll find happiness, too.”
Billy sighed. “Maybe one day. I’m a lot to handle, and I know that. It’ll take a strong man to take all this on.”
I laughed again, and Billy continued to chatter away about his fashion choices and how he only trusted Dani to cut his hair.
“She went on maternity leave, so I was forced to use someone else,” he said with a shudder. “It was a disaster. I told her I’d march my perky ass to the hospital, and she could cut it mid-delivery if she decided to pop out another one. No way was I letting anyone else touch this hair.”
“Is she that good?”
“The best. You’ll see. She’ll be itching to get her hands in your hair.”
After parking his car, Billy and I walked to the salon. Well, he marched and I followed behind. It’d been so long since I had a decent haircut, I wasn’t even sure what I wanted. But Dani took one look at me and asked me if I trusted her. One scared glance at Billy had me nodding my head, and she went to work with her shears and comb.
“Sugar, you look delectable. Just wait until your man sees you. I bet he’ll want to put you in the back with Ralph so no one else can enjoy your cuteness.”
“Stop it,” I muttered as my cheeks flamed.
But my hair did look great. Where it was once shaggy as it hung past my ears and covered my eyes, it was now cut extremely short with a bit of length left on top to comb off my face. I hardly recognized the man who looked back at me in the mirror. Not just because of the haircut, but because my eyes didn’t look so haunted. My cheeks weren’t sunken in. And my face held a bit of color. I looked...happy.
“Just being honest, babycakes. Let’s get out of here. I’m starving.”
After paying Dani and smiling because I could afford to give her a tip, we went back to Billy’s car and I pulled out my phone.
“I’m going to check in with Daddy, and let him know what we’re doing.”
“By all means,” Billy said and started the car.
“Hey, boy, I was just about to text you. Are you all done?”
“Just finished up. We’re going to get some food, and then Billy will drop me off at home.”
“How’s your
hair?”
“I like it. I hope you do, too.”
“I know I will because you do. I need to talk to Billy for a second. Can you put him on the phone?”
“Sure.” I held out the phone to Billy. “He wants to talk to you.”
“Oh. Hey, boss. What’s up?”
I listened to them talk for a few seconds longer before he handed the phone back to me. “Is everything okay?”
“Billy is taking you to work tonight. Ralph called and said the fryer is on the fritz, so I need to go check it out. Enjoy your day, and I’ll see you when you come in, okay?”
“Okay. See you later, Daddy.”
“Bye, boy,” was his husky response.
“So, what sounds good for lunch? Aside from your Daddy.”
“I’ll let you decide.”
“You got your hair cut,” Hunt noted when I sidled to their table to take their order.
“Yeah, I figured it was time,” I said as my cheeks flushed.
As much as I enjoyed chatting with Hunt and the gang, the only attention I wanted from my new haircut was from the man behind the bar—not these guys. And the hungry way Daddy looked at me as soon as I stepped inside the bar told me he approved.
“It looks good on you, kid. It’s nice to see how far you’ve come.”
“I, uh, I don’t know what you mean?”
Hunt chuckled while the rest of the gang just stared at me with smiles on their face as they nodded in agreement.
“Kid, I’ve been here every single day since you’ve started working. I’ve seen you literally morph under my eyes. You went from a scared rabbit who barely talked to us out of fear, to a vibrant young man who can hold your own with the rest of them.”
“I agree,” Sledge piped up.
I shuffled my feet as I stared down at the order pad in my hand while my cheeks flamed. “Um, thank you.”
“That was almost poetic, Hunt,” Trash joked.
“Here’s another poem for you…fuck off.”
I chuckled while the rest of the guys ribbed Hunt, before they gave me their order.
“You might want to hurry along. It looks like Sarge is two seconds away from crossing the bar to rip my head off,” Hunt advised.
I narrowed my eyes and looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, Daddy had a deep scowl on his face and his eyes were narrowed into harsh slants. But when he saw me looking at him, his entire expression softened.
“I think we know the cause for the transformation,” Hunt murmured. “Don’t forget my hot sauce.”
“I’ll be back with your drinks.”
With a shake of my head, I stepped away from the table to place my order with Ralph. Then I went to the bar to grab the drinks.
“What was that about?” Daddy asked when I stepped up to him.
“They were just complimenting me on my hair, and telling me how happy I seem to be.”
“Are you?” Daddy asked when he sat a beer in front of me.
“The happiest I’ve been in my life.”
Chapter Twenty
Sarge
Watching my duckling as he flitted around the bar filled me with pride. Partly because he was mine, but mostly at the confidence he exuded. He’d taken ownership of the bar in the past weeks as much as he’d taken ownership of my heart. We’d only been official for just over a week when he’d said sweetly, “Daddy, I know how much you love your bar and it’s as much as a home to you as your own house, so how come you let the floors get so nasty?” He’d then wrinkled his nose and informed me in no uncertain terms that we’d be going in early one morning so we could give them the shining they needed. He hadn’t been wrong. With some serious elbow grease, they… Well, they didn’t exactly shine. It was a biker bar for fuck’s sake, but with continued treatment, they would be good for many years to come.
There was a decent crowd milling about tonight, and Bull took up residence inside the doorway when a rowdier group of six men entered, friends of the guys we’d kicked out right after Davis had started waiting tables. Per their usual, they were unkempt and greasy, their dead eyes wandering the crowd before they commandeered a table toward the back wall, farthest from the bar. They generally watched themselves, knowing I didn’t tolerate bullshit inside my bar, but Bull didn’t take chances, not after having to make sure the other two never returned. Once they’d consumed enough alcohol, anything could happen. Billy, who had become a master of heading off trouble before it started, stepped up to the bar, frazzled. “Boss, I think we may need to cut off that table of charmers sooner rather than later.”
I scrutinized Billy’s pinched expression. “What happened?”
He flicked his hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. I can deal with their creepy, but they’re talking a lot of shit, and they’ve started raising their voices. I’m pretty sure, purposefully.”
“So they’re looking to start a fight?”
He glanced over his shoulder at the table in question and sighed. “Yeah, pretty sure they’re out tonight searching to entertain themselves with their fists. And their latest order is a round of shots of whiskey, so…”
I nodded with understanding. They were revving up to fight. These guys weren’t big spenders. They’d shared pitchers of draft beer since they got here, so odds were, if they wanted liquor, they’d decided for one last toast before poking a bear. “Okay.” I poured seven shots of Maker’s Mark and set them on his tray. Billy understood exactly what the extra glass meant and walked around the pass-thru to stand behind the bar.
Motioning Davis over, I waited until he headed toward me before I met Bull’s eyes and he rose off the stool, prepared to launch across the bar if I needed him. My boy’s gaze darted toward Billy, who was helping Rex. “What’s going on?”
“Hey, baby. I need you to come back here with Rex and Billy while I deliver this.”
Comprehension dawned on his face. “Can’t you just ask them to go?”
I smirked. This was the first time he’d voiced his reservations about my practice of delivering last drinks and having one with whoever I intended to ask to leave. Over the years, I’d found this to be the most effective way to kick people out without creating belligerent, disobedient drunks who had to be thrown out instead of leaving disgruntled but peacefully. Davis's increasing comfort level with using his voice in regards to the bar, our friends, the rest of the staff, and especially me, warmed my heart. It also sparked my temper. Full Throttle had been my only love for many years; I’d thought for most of that time it would end up being my only true love, but I suspected this stunning man before me was quickly taking that title. Anyone causing trouble now not only jeopardized my bar, but possibly my boy, and that was unacceptable. “I’ll be fine. Now get back here.”
He frowned but quickly stepped through. He was already gnawing on his cheek, so I grabbed the base of his neck, tilted his head up and bent down to press my lips to his quickly, then I gave him a firm smack on the ass. “Stop mutilating your poor mouth. I like it as is.” Winking, I stepped around him, picked up the tray, and strode over to the back table.
The smallest guy at the table glared at me as I approached, wearing a disgusted scowl. I’d noticed him walking behind two of the other men, but in front of the other three, when they walked in. His positioning had highlighted his smaller stature, standing about five foot seven or so, and his compadres dwarfed him at over six foot each. Ugh. This wasn’t going to go as well as I’d hoped. Little man Napoleon, here, was obviously the big guy of the bunch, with self-esteem issues galore. That guaranteed he’d try to make a stand instead of leaving easily. “Hello, gentlemen,” I said in my most cordial tone.
“Where’s our waiter?” the guy next to Napoleon asked. The two men with their backs to me ignored my presence.
“The other bartender needed his help with something. It’s been awhile since you guys have been in, so I thought I’d deliver these myself and have one with you. On the house, by the way.”
Napoleon grunted and a huge, bur
ly man turned in his chair to stare up at me with his cold, dead eyes. “We ain’t leaving.”
Well, I’d tried for civil. “The fuck you aren’t.” The tray in my hands disappeared as Bull appeared at my side and relieved me of it. I knew he’d hand it off, and the people at the table next to this one would be the lucky recipients.
Napoleon raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Come on, Sarge. Getting lucky should make you a happier guy, not have you acting like a prick.” His lips curled in distaste as he said lucky. No wonder they didn’t wander in here often, and they absolutely had come looking for a fight. There wasn’t a biker in town who didn’t know this was a LGBT+ friendly bar and homophobic bullshit wasn’t tolerated.
Bull folded his arms across his broad chest. “You know who Sarge is, so you gotta know insulting the bar owner isn’t doing you any favors. The man came to enjoy a nice shot with you before asking you to go, but now I’ll just be escorting you out.”
Burly man kicked his chair back, practically ramming it into my legs. “The hell,” he growled. “We spent good money in here tonight, and we’ll leave when we’re ready.”
Napoleon smirked, his gaze roamed across his men before looking between me and Bull, then zeroing in on me. Challenge accepted. Before burly man had a chance to blink, I yanked his shoulders back, toppling him backward in his chair and onto the ground. Before he stood up, I kicked him in his side. It was a controlled movement that I’d perfected with Bull, and this guy wasn’t going to die or anything, but the blow was sufficient to keep him gasping for breath and down on the floor.
The dumb ass sitting in front of Bull, who hadn’t had a word to say but had been shooting daggers with his eyes at us, stood to take on Bull. He was tall, at over six foot, but he didn’t come close to Bull’s six foot five and beastly build. With one punch of Bull’s massive fist, the guy flew across the tabletop, sending the half-full pitcher and the glasses on the table scattering. Sounds of shattering glass rose above the calls of the other bar patrons as they yelled their disdain, as well as a few gleeful shouts for blood.
