Page 39 of Daddy's Lesson
“We slept too long, so I don’t have time to cook and get ready. How about Thai?”
“That sounds fine.”
She stayed on the bed, but her gaze followed my naked form as I strutted around her monochromatic bedroom, rummaging through the suitcase I’d packed for my gray linen slacks and black silk dress shirt before lumbering off to her en suite bath and closing the door behind me.
CHAPTER 11
LENNON
I’d have much preferred to be walking into the club with Zoe on my arm, but I was used to showing up alone, and the same familiar excitement I always felt raced through my veins as I pulled the heavy door open, nodded to our bouncer, and beelined for our private owners’ lounge. Bas and Nyla were already there, cuddled on a couch in the corner with Nyla tucked onto Bas’ lap while he whispered in her ear. She was dressed in a tight leather minidress, making it clear they had play included in their plans for the evening. I took up my usual place behind the bar, ready to play bartender for all my friends, and poured myself a shot of tequila.
“Want anything?” I asked Bas and Nyla, waving the bottle in the air.
Bas grimaced. “Not that. Just looking at it makes me want to vomit. Seriously Lennon, how can you still drink that stuff? I can’t even look at it.”
“Because this is premium, top-shelf tequila, not the gut-rot stuff we drank in college.” I waved the shot glass under my nose, breathing deeply to inhale the spicy scent before tossing it back, downing it without so much as flinching.
Bas shuddered. “Still man, I can’t even look at tequila without gagging.”
Nyla scrunched her nose, nodding her agreement. Back in our college days tequila had been our drink of choice, often drinking it straight from the bottle with a bite of lime and a lick of salt.
“Suit yourself, pussies,” I teased, grinning as I poured another shot, and took it while staring them down. When I finished, I slammed the shot glass on the counter, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and grinned. “Is there something I can get you, then?”
“White wine, please,” Nyla piped up, smiling sweetly.
I didn’t miss the reproachful look Bas sent her in response before ordering himself a beer. It wasn’t that he had a problem with her drinking, or with drinking himself, obviously; he was just making sure they were both on the same page about limiting their intake before a scene. I knew him well enough to know that. I poured Nyla a glass of chardonnay and popped the top of a cold ale for Bas, coming out from behind the bar to deliver their drinks. As I set them down on the table in front of them, the door to the lounge swung open and larger-than-life Theo entered.
I never stopped being surprised when I saw him, even though the transformation had taken place years ago. The geeky, glasses-wearing, asthma-suffering finance nerd I’d met freshman year had become a tall, bulky, muscular hunk with perfect teeth, laser vision, designer suits, and biceps the size of my head. Of course, money could do that to a person.
“Hey, Theo,” I greeted him as he entered, gliding over to the bar at the same time I resumed my spot behind the counter as our unofficial bartender.
“Scotch, neat,” he grunted, clearly not in the mood for small talk. I’d barely grabbed the bottle of Glenlivet when he added, “Make it a double.”
Wordlessly, I raised my eyebrows, and poured, laying the glass on a napkin in front of him. “Where’s Erin tonight?” I asked, even though I could tell asking was not a good idea.
“How am I supposed to know?” he snarled. “She’s just a client. What am I, her keeper?”
He was more than her keeper; he was her Daddy, at least under the terms of the contract she’d signed with the club, but I didn’t point that out.
“Haven’t seen her in a few weeks,” I mused, ignoring the growl in his tone. His sometimes-surly nature had been known to turn a few submissives to mush, causing them to whimper and shake where they stood, but I was not one of his many play partners. Even if I had been, I’d known him back in the day, and when I looked at him I always saw the Theo I used to know.
“What’s your point?” Theo asked with a scowl, then downed the drink I’d just poured.
Obviously a sore subject.
“No point, just wondering how it’s going. You two were attached at the hip for a while there.”
Theo looked me dead in the eyes, grabbed the bottle, refilled his drink, and turned and walked away.
“Okay, then.” I chuckled under my breath and eyed the bottle of tequila before deciding I needed to pace myself. I could knock it back, but I also usually only had to walk home. As I was going to Zoe’s tonight, I’d have to take an uber, and I didn’t want to be schnockered when I made it back. No whiskey-dick for me tonight, thank you very much.
Theo took a seat in the corner, sulking as he nursed the whiskey he’d poured. He had his phone in his hand and was staring at the screen with a sneer on his lips.
“Well, this is a fun group tonight,” I muttered under my breath, already wishing I’d stayed in bed with Zoe.
Thankfully, before I could give in and pour myself another shot, the door pushed open again and my best bro Archer entered with Audrey, his ex-client, present secretary, and future wife, on his arm.
They both wore wide smiles and designer duds as they walked by Theo with an inquisitive glance, nodded to Bas and Nyla, who waved, and beelined for the bar, sliding onto the stools in front of me.