Page 224 of Daddy's Pride

Especially because he was probably busy.

Or sleeping?

Trying to sleep.

Because if he wanted to be called “Daddy” then he was probably old, and didn’t old people consider midnight kind of late? And here I was, blowing up his phone and… and clinging.

And he wasn’t even reading my messages anymore.

I swallowed hard. Looked again. The latest two were still sitting on unread.

Maybe if I bought another drink, the bartender would talk to me after all? Because at least with him, it was his job. This guy, “Daddy,” hadn’t signed up for any of this.

SATURDAY 12:34 AM

Sorry I keep apologizing and thanking you. I mean, I’m not sorry I did both of those things, but you probably don’t want to keep hearing them so… sorry.

For the last time . :)

And… I’ll stop now.

I’m stopping, for real.

I waited a second, but there was still nothing. So… okay.

SATURDAY 12:37 AM

Um… bye?

I started to type out another one, telling him I didn’t mean that as a question, it was just a habit to use question marks when I wasn’t really sure about stuff, but then I caught myself and stopped. Really stopped. The way I’d promised him I would.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, putting my phone down—face down, just to avoid temptation.

And… seriously? Temptation? What did that even mean?

What was wrong with me right now?

My cheeks felt hot, although maybe that was just because I wasn’t used to drinking.

It was just that the way he called me a good boy made me feel just as squirmy as those sweethearts did, both hitting my people-pleasing buttons in a way that made me want to chase after more of them even though…

Well, even though he was clearly done.

Which was maybe for the best.

After all, I’d told him I wasn’t flirting, but if I kept spamming him then it might seem like I’d lied, since it still kind of felt like he’d been flirting. But since I wasn’t even gay…

Wait, had he ever actually said he was gay?

I’d just assumed.

But if he was, well… yeah. Then it was definitely for the best that it was over now, before anyone got confused.

Chapter 2

North

“We getting paid to watch concrete dry now?” Juan, my business partner and best friend asked, flicking my hard hat as he strolled up next to me.