“I’m sorry,
Donovan, I know this is supposed to be your baby, but I’m telling you in no
uncertain terms, do not allow Roan to take part in the gift basket exchange.
He’s a fuckin’ brat.”
“Don’t worry,
everyone who signed up pretty much said the same thing under their special
instructions. No one wants to get saddled with him, well, almost no one. I’ve
already told him that I’ve removed his name from the list.”
“Yeah, and how
he’d take it?”
“Not like I
expected,” Donovan admitted as he ran his fingers through his long, loose hair.
The ends were
getting ragged, and the deep midnight hue was beginning to fade. He’d need to
get it tended to just as soon as he remembered to set up an appointment. Across
the table from him sat his longtime friend, and the owner of Velvet Illusions.
He and Callahan had worked damned hard to make it one of the best kink clubs in
the city and part of seeing to it that it stayed that way was making sure that
every event and activity showcased their members in the best light. That meant
problem boys, like Roan, wouldn’t be allowed to take part in anything until
they’d learned how to act right.
“How so?” Cal
asked, his hands steeple in front of him. He was tapping two fingers together
to a beat only he could hear, a move some took for impatience.
Donovan had known
him long enough to recognize it for what it was: restless energy. The man was a
beast when he was demoing proper flogging techniques or any soft of impact play
but force him to remain behind the desk and deal with day-to-day shit and he
fiddled like a kid waiting on the last bell before summer vacation.
“Just, got all
quiet and nodded when I asked if he understood why. Didn’t yell, didn’t stomp,
just stared up at me with big, liquid eyes like he was about to start the
waterworks, only none fell,” Donovan said. “I almost felt bad for him, until I
remembered what he’d done to Kyle’s stuffie. I still haven’t been able to find
one like it.”
“Why are you
looking? Roan should be the one to replace it.”
“He should, but we
both know he won’t, at least not anytime soon. Kyle shouldn’t have to wait for
him to get his head out of his ass and admit what he did was wrong.”
“Has he at least
admitted to doing it in the first place?”
“No. He still
maintains his story about being nowhere near the room when the toy got wrecked.”
Cal shook his
head, eyebrows crinkling together in a harsh frown. “Even after you mentioned
the security feed?”
“Yup, told him we
had the whole thing recorded, even offered to show it to him, he still won’t budge
from his story.”
“You need to kick
his ass out of here.”
“Bylaws say the
most we can do is suspend him for two weeks, since technically, it’s a first
offense.”
“Only we both know
it isn’t.”
“Yeah, but we’ve
got no proof of the bullshit Ricky accused him of. It’s one boy’s word against
the others and if we start taking sides it sets a bad precedent.”
“I don’t need you
to remind me of that, was my damned rule in the first place, though I’m
regretting it right now. Just make sure he knows he’s out of here for good if
he steps so much as a toe out of line from this point forward. No do-overs and
no weaseling his way out of it. I don’t care how many tears he sheds.”
“I stressed that
point to him, as well as the terms of his suspension,” Donovan said. “Hopefully
he comes back after the holidays with a better attitude.”
“Somehow, I don’t
see that happening. Out of curiosity, you said almost all of the Daddies
commented about not wanting to be saddled with him, who didn’t?”
“Finn.”
“Go figure. I
wouldn’t mind sending him packing either.”
“Except he’s too
careful to break the rules. He might bend and stretch them a little, but he’s
never stepped over the line.”
“Believe me when I
say I’ve given some serious consideration to moving the line,” Callahan
grumbled. “Though…”
Donovan watched
him stroke his beard a slow smile lifting the corners of his lips. He knew that
look. Cal was cooking something up in that devious mind of his, which left
Donovan with a sudden prickle of unease.
“What would you
think about matching them up?”
“Who? Finn and
Roan. No way. That boy is rotten enough without a Daddy like Finn to make it
worse. We’re supposed to be breaking him of his entitled behavior, not giving
him to someone who’d feed into it.”
“Would he? Or
would he teach Roan a lesson in how disposable he can be? Smack some humility
in him, so to speak. We both know Finn wouldn’t hurt him, but he might help him
see things in a different light.”
“I don’t know. I
don’t think it would be good for Roan, not in the way you’re hoping. Could even
push him into acting out worse than he already does,” Donovan said. He sighed
heavily and rubbed the back of his neck, picturing those sad golden eyes when
he’d told Roan about his suspension. “I’d take the boy on myself before I gave
him to Finn.”
“Then why don’t
you?”
“Huh?”
“Sounds to me like
you’ve already given it some though. Why not make him your boy and teach him
the right way to behave? At least that way he’s sure to learn something.”
“Wouldn’t making
him mine be rewarding him for bad behavior?” Donovan asked. “We all know he’s
acting out because he wants attention. Giving it to him just lets him think he
can keep behaving any way he wants without any real consequences.”
“True, but we’ve
also seen that not giving it to him isn’t helping either. He came here claiming
that he wasn’t new to the scene and that he’d had a Daddy before he moved out
here but that they’d broken up when he moved, only nothing in his behavior
indicates that he’s ever had a Daddy before. I think he’s a new little and too
afraid to admit it because he thinks it will make him look less desirable in
everyone’s eyes. He doesn’t get that what makes him less desirable is his bravado,
his lies, and the way he tries to bully the other littles.”
“Which is exactly
why I haven’t offered to make him my boy. I don’t want a little that I can’t
trust to play with the others. I’d never be able to take my eyes off him for
fear that he might lash out if he didn’t get what he wanted.”
“Striking someone without
consent is grounds for being disenrolled. If he’s tried to hurt someone…”
Callahan began.
“He hasn’t, but
after the way that toy was shredded, I can’t help but feel that things could
progress that far,” Donovan admitted. “Which sucks because I’ve enjoyed every
conversation I’ve had with him and could easily fall in love with the little
shit if he wasn’t so damned determined to show off just how bratty he can be.
Hell, if he’d just admit to what he did with the toy I could work with that,
get to the root of why and see about correcting it, but I can’t even get him to
give me that much.”
“And yet, you’re
unwilling to give him to Finn.”
“Cal…that boy
doesn’t deserve to be toyed with, which is all Finn ever seems to do with his
boys. He treats them like they’re disposable, interchangeable even. That isn’t
good for anyone, let alone someone whose already struggling with behavioral
issues.”
“Sounds to me like
you’ve made your choice then.”
“Excuse me?”
“He needs to be
taught. He needs guidance and nurturing. No one else is willing to try with him
besides you and Finn and we both know that Finn’s methods would be as far from
nurturing as they can get, which just leaves you.”
“Wha…” Donovan
stammered, realizing that somehow he’d walked into a very carefully laid trap.
“You said not to let him take part in the event.”
“This has nothing
to do with the event. I’ve seen the look on your face after you’ve finished
talking to him. Your eyes still seek him out even after you’ve walked away. I
know you’re curious about if he can play the guitar as good as he claims.
Listening to the two of you talk music, it’s like you’re in your own little
world, so use that connection. Build off it to get him to open up and be honest
with you about what he needs so you can give it to him. If that doesn’t change
the way he acts, then we’d be perfectly justified in washing our hands of him.”
“You make it sound
so simple when you put it like that.”
“I’m under no
illusions that it will be easy, but knowing you as long as I have, I also know
easy isn’t your thing, unless you’re saying he’ll be too much of a challenge?”
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