Page 8 of All Tied Up

Except that he could already hear Levi’s voice in the back of his head, reminding him that he’d only met one of the Daddies so far, and that finding a match was a numbers game.

That was one of the things that Levi liked to say, but it was easy for him since he worked for Cuffd and already had a Daddy who was wrapped around his little finger.

Neil didn’t want to deal with dating or meeting people. The whole point of having a Daddy was to escape from the stresses in his life, not add to them.

Another car swung into the lot. Whether it was a Daddy or a boy, Neil didn’t feel up to facing them. He wasn’t even sure if he was staying.

He whipped out his phone and started checking his email, even though he’d told himself he’d be offline for the week. But he still peeked.

Just judging by the clothes—and the very young age—the man who stepped out of the car was a boy. He was a bit on the pudgy side, and he wore his weight with pride. He’d drawn thick black lines across his eyelids and wore a black fishnet shirt that gave alluring hints of the soft flesh below.

So apparently Neil had fucked up the dress code. Daddies wore suits. Boys wore, well, boy things.

Thank God Neil had let Levi bully him into bringing the t-shirts. Maybe if his shirt literally said “BOY” in giant letters across the chest, people wouldn’t get confused.

Neil watched the young man disappear into the building.

Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Neil let his eyes rest on the trees and drew in lungfuls of the crisp air.

He had to remember the same thing he’d been telling himself all along. This was a vacation. He wanted to spend time in the woods. He wasn’t expecting a Daddy. And if he didn’t have any expectations, they couldn’t be crushed.

Building up his nerves, he squared his shoulders and held his head high. He could fake confidence every other day of the year, and he could fake it here.

He thought about taking off his jacket, but it’s not like it would matter if he was still wearing the shirt and tie. Plus, it hid his belly. He wasn’t exactly overweight, but most of his exercise consisted of walking from his office to his car in the parking lot. And he’d always been a heftier guy. Just big everywhere.

Not at all like the young man who’d just walked by, his sparkling energy, giving his weight a kind of buoyancy.

Maybe Neil would just watch this weekend. Maybe he wouldn’t do any of the Daddy-boy stuff at all.

That would work. He was here for a vacation. In two days the Daddies would all leave, and he’d take Monday to enjoy the mountains when the kinky part of the weekend was over. He took the last few steps to the doorway and stepped inside.

Unfortunately, the Dom who’d dismissed him was still checking in. Neil didn’t want to see him, but even more he didn’t want the man to realize how crushed he’d been. So he kept his head erect, his face smooth and emotionless. Just like going into a business meeting.

The space itself cut through his morose thoughts, though, delighting him with its unexpected beauty. Who knew that such a gem was so close to his door?

His first impression was of light and greenery. Potted plants with trailing leaves wandered through the clusters of homey couches and cute little nooks. He heard the trickling sound of water and found a small fountain built into one side of the room, the water burbling over layers of dark rocks. Water lilies grew in the clear pool, and he suspected they were real. The whole place smelled vibrant and earthy, like a greenhouse.

The Dom kept talking to the friendly person at the desk, so Neil avoided looking that direction. He hated feeling like he was hiding though, so he crossed the room, keeping his back straight and his face impassive.

The little nook in the next corner had an inviting chair with a throw blanket that looked perfect for cuddling up and reading. The space was so inviting that he was already thinking about coming back with a book when he didn’t feel like he was under observation. Another corner would be nice for watching the birds soar over the tree-lined gorge while he drank his morning coffee. He wondered if any of them were the namesake meadowlarks.

Overall, it was both cozy and energizing, soothing and fresh. Even if the Cuffd weekend was a bust, which he was increasingly expecting, he was glad he’d decided to take Monday off. If he could just focus on the space, he wouldn’t get hurt.

The Dom finally took his key card and disappeared upstairs, and then the boy in the dark eyeshadow stepped up for his turn. Neil wandered over to the front desk, but stayed well back.

The young white man behind the desk was gorgeous with frosted blond hair, rosy pink lips, and just a touch of lavender eyeshadow that matched the high-cut shirt clinging to his slender rib cage and well-defined biceps. The shirt said Yes, Daddy? which answered a whole lot of Neil’s questions all at once.

This was definitely Jamie, the boy half of the couple who owned the lodge. Neil could only vaguely remember how the cheeky boy in lingerie had looked in the photo, but Jamie had sent a cheerfully worded email last week with a run-down of the events for the weekend, and a few reminders since then. He seemed to be equally cheerful in person.

Neil tried not to stare, but Jamie really was beautiful. If people like Jamie were who the Daddies were looking for, Neil wouldn’t stand a chance.

Neil accidentally caught Jamie’s eye and quickly looked away. Jamie kept looking back at him though, even winking once. Neil had no idea why he would bother. Maybe he’d noticed how nervous Neil was?

To distract himself, Neil checked out more of the decor, becoming more engrossed as he looked. The front desk, unsurprisingly, had more trailing plants hanging over it. But instead of kitschy knick-knacks, it had bits of stone and wood with interesting shapes—art found in nature. Signs on the walls and desk said things like “Born to Climb” and “I Get High” with a picture of craggy peaks behind it. So apparently one or both of them was a mountain climbing enthusiast.

Neil glanced over at the table to the side of the check-in desk and hoped he managed to swallow his surprise. On a lovely white tablecloth, mixed in with more of the harmonious stones and wood, were bowls of condoms with the Cuffd logo, some brochures for the Cuffd Destinations program, and a vibrating butt plug, still in the package. Beside it was a black suede flogger and a gift card to what seemed to be a sex toy store.

Neil should probably have expected it, but really he’d thought everything would be much more… subtle. He could feel his nerves start to come back.