Page 23 of Ace

“Oh. Ooops. I just wanted to get comfy. It was a long day and I couldn’t wait to get here and just be my Little self.”

“I can understand that, but let me ask you: Do you feel Little?”

Lizzie heaved a sigh and frowned. “Not really. Not yet. But I’m closer to getting there than I was.”

“You have a job that doesn’t really lend itself to being Little 24/7. I get that, but when you are here, with me, unless we are having Big-girl time, you need to be. So let me ask you: Do you think you would feel differently right now if instead of ignoring Daddy and insisting on doing everything yourself you would have let Daddy take care of you when you got here? How do you think you would feel if you’d let Daddy help you go potty and give you a nice warm bubble bath, then dress you in pajamas and braid your hair?”

“You can braid?”

Ace shrugged. “I can learn, little one, but that isn’t the point. Answer the question: How do you think you would feel right now if you’d let Daddy take care of you when you got here?”

The yearning look on her face answered the question before she could. “Can I have a do-over?”

“You can, but not tonight. Tonight you are going to sit down at the table and we are going to talk about rules. Rule number one: Anytime you come to Daddy’s, you are Little the second you walk through the door. Even if you aren’t there mentally yet, you will behave as if you are so that Daddy can help get you into that headspace.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she said, still standing.

Ace shook his head and pointed to the chair across from him. “Sit down and write it down. Writing down the rules will help you remember them, because I won’t be accepting ‘I forgot’ as an excuse.”

He watched as her expression changed and noticed the moment she started to sink into a Littler headspace. She instantly dropped down into the chair, picked up the pen, opened the journal and began to write. When she had finished, she looked up and asked, “What now, Daddy?”

Ace had given it a lot of thought and even asked some of the Daddies he’d met in his time here for their opinions and advice and he’d come quickly to the conclusion that there was no set way to do things. Every dynamic was different. He and Lizzie had to decide what worked for them and what was important to them. The first twenty minutes of their perfect weekend had given him some big insight into what that would look like for them. He knew what the big important rules were, but he started with the small ones first.

“Next Rule: When you are not here with me, bedtime is at 10 o’clock sharp. That’s bedtime routine finished, phone off, lights out, in bed. No more games, reading or TV past that time.”

Lizzie gawked. “But I usually stay up till twelve!”

“That was before you had a Daddy. You need more sleep, little one, and this is not up for negotiation.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she finally agreed, and dutifully wrote it.

“Also, no skipping lunch and you need at least eighty ounces of water each day.”

“I can’t drink eighty ounces of water in a day!” Lizzie balked. “I’d have to pee constantly!”

“Good thing all of the places you deliver to have bathrooms,” Ace deadpanned.

Lizzie scowled but she wrote the rule beneath the others.

“Safety is a big one, and since your job involves a lot of driving, the rule is that you need to drive safely. No speeding, always wear your seatbelt and obey all traffic laws.”

She nodded curtly and wrote it down quickly, having no apparent argument.

“Also, no cussing.”

“What?” she shrieked.

He grinned. He had known Lizzie long enough to know she had a very colorful vocabulary especially when she was at work.

“That’s not fair! How about if I just don’t cuss when I’m with you and Little?”

Ace shook his head. “No dice, but nice try.”

“I’m Big way more than I’m Little. I should be allowed to cuss.”

“Having Little girl rules even when you aren’t Little will make it easier for you to fall into a Little mindset when you are here. So not only are these rules important for your health and safety, they will help you adjust your mindset from Big to Little.”

“Cussing has nothing to do with health or safety,” Lizzie countered.