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I picked one up and swirled it through the sauce.

“I have a feeling it will be worth it.” One bite confirmed it. Flavor exploded in my mouth, my taste buds dancing.

“And? I only got the plate with a promise you’d review.”

“Wow. Please make him promise to put it on the menu so everyone else can enjoy them too.”

“Any changes you’d suggest?”

“My gods no. This is the best thing I’ve eaten maybe ever. Thank him so much for letting me in on the tasting, and I am a willing volunteer anytime he needs one to sample.”

“Will do. Now, have you given any thought to meeting the little we talked about?”

“Of course, but I haven’t changed my mind. Work is just not conducive to a relationship right now. But thank you for thinking of me.”

“We’ve been friends too long for me not to worry about you being alone.” He looked down at the floor, and I knew what had to be in his mind.

“I worry about you, too. You deserve a daddy who recognizes what an extraordinary little you are. And big, too.”

He flushed. “What a pair we are. Why can’t there be any chemistry between us?”

I shrugged. He was truly adorable when he was little, and intelligent and witty and handsome the rest of the time. His grades had topped mine every semester in college, and he chose to do the job he did because he liked the hours and the people he worked with. Apparently it paid very well, including generous tips. “We just aren’t a fit, but I am sure there is someone out there who will be very lucky to be your daddy, and you’ll find him soon.”

“Same to you.” Another group was gesturing to him, and he left me to my fries and drink and the company of my thoughts. I finished up my snack and stood. Time to get to work for a couple of hours. I traveled so much that time changes didn’t usually bother me, but tonight, I was in no mood to talk to clients who were just trying to see how they could manipulate us. This meeting was not necessary in any way.

On my way to the door, I caught sight of the little who I had noticed before. So, he was still around. As he headed into the hallway where the changing rooms were located, I cursed the fact that I had other obligations so late and couldn’t stay. Also reminding myself that nothing had changed about my busy schedule. What did I have to offer other than an evening here and there? Nobody would want that in a daddy. It went against everything the word suggested.

Deflated, I left and got in my car. Back to work and the life I’d chosen. It was starting to seem less fulfilling by the day. Or night.

Chapter Four

Lake

I chained my bike up and called it good. It wasn’t like anybody was gonna steal it. It was hardly high-end, and I wasn’t even sure what all was wrong, but the wheels weren’t turning right, so my guess was that it was more than just the tires. I was putting it in the I can’t see it, so it doesn’t exist column for the evening.

It could’ve gone so much worse. I wasn’t hurt. My backpack was still on with my clothes. I was good to go. I checked in, gave them my phone and my guest pass, and went straight to the changing room to get ready.

Getting changed was key for me when I played. It was like the signal my body needed to relax. Today, I was wearing my cute little teddy bear crop top with the ten on the back, which always had me feeling good about myself. It fit perfectly, snug in all the right places. I often had trouble with the shoulders starting too low, but not on this one. My confidence was at a twelve out of ten.

Abbott, Brock, and Rowan were already there. Tonight was about fun. I was leaving all the meetings and the incident with the bike behind.

The vibe during mommy-daddy-free events always hit right. It was a little bit of chaos and a whole lot of fun. There were some littles who hated it. If they didn’t have their mommy or daddy or caretaker with them, they couldn’t get into little space enough to enjoy themselves. For me, it was perfect.

I found my friends at the craft area playing with stickers, exactly what I needed.

“Sticker time.” I sat at the open seat and grabbed the basket, digging through to see what interesting ones I could find. There were a lot of frogs, and ideas were already starting to form in my head.

“You okay?” Abbott asked.

“Yeah. Long day. I’m ready to play.”

“Looks like more than a long day for you,” Rowan said

“Well, lots of meetings, and I kinda ran over a car accident, so my bike’s had better days.”

They jumped in with questions, all of them worried. I appreciated it, but I also very much didn’t want to talk about it.

“Can we just be little for a while?” I pleaded.