No hesitation. No comment on the weird scar I had on my left wrist from a burn I got making coffee two years ago.
So I sent him more photos. Of my feet, which was perhaps a little fetishy, but now that I had someone I wanted to be with, I wouldn’t have minded if he liked feet. I wanted to make him feel good, and if feet made him feel good, that was fine. He sent me a photo of his own. They were strong and veined like his hands.
Next, I sent a photo of my legs. Which were admittedly scrawny, and my knees were knobby, but he didn’t seem to mind. He said he wanted to touch me all over. And he sent me a picture of his hairy, thick legs.
I waited another hour, and sent him a picture of my cock, which was now hard at the thought of him. I couldn’t believe I was doing this, but he made me feel so safe. His response was just as encouraging as it had been with all the other photos. It almost made me want to cry. If he liked my body, then everything was going to be okay, right? Unless he thought I was annoying. But he would have already thought that, wouldn’t he?
At two, I sent him a picture of my arms, which had been hard to take, and kind of weird to send. I deliberately angled the photo so he couldn’t see my face. That was the last thing I wanted to show him. Maybe I’d show my face to him tonight when I was properly drunk with Leo and felt a little braver.
In some ways, this was better than getting naked in person. I got to handle the self-consciousness one body part at a time. And with Tattooed_Daddy’s comments of “You’re beautiful” and “I can’t wait to hold you in my arms and touch you everywhere,” I’d never liked taking my clothes off for anyone more. He didn’t push for more than what I could handle. He respected my boundaries completely. And he matched me photo for photo.
The last photo I sent before heading back to the coffee shop was of my back, taken from above my shoulder. It was the only photo I’d sent that I actually liked. My back was more toned than the rest of me, and I the indentations in my lower back just above my ass were kind of nice. I sent the photo to Tattooed_Daddy with the message: That’s all for now. Can’t wait to meet you tomorrow.
I considered including my name for a long time, then I decided to send it with the photo of my face tonight.
When I got back to the coffee shop, working was easier than it had been in ages. I actually enjoyed making coffee and chatted happily with Leo about stupid stuff like the discount on steak at the grocery store and my switch to a new laundry detergent. For the first time in a long time, I felt normal.
I didn’t realize how stressed and unhappy I’d been until I had a break from it all.
As Leo and I got ready to close up shop, he put on some eighties music, and we danced in the shop together like we used to before Mom got sick. It was so fun, I almost didn’t realize someone had slipped in the front door of the shop.
Briggs waved at me and slid off his jacket, revealing a white T-shirt.
The whole world stopped as I saw the bottom of a tattoo on his bicep that I was all too familiar with. His white T-shirt was thin enough to show the outline of that tattoo crawling up his arm and winding around his shoulder. I looked at his forearms. They were the same forearms Tattooed_Daddy had sent me a photo of earlier today. He had the same thick legs, even if they were currently covered in denim, and the same rugged body was outlined underneath his T-shirt.
Briggs was Tattooed_Daddy.
Tears welled in my eyes as I realized I’d always secretly wished it would be him. But I didn’t think life worked like that.
Briggs noticed my stare and smiled politely, not in a flirtatious way like he had when we’d first met. I’d noticed the difference in the way he treated me for weeks. The change had happened right when he’d started talking to Awkward_and_Adorable, when he’d started messaging a boy who had the same kinks he did.
I thought I’d be terribly nervous when I first saw Tattooed_Daddy, but I wasn’t. Briggs had shown interest in me, even before Cuffd. And now here he was, in my coffee shop, and I didn’t have to be self-conscious anymore. I didn’t have to be afraid.
Briggs was my Daddy.
11
Briggs
Dani had passed over the shop keys, the security system was in my name, and all the little details of changing hands of the business were taken care of. Luckily, Dani wasn’t going anywhere and had planned to retire right there in Red Canyon. She admitted she was happy to continue working at the bookstore without the stress of owning it. She wanted time to figure out what she wanted to do next. It seemed the best of both worlds for each of us.
“It’s getting late, Dani. I’ll shut everything down and lock up. Let me know if you need anything tomorrow.”
Dani reached out and pulled me into a hug. “I’m so happy everything worked out. Even though I’m going to continue to work here to get us through the Christmas rush while you start on renovations, I’m excited to have a bit more freedom.”
We chatted for a few more minutes, laughing about how everything had changed but it felt like nothing had because the store was going to run the same way, just with a new owner. But as she headed out the back entrance to her car, waving and saying goodnight, I realized regardless it had been a big day for us. The changing hands of a business was a big deal, and both our lives had just changed significantly. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be the new owner of Quixotic Books.
I set the alarm and locked up, a bit of pep in my step. Checking my watch, I realized it was just about closing time over at The Little Bean. Maybe I’d make it in time for one last cup of coffee. As I walked toward the coffee shop, I noticed Sanders and Leo were in the process of sweeping the floors and putting the chairs upside down on the tabletops.
Adorably, they were both dancing and singing to music that was playing so loudly I could hear every word from outside the doors. Grinning, I leaned against the window and watched them for a few minutes before finally making my way inside.
Sanders turned my way, and I waved. As I took off my jacket, the boy stared fixedly at the tattoo on my left arm. I glanced down at it and then back at him, my gaze questioning as he finally met my eyes. I’d expected to see a smile or a grin, but his look was full of absolute astonishment. I watched, stunned as tears filled his eyes and he covered his mouth with his hand, a little whimper escaping. Then he was moving, running around the counter toward me as fast as his legs would carry him.
Shocked, I only had a second to brace myself before I had an armful of boy, a wide grin on his face and tears falling from his eyes. Before I could even think to respond, he’d clasped my face in his hands and let out a broken whisper that set my heart to thrumming. “Tattooed_Daddy?”
I nearly bobbled him in my own shock. Holy shit. Life couldn’t be that serendipitous, could it? I gripped him tighter, pulling him closer. “Awkward_and_Adorable?”
He nodded his head so hard more tears slid down his inflamed cheeks and his whole body jostled in my arms. He bit his lip and glanced down between us, avoiding my eyes. “Are you disappointed?”
My grip tightened of its own accord, and I raised a hand to tilt his face back toward me to meet my gaze. “No, Sanders. I couldn’t be happier. How could you even think that? You’re absolutely gorgeous, sweet, and wonderful, and just… God.” I swept my hand through his hair, my voice raspy when I said, “Perfect. You’re just perfect.”