Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33869 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
I jerk my gaze to him, but he’s looking at me, not at my surroundings. He’s already seen all of this, though. He walked through my mess to get to me where I was hiding like a coward in my closet.
I shift my attention toward the front door. My mail is no longer on the floor. I’m sure half of it was inside the apartment and the other half out in the hall. Eli must have picked it up all. I notice now it’s in a stack next to his hip on the coffee table. It’s damp because the water bottle exploded all around the mail. There’s no water on the floor, though, so I assume he wiped it up with something.
“Grace, I need you to stop panicking, sweet girl. You’re Little. It’s okay. I get it. I’m not judging you.”
I lick my lips. “I’ve never met a Daddy,” I whisper.
“Sure you have. You just didn’t know it. There are Daddies all around you. Could be the cashier at the grocery store. Could be the mailman. Could be the guy who brings our pizza.”
“What if the guy who brings the pizza is a girl?” I ask, narrowing my gaze.
He chuckles. “Good point. She could be a Mommy.” He lifts a brow.
He’s right.
“Well, I’ve never met someone I know is a Daddy.”
“Now you have. You’ve known me for months, and I’m definitely a Daddy. Do you want to see my official Daddy certification?”
My eyes go wide. “You have such a thing?”
He chuckles again. “No. I was kidding. But I do know people who can vouch for me if you want to check my references.”
“Why would you have references?”
“I belong to the Dungeon in town. I know the owner and many of the members. I’ve never seen you there. I guess you’ve never gone?”
“No, Sir.” I’ve never even heard of the Dungeon.
“It’s a kink club. A lot of members are Daddies and Littles. I’m serious that I could give you the name of the owner, and you could verify I’m a good guy.”
I slowly shake my head. “I don’t need to.” He moved in across the hall from me six months ago. By now I would probably know if he were a serial killer, right?
He smiles, his eyes so very kind. “Does anyone know you’re Little, Grace?”
“No, Sir.”
“I’m honored then. You know you’re not the only Little who lives alone in Little space without a caregiver. Lots of Littles do.”
“They do?” I’ve never thought about it. I follow several different Littles through their blogs, but I have no idea if there are others out there or just a few.
“It’s very creative of you, Grace. You essentially have to be your own caregiver. That can be exhausting.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean who tells you to clean up? Who makes you dinner? Who gives you a bath? Who disciplines you, Grace?”
I swallow hard. “My pretend Daddy,” I whisper softly, surprised that I’m able to tell him.
He doesn’t even flinch. “That’s what I figured. That’s a lot of work. You basically have to be both parts even though one is imaginary.”
I nod. He’s right. He understands.
“How long have you been practicing age play, Little one?”
“Five years,” I admit.
“What do you do for a living?”
“I work for a surgical center. I make appointments or do intake for patients.”
He sits taller, grinning wide. “That’s so cool. And you do that from home?”
“Uh huh.”
“Now I’m even more impressed. You have an adult side of you who works at such an important job, and you’re able to turn her off and be Little when you’re not working.”
“Yes, Sir.” I relax a bit. He’s proud of me. No one is ever proud of me. He’s the first.
“Such a polite Little girl,” he praises. “How do you know so much about being Little?”
I shrug. “Books and the internet.”
“You must have been pretty young when you figured out you were Little.”
“Yeah.” I don’t offer him more. I’m not sure what I want to share. I’m not thinking clearly.
“Do you have family, Little one?”
I look down. “No, Sir.” I flinch. “I mean, I do. But I don’t talk to them. My parents are not good people. I left home when I turned eighteen. I haven’t spoken to them since.”
“I’m sorry. That’s hard. You’re so brave. You’ve been living on your own for a long time and keeping such a big secret. Do you have any girlfriends, sweet girl?”
I look at him. If he is a serial killer, I’ve given him all the ammunition he needs to murder me and dispose of my body. No one will ever be looking for me. I’ve confirmed it.
Eli sighs. “I’m sorry. I’m making you nervous. How about this? I have a friend named Tate who lives not far from here with his Little girl Sophia. They’re members of the Dungeon I was talking about. I bet you could use a friend who’s Little. How about if I arrange for you to meet them? No matter what happens between you and me, you’ll have met another Little girl you can be friends with. You could even join the club I belong to now that you know about it. You could go there with me or with Sophia if you decide you don’t like me.”