22

So I got Hal a gift.

It was a thin necklace with daddy engraved on the dog tag in my handwriting. It had taken a huge chunk out of my savings. I didn't want to use the black card because he'd know what I've been up to.

It was ten thirty and this time I'm on a shift with Jimmy. He still hasn't looked me in the eye and I don't know why I found it so funny. He always looks like he was about to say something but doesn't.

I had a lunch date with Hal at his office and I was so excited. I had been wondering why the excitement still hadn't gone. I had googled it and the results weren't what I wanted.

Fifty percent of it said it's because I might be in love. Which is an absolute poppycock. It's been weeks. This was our second month together and at first I wanted to do like an anniversary celebration but the contract was for three months. I want us to get past the three months.

I wanted to tell Hal, I didn't want the contract anymore. I just wanted to be with him.

"Jesse..."

I looked up and found Jimmy staring at me. "Hey Jimmy."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah."

Jimmy awkwardly tapped his fingers against the table. "I've actually got several." He said and I giggled. I tell him to go on and he pops the first question.

"Is Hal your Dom?" He asked and I thank the heavens I wasn't drinking something because I would have done a fantastic spit take.

"Why are you asking?"

"Your friend came in with Hal and the other guy and he called the other guy daddy and your friend had this choker thing on his neck and curiosity got the best of me so I spent hours on my laptop and oh god, I don't mean to sound creepy. I'm sorry. I'll just go away. Please forget what I sa-"

"Hey, Jimmy. Calm down." I said, placing my hand on his and giving it a little squeeze.

"I am calm."

"Why are you sweating then?" I asked, giving him an amused smile.

"It's..."

"Hal is my boyfriend." I said as a reply. "He is also my Dom, yes."

Jimmy's lips part and his eyes widened in surprise. He wanted to know. The worst thing he could do was either go to the media about this or stop talking to me. The media thing wouldn't work though because Hal's PR team work faster than the flash.

"Is he...like your master? And does he like make you do all these things like whipping and knife play and-"

"Jimmy, what the fudge have you been reading?" I asked him, watching the way his cheeks turned a soft pink.

"The Internet is a dark place."

"We don't do any of that. Hal is my daddy Dom and that's all I can tell you. If you like I could arrange a meeting with him for you."

Jimmy shook his head no. "Oh god, that would be awkward and intrusiv-"

"You have questions and I'm sure he'd love to answer some of them. Plus I would be there with you."

Jimmy's shoulder loosened in relief. Jesse watched the boy in front of him. Jimmy was young and dark hair styled off his face, he was shifty and trying to meet my eyes but failing.

"Jimmy, why are you asking?"

"It's just that I found a lot of things that scared me and a lot of things that I'd want to...you know, try."

And oh.

Oh wow.

I wasn't expecting that. I was expecting ... wait no. I didn't expect anything like this. Jimmy's face looked so red that I had to fight down another giggle.

"It's fine, Jimmy. It's good that you know hat you want. How about I text Hal and try to set up a meeting." I said and he nods. The door to the store was pushed open and we both looked over to see who had come in.

"Thank you so much, Jesse."

"Any time, Jimmy."

Once he was gone, I quickly pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Hal.

To Hal: I might have told Jimmy you're my Dom.

The reply was almost instant and it consisted of one word.

Hal: why?

Hoping I hadn't done anything wrong, I quickly type out a reply.

To Hal: last week when you, Danny and Jeff came over. He heard Danny call Jeff daddy and today we talked for a bit and he said he might be interested in somethings. I told him he should talk to you. I only told him you're my boyfriend and Dom. That's it. I promise.

Just like the last time, the reply was just as fast. I wondered what he was doing.

Hal: Good boy. We'll talk about this more during lunch or we could invite him for dinner. You pick darling.

I wanted to give him his present during lunch. But I also wanted to help out Jimmy as soon as possible. I had been in his shoes a couple weeks ago and had no one to guide me but Hal and a few Internet forum. Now Danny was a true blessing and I think everything would have been better if I had a friend like Danny who was into the same lifestyle from the beginning.

To Hal: can we do both?

Hal: of course, darling

I smiled brightly at that. I had to keep my phone aside when ringing up the customers that had come in. The twins carrying cartons of beer. I had asked for id and rang them up afterwards.

Jimmy had gone back to checking the expiration dates on the milk. I sent Hal back some heart emoji and went back to staring at the clock on the wall, willing it to go faster. I couldn't wait to give Hal his gift and see his reaction.

He would love it. I knew he would.

Once it hit twelve I was out of the door faster than ever. My phone and wallet in my pocket. I had on one of Hal's button up shirt but I left it open, the sleeves covering up half of my fingers, showing off the white shirt I had underneath and my cargo pants, my Gucci sneakers on my feet and Hal's gift. I felt like a billion bucks.

I found Lambert, the receptionist, sitting there, snacking on cinnamon rolls, the open box of it beside his phone. He looks up at me and smiled.

"Hey Jesse."

"Hi, Lammy."

I'd been to Janvier Inc enough times for me to get on a nickname basis with Lambert. He had to be to nicest person in this building besides Hal of course. Everyone one else just stared at me as if trying to find what it was about me that made Hal want to date... me. Well, they could suck my banana.

I was starting to get better with the swearing thing. Danny has told me the trick was to use fruits or like sweets and that I could only say bad words during sexy times. Hal wouldn't mind then.

So far it's been going well and Hal has been impressed. My fruity cuss words always made him laugh.

I took the elevator up to the twentieth floor, stepping out once the doors were pulled open. Hal's secretary takes one look at me and quickly picks up her purse. She was smartly dressed in a blue chiffon shirt tucked into a dark pencil skirt and high heels.

"Hey Jesse! You can just go in. He's waiting for you."

"Thank you, Emma. Have a nice lunch." I bid and she blows me a kiss before walking to the elevator. I knocked on the door, pushing it open when Hal said to come in.

I haven't seen him since he dropped me off this morning but somehow he looked even better. His white shirt was rolled up to his elbows, three buttons undone and showing off smooth skin and pants that hugged his frame beautiful and he had glasses on.

Glasses.

I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. How come I haven't seen him in glasses before today? Because wow. Wow.

Holy fruit.

The glasses were round frame, the frame black. With his hair pushed back and well, his everything, Hal looked fudging awesome.

"Darling, are you just going to stand there?" He asked and I hugged and crossed my arms.

"Your glasses. Have you been hiding them?" I asked him, refusing to move. I felt like I had been attacked. A little warning would have been nice.

"I haven't. I just don't like wearing them." He said, looking away. There were a handful of things that made Hal blush or like shy away. One of which is me telling him how gorgeous he looks in the mornings and another is him singing. He gets really blushy when he sings along to the radio or music and catches me smiling at him. Sometimes he's really adorable too.

I quickly made my way over to him and cuddled up to him, arms wrapped around his waist. It's one of my favorite sides to him. Hal presses a kiss to my forehead, moving his hands to cup my cheeks and tilting my head backwards so he could kiss me properly.

It was soft and welcoming, the tingles and warmth shooting through my body. There was a sharp knock on the door and Hal tells me to give him a second. I leaned against the table and watched him go to the door. He comes back with both hands carrying bags of food from the Chinese restaurant two streets over.

My tummy rumbled at the smell of the food and I made grabby hands at it.

"Let me."

Hal handed me the bags and I set about putting the food on the table at the seating area. Hal takes a seat and pulls me onto his lap.

"What's in your pocket?" He asked and I couldn't hold back the grin. I let go of one arm and pulled the small pack out of my pocket and hand it to him.

"What is this, darling?"

"A little present for you." I said. He takes the small pack and opens, gently taking out the dog tags. He looked at it, his fingers softly stroking the engraved words. He doesn't say a word and just looked at me instead.

"What? You don't like it?"

"Baby I-" He looked at me, his eyes suspiciously shining. Was he going to cry? Oh god. "I love it. It's gorgeous and it's in your writing."

I felt so relieved. I take the tags and lock it around his neck and smiled at him.

"Thank you, baby."

"Any time." I said, leaning forward to press a kiss to Hal's cheek. He was acting like he hadn't been given a gift before and I wanted to ask. But I don't.

I shuffled between eating my food and feeding Hal his. One arm was still on my waist, softly stroking. We miraculously finish eating the food and moved on to the discussion of Jimmy and we agreed on taking him out for dinner so he could talk to him.

"I really love the gift, baby. It's the best thing I've ever gotten." Hal said. I turned around and straddled his thighs and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Really? You're acting like this is the first gift someone has given you."

Hal slid his hands up my thighs and placed them on my ass. He looked at me with those gorgeous brown eyes, the color of whiskey.

"That's because no one has ever given me a present besides my dad, Jeff and Danny." Hal said. "No one I care about besides those I mentioned, no one I've ever dated have given me a gift."

That...

That was ...

What in the fresh hell?

No! How!

Hal deserved so much, he deserves so much more. Gifts, happiness, everything. I wanted to protect him from everything. I wanted to give him everything and everything. My heart, my love included.

Not knowing what to say, I closed the distance between us, our lips meeting.

He deserved everything good and I will try my best to give it to him.