We Have Till Monday

Camden dropped his jaw. “Why?”

I tapped his nose. “Because the last thing your Daddy needs is worrying about us when he’s busy with work downstairs. Nothin’ wrong with taking it easy and watching movies together.”

Camden understood begrudgingly and put up minimal fuss. From August, my response earned me a deep kiss. The gratitude in his eyes meant more to me than I was willing to admit.

Chapter 7

Keep Your Eyes Open

Sylvia’s piano poured out of the speakers a few seconds before Luiz started hitting the snare and bass drum to count us in. Nicky appeared mesmerized as the spotlights traveled across the audience, and it mirrored what I felt. Holy fuck, there had to be at least two thousand people now.

Nicky and I pressed down on our overdrive pedals and distorted our guitar sound.

Then I started singing as he plucked on his strings, flirting with the audience again. Or maybe he’d found Gideon. I still hadn’t seen August and Camden, and I pushed them out of my mind before I could overthink and overanalyze.

Just open your eyes.

Don’t fear the unknown.

“I’m so full!” Camden flopped back against the mattress the moment I’d placed his plate on the nightstand. “Feel my belly, Sir. Feel it.”

I shook my head and grabbed his bed tray to set it on the floor. I’d opted to just hold my plate, wanting to make sure I didn’t spill.

“You’ve barely eaten anything.” I spoke around a mouthful of food, and I was equally bewildered and amused by his attempt to make his stomach look bigger. With how little he’d eaten, about half his serving, he shouldn’t bother trying. Hell, his portion hadn’t been big to begin with.

But…dramatic kids were gonna be dramatic kids.

No matter, I’d polish off his plate too, ’cause this was the best meal I’d had in a long time.

The meat was so tender that it fell apart in my mouth, and the chunks of spicy sausage August had added to the kabobs as a final touch were fucking delicious. Along with the perfectly grilled vegetables and the sides. Madonn’, the sides. Grilled tomato halves, Hasselback potatoes, and buttery garlic bread.

“Have you asked Daddy what you’re gonna make tomorrow at the festival?” Camden asked.

“No.” I bit into a piece of garlic bread. “I was going to, mainly because my brother’s curious, but then I figured, I’m already hoping to sleep with the teacher…”

Camden snickered. “I know what you’ll be making.”

“I’m sure I’ll fail spectacularly,” I drawled.

I’d had to sign a waiver because a film crew was going to be there, and they’d make highlights of the festival available for streaming on the festival’s website. August King’s class was definitely one of the highlights.

“Will you be there tomorrow?” I asked in return. I wasn’t sure, because they’d indicated that previous plans had been changed.

He yawned and shook his head against his pillow. “Nuh-uh. When you showed up early today, I knew right away that you and Daddy would have the best chemistry in the galaxy, so I thought it was pointless to come out of one regressive period just to show up at the festival, only to regress again when we start playing.”

The best chemistry in the galaxy, huh?

“You never leave the house when you’re in your Little mode?” I wondered.

He squinted at the ceiling and scratched his stomach. “Sometimes? It depends how little I feel. I don’t wanna risk running into anyone we know—and the festival will be packed with Daddy’s followers.”

That made sense, I supposed. I already knew August would be busy signing books for an hour or two after the class. Over the years, he’d published three cookbooks and one book about his culinary journey through South America.

I’d read neither of them. I was a bad fan.

“Well, I’ll miss you tomorrow.” I splayed my hand over his tummy and shook him playfully, to which he groaned through his giggles about how full he was. “Once we’re done, I’m just gonna walk around and eat till I get sick.”

Camden grinned sleepily and cuddled closer to hug my thigh. “Can you bring me back some treats?”

“Of course, ragazzo.” I shoveled some food into my mouth before I wove my fingers through his hair. “I’ll give you my number in case you wanna call.”

He hummed with pleasure, eyes drooping.

All in all, we must’ve watched ten minutes of the movie that was muted but playing in the background.

“I love our chemistry too, Sir,” he mumbled. “You’re like a Daddy.”

I smiled to myself and scratched his scalp gently. He didn’t know what those words did to me. Hell, I barely knew myself, other than I had all this warmth spreading in my chest.

It made me wanna bring him tomorrow—somehow. Maybe after the cooking class was over. The festival was going to be massive. Was there no way to… I lifted my gaze and scanned the room; I’d seen something earlier, and it was right there on the top shelf. Halloween masks of the collector’s variety. Darth Vader, a stormtrooper, Iron Man, Deadpool…