Page 23 of B is for Baby Me (Classes in Kink #1)

Chapter twenty-two

Man-Eater

JR

Wow. These football-shaped cheese balls are ginormous. When Simon said he’d bring a few of them to the party, I didn’t realize he’d meant twelve . Not to be outdone, my dad has made enough rum balls to put the entire team in a sugar coma. Even Fletcher has gotten into the holiday spirit—he’s brought an entire case of rum for us to drink.

“Where’s your lady friend, Si?” Dad asks as he sets out napkins on our old dining room table.

The professor looks up from where he’s arranging crackers on one of the huge serving trays. “Yes, shouldn’t she be here by now?”

When the doorbell rings, Simon’s eyes light up. “Speak of the devil!” He strolls toward my dad’s front door, returning moments later with a beautiful woman on his arm.

Holy shit. I’ve never seen anyone so striking. Maybe their matchmaking plan will work, after all. I glance over at Fletcher. She kinda reminds me of him, somehow… it’s probably her midnight-black hair.

Simon leads the lady over to us, stopping in front of my dad. “Gwendolyn, darling—let me introduce you to our host for this evening, George Bennett Senior. SR, meet the lovely Gwendolyn St. Clair.”

She extends a crimson-nailed hand, and my father pumps it up and down. “Gwen! So nice to meet Si’s special friend.”

“It’s Gwendolyn, actually.” She steps into his personal space, peering up at him with half-lidded eyes. “My, aren’t you a big boy? Simon didn’t mention what attractive friends he keeps these days.”

“Oh, uh... thanks, Gwen... dolyn. Would you care for a rum ball?” Dad shoves a platter of the chocolate-covered treats at her.

She pushes the tray aside. “I’m sure your balls are divine, but I don’t eat sugar—though you look sweet enough to eat.“ She licks her crimson-colored lips.

My dad’s eyes grow wide. He grabs Fletcher by the arm and yanks him forward. “Uh... Tom, have you met Gwen... dolyn?”

“Yes, I’ve had the pleasure,” the professor says. Leaning forward, he kisses her cheek. “Gwendolyn, you look stunning, as always.”

She returns the kiss on his other cheek. “Thomas, darling, it’s been ages. I trust you’re in top form?”

“On top of the world.” Fletcher smirks. “Did Simon mention that George is an avid sports fan? You like sports, if I remember correctly.”

“Why, yes—I show-jump thoroughbred horses. I enjoy taking a large beast and bridling him.” She places a hand on my dad’s chest, stroking it as though giving him a rubdown.

“George loves sports,” Simon tells her. “He played professional football for the Pennsylvania Packers.”

“Green Bay,” Dad, Fletcher, and I say together.

Gwendolyn raises one perfectly groomed eyebrow. “Oh? How delightfully brutish,” she purrs.

OK… now I get it. They want to find Dad that kind of date.

Before I can warn him, my dad grabs Fletcher by the arm. “Tom, could I speak to you for a moment?” He drags the professor into the living room.

I follow quickly after them. No way am I getting left alone with Gwendolyn .

Once he reaches the corner furthest away from the domme, Dad whispers, “Did you just see that? Or am I crazy?”

“You weren’t imagining it, George,” Fletcher says. “Ms. St. Clair seems to have taken a fancy to you.”

“Um… Professor?” I rub the back of my neck. “I’m not sure if this is such a good idea.”

“My Georgey-boy’s right—that woman is a man-eater!” My father gives a full-body shudder. “I think she was hitting on me, and right in front of Simon! What kind of special lady friend would do that?”

The professor’s lips twitch. “I don’t think Simon is interested in Gwendolyn that way. I think he hoped that you and she might hit it off.”

“Me and her?” Dad’s jaw drops. “That woman looks like she could eat me for breakfast!”

I break into a fit of coughs.

As Fletcher pats me on the back, he says, “”There are worse ways to wake up in the morning.”

“Not interested.” Dad shakes his head, folding his arms across his broad chest. “She could never compare to my Sunny. I tell ya, Tom, you never met a woman as sweet as my wife—and as cute as a button, too! No one could ever fill her shoes—least of all Gwendolyn .”

I let out a sigh, glancing at the professor with a little shrug of my shoulders. I tried to tell him, didn’t I?

When the doorbell rings, my father rushes to answer it, surrounding himself with the pack of arriving football players. The Golden Gladiators should keep my dad safe—unless he gets between them and the food. My teammates drag my father with them as they race toward the dining room, ready to descend on the snacks, treats, and rum like an invading Mongolian horde.

“Strike one, it seems,” Fletcher murmurs, watching as they go. “Though there must be a more fitting football analogy. Oh, well— ‘try, try again’ , as they say.”

Again? Shit.

“Where’s your roommate, Bennett?” The professor turns to face me. “I thought he was coming tonight.”

Uh oh. I was afraid of that. When I’d left our apartment, Josh had seemed more nervous than usual. I’d had to promise that I would keep ‘The Destroyer’ away from him just to get him to come to the party. “He probably came in through the back door. Why don’t we go talk to... Tyrell. Hey, Tyrell!” I pull on the professor’s arm, leading him over to the linebacker.

The athlete’s plate is already loaded with goodies. “Have you tried the rum balls yet, Professor?” He dips one of the holiday treats into a tumbler of rum, then pops it in his mouth.

“I’m pacing myself.” Fletcher narrows his eyes at the undergrad.

“You’d better pick up your pace,” Tyrell warns him. “The Gladiators will wipe through this spread in no time flat. The only things we love more than football are food and women. Ain’t that right, JR?”

My face heats up. “Um... I think my roommate is in the kitchen.”

“Sweet! I’m gonna tell him these are the rum-free balls.” The football player swipes a few of the candies off a nearby tray, then rushes out of the room.

“Shouldn’t we warn your friend?” the professor asks me.

“He’ll be fine. Hey, there’s Blake!” I drag him over to the quarterback, where we get drawn into a long strategy session about our upcoming game.

During a break in the conversation, Fletcher leads me to a quiet corner, gazing at me with a tight-lipped frown. “You aren’t trying to keep me away from your roommate, are you, Bennett?”

Oh shit. “W-why would I do that? Hey, there’s Josiah!” I pull on his arm, but the professor stands his ground.

“I don’t know.” He lowers his voice. “That would be a very naughty thing to do. You aren’t being naughty, are you?”

“Um... no?” I rub the back of my neck.

Fletcher folds his arms across his chest. “That’s Punishment #1, boy. I’m giving you a second chance—are we going to say hello to your friend, or are you going to accumulate punishments?”

Uh oh. I almost didn’t survive the last spanking I got. Sorry, Josh, but you’re on your own. “OK, but be nice to him. He was super anxious when we left campus.”

My dom’s frown deepens. “Why wouldn’t I be nice? I’m always nice.”

I roll my eyes. Whatever you say, Dr. Destroyer.

“That eye roll is Punishment #2,” Fletcher snaps. He grabs me by the hand, pulling me toward my dad’s kitchen.

When we enter the small room, I jerk to a stop. Gwendolyn has Tyrell backed into a corner. Meanwhile, Dad and Simon are drunkenly debating the best holiday cocktails.

“Hey, Dad. Where’s Josh?” I interrupt them. I hope he’s not passed out in the guest room again.

“Hey there, Georgey-boy!” My father grins at me, his face a rosy rum-induced red. Nodding toward Ms. St. Clair, he whispers loudly, “J-Bob seemed really jumpy tonight. You know how he gets around some people.”

“Sssuch a sssweet boy,” Simon slurs his words, tipping his head back and swallowing a deep gulp of rum. “And ssso sssmart!”

“Yeah, no chlorine needed in his gene pool.” I glance at Fletcher and fight back a snort. “So, he’s gone already?”

“Yep,” Dad says, swallowing his own swig of rum. “We’re gonna do brunch before he leaves on winter break.”

Simon licks his lips. “Mmm… I love a good brunch. Mimosssasss... Bloody Marysss... Irishshsh coffee…”

My dad nods. “Don’t forget about hot-buttered rum.”

Jeez. I guess no one is pacing themselves tonight. Maybe we oughta catch up. I pick up a half-empty bottle of liquor and shake it at the professor. “Would you like a drink, Sir?”

“Perhaps a small one.” Fletcher’s mouth curls up at the corners. “I want to keep my wits about me… for later. It seems I still have a few lessons to teach you.”

I look at the gleam in my dom’s eye and gulp. Punishments One and Two?

Shit. I think I’m gonna need a stiff drink.

“You’re just making it harder on yourself,” I tell my roommate. “Professor Fletcher knows you’re avoiding him.”

We slide into a booth in the back of the pancake house. Dad won’t be here for at least twenty minutes, but Josh and I had to come early. We’re starving.

He frowns as he picks up his menu. “Is Ms. St. Clair invited to Roscoe’s now, too? I’ll never get to go there again.”

“Don’t worry about Gwendolyn . Dad didn’t like her, either.“ I snort. “But the professor’s sticking around. Sorry, buddy.”

“Fine. I guess I should learn how to deal with stress, though porn seems to help me relax.” Josh’s face brightens as he brings up his new favorite hobby.

“That reminds me—I got you a Christmas present. Don’t open it in front of my dad, OK?” I pass him a gift-wrapped fleshjack. Some secrets are too good to keep to yourself.

“Thanks!” He grins. “I’ll bring you a gift from India. I’ve already promised Tyrell that I’d bring him a statue of Ganesh.”

My elephant-sized teammate should get a kick out of that. “It’s gonna be weird having you gone over the winter break, but I hope you have fun visiting your family.”

Josh’s smile wavers. “It’ll be good to see my grandmother… and the rest of my family, of course. I just wish…” His shoulders sag.

“Are your parents still pressuring you?” I ask.

He glances down at the menu in his hands. “They want what’s best for me. We just disagree about what that is.”

Boy, can I relate. “Maybe we can find you a boyfriend when you get back. That would be something to look forward to, right?” Fletcher and Simon aren’t the only ones who can play matchmaker.

“ Me? A boyfriend?“ Josh shakes his head. “No, I would never be allowed to date a guy. Besides, who’d want to date a nerd like me? I can see why you have a boyfriend, but—“

“Whoa. I do not have a boyfriend,“ I whisper, looking around at the nearby tables. “And you’re not a nerd. You’re my best friend.”

The grin returns to my roommate’s face. “Same. But I would argue with you about the definition of a boyfriend. You’ve been spending a lot of time with your ‘hook-up’ lately.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Apparently my weekly lessons with the professor haven’t gone unnoticed.

“Does he kiss you?” Josh asks, a look of longing on his face.

“Yeah, sometimes.” More and more lately, though I’m not gonna point that out to Fletcher.

“And do you cuddle together?” He wraps his arms across his chest, giving himself a hug.

Not gonna lie—I love to cuddle. “Sure, we do that, too.”

“And do you have cute little pet names for each other?” Josh raises his eyebrows at me.

Oh... I see where this is going. “It’s not like that. He’s not the boyfriend type. Trust me on this, buddy.” If Fletcher knew we were having this conversation, I’d never get to hook up with him again.

Thankfully, Dad saves me from my roommate’s questions. “You boys got here early. Did you save any pancakes for me?”

Josh hops out of of his seat and hugs my dad around the waist. “Hey, Uncle SR!”

My dad rumples his glossy, black hair. “Merry Christmas, J-Bob! You celebrate Christmas in India, right?”

“My family celebrates Diwali,” he says as he slips into the seat next to me. “One day, you both must come to Jaipur for the Festival of Lights. We light up the entire city with fireworks and decorations!”

“You don’t say?” Dad lets out a low whistle as he sits down across from us. “I’d like to see that! Wouldn’t you, Georgey-boy?”

“Yeah, that sounds amazing!” I agree. “You’ve always wanted to travel someday. Maybe that should be first on your bucket list.”

“Bucket list?” Josh glances between us. “Is that an American term?”

My father nods as he buries his nose in the menu. “Yeah, J-Bob—it’s the things you wanna do before you kick the bucket. You know, before you receive your eternal reward.”

“Hindus believe in reincarnation,” he says. “When we die, we receive a new bucket.”

Dad glances up from his menu. “You don’t say? Well, if I might get a new bucket tomorrow, I’m gonna order extra bacon with my pancakes today.”

Jeez, my old man is two parts bacon already. “Dad, you know that’s not good for you. Most Hindus are vegetarian—aren’t they, Josh?”

“That’s true, and we also believe in a third gender.” My fact-loving buddy grins at us before explaining, “According to ancient Vedic texts, some people have both male and female elements within them. In fact, many Hindu gods are gender fluid or enjoy same-sex relationships.”

Uh oh. I rub my neck as I look at my father. We don’t usually talk about this kind of stuff.

Dad sets down his menu. “That’s good to know, J-Bob. Americans can get so caught up in gender stereotypes, especially in the sports community. I wish we could all be a little more accepting and fluid in our beliefs. Don’t you, boys?”

Holy shit. “You do?”

“Yeah, Junior.” He gives me a puzzled look. “Love is love—and the world sure could use a little more love these days. Isn’t that what the holiday season is all about?”

Yeah… I guess it is.

“To love!” Josh reaches out a fist to my father.

Dad fist bumps him. “To love!”

I reach out my hand and join in. As I bump fists with my East-Indian ‘brother’ and Midwestern father, my heart gives a grateful thump in my chest.

Family… You gotta love ’em.