Page 18 of Daddy’s Pursuit (The Daddy Guard #1)

Chapter Eighteen

After breakfast, Iris thought of playing with the other Littles, but her conscience just wouldn’t let her.

“Are there some chores or something I could do?” she asked Auntie Athena.

“Honey, not that I can think of. Why don’t you go play?”

“But I don’t mind helping out.”

Athena smiled. “Remember. You don’t have to earn your keep. I’m just glad you’re here. And you were a big help in the kitchen last night after dinner. Now run along and play. That’s Auntie’s order.” She winked.

Iris hugged her and then waddled toward the other Littles in the playroom. The diaper between her legs was an even thicker one, hampering her gait.

The crinkling was loud, too.

When she got to the group, Elena said, “What’s wrong?”

Iris sat down like the others were, the bunch forming a semi-circle. “I feel bad. Auntie Athena is letting me stay here. But I need to contribute. She let me help clean up after dinner last night, but that’s about it.”

Elena put a calming hand on Iris’s arm. “I understand. But Auntie loves taking care of Littles. It’s kind of her thing. She’s glad you’re here.”

“I know,” Iris admitted. “But I can’t freeload forever.

I need to contribute. If she won’t let me help out, then maybe I can pay her rent.

And I’ll save up enough until I can move out.

I don’t want to take advantage of her.” Remembering her upcoming shifts that day, she smiled.

“In fact, I need to be at work at eleven.”

“Do you need a ride?” Elena asked.

Iris hated admitting that she did. It wasn’t that she was too proud to accept help. She just didn’t like putting people out.

Her mind raced as she quickly tried to calculate how long it would take for her to walk from the nursery to the coffee shop. Even if she left now, she probably wouldn’t make it in time.

“Maybe,” she admitted uneasily. “Let me call and make sure they still have me on the schedule and that I’m remembering the right time.”

She doubted she was mixed up. Work was something she was sure to stay on top of. But experience had taught her that sometimes, the shop changed the schedule at the last minute. There had been more than one time when she’d walked all the way there just to have them say she wasn’t needed that day.

Getting up, she went downstairs to the phone mounted on the kitchen wall. “Auntie,” she called out to Athena who was in the attached dining room, working on some sort of craft at the table. “May I use your phone?”

“Of course, cutie. You don’t even have to ask.”

“Thank you.”

She dialed the number and waited.

“Café Noir, Teegan speaking.”

“Hi, Teegan. It’s Iris. How are you?”

“Oh, Iris. We’re good. What’s up?”

“Just checking in. I’m working at eleven, right?”

“We’ve been trying to reach you. Called your apartment,” Teegan said.

Iris could tell by her voice that there was something wrong. Bad news was about to be delivered. Holding the phone tightly, she tried not to shake.

“Yeah. That was Mrs. Harkness’s phone. She moved to a nursing home so I’m living somewhere else now.”

Teegan sighed. “I’m sorry, Iris. But we don’t need you anymore. You’ve been a great employee, but… business has been slow. We can’t compete with the big chains.”

Iris nodded, though she knew Teegan couldn’t see the gesture.

None of this was a surprise. Her hours kept getting cut as the customer stream dwindled. The last time she worked, it was an outright trickle.

A small, locally owned film-noir-themed coffee shop just couldn’t compete with the billion-dollar places that seemed to be on every corner. Not even in a town like Los Angeles where there were millions of people.

“I hope y’all make it okay,” she said.

“Thanks for understanding,” Teegan said. “And please know this isn’t a reflection on you or your work. We had to lay off two other baristas, too.” A heavy sigh came across the line. “If you need a reference, I’m happy to give one.”

“Thank you,” Iris told her. She wished them well one more time before ending the call.

Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, but she fought hard to keep them at bay. Hey, at least she wasn’t scrambling to pay Mrs. Harkness rent. But still, she couldn’t just use Auntie Athena and take advantage of her kindness. She needed to pay her way at some point.

And that needed to come sooner rather than later.

Her pride and moral compass wouldn’t let her do anything else.

She walked back upstairs to the playroom and sat down again glumly, crossing her legs as she sucked in her bottom lip.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Elena asked.

“I lost my job,” she responded. “The coffee shop has been in a slump lately. They let three people go. I was one of them.”

Elena reached over again and placed a hand on Iris. “I’m sorry, friend. That sucks!”

“Hey, I know how you can earn some money,” one of the other Littles chimed in. Her name was Macy and Iris estimated her to be in her late twenties or early thirties.

“You know someone who’s hiring?” Iris asked.

“Not really hiring, per se.” The other Little shifted and straightened out one leg, as if the position she’d been in grew uncomfortable.

“So check it out. There are some Daddies I know that live in a place up in Laurel Canyon. It’s some old house that used to be owned by some rock or folk band in the Sixties.

It’s pretty cool. A lot of hippie shit went on there.

Anyway, they host parties and they hire Littles to just be around.

” She blushed uneasily. “I’m not like a prostitute or anything.

They just like having cute girls walking around in diapers and Little clothes and all that.

We even get to play in the big pool and stuff! As long as we dress Little.”

Iris sat up a bit straighter. “Really? They don’t do shady stuff or anything?”

“Nah. Just a party. I mean, some of the guys get drunk, but they don’t try anything. And one of my friends met her Daddy there. They fell in love and are married now.”

“Do movie stars hang out there?” Elena asked.

Macy shook her head. “I haven’t seen any.”

“I was just wondering,” Elena said. “There are some famous Littles. A couple have been here at the nursery! But supposedly there’s a whole group of ‘em here in Hollywood. Even some famous Daddies and Mommies, too.”

For a moment, Iris forgot about the possible money. She leaned in closer. “Who?”

Elena giggled. “Harrison Trent is a Little. I met him here once.”

A gasp revealed how shocked Iris was. She didn’t often have enough money to go to the movies, but when she did, it was a luxury she greatly enjoyed.

Who didn’t in this town?

The last picture she’d seen had been a Harrison Trent action film. With his big muscles and macho persona, picturing him as a Little was tough. But Littles came in all shapes, sizes, and walks of life.

“That’s so cool!” she exclaimed.

“His bestie is a director. Stryker or something like that.” Elena shrugged. “Anyway, I didn’t spend a ton of time with them. We aren’t like best friends or anything. But they’re pretty cool. Not all stuck up or anything like some movie stars.”

“That’s awesome!” Elena said. “But I’ve never seen anyone famous at these parties.”

Iris’s mind went once again to the possible financial opportunity. But the more she thought about it, the more it just didn’t seem right to her. Something about it was off. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was. “You’re sure these parties are legit?”

She hoped she wasn’t offending Macy. The last thing she wanted to do was imply Macy was somehow involved in something sketchy.

Macy didn’t seem upset by the question. “They’re so much fun. And, hey, they pay a thousand dollars per party. There’s one tomorrow and they asked me to recruit some girls.”

Iris’s eyes grew wide, along with Elena’s.

“A thousand a night?” Iris exclaimed. “Holy cow!”

Macy nodded. “Yep. A grand. There’s at least one party a week. Sometimes more.”

Iris couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Had her financial luck changed that quickly? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had that much money at one time. Maybe she never had.

It would take a lot of coffee shop and laundry mat shifts to equal a grand.

Still, the gig didn’t feel right. What was wrong with it, though? Macy seemed nice and she’d vouched that nothing shady was going on. It didn’t sound like Iris would have to compromise on her morals or anything.

A grin turned her lips upward. Just days ago, she would have hoped to meet her Daddy at a party like that. Now, though, that was the furthest thing from her mind. She’d met Jack. There was no need to search any longer. Somehow, she just knew that he was the one for her.

They were made for each other.

But if she could earn a quick thousand bucks? She almost had no choice but to take this offer.

“You sure there’s a spot for me?” she asked.

“Yep. For both of you,” Macy said, looking at Iris and Elena.

“We’re in!” the Littles said in unison.

Tomorrow night, she’d earn some money! But before then, she had a doctor’s appointment.