Page 5 of In the Middle of No(ah)where (Rockport Ridge #2)

Her smile brightens her face. "May I introduce you to the group?"

"Yes, please. I'd like that."

Sharon makes the introductions, and I soon join the people on the bean bags. Chatting about nothing in particular, and before I knew it, my spot in the rotation was up to race.

After about an hour of hanging out, a strange sensation washes over me.

It's a wave of calm so profound it's almost disorienting.

My thoughts and body lighten. The familiar weight of my recent adult concerns about where to live seemed to dissolve into nothingness, replaced by a carefree abandon I hadn't felt since childhood.

I look down at my hands; I'm still an adult but feel much smaller.

Is this what little space feels like? Since I feel like I'm back to being nine again, would it be called middle space?

I pull up memories of my nine-year-old self.

My eyes widen with innocence and wonder.

After finishing my race, I toss the controller to the next person. "I'll be right back," I tell no one in particular as I get up and excuse myself from the group.

I just need a moment.

I'm unsure what to make of these new feelings, so I locate a quiet place to be alone.

Emotions rack my body. My hand rubs the raised marks on my left forearm that I can feel underneath my long-sleeved tee.

Wrapping my arms around my torso, I rock myself back and forth to soothe some of my uncertainty.

A warm hand lands on my shoulder, and a soft, deep voice pulls my attention.

"Hey, buddy, are you alright?" the handsome, older man with scruff and dark eyes asks. His voice washes over me, soothing some of these emotions.

"Yeah. I'm okay." I say, my voice sounding much younger. I have this strong desire to lean into his touch. So, I do.

We sit silently for a minute, his hand never leaving my shoulder, which grounds me in a way I've never felt before except when I was cutting myself.

"Can I get you anything? Maybe a snack," he asks tentatively.

I give a slight nod but remain silent. The man stands, reassuringly squeezing my shoulder. "I'll be right back," he tells me before walking to the refreshment area.

That was very nice of the stranger. He doesn't even know me, but he's checking to ensure I'm alright.

My heart pangs with an ache that he cares more about me at this moment than my own parents do.

My eyes start to sting. Why would he do that?

Sharon's words come back, "…any of the caregivers here will be more than happy to help you…

we have a natural caregiver instinct." I let myself relax and take what I need in this moment.

Right now, I just need someone to be with me and tell me that everything will work out.

"Here ya go, buddy." The man hands me a package of fruit snacks and punches the straw through the top of the juice box before handing it over. I take a sip. The cool liquid coating my throat.

"Th-thank you."

"First time here?" He sits back down next to me on the sofa and turns to face me with his foot tucked under one leg. I wish he would put his hand back on my shoulder. It was comforting. But he doesn't.

"Yeah. I recently learned about age play and thought I would explore it. I didn't think it was really my thing, but then––"

"You slipped into the mindset," the stranger finishes for me.

It wasn't a question, but I answered him anyway: "Yeah. I'm not sure how it even happened. One minute, I was playing a video game, and the next, I felt as though I was having an out-of-body experience or something similar. It was a bit overwhelming."

"I figured that's what happened when I saw you come over here to be alone.

I was watching your group of friends having a good time, but then something in you shifted.

I hope you don't mind that I came over to check on you," he tells me, and there is something in his voice that sounds sincere—like he was really concerned for me.

"I actually like that you did. It's nice having you here with me and checking on me. I'm Noah, by the way." I hold my hand out for him. He looks at my hand and smiles at the gesture before taking it in his. His hands are calloused and rough but warm.

"What great manners you have, Noah. I'm Marcus. Or Marc. Whichever you prefer."

"Not Daddy?" I ask with knitted brows, and Marcus lets out a bark of laughter.

"You really are new to this, aren't you?" He teases me with a light punch to my shoulder, and I nod. "The title of daddy is earned. Since we just met, Marcus or Marc is appropriate."

"Do you attend these meetups often, Marcus?" I ask him, sliding my hand between the cushions while wishing the couch would swallow me from embarrassment.

"Not really. I am a daddy, but I live a couple of hours from here. I'm in town on business and will be heading out tomorrow. I extended my trip by an extra day to attend the playdate. A couple of friends of mine told me about it." His smile is soft and kind.

"Are they daddies too?" I ask.

"Since one is here with me today, I don't mind telling you, yes.

Shaun is over there playing dolls with one of the littles.

He enjoys playtime with them." I glance over and see a man who looks to be in his late twenties to early thirties sitting next to Kai, holding up a dress to one of the dolls.

Kai crinkles his nose and shakes his head before giggling at something Shaun says.

"And you don't?" I feel my brows pull forward.

"No, I do. But I prefer my boy to be more independent. I like offering guidance and setting boundaries." He nods from side to side, and I quirk a brow. "Setting boundaries also comes with setting consequences."

"Oh."

"Consequences can be in the form of rewards or punishments."

I feel my face heat, wondering what it would be like to have Marcus' hand swatting my ass. "Wh-what k-kind of…punishment?" The last word barely comes out as a whisper.

"It depends. They can be as simple as taking away a privilege like gaming for a set time, writing lines, or they can be more physical." He tells me softly.

"Like spanking?" My face feels hot now, and Marcus' grin goes wide.

"Yes. Like spanking." He tells me while shifting in his seat. "Have you ever been spanked before?"

I shake my head while looking down at my shoes. I've been researching a lot about pain play, thinking maybe it could help clear my head, but I haven't researched it enough to want to try. I don't dare tell Marcus this. "I'm pretty new to this whole scene," I admit.

It's nice to be open about this and ask him questions.

I came here to understand more and wasn't expecting to actually participate.

Slipping into the little mindset was a shock.

With Marcus living so far away, there's no pressure for anything to develop between us.

Why does that thought provide me with some relief but also a little sadness?

"I'm glad you stopped in today. It's nice talking to you," I tell Marcus.

"Same." He offers me a soft smile.

Marcus and I chat for a while longer, and he tells me that he works for a veterinarian clinic in his hometown.

Still, a friend of his is trying to get him to transfer here to do similar work.

Since he was looking for a change of pace, he came into town to explore it.

To see if it was a place he could settle down in.

I share some information about myself as well.

Primarily, I just graduated high school, and I'm trying to navigate the adult world.

I left out the part about my parents being complete assholes.

After a few more laughs, I ask, "Would you want to play a game with me?"

Marcus' eyes crease in the corner when he smiles. "I'd love to. Video game or board game?"

"How about a board game so we can keep talking?"

Marcus stands and holds his hand out to me.

I gladly take it. My hand feels warm in his, and something about it sends a calm through my body.

I've always been attracted to older men on TV or in magazines; most of my Instagram feed features older men, but age play is new to me.

I know age doesn't matter because I've seen younger daddies with older littles.

But something just feels right about someone being in that daddy role who is older than me.

That is, if I was to dive deeper into this.

So far, I'm comfortable because it's been laid back.

No pressure. But what about the long term?

"Can we join you?" Carlos asks, with the red-haired girl, Emily, next to him. He was racing me earlier before I stepped away and seems pretty nice. I only know Emily because she was introduced to us when Kai and I came into the center.

"Please," I tell them, and Marcus offers them both a smile.

"I'm Emily," the girl tells us, "And this is Carlos."

"I know who he is," I say while trying to make my voice sound annoyed and disappointing.

Marcus quirks a brow.

"Carlos beat my high score in Mario Kart. I'm holding a grudge." I tell him with a forced laugh.

"Noah. We need to have good sportsmanship if you're going to play games with others." Marcus tells me with this deep voice, and a shiver runs up my spine. What the hell was that? My cock takes notice too.

"I'm only teasing, Carlos. I hope you know that." I offer an explanation.

"I do. Besides, you gave me a run for my money. You can battle me again later."

Before I start shuffling the cards, Marcus calls to the room, "Does anyone else want to join us?"

Another daddy and a mommy join us, along with one more middle, for a very competitive game of UNO Attack.

My cheeks are still sore from all the laughing and smiling.