Page 450 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

As I brush my teeth and do quick gag reflex training, I let gratitude for how Daddy’s reshaped his world around me fill up my soul. It hasn’t been easy for either of us. I didn’t realize until my confrontation with Miranda that I would struggle with it, too. But as I look at myself in the mirror, seeing the healthy glow of my skin, the light in my eyes, that weren’t there even six months ago when I was on my own, I see not the struggle but how far we’ve come. I look at the beautiful platinum collar glinting around my throat and, despite everything that’s going on around us, I feel at peace.

Ablutions completed, I bounce out of the bathroom, pull on my glitter-edged tutu, white thigh-highs, black garters, and a criminally short, black-and-blue checked pinafore over a sheer black shirt with thumb holes that I adore. There’s no point in a bra tonight and the shirt’s mesh chafes my nipples deliciously with every breath. I’m going to be a puddle by the time we get to the club.

When Cynnie and I found what she calls my “pastel goth Alice” outfit, we thrifted a blue velvet top hat to go with it. I glittered a veil to go on it but I’m feeling too little for a hattonight. Instead, I pull back my curls with a blue bow, slide my feet into black platform Mary Janes, and run downstairs to meet Daddy.

He blinks rapidly when he sees me, grins, and holds out his arms.

“Hello, Alice,” he growls. “You’re going to get a taste of my biggest hat tonight.”

I giggle. “You’re bad, Daddy.”

“I am. You in those thigh highs gets my motor revving, always. I love this outfit.” He slips a hand under the bib of my pinafore and tweaks a nipple. “Easy access. Brilliant.”

I wriggle happily and hold my arms out so he can help me into my winter coat. Manny’s ferrying us to Blunts, so I could go without but when I’m wearing a play costume, I feel safer either changing at the club or wearing a coat over top. I’m getting more and more comfortable wearing little clothes out, even when I’m not with Daddy but costumes are different. Even if they’re not as revealing as what women wear to nightclubs, the littleness of them could attract very bad attention.

The world still isn’t safe for my otherness. It won’t ever be. That sense of safety, of Daddy creating a world that’s as safe for me as possible, fills me up again. When he leads me out to Manny’s limo, I look up at him with all the love and gratitude in my heart.

He buckles my seatbelt and cups my face in his hands. “What’s that look for, naughty Alice?”

“You’re the best daddy for me in the whole universe and I’m very grateful for you.”

Logan clears his throat and snaps his own seatbelt as Bren, Cappa, and Fleur climb in and take their seats. True’s the second-to-last in, carrying Olivia in her car seat, followed by Master Mac. There are a lot of hands to help True strap the car seat in; I stay hands-off to let True earn her babysitting stripes.Once everyone’s got their seatbelts on, Daddy signals to Manny that we’re ready. The limo pulls smoothly into the early evening traffic.

Daddy leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “You’re making me emotional, little girl. What’s this all about?”

I wiggle in my seat until I’m cuddled close to his side. “When I was getting dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw how different I look from when I lived in Syracuse. I always had dark circles under my eyes because I didn’t have a consistent sleep schedule. My skin was pale and dry because I didn’t get enough sunlight or drink as much water as I should. I had happy moments. I had good friends and I’ve always loved to write. But I wasn’t crazy happy. I wasn’t so happy I thought I’d explode. Not the way I am now.”

“You’re always beautiful to me, sweetheart,” Daddy says. “But you do look very healthy. And hearing that you’re crazy happy makes me crazy happy, too.”

“Even with everything going on?” I ask.

“Especiallywith everything going on. You’re my whole world, Emmy. If you’re crazy happy even with all the messiness of my life spilling into yours, then everything I’ve had to do to control that mess is worthwhile.”

I tip my head onto his shoulder and smile dreamily out the window at the denim-blue twilight.

The outside of Blunts looks the same as always: staid and nondescript. But once we’re through the security doors, everything changes.

The main hallway is full of people. There are house submissives posed in every display nook along the paneled walls,bare skin gleaming in the club’s warm lights. Red banners hang from the hallway’s high ceiling, proclaiming “Blunts’ Nursery Grand Opening.” Beneath the banners, wait staff from the Trattoria circulate with silver trays loaded with juice boxes and finger foods. I didn’t have any hand in this—my decoration for the Grand Opening was confined to the Nursery itself—so the food on the trays isn’t all healthy but it’s a little’s delight. Chicken nuggies in animal shapes. Veggie flowers. Skewers of watermelon, pineapple, and mango. Popcorn balls. Fancifully decorated mini-cupcakes. It makes me teary to see the thought someone’s put into this.

Lots of our friends from playgroup and the Elephant’s Playground are already present, mingling, admiring the displayed submissives, talking in excited tones. The theme for the Opening is nursery rhymes and people have really gotten into it. Sammi is wearing nothing but a blue coat with gold buttons, bunny ears, and a huge, cotton-ball butt plug. He’s trailing so much gold and white glitter he looks like he’s in the middle of a dust storm. There are several Dumbos, a three-person caterpillar trailing a butterfly whose huge wings light up, and a Humpty Dumpty in nothing but white latex. Mistress Dana, in bright blue leathers and wielding a terrifyingly spiked shepherd’s crook, herds Austin, Mally, and Zuki, all wearing white, glittered wigs and matching G-strings. I see Maude leading Georgie in his full fursuit by a golden collar and leash. Master Chess is deep in conversation with Claudia, the chairwoman of the Playground, who is in her foxsuit. Tessa kneels at Chess’s feet in her puppy leathers, yipping for attention until he ruffles her hair. Moon and Allyn prance by in their pony tack and boots.

I clap my hands, spinning around in delight. When I cuddle against my grinning Daddy, I find Bren and Fleur looking at me with huge smiles.

I gesture to the banners. “Did you do this?”

Bren and Fleur crowd in for hugs. Fleur kisses my cheek. “Welcome to the Blunts family,” she whispers to me. “We’re a noisy family with a lot of strong personalities who won’t ever agree about everything but no one loves harder than the people in this club.”

I squeeze her. “Thank you.”

While I’m in mid-huggle, Chess walks over to Daddy. He hands Daddy an oversized pair of silver scissors. “Do the honors, Master Logan,” Chess says.

Daddy claps Chess on the shoulder and takes the scissors. He catches my wrist and draws me after him as he walks down the hallway to the huge stairs leading to the upper floors of the club. There’s another red banner stretched across the stairs.

Daddy stops next to the banner. He opens the scissors and offers one handle to me. Grinning, I take the handle. Daddy positions the scissor blades between the words “Nursery” and “Grand.”

He looks over his shoulder at the crowd. “Welcome, everyone. It’s my very great pleasure to open the Blunts Nursery.”

To cheers from the crowd, Daddy nods at me. I push my handle toward his and the big blades slice through the banner. The two halves flutter down to the stairs like falling leaves.