Suited

Twenty Nine

Lucas Alberici's Point of View

Sunday. Lawrence's birthday was four days away. Five considering the day had only begun, and I had so much to do. I owed that boy a massive apology, which I'd already given verbally, but my behavior was completely unacceptable. A simple "forgive me" wasn't enough to rectify it. He even cooked breakfast. I felt awful. We took the morning slow before he decided to go outside to paint. I came with him with my tablet to arrange a few things. I couldn't go to Frenzy until tomorrow, which was incredibly inconvenient, but my suspension was technically lifted.

Bill agreed to escort me per the new rules I was made to follow, which was nice, but that also meant I had to ask him to pick up an order for me. He had a large enough vehicle. He was even fine with dropping it off. He'd be by at lunch with one of his boys, giving Lawrence a solid few hours to sketch. I hoped he wouldn't mind painting inside. He was a little surprised when I told him to keep his clothes on, but he understood once I told him we'd be having guests. However, he was again confused when I answered the door, and the two of them brought in one massive box and a small one, as well as a bag I hadn't asked for. Ah, a birthday gift. Bill had asked if bringing one a few days ago was fine. I was glad it was nothing major.

Why was Lawrence hiding in the kitchen? It wasn't a very good hiding spot considering it was open concept, but he wasn't mingling like I expected him to. Instead, he was busying himself at the stove even though the food was practically finished. "Ragazzo, show Victor your room."

Bill leaned the larger box against the wall, which was more than fine. I'd take it up later. For now, I watched my boy traverse the stairs with someone I had hoped would be a good friend to him, though now I was worried. I thought he had gotten over the shyness. The other dom rolled up his sleeves and helped me plate the food. I thanked him. For that and for running the errand, as well as for his gift. "What did you get him?"

"It's just a cupcake. A rather large one but technically one nonetheless. You could probably share it. I was testing recipes for the recital because Vic and Lee convinced me to cater, and we finally settled on this one." He set the bag down gently on the counter. "Lawrence likes chocolate and orange, right? Don't tell me he's allergic. I should have asked—"

Based on the ridiculous amount of chocolate he'd procured from Quin at the intake desk and the citrus soda we made weekly, "I'm sure he'll love it."

He visibly relaxed. "Good. How's he doing? Healthwise."

"He's well enough. I wouldn't buy him a vac bed if he were having trouble."

He chuckled. "That's true, but you know how extreme we can get. If he's ill, you shouldn't put him in that thing."

I let him lecture me because he was older and well-versed in the community and my only real ally at the moment, but I'd used a similar model at Haydn's on both sides of the latex. I knew how they worked. I knew how to keep him safe despite his condition. He'd love it, and I'd love to use it on him. I was more worried about his cuffs and collar. I didn't want them to clash with whatever he chose for our outfits.

The two boys came back downstairs talking, and Lawrence's face looked a little more relaxed, so I worried a bit less. Never mind, his eyes got big when he almost bumped into Bill while going around the island, practically jumping back as he apologized. Bill laughed. "Oh, come on. I'm not that scary-looking, am I?"

I was used to his appearance but now that I thought about it, that was exactly why Lawrence was intimidated. Bill was well over six feet and burly with a scar over his left eyebrow, tattoos, and a loud voice. The latter probably wasn't that much of an issue, considering they'd met over the phone and he was only loud because he'd gone years without hearing aids but otherwise, he was indeed scary-looking. Why hadn't I thought about that? Between him, the dungeon master, and Kendrick, Lawrence would be on edge, though I hoped he wouldn't have to meet the other two. Otis probably wouldn't talk to him and Ken would probably talk too much. The three of them had a track record of scaring boys. I looked at Lawrence. "He's a standup gentleman in most cases. He's not going to bite you."