Vow of Surrender

Chapter Three

Adam sucked back his second glass of whiskey as he assessed the daily numbers on his office computer. So far, the Calypso Casinos have been doing well this summer, if not better than the previous year.

Which meant his baby sister's dream wedding would be in the works. Nothing made his father more proud than to be able to pay for anything she wanted, and Adam was glad to be apart of that success.

He emailed the numbers to the rest of management then shut down the laptop. He'd been in the office since they left the wedding venue, which was six hours ago. The casino was sill busy, and would be for another four hours.

"Another day, another dollar. God, I feel old saying that."

He shoved the laptop into his satchel then locked up the office. He wasn't leaving quite yet, but he didn't want to sit in the small 10 X 10 space anymore.

He almost made it to the door when his father Bodoway stopped him.

"Aye! There's the birthday boy!"

"Sh! Damn, Pa! I'm trying to keep that under wraps."

His father waved him off. "Not every day my boy turns forty-two. You're catching up to me, old man."

"That's what you get for having kids so young."

Bodoway laughed then put an arm around his shoulder as they walked to the bar. The chaching of the slot machines and music from other games blared through the room. Adam recently had all the franchises' carpet replaced with maroon and gold to be more aesthetically appealing than the old fashioned bright red from before.

Over the last five years, he updated the interior, the dining area, added flat screens, and new chairs for the slots. He'd put everything he had into the business, and that gave him little time for his personal life.

When they sat down, his father waved the bartender Jeff over to take their order.

"One vodka on the rocks and a Blow Job for the youngin.'"

"You got it, Chief," Jeff said as he quickly began preparing the drinks.

"You just love embarrassing me, don't you," Adam groaned.

"Always. So, son. How did it go with today with Nina?"

"Great. Would have been nice to have her fiance there, but you know him. Always busy."

Jeff came over with the drinks and Adam grimaced at the sight of his. His father recently learned of the titular shot The Blow Job and got a kick out of ordering it for people in his loud, boisterous voice.

"Is it so wrong for a man to want to provide for her?" Bodoway asked.

"No, but if he intends to be a good husband, he needs to be there for her once in a while. At least I understand I'm too busy for a relationship."

His father nudged him. "Don't be hard on him. He loves your sister, and he wants to be able to provide for her and their future children. is that so wrong?"

"No, I suppose not."

He downed the drink, surprised at how good it tasted. He didn't usually go for the creamy drinks, but this one was alright.

He suddenly thought of the wedding planner, Caedance Marshall. Much like this cocktail, his attraction to her had taken him by surprise. He liked how she took charge. Oddly enough, he liked obeying her orders. Just thinking about it threatened to make him hard.

"You know how I feel about relationships," he said after a while. "They're too much work. Trying to pick a place for dinner, coming up with date ideas, figuring out what they want in bed."

His father choked on his drink. "Don't ever say that in front of your mother. And what do you mean work? It's a man's job to take care of his woman."

"I know. I just . . . this job is my life, and by the time I get home, I have no energy left to give."

"You want less responsibility? Hate to break it to you, but I recall you wanted to be assistant manager."

"I do. I don't want to change professions. I only wish . . ."

His voice trailed off as he hesitated to say what he wanted. His father was traditional in every way save for his occasional raunchy jokes. If he knew Adam's secret desires, he would see him the same way. The Drake men were descendants of a chief. His ancestors fought in the French and Indian War. To be weak was a disgrace to the family name.

"Whatever it is that ails you, I hope you can find peace," his father said. "Which is why i am giving you a week off as your birthday present."

"What? No, no, no, that's not-"

"It will be done! Kai can handle your duties for the time being. Go enjoy yourself. Take a road trip woo some women, drink drinks like Blow Jobs and Sex on the Beach. Whatever you kids do these days."

Adam chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm hardly a kid. Not anymore. I can't believe I'm in my forties. Where did the time go?"

"Off with the wind. And if you don't make the most of your time now, you're going to leave this earth with many regrets." He patted his shoulder. "I'm going home. And if I hear you've set one toe in any of the franchises, you'll answer to me and your mother."

"I'll do my best. Goodnight, pop."

His father left the bar, and Adam stayed behind for a bit. Bodoway was right. It was high time he made some changes in his life. Even if it meant breaking out of his comfort zone.

Adam paid for the drinks then headed for the door. He was almost out when one of the cocktail servers, Jessica, approached him.

"Hey, before you go, someone wanted to know if they can display this flier on our board."

Adam took the flier and studied it. As he read the title, his throat tightened. It was an ad for a BDSM dungeon that opened across town a month ago. He'd always had in interest in the lifestyle, but he was too chicken to explore it. He also worried he might be stereotyped because of his age and how he looked.

He may be taller than most men in his family, and he kept himself lean to maintain his health, but he was no dominant. Not outside of work anyway.

"Sure," he said. "Thanks, Jess, I'll hang it."

"You sure? You look like you were on your way out."

"It's no trouble. Have a good night!"

Jessica walked away, and once he was sure she couldn't see him, he stuffed the flier in his jacket pocket and hurried outside.

"You've lost your damn mind, hileni. But there's no going back now."