The sub looked like he had a secret and Benlooked…confused, maybe.
What was going on?
I’d hoped an introduction would clearthings up, but before Ben could speak, the sub smiled at Stuart. “Mr. Stuart,you will be pleased to know I have finished my math and I didn’t run throughyour flower bed.”
No one seemed to have any idea how torespond, but after a few awkward moments of silence, Stuart’s eyes lit up andhe started to laugh.
To say we were stunned would’ve been anunderstatement. But watching Stuart study the young man’s face before shakinghis head, we realized he really did know the interesting man. “You sure youdon’t need help with your homework? Math never was your favorite subject,kiddo.”
The sub made a frustrated sound, but hisbarely suppressed smile said he didn’t mind the teasing. “I’ll have you know, Inow have a degree in accounting.”
Stuart’s grin widened, and he seemed genuinelyexcited for the sub. “Really?”
It was the most animated I’d seen him in along time.
The sub finally squirmed as a blush tintedhis cheeks. “I had to follow my hero, didn’t I?”
Stuart hugged him tight and I could see himwhispering something quietly before stepping back and turning to us. “This isAsa. This little troublemaker used to drive me crazy. He was constantly runningthrough the yard of my first house, and he would drive me crazy.”
The sub rolled his eyes. “Once. And thenyou came out on your porch like a grumpy old man and scared the hell out ofme.”
Stuart scoffed, but we all laughed. Anyonewho’d known the man for more than five minutes would have said that was pureStuart. He just waved us off, looking back at Asa. “What are you doing here?There is no way I’m old enough for you to be able to be a member.”
The eye roll that comment got said Asathought that was a ridiculous statement, but Stuart just seemed to think it wascute.
“I turned twenty-one yesterday. So yes, youare old. And as for what I’m doing here, I think that should be obvious. Mysexuality was probably clear even back then, I just didn’t understand it.”
Stuart shrugged, not willing to lie whichwas very Stuart. “Yeah, not going to lie, it doesn’t surprise me. I just can’tbelieve how grown up you are.”
Then he grinned and rested his elbow onAsa’s shoulder. “Or should I say matured, since I’m not sure you got muchtaller?”
The sub shrugged off his arm, but his grinsaid he didn’t mind. “Older but not any more mature, I see.”
We must have been staring a bit tooobviously because Stuart shot us a glare that said we had to be nice, so we alltried to tone it down, but it was hard. I’d never seen this side of him, andjudging by Julian’s expression, neither had he…and he’d known Stuart longerthan almost all of us.
We must have pleased Stuart because hefinally started making introductions. “This is my friend Porter.”
Stuart went through all of us, includingLandon, before turning back to Asa. “This is your first time at the club? IsBen showing you around? I thought I saw you with Conner.”
Ben’s expression and awkwardly coveredlaugh said that hadn’t gone very well.
Stuart grinned. “Still making friends thehard way, I see.”
Asa shrugged and seemed to decide not toanswer that part. “Ben will show me around if he has to, but he was hoping tofind someone to pawn me off on. Conner and I see things very differently, sohim showing me around wasn’t the best idea.”
That seemed like it might’ve been anunderstatement, but we tried not to laugh.
Stuart nodded. “I rub him the wrong waytoo. I would be happy to show you around, if you don’t think that would beawkward.”
“Why would it be?” Asa shrugged like theidea of getting shown around a BDSM club by his old neighbor was an everydayoccurrence. “Unless you’ve changed significantly since we last met?”
Julian shook his head. “He hasn’t.”
That seemed to make Asa happy. Had he metJulian back then? “I would love for you to show me around. Thank you.”
With that decided, Stuart led the young suboff, grinning wider than I’d seen him in years. I turned to the rest of theguys. “It looks like he’s going to be busy for a while.”
Looking over at Ben, who still seemedbemused by the whole thing, I grinned. “I think you made his night.”
