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Authors: Eden Winters
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know."
No one had cared? Poor guy. What kind of self-centered "me, me, me" types had he known?
Garret took Otis' hand, placing it on his chest. "What attracts you to a man?" The soft stroke of his thumb brushed Otis' knuckles. Could it really be that Garret had spent his life being judged simply by appearance as Otis had? He recalled Barry's words of wisdom, "You deserve someone who loves you for you." Well, if Otis deserved it, didn't Garret deserve that too?
Otis' mind churned double time. Was this a test? He decided on complete honesty. "I like a nice smile, intelligence, confidence, kindness, thoughtfulness."
"I look for the same things. And I found them in you."
"Huh? I'm not like that."
Garret's brows knitted together. "You mean no one's ever told you what a killer smile you have? And how you always appear to be thinking profound thoughts?"
Killer smile? Profound thinker? "Actually, no," Otis replied, heaving out a sigh. "And I'm not confident. Not like you."
Garret cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh, no? Remind me to take pictures of you playing one of those games at the mall." He laughed. "I was rock-hard and barely heard a word you said. My mind was elsewhere."
"What about this?" Otis questioned, patting his stomach.
"Comfortable to snuggle up to. Besides, I can't boil water," Garret shot back. "I think I mentioned that in my profile."
"I'm a slob."
A Lie I Can Live With - 61
"I own thirty-seven ties."
"I'm fat."
"You're cuddly."
"You work out all the time."
"Hyper-active and bad family health history. Have to stay healthy and sane."
That stopped Otis short. "You mean you don't pump iron to look gorgeous?"
"No, I don't. It keeps my cholesterol and blood pressure in check, and keeps me from bouncing off walls with nervous energy."
Still, that didn't quite level the playing field. "You could do so much better, you know," Otis confessed, hating how pitiful he sounded.
Garret flashed a shocked glare. "I what?"
"You heard me. You deserve better than me."
"Now wait one darned minute. Stop putting yourself down like that." Garret held up his hands, ticking off points on his fingertips. "You own your own business.
You're kind and patient, otherwise you'd have given up on teaching me video games. Oh, and you're the best damned cook I've ever met. Everything you cook is incredible."
"Thanks," Otis interjected when Garret stopped for a breath, deciding then and there to master the art of Chinese cooking, Japanese cooking, sushi making, and anything else that'd make Garret happy. Then it clicked.
I will be the man that Garret deserves. Somehow, someway, I'll make it happen.
"Who were your childhood crushes?" Garret asked abruptly.
"My what?"
"Your childhood crushes. Even before you knew you were gay, what movie stars or singers did you like?"
A Lie I Can Live With - 62
Otis rambled through his scrambled memories, naming a few big stars known for their looks, power, and wealth.
Next Garret asked, "You said Tennessee Trauma was your favorite show growing up, right?"
"Yeah, it was," Otis replied, wondering what that had to with anything, other than the fact that the actors were all young and drool-worthy, though none held a candle to Garret.
"Who was your favorite character?"
Now that was a tough question. A smorgasbord of scorching hot maleness graced the TV screen every time that serial came on. Dr. Gary filled the role of lead heartthrob, with wavy blond hair and a dazzling, come-hither smile. He also slept with most of the nurses and lied compulsively. Dr. Raimey, equally appealing in a slightly more boy-next-door kind of way, had serious drug problems and cheated on his wife, while Dr. Shaver suffered a massive superiority complex. Dr. Han? Dr.
Wills? "I thought they were all hot, but wouldn't want a relationship with any of them."
"Me either. Now, do you remember Dr. McMahan?"
An image came to mind of an overweight guy in glasses, usually seen only from the waist up, the rest of him
No one had cared? Poor guy. What kind of self-centered "me, me, me" types had he known?
Garret took Otis' hand, placing it on his chest. "What attracts you to a man?" The soft stroke of his thumb brushed Otis' knuckles. Could it really be that Garret had spent his life being judged simply by appearance as Otis had? He recalled Barry's words of wisdom, "You deserve someone who loves you for you." Well, if Otis deserved it, didn't Garret deserve that too?
Otis' mind churned double time. Was this a test? He decided on complete honesty. "I like a nice smile, intelligence, confidence, kindness, thoughtfulness."
"I look for the same things. And I found them in you."
"Huh? I'm not like that."
Garret's brows knitted together. "You mean no one's ever told you what a killer smile you have? And how you always appear to be thinking profound thoughts?"
Killer smile? Profound thinker? "Actually, no," Otis replied, heaving out a sigh. "And I'm not confident. Not like you."
Garret cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh, no? Remind me to take pictures of you playing one of those games at the mall." He laughed. "I was rock-hard and barely heard a word you said. My mind was elsewhere."
"What about this?" Otis questioned, patting his stomach.
"Comfortable to snuggle up to. Besides, I can't boil water," Garret shot back. "I think I mentioned that in my profile."
"I'm a slob."
A Lie I Can Live With - 61
"I own thirty-seven ties."
"I'm fat."
"You're cuddly."
"You work out all the time."
"Hyper-active and bad family health history. Have to stay healthy and sane."
That stopped Otis short. "You mean you don't pump iron to look gorgeous?"
"No, I don't. It keeps my cholesterol and blood pressure in check, and keeps me from bouncing off walls with nervous energy."
Still, that didn't quite level the playing field. "You could do so much better, you know," Otis confessed, hating how pitiful he sounded.
Garret flashed a shocked glare. "I what?"
"You heard me. You deserve better than me."
"Now wait one darned minute. Stop putting yourself down like that." Garret held up his hands, ticking off points on his fingertips. "You own your own business.
You're kind and patient, otherwise you'd have given up on teaching me video games. Oh, and you're the best damned cook I've ever met. Everything you cook is incredible."
"Thanks," Otis interjected when Garret stopped for a breath, deciding then and there to master the art of Chinese cooking, Japanese cooking, sushi making, and anything else that'd make Garret happy. Then it clicked.
I will be the man that Garret deserves. Somehow, someway, I'll make it happen.
"Who were your childhood crushes?" Garret asked abruptly.
"My what?"
"Your childhood crushes. Even before you knew you were gay, what movie stars or singers did you like?"
A Lie I Can Live With - 62
Otis rambled through his scrambled memories, naming a few big stars known for their looks, power, and wealth.
Next Garret asked, "You said Tennessee Trauma was your favorite show growing up, right?"
"Yeah, it was," Otis replied, wondering what that had to with anything, other than the fact that the actors were all young and drool-worthy, though none held a candle to Garret.
"Who was your favorite character?"
Now that was a tough question. A smorgasbord of scorching hot maleness graced the TV screen every time that serial came on. Dr. Gary filled the role of lead heartthrob, with wavy blond hair and a dazzling, come-hither smile. He also slept with most of the nurses and lied compulsively. Dr. Raimey, equally appealing in a slightly more boy-next-door kind of way, had serious drug problems and cheated on his wife, while Dr. Shaver suffered a massive superiority complex. Dr. Han? Dr.
Wills? "I thought they were all hot, but wouldn't want a relationship with any of them."
"Me either. Now, do you remember Dr. McMahan?"
An image came to mind of an overweight guy in glasses, usually seen only from the waist up, the rest of him
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