Page 114 of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

Eli’s eyes shoot toward the pair of feet that he didn’t notice before under a stall door. The door opens, and who else would step out besides Keith?

“You’re excited,” he says, eyeing Eli as he walks toward the sink.

“Yeah, I am.” Eli turns, his eyes darting from Keith to the floor, then back again.

“Any particular reason?”

“I’ve finally been offered a writing position,” Eli tells him. Not a total lie. Eli’s refusing to believe in a world where the article flops and Michael withdraws the offer.

“That’s amazing, Eli. Congratulations.”

“Yeah, it is . . . amazing.”

Keith smiles at him. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I wasn’t really looking for your approval,” Eli tells him. “But thanks anyway.”

“Come on, Eli. Don’t be like that.”

“Like what?”

“If we’re going to work together again, we have to learn to respect one another.”

“Like how you respected me when you told me you didn’t love me out of the blue?”

Keith opens his mouth to say something, but the door to the bathroom opens again. This time it’s Greg, another of the staff writers. And by the look on his face, it’s obvious he knows he walked in on something. “Uh . . . sorry, Keith. Michael wanted to see you really quick.”

“Did he say why?” Keith asks.

Greg shakes his head.

“Okay, thanks.”

Greg nods and exits the bathroom as quickly as he arrived.

“You know, I am proud of you,” Keith says. “I wasn’t lying.” He stares at Eli, that gaze familiar and comforting at one point in their relationship. But now Eli can see the frustration behind it. Keith heads out, and Eli watches as the door closes behind him.

Eli stands there for a moment longer, double-checking under each of the stall doors quickly before he goes back to his celebration.

Because he refuses to let Keith bring his mood down.

This has been five years in the making, and he won’t let this slip away.

His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he fishes it out quickly to see a text from Peter.

Peter: Are you still interested in my work Halloween party?

Eli smiles at his phone.

The article is done. At least, the writing of it is.

That means that his obligation to Peter is done, which means that they can be friends now. Not that they weren’t friends before, but now, there’s nothing to stop them, nothing to make Eli second-guess every single one of their interactions.

Eli: of course

Eli: we’ve got something else to celebrate too!

Peter: Oh?