Page 29 of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

Eli hesitates. “Like with another guy, or—”

“At all,” he spills out, his voice still unsure. “You’re the first person I’ve ever been on a date with. I was really nervous. So nervous that I wanted to throw up, and I almost called you to cancel. But Francine told me what she knew about you from your friends, and I found your Instagram, and I thought that you were cute, and I felt like I had to impress you or something. But that only made you hate me even more, so that didn’t really work out.”

He thinks I’m cute? Eli has to tell himself that’s not important right now. “If it really meant that much to you, you could’ve been on time. And I don’t hate you, Peter. I just . . . don’t really care.”

There’s no way to say that without it sounding harsh, but it’s the truth. Eli doesn’t care; he only feels an indifference toward Peter.

“I know.” Peter nods. “I keep my phone on work mode basically twenty-four seven, just so I can focus, and I just . . . let time get away from me while I was in a meeting. But I didn’t mean to, and I’m incredibly sorry about it.”

“Okay, well . . . apology accepted. So, you can go.”

“I wish that you’d say something.”

Eli pauses, finally meeting Peter’s gaze before Peter breaks eye contact with him. Eli sighs, bracing himself against the conference room table. “I mean, I can’t lie, Peter. It was a pretty terrible night.”

He doesn’t see the need to beat around the bush, especially when Peter asked for the truth.

“You were late, you didn’t text or call, you spilled food on me, you barely said a word, and you didn’t seem all that interested in what I had to say.”

“I know,” Peter says. Eli almost wishes that he’d fight back instead of sitting there and taking it.

“You couldn’t pay, which I don’t mind, it’s not a huge deal; but it’s clear you’re a little scatter-brained and that dating isn’t your main priority.”

“Fair.”

“And you left me at the movies.”

“I had a work call.”

“At eight o’clock at night? You know you can ignore those, right? You don’t have to answer the calls if you’re not on the clock.”

“I know . . .” Peter lets his head hang in shame. “I’m sorry. There was a project one of my team members in Mumbai needed help with, so the day had just started for him because of the time zones and . . .”

His words trail off as Peter realizes there’s no excuse. There’s this silence that stretches out in front of them, while Eli is left to look anywhere that isn’t at Peter.

“Am I seriously the first date you’ve ever been on?” he dares to ask.

“Comer isn’t a big town, and there aren’t many out gay people, least of all any out gay people who aren’t also racist. And college . . . I don’t know. I had a few friends, but it was one of those situations where after I graduated . . . I realized I was just friends with them because they were my classmates. I just found it so . . .”

“Hard?” Such a simple word, but it means everything.

“Yeah.”

“Huh . . .”

“Is that a surprise?”

“Well, kind of. You’re hot, Peter.”

“Oh, uh . . .” His golden cheeks go red almost immediately, like someone got a little too eager with blush. “Thanks?” He sounds so unsure of himself.

“It’s a compliment, you can take it.”

“Sorry.”

“You say that a lot.”

“Sorry.”