Page 38 of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

“I’m sorry.” Peter hides his face. “I’m just . . . I’m nervous, I don’t want to mess this up. Are you sure this is the best way to go about all of this?”

“Peter, we can be honest. This situation is weird, very much so. Even all the movies I watched to prepare for this didn’t make much sense when you gave them more than three seconds of thought. Why would adults ever agree to fake-date?”

“You watched movies to prepare for this?”

“Yes.” Eli dares to reach for Peter’s hand, closing the distance between the two of them. “But maybe it’ll help to keep in mind that you’ve already messed up?”

“I have?”

“Yes, last week. You already messed up royally, and it’s not like I was perfect either. So, what does it matter if we mess up again?”

“But what if I say the wrong thing? Or spill food on you again? Or miss the movie, or—”

“You already did that,” Eli reminds him. It might not sound like the pep talk that he wants it to be, but he has a point to make. “You can mess up around me, Peter. I’m not going to be offended. That’s why I’m here, to help you work through what’s going on in that brain of yours.”

There’s the hint of a smile through the nerves, and Eli can’t help but smile back at him.

“So, we’re okay, right?”

Peter nods slowly.

“Good, okay. We’ll start fresh, right?” Eli takes his hand away, letting it hover in the air above the table. “I’m Eli Francis. It’s nice to meet you.”

Peter takes his hand gently. “I’m Peter Park.”

“Peter Park?” It occurs to Eli that he didn’t actually know Peter’s last name before now.

“Yes, like Spider-Man,” Peter says to him before Eli can even complete the thought, like he’s been dealing with this for his entire life. “Just without the ‘er,’ and the webs.”

“Color me disappointed.”

“Well, my name is Ho-Seok, but when my parents came here, they were told by teachers that no one would be able to pronounce my name. And my dad is a big Spider-Man fan, and he thought it was cool, I guess.”

“I like Peter, it’s a good name. But do you prefer to be called Ho-Seok?” Eli’s all too familiar with the idea of being called a name that isn’t yours, how it eats away at you slowly.

Not that the experiences are the same. They might be similar, sure, but their reasons are miles apart. Eli never had someone tell him that either of his names was impossible to pronounce.

Peter shrugs. “It’s okay. Only my immediate family uses my Korean name, really. And I feel like a Peter.”

His ears turn red.

“I feel like I’m named Peter. Not that I am a Peter.”

Eli can’t help but laugh through his confusion. “Was that supposed to be a joke?”

“Well, no, but where I’m from ‘peter’ is another word for . . . you know.” Peter looks down at his own crotch. “Dick.”

Eli swallows his laughter. “You can say penis in front of me, Peter. We’re both adults.”

“I don’t think my mom would appreciate me saying that in front of you.”

That’s when Peter’s phone begins to ring, and he steals a glance at Eli before he grabs it.

“I’m so sorry, this will be quick.”

Eli doesn’t say a word, just lets the waitress leave his glass of water, refilling Peter’s own while she’s at the table. Eli tries to make anything out of the conversation that Peter’s having, but tech talk has never been his area of expertise.

“So run the test again with the changes I made, watch to see where it stops if it fails. Then send the report to me. I can take a look at it later.”