Page 64 of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

“Understood, thanks . . .”

“You’ve got fantastic stuff here, just stop trying to make it something it’s not. We’re not highbrow, we’re not looking to change the world.”

All Eli can do is nod solemnly.

“Thank you!” Michael slaps his hand on the table. “Feel free to take your lunch whenever he gets here.”

Eli tries his best to hide his frustration as he walks back to his desk, plugging his iPad back on the charging dock and opening his emails. He can see Keith walking toward him out of the corner of his eye.

“Hey, Eli!” Keith hovers behind Eli’s monitor, like he’s trying to play along with some joke that hasn’t been made.

Eli deletes an email from the advertising department. “What can I do for you, Keith?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to talk.”

“About the meeting?”

“No, I mean . . . I was just curious.” Keith hesitates. “But it wasn’t just about that.”

“Yeah, right.”

“How about lunch?” Keith asks. “We haven’t gone out in a while.”

“Because we’re not dating, Keith. Or did you forget that?”

“I know, I know . . .” Keith tries his best to act ashamed. “And . . . I have regrets about how that went down. But just because I no longer felt romantic toward you, that doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends, right? I was thinking we could get some closure.”

“No, Keith. Because I’m not interested in being friends with you.”

Keith smirks that stupid dumb handsome smirk that he knows Eli fell hard for, gliding across the floor until he sits on the edge of Eli’s desk. “Come on, let’s just grab some lunch.” Keith lets his hand drift closer and closer to Eli’s keyboard, where Eli’s hand rests. He’s always been like this. Keith could never stand being out of the loop, unaware of what’s going on.

Eli pulls away before Keith can even think about touching the skin between his thumb and pointer finger, a space that Keith seemed so fond of, his touch light when he traced invisible shapes there.

“Actually, I already have lunch plans.”

Keith raises an eyebrow, staring at Eli like he doesn’t believe him. “Oh, really?”

Eli can see the elevator doors opening, Peter strolling into the offices.

“Peter!” Eli calls out, waving. “Hey, baby.”

Eli has to stop himself from cringing. Peter just smiles, waving back.

Keith doesn’t dare move, like he wants Eli to be caught in some precarious position he’ll have to explain.

“Hey . . . sweetie?” Peter can’t say the word without it sounding like a question. Eli has to commend him for trying at least.

“You ready to go?”

Keith holds out his hand in front of Peter. “I’m Keith, nice to meet you.”

“Oh, I’m Peter . . .” Peter takes the hand, obviously unsure.

Keith fakes a laugh, a familiar sound to Eli’s ears, the laugh he used when they attended the fundraisers Eli’s mother had to put on for the press, making the rounds in a room full of rich people. “So, you two are . . . together?” Keith looks at Peter, giving him a once-over as if Eli needs Keith’s approval.

“Yep.” Eli grabs his bag off the back of his chair, refusing to give Keith another pathetic moment of their time. “Let’s head out, we’ll go to the cafeteria.”

“Sounds good.” Peter tucks his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “It was nice to meet you, Kevin!”