Page 65 of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

“It’s Keith, actually!” he corrects.

Eli hides his smile.

“And likewise!”

He and Peter head toward the elevator, the door opening just in time for them to squeeze through without having to awkwardly wait for it to arrive.

“You know, he doesn’t seem like that bad of a guy,” Peter says once they’re both behind the doors.

“Believe me, it’s a point of shame that I gave him seven years of my life.”

“Seven years?” Peter has every right to be shocked. “Wow . . .”

Eli shrugs. “Love makes you blind. You can’t really see how big of a douchebag someone is until you’ve broken up.”

“Was he really that bad?”

Eli pauses, staring at the ugly tiled floor. “No. Not while we were dating. But feelings like that, they have a way of hiding the worst parts of someone, even if they’re right in front of you.”

Peter’s gaze follows Eli’s. “That’s a lot of time.”

“Rub it in, why don’t you?”

“No, I mean . . . I mean, I didn’t mean—”

“Peter?” Eli eyes him.

“Yeah?”

Eli remains silent, waiting for Peter to catch on.

“You’re messing with me?”

Eli nods.

“Right, right.”

“You’ve got to get better at that.”

“I have a problem with sarcasm sometimes.”

“That’s okay. That’s why I’m here.” Eli smiles, and Peter smiles back, the elevator doors finally opening.

* * *

“Fargo?”

“Nope.”

“Before Sunrise?”

“No.”

“The King of Comedy?”

Peter shakes his head.

“The Devil Wears Prada?”