Page 69 of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

“Blame my parents.”

“How long have you been here?”

“About ten minutes before the two of you walked in holding hands.”

Eli groans. “So, you were watching me and—”

“And your boy toy?” Patricia finishes for him. “Yep, sure was.” She steals a chicken tender, since Eli has the appetite of a six-year-old. “Figured I’d give you both your moment. Besides, I had edits to read through.”

“So . . .” Eli dares to ask. “What do you think?”

“He’s very cute.” Patricia stares toward the door to the cafeteria, as if Peter is still standing there. “Nice ass too.”

“I feel like this has to be some form of sexual harassment.” His own guilt notwithstanding.

“You’re telling me you don’t want to take him to pound town?” Patricia asks him.

“Please don’t call it that.”

“Okay, you’re telling me you don’t want to fornicate with him?”

Eli shudders, covering his ears. “That’s worse. Like you’re so close to getting me to vomit.”

Patricia’s just laughing to herself. “But he’s very cute.”

“Yeah, he is.”

“So, a complete three-sixty from your first date?”

“I think you mean one-eighty,” Eli corrects.

“No . . .” Patricia chews the stolen food, nodding her head and pretending to think. “I think I’m right. So, when do Rose and I get to meet him?”

Another test that Eli figured he could put Peter through. If he can nail a dinner with Patricia and Rose, integrate himself into their circle without much effort, then he’d be that much closer to success. Besides, he could always take the feedback they were sure to offer, get a handle on any blind spots in Peter’s rehabilitation.

“I don’t know,” Eli tells her.

“Come on, let us meet him!”

“I will, at some point.”

“Don’t make me pout.”

“He’s taking me to a jazz club on Friday,” Eli tells her, breezing past the topic he’d rather not discuss. “He’s a big jazz dude.”

“In a sophisticated way? Or a pretentious way?”

“Leaning toward sophisticated.”

“What about the rest of the weekend?” she asks.

“No idea.”

“Okay, well, keep me updated,” Patricia sings, tapping her fingers on the table before heading toward the exit.

“I will!” Eli sings back, watching his best friend exit the cafeteria, one of her coworkers grabbing onto her and handing her an iPad to maybe read over a piece before it’s finalized. Eli sits there for a moment, staring at the space that Peter once occupied, and he can’t help but smile to himself.

Chapter Nine