Awkward Love (Stumbling into Love 2)

“Hi. Good evening. Thank you all for being here,” a voice came from the stage. I looked up to see a gorgeous guy wearing tux pants and a white, button-up crop top showing creamy brown skin and maybe the best abs in the history of the world.

“Oh, wow,” Kira said.

In fact, all the people in the audience were beautiful too, like I had somehow stepped into another dimension where they manufactured perfect people and I was the test subject who was…not. “I’m so fucked. Do you think all the guys will be that pretty?”

“You’re gorgeous too, pumpkin. You just don’t see it.” Ali grabbed one of my hands and Kira the other.

First, I hated when she called me that, but right then I couldn’t find it in myself to care. I mean, part of me knew I wasn’t ugly—I had eyes and a mirror—but it was like it didn’t always compute. When I thought of myself, I saw bow ties, nerdy, awkward, and different. It was how I’d been my whole life. It didn’t help that I grew up in a family of superconfident people who loved the spotlight, and unless I was discussing things like the effects of feminism on society, talking, and for sure talking publicly, often felt like a death sentence.

“I’m Elijah Coleman,” the guy onstage said. “I participated in my first fundraiser a while back, a dinner and dance for a local homeless shelter. It was one of the best nights of my life, and not just because I had my very own Dirty Dancing moment. Seriously, you guys. Best. Big. Moment. Ever. But I digress. It felt good to do something important, so when the LGBTQIA center had the fire, I knew I wanted to do something to help. My boyfriend, Shaw, and I came up with the idea of a bachelor auction!”

Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered. Elijah looked down at a guy with dark hair sitting in the front row, about ten seats away from us, and smiled. The guy blew him a kiss, so I figured he was the boyfriend.

“Anyway,” Elijah continued, “you didn’t come to hear me speak. The rules are in the pamphlets you were given at the door. You should each have your paddle. Let’s start bringing out the boys!”

More cheering from the crowd. My gut twisted, and I hoped I didn’t do something really embarrassing, like vomit. Thankfully, there were no drinks around me to spill, so I was safe there.

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“We made a pact. You have to, and that’s also why we’re doing it for you.” Kira waved the paddle at me.

“But—”

“Shh,” Ali cut me off. “It’s starting!”

Don’t throw up, don’t throw up, don’t throw up, I repeated over and over in my head as Elijah called out the men one at a time. They were all gorgeous, of course, and a wide variety of types—twinks, dude bros, Black, white, Hispanic, Asian. They came out, introduced themselves, and gave us a few facts.

It was when number sixteen took the stage that I automatically leaned forward.

He looked like he belonged on the beach in California somewhere—blond, blue eyes, smooth face, cut jaw, and high cheekbones. He wore a black V-neck tee that was tight across his arms, stomach, and chest. He had a great body, firm and sinewy, but his muscles weren’t huge like he spent his life in the gym more than anything else.

He was so pretty, and I didn’t know why I was sitting up because he wasn’t my usual type. I was a nerd. I belonged with a nerd, thank you very much. Still, there was something about him. He exuded confidence, but it felt like there was more hiding beneath. The light pink to his cheeks and quirk of his smile seemed almost…bashful, unsure. I was likely seeing things, something I wanted to be there. What did this guy have to be unsure about?

“Hey, I’m Will. I’m twenty-five. I have a business degree from Atlanta State University, and wow…this is weird. I didn’t expect this to be so weird.”

There were a few chuckles, and I found myself smiling. He was the only one to go off-topic like that, and it was a little endearing.

“I’m here because this is an important cause. I used the resources at the LGBTQIA center before I came out to my family. They still don’t get it. I’m bi, so they don’t really understand why I can’t simply choose to be with a woman. Anyway, I’m rambling, and I don’t ramble. You’re enjoying this too much, Shaw.”

Elijah’s boyfriend laughed and shrugged, so clearly, he knew them.

“I enjoy going to the gym.”

Nope.

“Meeting up with friends at the bar for a drink.”

Double nope.

“Movies and television—the art of it, really.”

Triple nope to the infinity. This guy was the anti-me.