Gabriel
How the showmance storyline ends? No clue.
How Seth mercilessly punishing me ended? Very happily, I can report.
We've fucked. We've showered. I'm still tasting that nasty-ass shot my brother insisted we have despite brushing my teeth twice.
So now, Seth and I are sharing a dingy motel room, lying on a bed we may have possibly broken while we were fucking because I don't remember it sagging in the middle like it is now.
Oh, well. It means I get to lie right next to Seth, which I’m totally fine with.
"Anything on your mind?" I ask.
Seth usually does more listening than talking during sex, but he normally starts chatting once he recovers. He's being uncharacteristically quiet.
"No. Just stuff…"
"Oh, yeah. Stuff. I can totally relate," I tease.
"Shut up."
"Or what? You'll punish me? Again?"
He turns onto his side, folding his pillow in half, then looks at me. "Did you enjoy your punishment?"
"I'll be feeling it for days," I reply, turning my head to smile at him. "Now, seriously, anything on your mind? You’re not saying much."
"I'm just thinking about that lady from Minnesota we met at the bar."
"Who? Darlene?"
"Yeah. It felt weird lying to her."
"I know. I feel the same. But the way I try to look at it is that we're playing characters on a TV show."
"Aren't we meant to be ourselves?"
"Since when does either one of us wear a Speedo?"
"Hm. Good point."
"Yes, it's partly based on who we are, but producers are always in our ear with suggestions, and we know when we're being filmed and when we're not. It is a show, after all."
"Tell that to fans like Darlene. If she finds out we're not really together, we're not only deceiving her but possibly putting her daughter off becoming a vet for a lifetime of vlogging on YouTube instead."
"Well, when you put it like that."
Seth grins, and I so badly, more than anything in this world, want to reach over, touch his face, and tell him that it doesn't have to be fake. That if he just says the word, I'll be his, and he can be mine, and Darlene will be happy, and her daughter will become a vet.
But I don't want to back Seth into a corner. I'm a big boy. I knew what I was signing up for when we came up with our arrangement. Great sex, no feelings.
I just never foresaw how hard it would be sticking to it.
We're checking out the next morning, taking our bags to my car, when I spot a shy-looking guy, maybe in his early twenties, looking at us.
I recognize that look. Some people, like Darlene last night, have no problem coming up to us and telling us how much they love the show and what it means to them. But not everyone is naturally outgoing and extroverted.
Over the years, I've developed a keen sense of when people may be more reserved or introverted by the look on their face that says I know who you are, but I'm too shy to come up and say hi.
We haul our bags into the trunk, and I slam it shut. "Think we have a fan on our hands," I say quietly to Seth. "Your three o-clock."
Seth stretches his neck, discreetly sneaking a glimpse at the guy. "Yep. Think you're right. We have to go past him to hand the key back at reception. We should say hello."
I smile. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
We make our way toward the guy, and when we get close, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and bravely says, "Hello."
We come to a stop. "Hi," I say. "I'm Gabriel."
"And I'm Seth."
The guy opens his eyes, his face lighting up. "I-I know. I watch the show all the time. I’m M-Marcus."
"Nice to meet you, Marcus." When I notice his fingers tightening around his phone, I suggest, "Did you want a selfie with us?"
"Th-that would be amazing."
We take a few photos, some serious, some goofy, then ask him how his day is going and what he likes most about the show.
He's been watching it from the very beginning and interestingly, one thing he says mirrors something Darlene told us last night, that he suspected we were together since about the third season.
As the conversation starts to wrap up, he takes another deep breath.
"C-can I just say something? Watching you guys get together has been s-so awesome. And it’s i-inspired me to tell my best friend the truth—that I-I’ve been in love with him for years.
" He pulls a small box out of his jeans. "He said y-yes to dating me. And n-next Valentine’s Day, I’m g-going to propose. I j-just bought it today."
"Oh my gosh, that's wonderful, Marcus." Seth claps him on the back.
"Congratulations, man," I add. "I'm so happy for you."
And at the same time, so, so jealous that he's going for it in a way I could never with Seth.