Chapter Twelve #2
Cliff shook his head. “As I said, there were two or three that hit me.” He turned toward Brighton.
“I loved your message, Brighton. Aside from your skills as an artist, the fact that you contemplated a place for me in your daughter’s heart, as well as your own, was so sweet.
I can’t wait to get to know you better, and learn more about your daughter, too, over the next week. ”
“On his journey to love,” Emilio added in his exaggerated baritone voice.
Cliff appeared to start an eye roll, but stopped himself, realizing he was on camera. “But the winner of this challenge is Mikey.”
I had just put a spoonful of soup in my mouth, which I then spurted out as I coughed in response to Cliff’s announcement. Aaron started slapping my back as I reached for the napkin on my lap.
“Sorry,” I managed through my disgusting attempt to regain control of my reflexes.
“Dude, you sprayed all over the tray of dinner rolls,” Daryl complained.
“Sorry,” I repeated, certain I was redder than the tomato bisque I had spewed over the white linen tablecloth.
Aaron was massaging my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I nodded.
“I know it might seem an unexpected choice,” Cliff acknowledged.
Considering I had just made an ass of myself again, his comment was an understatement.
“But there was something touching about watching you, Mikey, right up to the last second, trying so hard to make it work. You almost looked…heartbroken, and I don’t think it was because you were concerned about having the best-looking cake.
How could I not be moved by a man caring so much to impress me…
trying to communicate his message with little hearts? ”
“Is that what they were?” Daryl sniped. “Looked more like bird droppings to me.”
Cliff ignored him. “And considering the workmanship fail wasn’t your fault, I removed that from consideration. So, Mikey, if you’re willing, I’d like to spend some one-on-one time with you after our meal. Do you accept that proposal?”
My eyes were probably as wide as the saucers our cups sat on. “I do.”
* * * *
“I told you,” Aaron said as soon as we were behind the closed door of the room we were sharing.
“You didn’t tell me I’d win the challenge,” I corrected.
I turned to face him, and he seemed disappointed that I hadn’t acknowledged all the encouragement he had given me.
I hugged him since he had seemed okay with it earlier.
“But you’re the reason I’m here, and the person who got me through everything.
And… Have I told you that you’re my best friend in the whole world? ”
He nodded, though he didn’t have the big smile I’d thought he’d have. “Yeah. Since Muddily got a life and stopped calling all the time.”
I frowned. “Are you mad at me? I really do appreciate everything you’ve done, Aaron. I…appreciate you.”
Aaron walked to the dresser. “Cliff told you to return downstairs with a pair of swim trunks. You can borrow mine, since I was the only one of the two of us who had the foresight to bring them.”
I hadn’t loved the bathing suit request. Cliff had suggested that since it was a very warm day, we could play some golf, then lounge by the pool.
I wasn’t bad at golf, but I was a better tennis player.
I had asked if that was an option instead, since I had noticed he had courts on the grounds.
He had smiled and told me that would be wonderful.
“As much as I hate wearing them in public, I brought some shorts that I can wear on the court. I’ll just put the trunks on under them so when we’re done playing, if he still insists on this pool thing, I’ll be ready,” I reasoned.
“Of course he’s going to insist on it,” Aaron replied, throwing the bathing suit at me, hitting me in the face. I caught it before it slid to the floor. “He wants to check you out.”
“Don’t make me panic,” I warned. “Bad things happen when I’m nervous.”
Aaron shrugged. “Nothing to be worried about. Despite all your protests to the contrary, you have a good body. He’ll drool, and you’ll relax. Of course, that probably won’t prevent you from acting like a weirdo when you see him in his swimsuit.”
“Shit. I hadn’t thought about that,” I admitted, removing my shirt so I could put on a tennis polo. Aaron stared at me funny. “What? Don’t tell me I got some ugly rash or something. I remembered too late that I sometimes have a reaction to tomatoes.”
He seemed to snap out of his stupor. “Huh? No. I was just thinking how you were so bashful about undressing in front of me just a few weeks ago. I’m glad you’re getting over your hangup.”
It wasn’t so much that I had become bolder.
It was that Aaron had already photographed my chest, and I had stripped off my shirt for Tyler’s photoshoot for the world to see.
Modesty seemed pointless now. It made me happy that Aaron was proud of me, though.
It emboldened me to continue undressing in front of him.
I bit my lip, then unzipped my jeans and slid them off, too.
I played it casual as I began rummaging through my clothes to find my tennis shorts.
When I turned to face Aaron, he was gawking at me again. My confidence teetered.
“What?” I thought my legs were one of my better features, even if I had always hidden them.
Then again, it was all relative when I was compared to others.
Now I was back to worrying about Cliff seeing me in shorts later.
I glanced down at myself, wondering if I should make an excuse to wear jogging pants on the court and forego a swim.
Even though I had muscle from workouts, tennis, and running, the near hairlessness of my legs might be what Aaron was reacting to.
I could understand, as that was what had always embarrassed me about them.
Aaron scratched his chin. “I don’t think in all the time we’ve lived together, you’ve worn shorts, let alone walked around in underwear. Even at the gym, you’ve always worn sweatpants.”
“Oh.” Was he simply surprised and not disapproving?
“You’ve been way too insecure for no reason,” he added.
I might have grinned. “So, you really think I have a good body?”
He tilted his head as if appraising. “Hard to tell. I’m blinded by the whiteness.” He grinned to show he was teasing.
I pursed my lips. “That’s what happens when you cover everything all the time, I suppose.”
I picked up the bathing suit, shorts and polo shirt and started toward the bathroom door to change. Aaron stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
“You have a good body, Mikey. Stop worrying.”
I turned to look at him, and I could see he was sincere. “Thanks.”
“And if I had known you have an ass on you, I would have suggested you buy yourself a tighter bathing suit. The one I brought will be baggy,” he added. “Maybe find a reason to moon Cliff while you’re out there.”
“What? I’m not going to do that! Who do I look like? Daryl?” I asked.
He chuckled. “You only look like him when you give me those sour looks like you just smelled poop.”
“Probably because I had, tooter. You’ve let one go more than once since I’ve known you.”
Aaron shook his head. “Familiarity breeds contempt, I guess.”
“No, lack of manners does,” I corrected. “So, you really think I have a nice butt?” God, I’m so pathetic and desperate for approval.
Aaron jerked his head back. “I didn’t say nice. I said you have one. You’ll just need to hope that Cliff focuses on that and not something else.”
“Huh?”
Aaron tilted his head. “You know. Pray he isn’t a size queen like you are.”
I covered my crotch with the clothes I was holding. I flushed as I thought of a comeback. “I’m not a queen.”
Aaron laughed. “Okay. A size…prince?”
I frowned at the turn of the conversation. “I don’t care about that in a partner, for your information. And I happen to be a grower.”
Aaron continued to chuckle. “All dudes grow with the right stimulation, pookie.”
“I mean it grows to the size of most other people’s,” I said in defense. I wasn’t sure if that was true. It seemed average based on what I’d read over the years.
Aaron approached and patted the side of my head. “I told you, a big one would be grotesque on you. God gave you what makes sense aesthetically.”
I frowned. “You spend too much time thinking about how people look naked and having sex.”
“That’s called having an XY chromosome. Now go change, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“But you wouldn’t do anything, considering it’s Cliff,” I reminded him.
He nodded. “Exactly. Men don’t buy the cow if you give them the milk for free. That’s what my mom always tells my sister, anyway.”
“Hmm,” I muttered. “Maybe your mother should focus on the fact that her son gives his milk away for free to every girl in White Pines.”
Aaron shook his head. “No. I use a condom. Now go change.”