Page 76 of His Choice

That elicited laughter from the audience.

“Damn. That would have been awesome,” Dani griped.

My reaction was to exhale with relief.

“If we slip twenties into the briefs, could we change your mind?” a woman from the crowd shouted, earning more chuckles.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Lake,” Cliff called out cheerily. “But by muscles, I meant I and the contestants will be helping our mayor, Adam Tilson, who happens to be a fine construction expert as well, spend a few hours renovating this building.”

“Cool,” Aaron said.

I saw looming disaster.

“We’ll work alongside the fine folks from Help with Homes who’ve already begun some of the interior demolition. We’ll be given assignments to assist in their progress to bring this house back to its former glory so it can be given to a local family in need,” Cliff explained.

The crowd applauded, then Mayor Tilson walked to the podium to join Cliff.

“Good morning, everyone,” Adam greeted. “Although each of the contestants is here to impress Cliff, I want to stress participation is voluntary. You may opt out, and I encourage you to do so if you have any health issues or fears of injury. There are other things you can do to be of assistance, like bringing the workers bottles of water, taking pictures for our community message board, or just cheering folks on. If you do decide to help in the renovation process, you must sign a consent form and put on the proper protective gear. Most importantly, follow instructions from me and our friends from Help with Homes to ensure your safety.”

“I call dibs on taking the pictures,” Dani said to me.

“Mikey, you should ask to hand out water to people,” Aaron advised. “Don’t feel pressured. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I scowled. “I’m not helpless.”

He appeared unconvinced. “Have you ever done any kind of construction work?”

“Yes,” I replied. Lego construction.

Aaron shrugged. “Fine. Stay close to me.”

“Why? Do you need my protection?” I teased.

He looked surprised, then he chuckled. “Fucker. And yeah, maybe. I haven’t done this kind of stuff since I was a teenager. You watch my back, and I’ll watch yours.”

“Thanks, but I kind of want to make sure Cliff is the one watching me work. This is the last chance I have to win him over,” I explained. Aaron frowned, and I worried I might have implied I didn’t care about his safety. “I’ll try to do both. Maybe we can find a spot where we’re close to what Cliff is doing?”

Aaron still seemed put out by my remark. “Sure.”

After we had signed the paperwork, it was clear that Dani was the only one of the contestants who had opted not to work on construction. In fairness to him, he was a bit on the dainty side. I questioned whether he had the strength to lift anything heavy.

“Mr. Mayor, is there any reason the boys need to work with shirts on?” Marv asked. “It will drive up viewership if we can tease promos for the show with shots of naked chests and biceps flexing.”

“It’s dirty work,” Mayor Tilson replied.

Marv grinned. “All the better.”

The mayor looked around, seeming uncertain what to do. “I guess, if anyone wants to. But everyone must keep on a construction helmet, safety glasses, protective gloves, and the steel-toed boots we provided.”

Daryl was already stripping off his shirt.

Aaron saw that, then started lifting his, too. He glanced at me as if I had asked him what he was doing. “If Daryl is the only one shirtless, he gets an edge. I don’t want to see that douchebag win. Besides, this jersey is one of my prized possessions. I don’t want to ruin it.”

The T-shirt had a picture of a bulldog sitting on a toilet, smoking a cigar and reading a newspaper.

“Yeah. Now fashion designers will be able to watch the show without worry,” I quipped.

Aaron rolled the shirt up and placed it on the nearby table. Trying not to admire his body was fruitless. He was gorgeous. I removed my own shirt, figuring the viewers wouldn’t care, providing I didn’t block the view of the better-looking guys.