Page 4 of The Best Bad Decision

She really shouldn’t have tried to seduce the pizza guy…that just wasn’t good revenge for him canceling a credit card.

Atlee huffed. “They still won’t deliver to my house.”

I wasn’t sure why the kid’s family didn’t call the cops, but someone clearly thought he looked older than he actually was.

“You can get it delivered here and I’ll let you know when the coast is clear to come get it.” They were the only place that had free delivery in miles, so I knew why it was frustrating.

I should not have to pay nearly double the price of my food and pay for a tip just to get it fucking delivered.

“Thank you.” Looking adorably pleased by that, Atlee got slightly chattier. “My mother is calling daily to get me to reconsider for the sake of the child. My father is calling every two or three days when he can’t take my mother any longer and tells me to just make her happy. My sister is incredibly angry that she’s not going to have the first grandchild, so I’m getting calls about that too. Then we’ve got an assortment of crazies from the rest of the extended family who just can’t mind their own business.”

His family was great.

Wait.

“Your sister is a lesbian who doesn’t want kids. She was really loud about that last Easter when all the kids were outside hunting for eggs at that ungodly hour.” One of the local assholes had told them if they got up early enough they might be able to catch the Easter Bunny and steal his candy.

The suburbs were nearly fucking feral.

I loved it.

“Please don’t remind her about that because it makes her just as insane.” Atlee looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to huff or roll his eyes again. “I’ve given up using logic on any of them.”

“Hence why you’ve come to me.” I was starting to see how he’d gotten to this point. “Am I the most flamboyant gay guy you know?”

Was this a shock-and-awe kind of campaign?

I was on the more feminine side of things, but that just made me more interesting, not easier to manage.

He frowned at me like he thought the question was odd. “I think you’re the only one I know? Wait. The head janitor seems to be in a relationship with a man and a woman. They’re all old as dirt and it’s confusing, but it doesn’t seem polite to ask what sexual orientation he decided he is.”

Agreed.

“Yeah, that’s something you need to get him to volunteer. How old are we talking?” Just a bit creaky or weirdly old? “How long have they been together?”

“That’s not the point.” His glare was kind of cute and I didn’t mind grinning to let him know. “You’re going to be difficult.”

“On a regular basis, cutie.”

How was I the only gay man he knew?

“Don’t you go to gay bars once in a while? Haven’t you downloaded any hookup apps? I know a bathroom downtown with a glory hole.” They were few and far between anymore, but it was still fascinating to see who came out of that bathroom looking more confused than when they’d gone in.

“You ask the weirdest questions.” Since he was right, I just waited for him to continue. “As I was saying…I don’t have that many gay friends because bars are loud and dirty, hookup apps are dangerous and designed to get you to sleep with your neighbors or people you work with, and I’m not letting a stranger suck my dick just to see if he’ll date me and distract my family.”

Okay, the glory hole hadn’t been a real idea but it was fun seeing him get worked up. He’d nearly gone squeaky talking about it and I could see his blood pressure climbing.

Yep.

He was going to be fun to date.

Chapter 2

Atlee

“I’m going to need a better definition of what you think dating looks like since we’re clearly living in completely different worlds, and which fucking neighbor tattled on me that I’m single?” The strange man actually glared toward the front of the house. “It was probably fucking Betty and that goddamned microphone.”

As Casimir mumbled something about her cheating, I rolled my eyes. “You told me last month that you’d stopped dating the…guy you’d been seeing. With his bail being revoked, you said you weren’t going to wait for him, and you also haven’t been going out lately.”