AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
RYAN
Was thereanything better than sugar and best friends to lift your spirits after another dating disaster? If so, I hadn’t found it yet.
I dragged my finger through a bowl of blue frosting and sucked it between my lips, savoring the sweetness as it melted over my tongue. “I give up!”
My best friend, Reid, rolled his eyes. “Don’t be dramatic. How bad could it be?”
“He sneezed, and it went everywhere! Boogers and snot and spit flying into his plate. I shit you not, Reid, he picked his fork up and ate it. All of it! The mashed potatoes, and the broccoli, and the chicken, as if it wasn’t contaminated with cooties. I swear to God, I almost threw up.” I used my icing spatula to spread the frosting over the tops of my perfectly baked blueberry cupcakes. “And then he tried to kiss me!”
Reid snickered and reached for a cupcake. “I swear you seem to have the worst luck. Where do you meet these guys?”
He bit into the cupcake and a dollop of blue frosting stuck to his nose. I laughed and handed him a napkin. “School, mostly. I need to broaden my horizons; expand my search criteria and parameters for optimal results.”
“It’s not a scientific formula, Ryan. Dating should happen naturally, shouldn’t it? Heck, what do I know? I’ve never been on a date with a stranger before. I couldn’t imagine being in your shoes.” I glared at him, frowning, and he amended, “You know, because I’m so shy around strangers. I’ve never been attracted to anyone but Riley my entire life. If I didn’t have him, well, I just can’t imagine.”
I didn’t envy my best friend anything, not after the trauma he’d suffered repeatedly throughout his life. But when it came to his husband, Riley, he had it made. My friendship with Riley was tumultuous. We struggled to accept each other, but I could never deny that he treated Reid like gold.
“Yeah, you lucked out. Got any pointers for me?”
“Hmm.” Reid considered it as he licked his fingers clean. “Maybe you could try using a dating app? It would definitely expand your search parameters.”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard some horror stories about those things. On the other hand, I’ve heard some success stories as well. Who knows, maybe I could be one of them?”
“Do you really have anything to lose by trying?”
“No, I don’t think I do. Not after cootie-mouth. I think I’m gonna give it a shot.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see what happens. I’ve got to go. Riley should be home within the hour. Do you think I could take some of these cupcakes with me? He would never admit it, but he loves everything you bake.”
“Yeah,” I grumbled. “Take my precious treats home to that human rain cloud you married. And be sure to remind him they’re from me. That should counter some of the sweetness with a bit of sour.”
Reid laughed. “You two are beyond ridiculous.”
* * *
Left.
Left.
Left.
As I swiped through picture after picture, I started to feel more and more discouraged until one man eventually caught my eye. Swiping right, I added his picture to my shortlist. It wasn’t a complete facial pic, just a close-up of his thick beard and full lips, but he had a gentle bear vibe that warmed my insides. Mmm, that beard.
I continued to search through the endless list of profiles, but I had a hunch that BearTrap4103 was the one. Not the one I was going to settle down and marry someday, of course, but the one that I would choose to meet face-to-face for a first date.
When my eyes began to blur and cross from the speed of which I filtered through the pictures on my screen, I surrendered and considered my short list of candidates. Four profiles stared back at me, daring me to choose one. And yet, I kept returning to BearTrap. I clicked on his profile again, hoping to boost my courage, and read over his stats. Strictly a top, loves action and horror films, twenty-seven years old, and likes beer and fishing.
On paper, we had nothing in common whatsoever, but I kept imagining running my fingers through his beard, nestling my nose in the scruff lining his jaw, and…I wanted that. Something about the visual made me feel safe and warm, so I swallowed my nerves and messaged him. Not twenty minutes later, I heard back, my phone pinging with a doorbell chime, and a hot rush of excitement swept through me.
We texted back and forth for three hours, making plans to meet up Friday night. I frowned as I read his message. BearTrap wanted to know if I was hosting? Umm, not likely. My mother always said you need to set the stage for your success. So, I chose a new upscale lounge downtown hoping to make a good first impression. The least he could do if he wished to stick his cock in my ass was buy me a drink and perhaps a chicken dinner.
Besides Reid, my mom was the closest thing I had to a best friend. When I was younger, I would have described her as a helicopter parent, constantly hovering and smothering me with her good intentions. Maybe because she was a single parent, and I was the most important person in her life? But over the years, I learned to set healthy boundaries that worked well for our relationship. She never batted an eye when I came out as gay at sixteen. My mother said she’d had a feeling for years. I’m certain I was pretty obvious with my love of pastel shirts and boy bands posted all over the walls of my bedroom. I never once told her I had a crush on a girl, and when I was fifteen, I started painting my nails.
Yeah, she knew. Of course she did.
* * *
