Page 62 of His Choice

“Alrighty then,” Emilio cut in. “Let’s move on to our next contestant.”

When the drape was pulled, Mikey stood, pretending to read a magazine. I was surprised he was bold enough to wear a pair of pajama bottoms low enough that he exposed where his thighs met his hips. He had donned a pair of reading glasses, and the print on the sleepwear was whimsical in the right way. The guy looked more adorable every time I laid eyes on him.

He looked up, swallowing hard, clearly wondering if he looked hot or foolish. I smiled and nodded, earning a shy grin in return.

“Now that is a sexy man,” I said to eliminate any doubt he might have.

“Is this how you envision a Sunday with Cliff?” Emilio asked.

Mikey closed the magazine and held it in front of his crotch, even though there was nothing revealing about the pajamas. “Yes. I noticed you have a library with lots of books, so I figured you must like to read. I do, too.”

“Well, I would certainly enjoy time in the library with you dressed like that,” I offered. “Maybe reading together while you sit on my lap.” I had forgotten that people I knew would be watching, and flushed as I realized how suggestive that sounded.

His eyes went wide, then the corner of his mouth lifted. “Maybe.”

I coughed. “Um, great choice, Mikey. You look…amazing.”

Mikey appeared grateful. I smirked as he hiked up his pajama bottoms as soon as I began to walk away. Clearly, he had pushed himself out of his comfort zone to look sensual. Either his confidence had grown, or there had been an Aaron influence.

We walked a few steps to the next dressing room.

“Come out, come out, whoever you are,” Emilio teased before pushing the drape aside. Brighton stood, a bashful smile on his face. The man had found a cheap suit in the store, but it looked like the cliché million bucks on him. In the spirit of sexiness, Brighton had the jacket and shirt totally unbuttoned, and the tie was undone and hanging loose from each collar tip. He had his hands in the pockets of the slacks, which spread the shirt fabric enough that his chiseled torso was on view.

“Stunning,” I said.

Brighton smiled. “Well, it’s a suit made of the finest rayon and nylon, I’m told.”

I laughed. “Well, I’ve heard the man wearing it earns a living by making everything on him look amazing.”

Brighton bowed his head. “Very kind. So, I chose this because I figured that as two successful men of business, we’d likely be in formal wear a good deal.” His face brightened. “But once our work was done, I wouldn’t forget that my priority is you…and trying to look nice for you.”

He was the first to communicate that his actions would be to please me, and I found that touching. As great as Aaron and Mikey had done in the challenge, I knew Brighton would be the winner.

“I’d try hard to be attractive for you all the time, too,” I promised Brighton.

He looked me up and down. “Trust me, you wouldn’t have to try hard.”

I was feeling a bit giddy and sorry that we needed to move on to the last dressing room. Daryl was the only one we hadn’t heard from yet, and I imagined he would annoy me as he had been doing since I met him.

When Emilio pulled back the curtain, I might have gasped. Daryl, with his usual cocky smile, wore only a spiked collar and a pair of black leather chaps. He shot me a seductive smile before turning to reveal his backside. When he faced me again, he lifted a riding crop from the nearby stool and held it in an almost threatening manner.

“I can be what you want me to be, Cliff,” Daryl said. “I can be the preppy boy you take on dates, and I can be your dirty boy who blows your mind in the bedroom. I promise you this, you’ll never be bored. Choose me, and you’ll be the envy of your friends with me on your arm. And every new night, you’ll wonder how it’s possible to once again experience the best sex of your life.”

“Oh, um… I appreciate a man who’s…goal-oriented.” I grimaced. Epic fail.

Daryl chuckled. I imagined he thought I was flustered because I was sexually aroused.

“What a finish!” Emilio gushed. “And probably for some of our viewers, too,” Emilio added with a lascivious wink. Ugh. “Once again, Cliff has a tough decision to make when it comes to choosing the winner of this challenge. Cliff, let’s not keep the viewers wondering.”

The contestants had been encouraged to gather around to await my selection.

I eyed the group and it reinforced how much I hated this part of the show. Some of the guys didn’t care about winning, like Ted and Aaron—for obvious reasons. But seeing hope in the eyes of Dani, Mikey and Brighton—and even Daryl—made me feel like the jerk who ended up disappointing several men just to please one.

“Well, once again, you all rose to the challenge,” I lied. I could have singled out Ted, but there would be no point. Even the viewers by this point in the series must be suspicious of Ted’s motives. Then again, for all I knew, he might have already outed himself as straight to them during a confessional.

“And there was real variety,” Emilio piled on. “Very different personalities.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “Listen, this is hard because you’re all amazing and I’m sure that there are many people rooting for each of you. Rightfully so. To say you’re all super attractive is an understatement.”