Page 83 of His Choice

“We really don’t need to discuss—” I cut in, uncomfortable.

“Anyway, Alex and I got to talking about the possibility of being chosen and whether we could see ourselves doing…that. Either side of the equation. He feels like I do about penetration. As you can imagine, Alex has concerns about hygiene and safety. You know, transmitted diseases as well as rectal injury.”

I grimaced. “Okay, we don’t need to…”

“You should be careful,” he added, shaking his head.

“I am careful!”

He shrugged as if I was a lost cause. “The more Alex and I shared, the more we realized we have a lot in common. So, that’s why I came to you. I wanted to confess that Alex and I have started seeing each other. Well, as much as we can while being stuck here trying to pretend that we’re interested in you…which we’re not,” he explained.

“Oh. Thanks for the honesty?” I was beginning to dislike people’s candor, as it seemed to always end up with me being insulted.

“You’re welcome,” he said, unaware he might have offended me. “No need for you to waste your time choosing him or me tomorrow.” He rose from the chair, prepared to leave. “As for Hank, he might have gone a little overboard because I told him not to make it obvious to you that I’m…a gay virgin. That would be humiliating for everyone to see, considering I’m in my thirties.”

“Oh, I think you’d better be prepared for far more embarrassment than that disclosure would have been,” I warned, recalling Hank’s outlandish descriptions. “You might need to have a discussion with friends and family to let them know you’re not the sleazebag Hank portrayed you to be.”

He shook his head. “Stupid Hank! Damn! My family was still getting used to the idea that I’m gay.”

“Yeah, well…good luck with that,” I said in a fake cheery voice.

Ted got the hint and left me alone with my thoughts.

So much for my mother’s confidence that all the contestants would want me. Aaron was either straight or pining for Mikey. I was probably not Mikey’s first choice, Brighton had withdrawn, Ted and Alex were into each other—not me, and Dani and Daryl were more likely interested in sex and money than a relationship. I should never have agreed to do the program. Not only had I failed to find the one, but now I wasn’t inclined to look for him after the program, either.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Mikey

After the accident at the renovation site, the producers had allowed me and Aaron to leave the set so I could be checked out in the emergency room. We had thought we’d be able to return to the set in time to film our confessionals, but between the wait for a doctor and the number of tests they had wanted to run, we’d ended up having to call the producers to apologize and bail. Once the test results returned, I was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in both my right shoulder and wrist. The doctor said I likely twisted my ankle and that would feel better quickly, though for now, it seemed to hurt the worst. My left arm was also nearly useless, as it was so sore, it was agony to lift it higher than my waist. That might have been from the demolition work as well as using the arm to support myself from falling into the basement. Although everything would heal on its own without surgery, the doctors had put my right arm in a sling with orders to wear it for a few weeks, other than to bathe.

Aaron and I must have been a sight, both of us walking into the medical facility looking like coal mine workers. Aaron had brushed off as much dirt from the two of us as he could beforehand, but that had been no substitute for soap and water.

Now that we were on our way to Cliff’s mansion, I was eager to clean myself and slip into bed. I looked forward to popping one of the super-strength pain-relieving pills the doctor had prescribed, which Aaron had been nice enough to pick up at the pharmacy on our way back.

Once we were under the portico of the mansion, one of Cliff’s staff bounded from the house to park the car Cliff had loaned us. Simultaneously, James emerged to help Aaron haul me up the steps to the front door.

“I can do it,” I said, immediately stumbling as I put weight on the twisted ankle.

“Let us help you or I’m going to carry you up,” Aaron warned.

James chuckled. “Aww. The others will think you both got married.”

“Looking like this?” I asked, ignoring the silliness of the idea that my straight roommate would choose to wed me.

Aaron snorted. “That’s not how I’d carry him if we were newlyweds. I’d throw him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

James laughed. “At least he’d get a nice view of your butt as you climb the stairs.”

“He’s already seen it and etched it into his memory for life,” Aaron replied.

“I have not!” I snapped. “I don’t even remember it, other than it was flat and covered with black hair.”

Aaron stopped us, looking across me to James. “That’s a vicious lie. He’s describing Daryl’s ass.”

“Was I?” I taunted. “See what I mean? Forgettable.”