Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 73846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Zane excused himself from the room so he could call his husband and check on the kids. Beckham, Mark, and Austin followed Zane out, leaving Penny, Darien, and Alex in the room with me.
“Do you guys want to go to a drag show,” Alex asked, pulling up the flyer he’d seen on social media. “It looks like it’d be fun.”
He twirled the phone on the table. Penny grabbed it and checked it out, nodding with a growing smile. “I think we can all use a night surrounded by drag queens and bottomless drinks.”
“Whoa, whoa,” I said. “What if I want a bottom?”
Alex’s brows rose before a laugh followed. “I think you’ll have that option, too.”
“I can’t with you, Ryan.” Penny laughed before slapping me hard between the shoulders. We’d only just met yesterday when she drove into town, but I already felt like I’d known Penny for years. She had a big mane of curly brown hair and the lightest pair of hazel eyes I’d ever seen. “I’m ordering the car if everyone’s ready.”
“The car?” I chuckled before standing up. “Girl, we’re in a town of about seven thousand people with one main road that goes from tip to tip. We can walk to the bar from here.”
“Ah fuck, I knew my New Yorker was going to show. I’m not used to this small-town living.”
“You’ll get used to it pretty quick,” I said. Darien nodded as he started shutting down the office.
He was someone else who I instantly bonded with. Truth be told, it was pretty easy for me to make friends and get along with new people. I tended to trust anyone and everyone, always striving to make people feel comfortable and welcome. It didn’t always keep me and my heart protected, but it made me happy to see others happy. I loved forming genuine connections and surrounding myself with good people. It always made the world seem that much brighter when you had the smile of others lighting it up.
Darien shut the office lights off and walked out with us. “I was worried about it, not going to lie. But it’s been great. Everyone in Blue Creek is really nice and welcoming, plus we’ve got incredible views and hikes and parks. The town is full of a lot of things to do, even with it being the size of three city blocks.”
“Having a local drag show is always a good sign that I could vibe with a city,” Alex said.
Outside, the evening sky was painted in strokes of deep purple and dark blues. The moon already hung bright and full in the darkening skies. I led the way toward the Queen’s Throne, having been there for a few trivia nights but never for the drag shows. Halfway there, my phone buzzed and drew my attention away from a conversation about the irresistible appeal of a HIMBO.
My heart leaped when I saw the name on my phone. Killian Flowers, the guy I’d been talking to for a solid three months. He lived in Boston, but we’d seen each other a handful of times already, each one better than the last. He was a romantic, just like me, and he never failed to make me laugh. I tended to open my heart way too quickly, but with Killian, it felt right.
I unlocked my phone, ready to chuckle at whatever dumb GIF he had sent my wa—
“Hey, Ryan, sorry, you’re a really great guy but I don’t think this is going to work. I really want to work things out with my boyfriend. Sorry again.”
I blinked a few times, as if the letters would suddenly rearrange themselves and make sense.
Not going to work.
Boyfriend.
Sorry.
Boyfriend?!
What in the actual fuck. I had zero idea Killian had a boyfriend and no inclination that he’d be breaking things off with me. We had hung out last weekend, going on a picnic date and a hike. He had told me it was one of the best dates he’d ever been on. We—I—what the fuck?
“Ryan? Is everything okay?” Penny asked, looking from me to my phone.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah. Fine. Totally fine.” I didn’t even respond to the text, locking the phone and stuffing it in my pocket.
“It just looked like you got some bad news there.”
“No, just a politician’s aide texting me for donations. I’ve really got to get myself off whatever list I landed on.” I flipped on my smile, even though the sting of that text hit me in the chest, over and over again.
Whatever. I’m going to have fun tonight, and that’s that on that. Fuck that douche bag.
My rose-colored glasses might have just gotten cracked, but I was determined to hold on to them. Tonight would be a good night, and there was nothing that would change that.
Nothing.
…I hoped.
2
Elijah King
The red velvet curtains were slightly stained, and I could smell the faint scent of body odor and cheap vodka emanating from between the crease. The music was loud but not as loud as the drag queen currently onstage, introducing the next queen to take her spot: