Page 30 of The Broposal

“Of course.” Kenny pretended to zip his lips.

“And we should probably set some ground rules. Figure out logistics, get our stories straight, and all that. You and Jackie just broke up, so we should have an explanation for how fast this is gonna happen.”

“Good point.” Kenny tapped his chin. “Well, obviously, we’ve been in love all along and have been in denial for fear of ruining the friendship. We tried to make it work with other people, but it was clear to everyone besides us we were meant to be.” He gave me a fake lovesick look, holding his hand against his heart. “Of course, when it came down to it, our love for each other was simply undeniable. We’d been in denial our whole lives, and when we finally admitted how we felt, there was no way we could go back.”

“Okay, shit. That’s actually pretty good.” If it weren’t for Kenny’s dramatic poses, I would have almost thought he was being sincere. Which was a testament to how good a cover it was.

“As far as rules go,” Kenny added, “no dating other people until you’re naturalized, obviously.”

“Still not sure you know how to be single.” I laughed.

“I won’t be.” Kenny winked. “I’ll have you, sugarplum.”

I shook my head, laughing harder. “When have you ever called a partner ‘sugarplum’?”

“Should I call you ‘baby’ instead?” Kenny asked, cheeks flushing.

“Anything but ‘sugarplum.’” I chuckled. “All right, if you think you can handle not dating for that long, I’m game.”

“Hey, that means no hookups for you, either.” Kenny pointed a finger at me like he was ready to give me a lecture.

“I got two hands. I’ll be fine.” I honestly didn’t even care for hookups; they just sort of happened. Sometimes I needed something to do when Kenny was with Jackie, so I’d find my own person. Since I made it clear from the get-go I wasn’t looking for anything serious, one thing usually led to another. It wasn’t like I hated hookups, but I could take them or leave them. With my citizenship on the line, I could definitely leave them.

“We can divorce as soon as it’s official,” Kenny said. “Well, after you’re naturalized. Three years of marriage, at least.”

“And… you’re really cool with that?” I couldn’t believe he knew how long of a commitment it was and was still asking.

“Of course. The time will pass anyway.”

I didn’t know how else to react but laugh. It was genuine, and joyful, and a little delirious. I had half a mind to slap myself awake.

“You’re still down, right?” Kenny asked this time.

“Yeah.” It was me who should have been asking Kenny that. But he’d clearly made up his mind.

“Good. Anyway, we can get divorced because I want human kids and you’re more of a succulent daddy. Not even a lie,”Kenny said, as if this whole thing were that simple. But there were so many potential complications. For one, if anyone found out…

Kenny was reliable, but so was my paranoia. I, on the other hand, was known for being brutally honest and a bad liar. I wasn’t mean exactly, but let’s just say if someone had something stuck in their teeth or toilet paper on their shoe, I’d be the first to let them know. Still, this was something I absolutely had to lie about. And I’d do it convincingly. Had to. Maybe Kenny could help me in that department. He was an actor, after all.

I grabbed a couple of beers from the mini fridge by the couch and continued planning. Kenny sat up to take the beer I handed him, and Luna hopped off the couch, stretching out on the floor.

“We should get engaged publicly, so it’s more believable.” I popped my bottle open and took a sip. “Then we won’t have to worry about telling everyone.”

“You’re a genius! We can do it at that drag show I’m doing with Leti!”

“Ah, so you are doing the show!” I said excitedly. Kenny didn’t make it a big deal, but I knew it meant a lot to him. He’d never been able to express himself with makeup, fashion, and sure as hell not his sexuality when he was with Jackie. Doing drag was a big step.

“Of course I’m doing it!” Kenny said it like it was the only thing that made sense. And, knowing him, it did.

I laughed. “Go big or go home, I guess.”

“You should be the one to propose, since you’re a terrible actor, and the proposer has an excuse to trip over their words and get nervous and stuff.”

Leave it to Kenny to call it “acting” instead of “lying.”

“Good point. I don’t know how you do it.” I had to admit I was relieved by the idea. I couldn’t imagine faking all the emotion that came withbeingproposed to. But with Kenny’s background in theater, I was confident he’d kill it.

My breath hitched when Kenny rested a hand on my knee, and his other hand gently touched my cheek, forcing me to meet his deep brown eyes. The same eyes he used to wear green contacts to cover up. He’d stopped wearing them after high school, but his eyes were even more stunning now. Big with thick lashes and strong bone structure to frame them. Kenny leaned forward so our faces must have been less than a breath apart, but I couldn’t get one out to test the theory. The eye contact was thrilling and excruciating, and I couldn’t bring myself to pull away. Then Kenny grinned and sat back.

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