Page 40 of I Think They Love You

“Hello.” Denz waggles his phone in the air. “You have one of these.”

“Ilikewriting by hand.”

Braylon squints at Denz like it’s a piece of information he should remember. And he does. From semester after semester where note-taking was an essential step in how Braylon managed a 3.9 GPA as a trophy-winning student athlete. Most nights, his highlighter-dyed fingers would angle Denz’s jaw for a long kiss between chapters before Braylon returned to leaving notes in the margins of thick textbooks.

Denz’s own study habits were the perfect blend of stress and all- nighters. He escaped UGA with a 3.7 GPA. He’s not ashamed of how.

“First,” Denz says, opening a new memo in his phone. “The places we need to act like a couple. The mayor’s gala, obviously.”

“I suppose any event your family will attend?”

“Coworkers too.” Denz lifts his eyes. “Not that you need to make random appearances.”

“Where else? Hypothetically. If it’ll help our causes.”

“Well…” Denz thinks for a moment. “There’s an engagement party for a well-known family. That’s in early March. My dad’s retirement party is later that month.”

Braylon scribbles notes. His tiny handwriting is still adorable and unreadable. Denz’s stomach knots at all the unwanted memories flooding his brain.

“You don’t have to show up. I promised you a one-on-one with the mayor on Valentine’s—”

“What if I did? Go to all of them?”

“Why would you?” Denz asks.

Braylon straightens. “One meeting with the mayor might not be enough for what I want to accomplish.”

“Which is?”

“I’m organizing a function for the teens at the nonprofit. During spring break.”

Denz hears Jamie’s voice in the back of his head. “What do you do now?”

“I’m the program director for Skye’s the Limit, an LGBTQ+ youth center.” That explains the messenger bag. “I’m trying to expand our reach. Buy-in from new donors is a struggle.” His mouth fights off a frown. “An endorsement from the mayor is a start, but I’m thinking bigger.”

Denz nods.

“And I—” Braylon rubs the back of his neck. “—could use your help. Specifically.”

“Planning the event?”

“Yes. That.” The edges of Braylon’s face soften. “School breaks aren’t easy for these kids. No friends around. Unhealthy home situations. Loneliness. They need a safe space where they feel wanted. Celebrated.”

Denz rests his chin on his knuckles. He’s never heard Braylon so passionate. It reminds him of his own dad talking Audrey off the ledge onMarvelous Weddings.

“Also,” Braylon says, “we can’t show up as a happy couple on Valentine’s Day and fake break up the next morning.”

“Good point. When should we, uh. Call things off?”

“April sixth. After my event.”

“April sixth,” Denz repeats while typing in his phone. His eyes follow Braylon’s hand as he writes:

#1: Pretend to date whenever in public.

#2: End Date—April 6th

“Next—” Denz has to clear his throat several times. “Physical boundaries.”

---