Page 36 of The Goat in the Bedroom
“Maybe a little,” I admitted. “Is that terrible?”
“It's not terrible. It's human. But you should know that's what you're doing.”
“Maybe focusing on building a life here will help me figure out if it's worth staying for.”
“And if I find you someone amazing, that would make the decision easier?”
“Potentially.” I shouldered my yoga mat and looked at him seriously. “Same for you, right? If Sean finds you someone perfect, you'll have more reasons to love LA.”
“Right,” he said, but something in his tone suggested that wasn't quite what he wanted to hear. “More reasons to love LA.”
As we walked back to the parking area, I felt satisfied with our plan. It was logical, systematic, and had the potential to solve multiple problems at once. We'd integrate better into LA's social scene, we'd have the support of friends who understood the queer dating landscape, and we'd approach relationships with more intention than either of us had managed in the past.
The fact that it also gave me an excuse to postpone the biggest decision of my life was just a bonus.
And most importantly, if the Kingman family legend was true, getting Gryff happily settled with someone would improve his performance on the field. His rookie season would be successful, he'd make the team, and I'd have helped my best friend achieve his dreams.
“So,” Sloane said, catching up with us as we reached our car, “when do we start filming the dates?”
“Let us actually find some people first,” I said with a laugh.
“Fair enough. But I want to document the whole process. The matchmaking, the preparation, the actual dates. This could be a really compelling storyline for the season.”
Great.
While I wasn't that excited to see my potentially disastrous dates on TV, it was still a good plan.
The only thing I couldn't figure out was why Gryff seemed so unenthusiastic about a plan that was clearly going to benefit both of us.
DOUBLE BLIND TEST
GRYFF
“That's the fifth one, Gryff. The one, two, three, four, five... count them, fifth perfectly nice guy you've rejected.” Sean's exasperated face filled my phone screen as I sprawled on the couch, trying to look casual about systematically destroying every dating option for Artie.
“The sommelier was pretentious,” I said, scrolling through my tablet like I wasn't fully invested in this conversation.
“This is California. He knows about wine.”
I gave him a no-duh nod. “Exactly. Pretentious.”
Sean rubbed his temples. “Okay, what about Kyle? The pediatric nurse?”
“Too tall.”
“She was five-eleven.”
Yeah, but so was Artie. “That's basically six feet.”
“That's basically not how math works.” Sean looked ready to throw something at me through the phone. “Manuela, the personal trainer?”
“Too into CrossFit.”
I think Sean growled. Maybe it was just gas. “You're a professional athlete.”
“Exactly. I know the type.”
“Oh my sainted grandmother.” Sean disappeared from frame for a second, and I heard him muttering to Ren in the background. “Your weird twin friend is being impossible... No, the other twin... Yes, the one who's in love with his roommate...”
