Page 22 of Scrap Metal & Love Reforged
Alex offered his hand, and I shook it. “Nice to meet you,” he said.
“You, too. You’re the make-up artist?” I asked.
Alex nodded. “That’s me. Well, one of them. Bioncia is the other, and she’s much better at doing make-up than I am.”
“You’re just as good,” Brandon said. “Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I don’t,” Alex replied. “I just happen to know the level of my skillset.”
“You clearly don’t,” Brandon argued, swooping down to place a quick kiss on Alex’s cheek.
The casual show of affection sent a current down my spine. I’d never seen two men so openly affectionate before, and a knot of longing twisted in my belly. What would it be like to be so openly and casually affectionate like that? I could scarcely imagine being out of the closet, much lessopenabout it.
“Come on,” Seth said. “I’ll introduce you to everyone else.
Although I wasn’t usually a people person, having met both Brandon and Alex, I felt…a shift that I couldn’t quite explain. Itwas like rediscovering a long-forgotten part of myself. I missed talking to people; I realized. I missed having connections to other people. And for the first time since my brother…
My poor brother.
I forced the memory away with the guilt. It was best not to think about Lance right now. Because if I did, I doubted I could keep meeting people.
So, I focused on Seth, whose hazel eyes brightened with every person he spoke to. He practically glowed beneath the lights of the ballroom. He really came alive in a way I hadn’t quite seen before. This was his element—surrounded by people—and it was endearing. As the night grew longer, I let myself relax.
And when the night ended, Seth and I walked out. “Well,” he said, after a few moments, “I hope you enjoyed yourself.”
His hazel eyes caught the lamplight and shone gold for a second.
“I did,” I replied. “I haven’t had that much fun in a while.”
Seth nodded. “I’m glad. I thought you might like it. They seemed like your type of people, and a few of them own galleries. You know? I’m sure if you sent some pictures, they’d put your stuff on display.”
“Because they know you?” I asked.
“No. Because it’s good. And sometimes, you just need to make a few connections. That’s all,” Seth replied.
“So, this was all your sneaky attempt to make me network?” I asked.
He smirked. “No. I thought you might enjoy it, and I just don’t like going places alone. It’s more fun to attend events like these with someone.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
We reached my car, and Seth lingered for a few seconds as I climbed in. “Um, thank you,” I said.
Seth nodded. His eyes flickered, and a strange expression crossed his face. It was as if he desperately wanted to know something but wasn’t sure how or if to ask. “Well,” he said finally. “Good night.”
He walked away. I watched as he went to his car, a Corvette. I pulled out my phone and opened theDiscordapp.
“You are NOT going to believe what I did tonight,”I typed. “I actually did a social thing. Aren’t you proud?”
Chapter Nine
Seth
“Wherehaveyour manners gone? I know your mother raised you better than this.”
I looked up from my phone. Brandon’s blue eyes were bright with amusement, and a lazy grin stretched across his face. He traced a finger around the rim of his mug; inside was the blackest coffee I’d ever seen. I was half-convinced Brandonmustbe some sort of eldritch being from another world. What's the point of drinking coffee if it's bitter and black? Why not drown it in sugar, syrup, and cream?