He’d begun working with sponsors and tagging brands and causes that he wanted to bring attention to. Over time, his methods began to pay off. People trusted his opinions and enjoyed being a part of the community he was building.
Eighty percent of his content was still brand-related, but every now and then, he liked to throw in bits and pieces of his actual personal life. Like today, as an example.
“Wow, that photo looks really good!” Ace gushed, looking over Gavin’s shoulder as he struggled to see the photo Gavin was editing.
“Thanks. I’m going to add it to a collection of photos highlighting the play and where people can grab tickets.”
Ace’s head snapped in his direction. “What? You would really do that?”
They were sitting in the park across from the civic center, waiting for Lucas to finish helping the last of the theater kids he was working with on one of their scenes.
Lucas had given them both a sneak preview of the play his theater class was putting on in a few weeks and had happened to mention to Gavin that ticket sales were not where he would have liked them to be. He had created a website and printed out fliers, but he was having difficulty getting the word out. Lucas had mentioned that the money raised from ticket sales would help fund the program the following year, so he was hoping to make as much as possible.
So Gavin thought he would snap a few photos, stitch them into an album, then drop a post on his social media platforms.
Lucas and Ace had been so good to him; he figured this might be a nice way to thank them for everything they had done for him.
“It’s really not a big deal. I’m just going to post a few photos highlighting the children’s production, with a link to the play’s website. Hopefully, that might drive a fewsales and help spread the word. Plus, I haven’t been on my socials in a few days, and I’m sure my followers are starting to worry.”
“What do you mean, worry?” Ace asked, picking up the puppy they still hadn’t named and plopping him down in his lap.
“Well, social media influencers always post at least two to five times a day. I haven't posted anything since this whole thing with the Valentine Killer. People are probably wondering where I’ve disappeared to. If I don’t post stuff soon, my followers are going to drop me.”
Ace shook his head. “Wow, that sounds intense. And a pain in the ass.”
Gavin chuckled. “Don’t say anything to Lucas about this. I don’t want him to think that I didn’t have faith in him pulling this off. I just wanted to do something nice to help spread the word.”
“Sure thing,” Ace promised.
“Sorry about that,” Lucas said, dropping down onto the grass with them and reaching over to pet the puppy. “Now that the kids are all picked up, my attention is all yours!”
“It’s pretty amazing what you’ve done with this program,” Gavin complimented, playing with his toes as he enjoyed the warmth from the sun.
Lucas had been asked by the director of social planning to put together a children’s theater program from scratch and then help run it.
“Yeah, I just love singing and dancing, and introducing a whole new generation to musical theater.”
Seeing Lucas’s eyes brighten as he discussed the program touched Gavin deeply. He envied that kind of passion, wishing he could feel that way about something in his own life. Up to now, everything—his life and his job—felt empty and insignificant. Who really cares about the trendiest restaurant or the jeans that make your butt look bigger? They’re all just surface-level concerns. When you look closely, none of it truly matters.
What Lucas was doing, teaching kids to sing and dance and to express themselves through movement, was a valuable skill they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. Lucas’s impact would stay with them forever.
Now that meant something.
“So, how are things going with you and Marcus? I heard you guys have been sleeping together,” Lucas asked, glancing between him and the puppy.
Gavin deadpanned to Ace.
“We’re not sleeping together. Well, yes, technically we are sleeping in the same bed, but we’re not having sex or anything.”
Lucas lowered his head and stared at him from the top of his eyes. It reminded Gavin of how his mother used to look at him whenever she knew he was lying.
“No. I’m serious. Trust me, I’d ride that man till kingdom come if he’d let me, but I swear, he has a will of steel.”
Ace chuckled. “Yeah, my big bro is very set in his ways. He can be stubborn as shit, but the key is you need to wear him down. Keep hitting on him and teasing him with that sweet little ass of yours. Eventually, you’ll break him down.”
“But I thought Marcus was straight?” Lucas asked, stealing the puppy from Ace and snuggling the furball into his chest.
“To be honest, I’m not really sure what my brother’s preference is. I’ve seen him hook up with loads of chicks, but sometimes I get this vibe that maybe he isn’t as straight as he seems,” Ace explained. “Like two months ago, we were all at the gym, and some little twink started changing in front of him in the locker room. I swear, I saw him get a chub in his joggers.”
