Alyssa laughed. “At least you can stop second-guessing your attractiveness. If the mirror didn’t already make it obvious, Marco and Demir can give you pretty good confirmation that you’re hot, Grayson.”
I laughed, then tossed Lou back to the ground so I could recover my tea. “People used to tell me I was pretty when I was living as a woman, but I could never see it myself. Now, though…” I rubbed my hand across my stubble, then settled back into the chair, feeling the heft of my muscles. “I’m starting to appreciate myself, finally.”
Alyssa’s eyes got wide, and she perked up in her seat, flipping the recliner’s leg rest back down. “Grayson, I got an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“I know you usually take Sundays to yourself, but why don’t you make an exception next weekend? Claire and I are throwing a small brunch potluck at my place, and I think it would do you good to come by and meet some of our friends.”
I almost instantly said no. Spending Sundays with myself had been an important part of piecing my life back together, and I really did consider that time sacred, whether I went for a long walk through the park or just spent the day at home, reading and taking care of myself.
But then again…
“I am crawling out of my self-imposed social hibernation,” I said. “Or at least, I’m trying to.”
“Join us,” Alyssa said brightly. “It won’t solve your problems, but you’ll see. Spending time with people who understand you can really help put things in perspective.”
After a little more encouragement, I caved and put the brunch in my calendar. Alyssa said goodbye and headed out the door, and I took a minute to sort through my ongoing projects and figure out which orders to tackle next.
It was good to stay busy and to keep building my business. But as I prepared some mold castings, I couldn’t lie.
It felt pretty damn nice to be distracted, too. Especially by a problem as steamy as Marco and Demir.
