Page 8 of The Liar's Reckoning

This man isnothing like I expected. It’s almost like, “Are you sure you’re gay?”

“Do you feel like an experiment?” he asks.

“Doesn’t matter howIfeel.”

“I’m asking.”

“Okay, then yeah. A little. Not in a bad way,” I add.

“I’m ninety-nine percent sure,” he says. “But how am I supposed to know if I don’t actually like doing—you know—what guys do?”

“You don’t have to like everything,” I tell him.

“But sucking cock?”

I shrug, “I mean…it’s not a prerequisite, but yeah, I guess most gay guys like that.”

“Have you met one who didn’t?” he asks.

“I’m just one person,” I remind him.

“Well, how do you know you’re gay?” he asks.

“Me personally?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve only ever pictured myself with men.”

“I always pictured myself married to a woman,” he says.

“And how far are you planning to take this fake marriage of yours?”

“Jesus. Notthatfar.”

“What about kids?” I ask. “Isn’t that what good Catholics are supposed to do?”

“IVF was invented for a reason.”

I struggle with this answer. “You’re really not gonna have sex with her?”

He wrinkles his nose, which is incredibly cute, and shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

“You know. Graham. It’s possible not to be attracted to anyone. It’s okay. It doesn’t have to mean?—”

“Iamattracted to you, though,” he says emphatically. “And I want to suck your cock.”

“You sure?”

“I won’t be good at it. I realize that—and yeah—I had to make sure I could touch it first before I knew I could—but…this probably makes no sense.”

“It doesn’t have to,” I say.

Trying to understand a thirty-three year old virgin is beyond me. I won’t even pretend to. But he’s extremely adorable, and very confused, and I’ve got a feeling he’ll be better at sucking me than he thinks. “Do you want me to talk you through it?”

“I think so,” he says, sounding dazed.

I can’t help my grin. “Well…for your first time—I’d recommend the classic. Get on your knees.”

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