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black T-shirt and jeans, hoping the old adage that black made you look thinner held true. Several times he caught himself humming,
    "Time of My Life," smirking at himself in the mirror.
    "What a sentimental goofball you are," he told his reflection.
    Wound up like a tightly coiled spring, he took a quick walk around the block to burn off some tension. His breath clouded the air before his face, and he found it impossible not to smile.
    Once back home, he fidgeted, straightening
    knickknacks on bookcases, selecting appropriate mood music from an easy-listening radio station, and finally lighting the candles he'd purchased the previous week.
    After the longest hour on record, a knock sounded at the door. Otis smoothed his hands over his hair and down his shirt before answering. His mouth dropped open. There stood Garret, even more handsome than remembered, holding a bottle of wine. A beatific smile sent a two-twenty current through Otis' body. Some A Lie I Can Live With - 36
    might call it lust or infatuation, but Otis knew in that moment that he was a goner. Not only did the man embody "handsome," but beneath those well-defined pecs beat a heart of pure gold. If and when Garret walked away, he'd take Otis' heart with him.
    "C…come in." Otis managed to engage enough brain cells to take Garret's jacket and thank him for the wine.
    Garret stopped two feet from the door, sniffing the air. "Oh, man! That's sure smells good," he exclaimed, turning on a bright grin that nearly reduced Otis' brains to mush.
    "I made manicotti. I hope you like it."
    The two plates from a hodge-podge of dishes that actually matched sat on the table, a newly-purchased candle adorning the center. Garret nodded approvingly and pulled Otis into a brief hug before sitting down.
    "I've been dreaming about this all day."
    "You have?"
    Garret winked. "Having someone cook for me? You betcha."
    Over the salad course, Otis asked, "So, make anyone's dreams come true today?"
    Garret tilted his head, one eyebrow raised in question.
    Did I say something wrong? Otis' oh-so-ready-to-blush cheeks heated. "Um, at the bank? How was your day?"
    Again Garret gave him a funny look, now joined by a pleased upturning of lips. "Fine, thanks. And as a matter of fact, I helped a young couple purchase their first home today."
    "Really?" Otis didn't even have to pretend excitement, recalling the day he'd closed on his house.
    "That's got to be awesome."
    A Lie I Can Live With - 37
    Garret practically glowed. "It is, actually. But you make people happy too, by solving their computer issues. I'll bet you have some cool stories to tell."
    Otis grimaced. "Well, there was this time… "
    As before, making conversation with Garret proved easy, and tidbits about their day were interspersed with,
    "Whoa! This is good!" and "You made this yourself?"
    Another teasing wink accompanied Garret's
    pronouncement that the tiramisu was, "Almost better than sex."
    Oh lord! Was Garret being deliberately flirty or was it the wine? He'd never been so openly suggestive before. Did that mean Otis stood a chance of at least getting a kiss? "Why don't we head out to the living room, see what's on TV?"
    Otis settled Garret in front of the TV and returned to the kitchen, tidying up before bringing the wine bottle and their glasses to the living room. They sat side by side on the couch, sipping wine and wincing through the last excruciating minutes of the Saints' crushing defeat.
    What now? If I don't say something he'll leave! Otis anguished. "Ummm… wanna play a video game?"
    "Sure!" Garret responded, sounding happy for a diversion from the sports tragedy they'd just watched.
    "What ya got in mind?"
    He followed Otis to a bookshelf, running his finger along the cases. "Hey, isn't this the one we played at the arcade?"
    Otis smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, it's my favorite." He popped the disk into the gaming console.
    He sat a little closer to Garret than actually necessary, under the guise of teaching him how