Bryce Peyton had often been told by family, friends, and even strangers that he was good-looking, with striking eyes and a naturally tall, lean frame that carried a quiet, graceful strength. That last part always puzzled him. Though he’d heard these compliments countless times, some of the praise still felt a little hard for him to fully grasp.
He was a kindergarten teacher, passionate about watching children discover the world around them—the curiosity, the discoveries, the little realizations of life. In his own small world, he connected deeply with his students. What he couldn’t grasp was why anyone believed that a person’s appearance held any real importance.
Bryce didn’t think a person’s looks mattered much in the grand scheme of life, even though family, friends, and strangers often told him how handsome he was. He had striking sapphire blue eyes, a naturally tall, lithe figure, and graceful strength—a good body without ever stepping into a gym. Those were the words people used to describe him, though some of the praise didn’t even make sense to him. His family and friends claimed his appearance meant he didn’t need to be smart or intellectual, but Bryce couldn’t understand what they meant by that.
Bryce drove his car to Joe's Garage. A young man about Bryce's age walked toward the car. He rolled down the window. "Good morning. I'm Bryce."
"Good morning to you. I'm Winston, I work here." He had curly light brown hair, golden brown eyes, dimples and a gym body.
Bryce got out of the car.
Suddenly, a spark of mutual attraction ignited for the first time in either man’s life, leaving them both stunned by each other’s beauty.
Time stood still.
They met each other’s gaze with a mix of curiosity and intrigue on their handsome faces. Winston ran a hand through his light brown curls as he studied Bryce. “What’s the matter, Mr. Bryce? Is it the knocking?”
"I believe so. Can you look at it for me?"
"Right away." Winston lifted the hood up.
Their bodies were identical and they stood at the same height smiling at each other.
"It's your Spark plugs. Easy fix Mr. Bryce."
Bryce noticed a smudge on Winston's cheek; he pulled out a hankie and wiped it away.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome.
Both men quietly got very excited by this introduction.
Joe, the garage owner and Winston’s uncle, smiled brightly at the two men. Hank, another mechanic, strolled over to his boss saying under his breath, “so, there’s another sissy simpleton in this small town.”
The little bastard never saw the Joe's fist coming at him." The employee dropped with a stunned expression upon his face. "Get the fuck up and get the fuck out of here! You're fired."
"What's the problem, Mr. Bryce. Is it the knocking?"
"I believe so. Can you look at it for me?"
"Right away." Winston lifted the hood up.
"Yea. It's spark plugs. Gotta change 'em, handsome."
"Well, I think you're handsome too."
Both men smiled brightly at each other.
Uncle Joe went to the office and dialed Bryce's aunt. "Hey Cindy. It's Joe. Bryce and Winston just met."
"Bryce's car was knocking this morning and I suggested he visit you guys."
"Oh, I am so happy. They're talking about Svengoolie movies now. "
Elated she said., "It's wonderful that they met naturally."
"Agree. This Saturday night ... we'll get them a pizza. Sleep over at my house ... Svengoolie's on Saturday nights. And maybe you and I could go out to dinner at that new restaurant., Seashells."
"I'd like that, Joe."
They hung up.
Chapter 2: Their First Sleep Over
