On a scale of one to ten, DJ Joe Salinas considers himself a four, five on a good day. Actor/part-time stripper Fess Kedley is definitely a nine, however, and Joe's pretty sure that slides into a ten as soon as the clothes come off. So when the outgoing Fess recognizes a shy Joe from his midnight radio show at a bachelorette party and proceeds to ask him out, Joe turns Fess down, convinced the man's either crazy or stupid.<br><br>The only problem is, Fess takes rejection as reason to keep on trying.<br><br>The two become unexpected friends, so when the thought of trying a date comes up again, Joe decides to take a chance. Though he doesn't understand what someone like Fess can see in someone like him, it's hard to say no when everything else feels so right.

What the Heart Thinks

Especially since Fess answered him as if it was a serious accusation.


“Everything but this. I don’t want you talking yourself out of it right when I finally get a chance with you.”


Though he was never going to understand why Fess kept saying shit like that, he’d take his advice for the moment. “I’ll see you in a couple hours, then.”


The Hollywood Grill wasn’t haute cuisine, but it was cheap, it was filling, and best of all, it was always open when Joe got off work. The kitschy decor featured the typical movie memorabilia, bright and comforting in its familiarity, but sitting in the booth by the window, Joe felt anything but. The paper from his straw sat in a shredded pile next to his second Diet Coke, the broken lines of the tic-tac-toe game he’d played against himself dried in the ring of condensation.


Chapter 6