Short
Story – 16k words
Dreamspinner
Press 2016 Advent Calendar
The
blurb:
Other than working the front desk of a gay
bathhouse in Denver, Brian McKay is a bit of a recluse. At the best of times,
his social life consists of work, role-playing games at a local toyshop, and
making YouTube videos with his Teddy Bear hamsters. The arrival of the
holidays—with the annoying music, Christmas shopping, and all the reminders of
how he disappointed his father—just reinforces his reclusive nature.
When James Olsen, a gorgeous daddy bear who frequents the bathhouse, notices him, Brian is at a loss. He’s not proud of his own bear status or his struggle with weight. The idea that James has interest in him beyond an easy hookup is more than Brian can fathom. But with a little bit of holiday magic, James might help Brian learn to accept Christmas again—and himself.
My thoughts:
‘Teddy Bears’ is the most adorable bah-humbug to
the-joys-of-Christmas holiday story. It is quite impossible not to feel for
Brian McKay. He’s such a nerdy dork he both made me smile and broke my heart.
To say this man has body issues would be a gross understatement. He doesn’t
like the way he looks and can’t believe anybody could possibly find him
attractive. In fact, he is so certain he’s destined to be alone he’s even given
up on dreaming about a happy ending. His dislike of Christmas runs very deep
and is rooted in bad childhood memories, and as the day comes closer, Brian
gets ever more grumpy.
Enter James Olsen who is everything Brian
desires and admires in a man and therefore completely out of Brian’s
reach—right? Wrong! When James looks at Brian he doesn’t see an overweight and unattractive
nobody, he sees a man he wants to spend time with. All he needs to do is
convince Brian that he is really interested and not just feeling sorry for him.
The story of Brian’s slow realisation that not
only is James really attracted to him but he also deserves that interest is
wonderful and very well written. Rather than through a blinding moment of
insight it is James’s wooing of Brian through an interest in his hobbies, an
obvious attraction, and a genuine date, that Brian comes to accept his own
worth.
I loved how this book was both very sexy and
almost innocent at the same time. The contrast between the free-for-all nature
of the bathhouse and Brian’s almost prudish self-consciousness was both poignant
and very clever.
Brian being willing to settle for the memory of
one good night with James all but broke my heart. His subsequent journey put it
back together again in the best possible way. Brian’s belief in Christmas
miracles came through James, for me it came through Brian’s courage and Brandon
Witt’s wonderful writing.
Between Brian finding his happy ending and
Spike and Angel (read the book if you want to know who they are) this story was
nothing short of adorable. As Christmas stories go, this one is a keeper!
You can find Brandon in the following places:
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