Pose for Me

A low-stakes, feel-good queer novella about art and love and connection.

The yearly charity calendar for the local marathon is a great gig for a photographer, if you can land it. And Holland just has, so now he's trying to find a way to upend the inherent toxic masculinity and misogyny in the calendars of old. Then the idea hits him: why not show off local heroes, ones who work hard and don't always get the recognition they deserve. And make it all queer.

When Caiden, a landscaper who happens to be helping Holland's adopted grandmother with her yard, shows up for the calendar gig, he and Holland instantly connect. Caiden wasn't expecting that, but he's also not one to toss aside an opportunity when he sees it. Holland is his kind of guy, and the charity the calendar is supporting helped his sister get care when she was ill as a kid. So it's a win-win in his book.

Working together is easy. Asking Holland on a date makes Caiden feel like a teenager all over again, but in that nervous-excited, good kind of way. And a night of mini golf and pool makes them both realize there's something more to this spark.