Love Bytes is happy to welcome to the blog author Brandon Witt.

Brandon is reading from his new release “The Imperfection of Swans” and also brought with him a wonderful giveaway for our readers.

Welcome Brandon 🙂

Sometimes, life is hard, overwhelming.  It can hurt, your demons scream in your ear.  It’s exhausting and wears you down.  What’s guy to do?

Go try on wedding dresses, of course!

Thanks for joining me on Love Bytes today, and I greatly appreciate Love Bytes letting me come on and tell you a little bit about my new release, The Imperfection of Swans.  Actually, I’m not going to tell you so much as read it to you.  A part of it, anyway.

The scene I chose was one of my favorite to write.  I just had a blast in this section.  Right before this scene, Kevin has struggling emotionally.  He and Casper were stressed out trying to get their wedding gown / wedding cake combo shop up and ready for business, and, in the middle of it all, Kevin broke up with his ex-husband (yes, you read that correctly).  Casper comes up with a scheme to help Kevin let loose and feel better—trying on wedding dresses.

I hope you enjoy this scene, and that you’ll give The Imperfection of Swans a try.

I’m also including the text of the scene that I’m reading, just in case you’re at work and can’t use volume (We’ve all hidden in the stalls to get away from it all, I know how it goes).  Also, you might listen for a minute and then have an epiphany around why authors don’t often narrate their own writing.  If that happens, you have scene right here!

Thank you again, everyone!  I look forward to hearing from you!  Much love, Brandon Witt

Video Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-zg3hc0eoI

The pretty salesgirl of Dream Day Bridal stared at them like Casper had just asked her if she wanted to watch gay porn with them.

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“I think you do, Annie.” Casper motioned back to Kevin, who was the brightest shade of red of any human in the world. “My fiancé and I are both going to wear gowns at our wedding. It’s a political statement. And it will be pretty.”

Annie looked behind her, as if salvation were hidden in a back room. Casper hadn’t seen anyone else, so he figured she was alone on this one. “We actually don’t sell men’s wedding dresses.”

He channeled Kevin’s withering look, and though he couldn’t see himself, he felt like he nailed it. “I don’t think anyone carries men’s wedding dresses. They’re just called wedding dresses. And we’d like to try some on.”

The poor girl was sweating. “What if someone comes in and wants to try on a dress too?”

“Oh, Annie, I know we look too fabulous to be willing to share, but we will.” He grinned toothily at her. Did it make him evil that he was enjoying this so much? “It’s sweet of you to want to give us the celebrity treatment and offer us the entire store.”

She looked close to tears.

Casper called back to Kevin without looking away from Annie. “Sweetheart, would you make sure to get a picture of the outside of the store to put on Facebook? It looks like wedding dress shops who refuse the gays are the next wedding industry to face legal action. Apparently it’s not just bakers who won’t participate in wedding events.”

There was a tear. Definitely a tear. And panic. There was definitely panic. “No, we’d love to participate in gay weddings.”

Casper leaned on the counter. “They’re just called weddings, Annie dear.”

After she motioned them back to the showroom, Annie rushed to the window and flipped over the open sign. Casper noticed she forgot to lock the door. He decided not to be helpful and kept his mouth shut.

“Holy crap!” Casper gaped as Kevin stepped out of the dressing room, clad in a lacy gown that had fabric roses clustered over the right of his bodice and swooped down over his left hip. He was sure there was a name for that, but he had no idea. “You actually look amazing.”

Kevin stepped up onto the pedestal and looked at himself in the mirror. He tilted his chin appraisingly. “I kinda do. A lot better than the last one. The jewel neckline is much better on me than the sweetheart.”

Casper didn’t know what that meant, but he had to smother a laugh at how much Kevin was enjoying himself. When Kevin bent down and lifted the layers beneath the skirting, revealing a glittering pair of silver high heels, Casper couldn’t hold it back.

Kevin glared at him in the mirror. “Laugh all you want. You can’t get the full effect without the shoes. Granted, these are a little more garish than what I would recommend, but they were the only pair that fit.”

“You look stunning, my dear.” Even as he struggled to stop laughing, his heart sank a bit. It definitely wasn’t just his cock causing problems. There was no more plausible deniability. Watching that gorgeous man try on wedding gown after wedding gown, searching for the perfect one, and then that beautiful smile when he’d found it? Casper hadn’t expected Kevin to go along with it as easily as he had, not to really let loose and just go for it. But he had.

And he’d ruined Casper’s heart in the process.

“Actually, this gown wouldn’t even need much altering.” Annie stepped up beside Kevin and addressed his mirrored reflection. She pinched the fabric at the back of Kevin’s shoulder blades. “We didn’t even need to use the clamps on this one.” After a bit, Annie seemed to have forgotten who her clients were and slipped into her role as a bridal stylist.

Casper moved toward the dressing room he’d been using. He’d only tried on two gowns, and they were both uncomfortable. This one kept snagging his chest hair.

“Miss, can you please lift the hem of your skirt when you walk? It’s better for the gown.”

Kevin’s burst of laughter filled the quiet space. Casper looked over his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at Annie. She flushed, a hand rising to her lips. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I meant sir.” Not responding, Casper dipped down dramatically and lifted the hem before continuing on to the dressing room. He couldn’t suppress a smile. Wedding dresses were horrifically uncomfortable, but they were fun.

After changing into his jeans and T-shirt, Casper took a seat on the love seat next to the pedestal Kevin was using.

Kevin had changed into another dress. It seemed a Sabrina neckline was also flattering on his body type.

Casper wondered if he’d learned anything at the wedding show in New York. He didn’t remember necklines having names.

Just as Annie was fastening a veil into Kevin’s hair, which was an impressive skill considering his hair length, the door chimed.

All three of them looked toward the front door.

“We noticed your closed sign, but it’s still business hours, so we thought….” A group of four young women stepped in, all stopping dead in their tracks as they saw Kevin in all his wedding dress glory.

For the first time in over an hour, Annie seemed to remember she’d originally been uncomfortable with this. “Oh, ladies! Please just wait outside….” Her voice trailed off, and she looked at Kevin’s reflection in the mirror once more. Casper could actually see some switch in her flip. She lifted her chin as she turned back to the ladies. “If you’ll give me a few minutes with this client, I need to get him a handbag, and I’ll be right with you.”

It was another hour and a half later, the sun deep in the western horizon, before Casper was rejoined by a Kevin clad in typical masculine clothing.

Casper had thought he’d seen Kevin in all his glory when it had been just the three of them. But it had been nothing compared to him trying on more gowns alongside the actual bride-to-be. Casper ended up waiting by the receptionist desk, just watching Kevin and the women completely get lost in the thrill of wedding day preparation.

When they got in the car to return to Boston proper, Kevin was positively glowing. “That was awesome! Such a great idea.” He beamed at Casper. “And I think we should do it some more.”

“You want to go try on more wedding dresses?”

Casper was a little surprised when Kevin shook his head. “No. That was fun, but once was enough. Probably. I think we should have the women we know go wedding dress shopping at the stores around. Really scout everything out. Find out what they like that the other stores are doing and what we should do better.”

Pretty brilliant. “I think that’s a great idea. You’re kinda smart, there, Mr. Bivanti.”

“Well, here’s another one. Once we’re ready to open, I’m going to come back here and offer Annie a job. She’s awesome. Really knew her stuff. And that girl can upsell. If you come in looking for a dress, she’s going to make sure you leave with the gown, shoes, bag, jewelry, hairpiece, everything! She even brought out satin insoles so that my feet could feel like they had their own wedding gown.”

Casper cast a sideways glance at Kevin.

“What? Her words, not mine.”

Blurb:

Kevin Bivanti’s dream is to open a wedding dress shop, a place with the stunning gowns to make every bride-to-be feel adored. At thirty-eight, he quits a successful advertising career to buy an old brownstone in a trendy Boston neighborhood and to make his dream a reality. When one of his cosigners drops out, fate intervenes, ushering in Casper James, who hopes to open his own bakery. With Casper willing to take the risk, their ambitions meld into a wedding dress and wedding cake boutique.

Extensive renovations to the brownstone, an affair with his ex-husband, family drama with his mothers, and the anxiety of significant life changes push Kevin to the brink of a nervous breakdown. In the midst of stress and uncertainty, Casper becomes more than a business partner, a mutual attraction that adds another layer of intensity and risk.

With their dreams on the verge of reality, Kevin and Casper must find the courage to face the stress of managing their attraction, the gamble of a new business venture, and the resurgence of Kevin’s personal demons.

Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon