I’d say that it was the weirdest offer I’d gotten on Growlr, but I’d been on Growlr for a while.
We’d been chatting for a few months, getting to know each other as friends. Pals, even. You’d made it very clear that you weren't looking for anything more, and your profile mentioned you were engaged. I respected that, and kept my flirting to the bare minimum. We got along, and every time my phone trilled with a notification that there was a message from you, I got a rush of excitement I tried to ignore. Like a good friend would.
It didn’t hurt at all that you were smart, genuinely funny and kind, we had a lot in common, and that you were *very* hot. Your profile was super tame, so I had to live with the mystery of what could be under your shirt, how far the chest hair that I could see past your open collar might extend in that one picture. What you’re packing under your jeans in the other one. What it would be like having that warm smile shining down at me.

I lived with it. For a time, I lived with it at least once a day, your face haunting my fantasies as I got myself off before work. I imagined your voice as you told me what you wanted me to do for you, your lips and beard brushing against my ear.
Our chats slowly dwindled. You told me work was getting busy, and I believed you. Our vague plan to meet up for lunch someday continued to go unscheduled. I didn’t hear from you for a few weeks. I thought about you, but figured it was time to move on. It wasn't like we really meant anything to each other, after all. I just had a crush.
Then I heard from you, late at night.
**Gruff:** Hey, how you doing?
**Me:** not bad, happy to hear from you
**Gruff:** Sorry for going quiet there, things have been a little intense.
**Me:** uh oh?
**Gruff:** Yeah, it hasn’t been great. Could I talk to you a bit about it? Maybe I could call you?
I’d stared at my phone for a moment, my heart rate quickening as I desperately tried to remind myself that you were just looking for a friend.
*I can do that,* I thought. *I can be a good friend.*
**Me:** of course man
I gave you my number, and within the minute my phone rang. You told me that your fiancé had been cheating, and that things ended ugly a week back. You told me about your sick dad who just wants to know you’re not alone, your crazy competitive siblings who've always bragged about their successful love lives. You live on the other side of the continent from them, so it's rare to have the whole family together. I wondered where this was going. Then you told me about the two-week cruise your family was booked on next week, and you asked for a favour. You warned that it was a little crazy. I told you to go ahead, all the while wondering how it would feel to hear your actual voice this close to my ear, without the phone between us.

You asked me to pretend to be your fiancé for the cruise. That all the costs would be covered, and that it would be a great time. You sent pictures, itinerary emails, maps. You said you were asking me because you knew we would get along, and that you thought I’d get along with your family. You said you’d be respectful of my boundaries, but that we would have to pretend to be together when people were around. You said after the cruise there wouldn't be any expectations, but that you'd owe me some really good dinners.
I didn't say that I wondered how many beds our cabin would have.
It wasn't the strangest offer I’ve ever gotten, but it was up there.
I sat silent on the phone for a full thirty seconds. I heard the hesitation in your voice when you asked if I was still there.
I cleared my throat before speaking. “I guess I could use a vacation,” I said.
Now here I am, packing my bags, wondering just what shirt will make me look the most like the kind of guy you'd want to marry.
---
[My profile over at DPPProfile has a lot more about me](https://www.reddit.com/r/DPPprofiles/comments/vxdqvl/m4m\_im\_bearboned\_and\_im\_here\_for\_stories\_of\_sex/), and I have [a KinkList](https://i.imgur.com/I3IM2BJ.png) (and [with details](https://goctionni.github.io/kinklist-v2/#I3IM2BJ)), but the short form is that I like traditionally masculine men, adult to middle aged, especially with body hair (bears are *great*). I'm looking for someone to develop and tell stories with; stories involving romance, intimacy, and sexual tension as well as character development and detail. If you're looking to get right to the banging, I'm not your guy. I'm generally vanilla and versatile (but I tend to prefer the bottom role), and I'm into daddy-boy play (as the younger man) and/or mild submission, though they aren't necessities. Not into crossdressing or feminization, humiliation, heavy BDSM, animals, fisting, blood, scat or watersports.
I aim for at least a paragraph or two in my responses, and I'd hope for the same, depending on the way the story's going. I can usually get at least one message out on weekdays during business hours (Eastern), usually more. I like to get a little bit of discussion done before hopping into a role-play, to make sure everybody’s on the same page.
In this story, I'd like to explore the idea of two guys pretending to be a couple while on a cruise ship, and the ensuing hijinks, romance, and sexy tension. What happens next? I'd love to explore a daddy-boy play and intergenerational angle in this story, but it's not a deal-breaker. You can check my post history for other prompts and ideas I'd like to explore!
[Get in touch](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Bearboned) if you're interested, and let's have some fun telling a hot story together!