When Awkwardness Feels Like Home – My Thoughts on The Black Velvet and the Little Boi Smile

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The title The Black Velvet and the Little Boi Smile caught me off guard—I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But something in the summary pulled me in, and by the end of the story, I found myself feeling seen, moved, and a little emotional.

This short story follows Amy, a woman navigating the murky space between relationships. She’s at her best friend’s wedding, half-celebrating, half-just-getting-through-it, when she meets Maxim—a butch-presenting woman with charm and confidence. The two are total opposites: Amy is soft and searching for something real; Maxim is cool, distant, and perfectly happy keeping things casual.

And yet… sparks fly.

Their connection unfolds over the course of one night: they dance, they talk, they laugh, and eventually sneak away for “real” food. The story feels like a slice of life, but it’s rich with emotion. There’s a bittersweet undercurrent throughout—it’s clear that while they’re not aligned on what they want, neither of them wants the night to end.

For me, this wasn’t just a story about two people at a wedding. It was about the vulnerability of queer connection—the way we sometimes lead with too much, or hide behind jokes and detachment. I cringed and smiled at Amy’s awkwardness, because I recognized it. There’s a moment when she overshares, laying out everything that should send Maxim running, and I thought, Oh God, I’ve done that too. It’s that urge to leave before we can be left, to end something before it can end us.

The story is brief, a snapshot in time, but it lingers. It left me wanting more—not because it felt incomplete, but because it felt so real. I wanted to know what happens next, even if I already know. That’s how you know a story lands—it makes you care, even after the last line.

My only complaint? I wish there were more pages to turn.