Josh, a lonely trapeze artist, thinks he’s cursed. It’s an old family superstition. He can’t have sex on a day he flies or he’ll fall. Maybe that’s why he’s never had a steady boyfriend, though sometimes he dreams of one. In his show, a strange melody plays in the background. It follows him and surfaces from time to time on the street. When Josh’s uncle hears about the music, he tells his nephew to bring the old ring, passed down from generations since the time of the curse. Steve is a realtor who always reaches his goals, in sales or otherwise, and he moonlights as a dancer in an all-male review on The Strip. All his friends his age are married, and his best friend’s wife Genie wants to see him hitched, too. He’s a little bit challenged in the relationship department, though. He has some growing up to do, or maybe it’s his problem in bed, where he’s somewhat one-sided. Steve and Josh meet one crazy night when Josh breaks all the rules used to protect him from the curse. After that, he runs. If it wasn’t for Genie’s matchmaking, Josh and Steve might never see each other again. Though not yet ready for a boyfriend, Josh does need a realtor. What a good way for he and Steve to get to know each other, while Josh works up the courage to tell Steve about the curse. Still unaware of Josh’s problem, Steve falls in love with him. When Steve finds out about the curse thing, it’s a big disappointment, but he wants Josh anyway. There’s no doubt Josh is worth the wait. Maybe the curse isn’t real after all. Can lonely Josh overcome his fear of it? Can horndog Steve handle a curse? Is the answer in the ancient ring?

The Curse of Flight

The old man lifted the drink with both hands. Grape juice dribbled down his chin. Purple spots bloomed on his nightshirt. He paused to speak. “Keep looking.”


Glad to get up from that chair, Josh grabbed a towel from the shelf and spread it over his uncle’s chest and shoulders. “I can’t find it. Are you sure it’s in the house?”


“Yes.” A drop of purple fell between the words. “In my room.”


“I looked everywhere.” He sat back down in the uncomfortable chair and wiggled to find a soft spot. There was none. “There’s nowhere else.”


“Look where I put it,” the old man said.


Josh’s elbows rested on his knees, and he lay his head in his hands. They’d been through this all before. There was no reason to revisit it. “It would help if you knewwhere you put it.”


The old man’s head lifted off the pillows and gave him a pointed look. “I do.”


Josh tried to hold back a smirk. “I know. You told me. It’s in a safe place, where no one can find it.”


Chapter 8