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

With the breeze on the bike, sweat evaporated no sooner than it left the pore. This provided a cooling effect but nothing like the air conditioning in Steve’s car. Josh looked forward to the cold blast from the vent.


The rental properties Steve had shown him raced through his mind, the one in Summerlin, nice shopping, another in Winchester, close to home, then Paradise and Spring Valley, overpriced, Southern Highlands near Blue Diamond, North Las Vegas, East Las Vegas, Centennial, and two more in Henderson, all much the same. None were quite right.


Along the way, at least he got to know Steve a bit. There were nice chats over a meal but not enough salt. Josh’s uncle liked to say you had to eat a whole box of it together before you really knew someone.


Josh swerved as a car changed lanes and nearly sideswiped him. He yelled and shook a fist at the driver. Focus, focus, he had to keep it together.


Chapter 29