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

“You can get better.” She seemed to read his mind. “Don’t blame yourself. Relationships are difficult for many people, especially when they’ve experienced losses in their life or maybe haven’t had the best of examples. We could be ready soon to practice on the trapeze, with a net of course. Maybe we can see your uncle the day of our field trip. Will he say the same things about the curse that you told me?”


“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t he?” That is, if his uncle said anything at all, which was highly unlikely. On Josh’s last visit, Alfonso remained skeptical. Dr. Brinkwater was probably going to think the curse was a figment of Josh’s imagination, but he hoped for the best from his uncle. “I want the safety harness. The nets are hit or miss.”


“That should be fine for now. The receptionist will schedule it for the end of the month. That’s it for today. See you next week.” Her eyes drifted out the window. 35


Chapter 60