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

Maybe too old for this scene, Josh wished they’d stayed home, just the two of them, where they would wear something more comfortable. Well, what they wore now was comfortable, but it wasn’t what they wore around the house. At home they weren’t concerned about impressing strangers.


His reservations increased as they approached the cabana, a large bed surrounded by a canvas tent next to the pool. Steve pointed it out from across the water. A group of kids, barely drinking age, lounged on the mattress. “Who are they?” Josh asked. “Where are your friends?”


Steve didn’t hesitate. “That’s them.”


“Those are your friends?” Josh asked.


“What’s wrong with that?” Steve asked.


This could have been a compliment for Josh, but he wasn’t sure. Just a few years, but important ones, made him old enough to call them kids.


Chapter 62