The City

Leon spoke to the management at his gym about the events that lead up to Martin’s promise to find weed for him.  They rescinded their previous decision and allowed Martin to rejoin.  When Todd witnessed the two going over their boxing moves together, he became rather angry.  But couldn’t do anything about it.

Omar came by Tyler ’s apartment in Brooklyn bearing gifts – an iron and set of shelves, hand-me-downs from his and O’Brien’s combined household.  He was impressed by the progress made, but concerned about the standstill in the kitchen. 

Frederico busied himself putting together a proposal for a mural project at the United Nations.  He locked himself in the apartment for days on end.  Nina stopped by to visit Tyler, who was out walking Frederico’s dogs.  Frederico popped into the hallway long enough to ask her to pose for a few hours. 

What does the City have in store next for our heroes?  Stay tuned.

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

Tyler and Adam attended a play in Hell’s Kitchen that wasn’t entirely bad.  Following the show they went to a party in Chelsea where they bumped into Frederico and Helmut. Helmut had quit his job after an unwelcome sexual advance by his boss.  He was giving himself one more month to find employment before heading back to Germany .  Refraining from alcohol as part of his fitness regimen, Frederico was bored by the crowd.

At the same party, Ivan and Greg compared dating habits.  It was noted that while Ivan preferred the ease of using the internet for anonymous hookups, Greg was more comfortable in an old fashioned bar setting.  They both went home alone.

Martin tried to take advantage of Frederico’s absence from the building to invite Bad News Tommy over for a nightcap.  But Tommy wasn’t answering his calls.  Instead Martin went into Chelsea for a solitary cup of coffee.  There he bumped into Todd and a font of anger erupted, using words like “pathetic”, “loser”, and “whore”.  Todd returned the favor with expressions such as “pot head”, “asshole”, and “D-lister”.  Finally in an impassioned outrage Martin said “Stay away from me and my boyfriend!” and stalked away.  But he wasn’t sure which man he was referring to.

Franz and Leon hosted a dinner party in honor of Spaz’s mother who retired this week.  Over dessert they joked about the request she’d made about smoking weed to make up for a well mannered youth. Dick, Franz’s terminally ill father, piped up that he had stash of medical marijuana he was more than willing to share.  The room burst into laughter, followed by Franz drawing the shades.

What does the City have in store next for our heroes?  Stay tuned.

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

Franz’s father Dick arrived for a two week visit.   Over the course of the week, the father and son danced around the multiple issues that existed between them.  Perhaps greatest among them was the fact that Dick had less than a year to live.  Leon tried to create a tense free atmosphere, but with the two alpha males that was near impossible.  The same day as Dick’s arrival, the Jersey boys got a call from their banker.  Their property assessment wasn’t as high as they’d hoped and they couldn’t secure a more favorable loan. 

In Harlem, Omar and Tyler helped Nina move the last of her belongings out of her ex-husband’s half of the four story brownstone they co-own. The stairs were killer.

And in Brooklyn, Frederico’s diet continued, as he tried to flush out his system by only eating raw foods.  He maintained that he felt great, but it was frequently necessary to air out his apartment. 

Having been kicked out of his gym after Todd told the management that he was dealing drugs from the lockerroom, Martin looked for a new one.  Miffed at Todd, he couldn’t get out of his mind the image of Todd and Bad News Tommy dancing together at the Black Party. 

Greg returned from Hawaii and Mexico tanned and refreshed.  He met up with Tyler and Adam for a cocktail on Thursday and told them about his recent adventures.

What does the City have in store next for our heroes?  Stay tuned.

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

One week into the new pad in Brooklyn , Tyler has had his share of spackling and painting the raw apartment.  Grocery shopping was a particularly trying enterprise.  The bright spot is that although he’s no longer living under the protective umbrella of Leon and Franz’s support he does have Frederico and Martin living in the same building.  They have been good resources in settling into the new neighborhood.

Leon cleaned out the guestroom that Tyler just vacated to make room for the impending visit of Franz’s father, who was recently diagnosed with a terminal heart condition. 

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

On Tyler ’s last night in New Jersey , Franz and Leon took him to one of the area’s numerous Italian restaurants.  It was four months ago that Tyler arrived on their doorstep, heartbroken and unemployed.  After two months of working in the city and commuting with them every morning he’s taking the big plunge and moving into his own pad in Brooklyn . Laughter and memories flowed before the check came and everyone stared at it. 

The next day, after Tyler walked Nairobi one last time, the boys packed up the SUV and drove Tyler into the City. 

Frederico began a new health food diet.  He stopped eating meat and cut out complex carbohydrates, all to get ready for swimsuit season.

Later in the week at their kick boxing class, Todd overheard Martin agree to find some pot for Leon .  He promptly went to the gym’s management and reported that Martin was dealing drugs in the locker room. 

Unbeknownst to him that Martin had been kicked out of the gym and his membership revoked, Leon went the gym every night looking for him.  Finally, on Friday Todd told him what happened to Martin, adding “you’re lucky I don’t turn you in too.”  Flummoxed, Leon called Spaz from his commuter train trip back to Jersey telling her to look elsewhere for her mother’s fix.

Disappointed that her mother’s retirement party would be a sober one, Spaz made a run to Target and bought some cute little loaf tins and baked a dozen zucchini breads.

Back in Chelsea , Helmut found a job with a small architectural firm.  The pay was low, but they did agree to sponsor his work visa. 

Tyler and Omar attended a birthday party for Nina at a bowling alley in Harlem .  Newly divorced and looking to have fun, Nina was a ball of energy in the lanes.  Omar on the other hand was too self conscious to let anyone see him lug a ball and Tyler was exhausted from his move.  But they managed to have a good time leaning against the wall critiquing everyone’s technique.

What does the City have in store next for our heroes?  Stay tuned.

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

It was the weekend of the Black Party and Martin was eager to show off his new tattoo.  He took his leather pants to the tailor to be refit and put together a hot outfit.  At the all night dance partyhe spotted Todd hooking up with Bad News Tommy, which all but ruined the night for him.  He neglected to tell this to Frederico though.

Frederico was torn about going to the party.  Wanting to be carefree, yet not quite ready to let loose in front of Martin he couldn’t choose.  Finally he decided to skip the Black Party and instead went to Allegria Sunday night with Helmut, who was celebrating a new job with a small firm in the West Village.

In New Jersey, Franz and Leon cleaned up the house for a reappraisal by their bank.  All their hard renovation work in the bathroom (not to mention work in the kitchen one year ago) was about to pay off.   Meanwhile, Leon joined the same Manhattan gym where Martin takes his kick-boxing class. 

With paint brush in hand, Tyler began his own remodeling to get the Brooklyn apartment ready before moving in.  Omar helped on Sunday afternoon and the two managed to liberate a wall from an amateur shelving unit that was marring its beauty.

Greg enjoyed a week of relaxation in Mexico.  He travelled alone, but was seldom lonely.

What does the City have in store for our heroes?  Stay tuned.

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

Franz and Leon made finishing touches to their bathroom remodeling project while Tyler solidified plans to move into his own place in the Brooklyn tenement Frederico and Martin call home. 

Kimmie called from Memphis to discuss with Franz a job offer she received from a competitor of his employer. 

Spaz pulled Leon aside to explain that the weed she was looking for was for her mother.  Nearing retirement the older woman wanted to imbibe in a few of the things that she poo-pooed in her youth.  Leon was relieved to know that Spaz wasn’t turning to the drug.  He was also a bit humored at the thought of her mother trying it.  He assured her he’d ask around.

Frederico bumped into Todd in Union Square.  Hurt by the abrupt end to what he saw as a building friendship, Todd asked Frederico directly what it was that caused him to be cut from their lives and not invited to Martin’s birthday party.  Frederico bought Todd a cup of coffee and recounted to him the night over a month ago when Todd showed up drunk to Frederico’s gallery opening.                                   

In Queens Adam re-signed his lease.  A heartbreaking decision, as he internalized the fact that he no longer lives in the heart of Manhattan’s theater district  Self doubt became solvent by the document he signed.  Are the best performances of his career behind him, or will the Queens lease be a new beginning?

What does the City have in store next for our heroes?  Stay tuned.

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

The boys in New Jersey had a weekend visitor from Memphis - Kimmie.  She lamented her love life before making it out of town just before a snow storm hit.   Leon shoveled the driveway and sidewalks by himself, adding to a growing aggravation towards Tyler and Franz.  Their dog Nairobi was cleared of any major illnesses by the vet, but put on a new diet regimen. 

Midweek on the town, Greg bumped into Todd at G Bar in Chelsea.  Todd was drunk and overly flirtatious.  Greg wasn’t interested, and instead went home with his bartender buddy.  Todd consoled himself in another drink.

Ivan spent the night with an amazing trick in Union Square.  But a few days later when Ivan called for a second round the trick wasn’t interested.

Martin announced that he was officially over Bad News Tommy - a recovery that lasted longer than the actual imagined relationship.  He shaved his head as a symbol that he was ready to move on.
                                                                                
Frederico decided that he was officially NOT going to France for the summer.  The online affair with the one testicled Frenchman had run it’s course and he was going to focus on using the City as inspiration for his paintings.

Tyler looked at an apartment in Martin and Frederico’s Brooklyn building.  It needs a lot of work, but he’s excited by the low rent.  We’ll see how long the excitement lasts once he’s actually doing the painting and tiling. 

In domestic bliss up in Harlem, Omar and his boyfriend O’brien described for Tyler how they spend every Sunday morning together in the coffee shop of a popular bookstore studying for their upcoming licensing exams.   Their home is solid as bedrock, even though they disagree on the government’s approach to the war.

What does the City have in store for our heroes?  Stay tuned.

Based on actual situations, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.