Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The City - chapter thirty one

Previously in the City, Martin and Tyler discovered Frederico on a date with Nina.  Jacob made some phone calls.  Todd was hired to housesit for Franz and Leon.  And Ivan felt a familiar burning sensation.


Tyler woke to a knock on his door.  It was Frederico, wearing the same outfit he wore the night before to dinner with Nina.  Tyler invited him in for coffee, but Frederico declined.  “No thanks, I won’t be long.  I’m just getting home,” he said. “I wanted to give you a word of advice.”    “Oh?” Tyler asked.    Frederico continued, “Don’t get sucked into Martin’s psycho-drama.  He and I have been back and forth and around the block a dozen times. It’s time he moved on.” He started to climb the stairs, but Tyler reached out and grabbed onto his wrist.   “I’ll take that into consideration,” Tyler said. “I’d like to add however, that Nina and I have been friends since college, I watched her go through a divorce, and if you’re going to pull her into some sort of power struggle it won’t sit well with me.”   Frederico smiled and Tyler dropped his hold. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Frederico said.   “You really like her?” Tyler asked.   “Unexpected, but yes,” Frederico responded.    Tyler cocked his head and squinted. “Interesting,” he said.  Frederico started to climb the stairs before turning around a final time. “Oh!” he said, “I got a letter from the landlord in the mail this morning.  Might want to look for it in your mail too.”

Across the hall Jacob didn’t wait for the bank to return his call.  He dialed again and spoke with the bank officer who had gone over the shared investments with his ex. “I’m trying to reach Tony, but the number I have for him has been disconnected.”  Being told that the bank couldn’t share a client’s information, Jacob began racking his brain.  

Sitting in the backseat of the car, Spaz asked Franz to roll down the windows.  “It smells funky in here for some reason.”  They were hauling ass across Ohio to make up for the delay due to the flat tire.  When they stopped for gas, Leon gave Tyler a call.   “I’m so glad you called!” Tyler shouted into his phone.   “We had some trouble with a flat tire in Pennsylvania, but we’re back on track this morning,” Leon said.  “Sorry to hear that,” Tyler said, without sounding interested. “I do have some news for you.  Do you know who your dog-walker is?”    “I haven’t met him yet,” Leon replied. “Franz hired him while I was working on the UN gala.”    “It’s Todd!” Tyler said, “The guy who tried to get you kicked out of the gym for buying pot from Martin.”     Leon was confused, “That drunk guy?  I thought he moved to San Diego.”     Tyler cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear while making coffee. “No, he went to San Diego to visit his parents; he’s living in New Jersey now and working at a drug rehab center.”    Leon looked over at Franz and Spaz as they studied a map spread over the hood of the car. “Well, this isn’t good.”     Tyler listened to Leon’s breathing for a bit, then said “He seemed stable while I was there, but I don’t trust him.  There’s something about him that makes me think he’s up to something.”    “From what I remember he’s basically an asshole,” Leon said.  “Franz said he’s good with Nairobi.”    Tyler admitted that the dog was happy with him.   Leon sighed. “Listen, his biggest beef seemed to be with Frederico and Martin.  Can you go over there one more time this week just to be sure he hasn’t burned the house down.  I’ll wait until we’re back home to even discuss this with Franz.”   Tyler cautiously agreed this was a reasonable response.  “If I wasn’t taking care of Adam’s cat, I’d volunteer to spend the week there.”    “Thanks,” Leon said.

In Astoria, Ivan paid a visit to his doctor.  He got a shot of penicillin and had some blood drawn for testing. 

Running out the door to meet Frita for lunch, Martin grabbed his mail.  He sat on the train into Manhattan and read the letter from the landlord.  It was a form letter informing the tenants that ownership of the building had been transferred to a new holding company.  Although it didn’t say anything about a rent increase Martin, newly unemployed, assumed the worst.   At lunch he told Frita about Frederico’s date with Nina.  She refused to be sympathetic and told him to get a grip.  She reviewed for him the number of times he and Frederico had separated and reconciled, his infatuation with Bad News Tommy, the threat he felt from Todd’s crush on Frederico, and his one night stand with Ivan.  Additionally she questioned his perpetual unemployment.  “What do you want from life?” she asked. 

On the road in Ohio, with Spaz taking a turn behind the wheel, under Leon’s suggestion Franz called Todd to check on Nairobi.   Todd assured him that all was well.  Once the phone call was over Todd opened another bottle of wine.

Back at 250, Jacob knocked on Frederico’s door.  “Do you have Helmut’s number in Germany?” he asked.   Frederico pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. “Not exactly what I thought you’d be looking for.”

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

Posted by Tyrus at 16:04:36 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The City - chapter twenty seven



“Hey Tyler. Good to see you again.”  The words came from Todd, archnemesis of the residents of 250.  Tyler stood in the doorway of Leon and Franz’s home in Jersey, stunned.    ”What?” Tyler said.    Todd pushed his way past, leaned down to pet an eager Nairobi, and smiled up at Tyler who continued to stammer. “I don’t understand.  You.  You’re in rehab.”       “Rehab?” Todd asked. He pulled a treat from his pocket and fed it to Nairobi.   Recovering from the shock, Tyler spoke more directly. “No, you told me yourself you were moving home to San Diego to take care of your sick father.  And then Martin told me you checked into an alcohol rehab center in New Jersey.  Now I find out you’re Franz and Leon’s dog-walker.   This is unbelievable.”    Todd shrugged, “Believe it.”     “Does Leon know Franz hired you?  You tried to have him kicked out your gym for buying marijuana from Martin.”      ”Water under the bridge. They needed a dog-walker, I needed the extra money, and voila! here I am.”      Tyler crossed his arms. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”


Meanwhile on the side of the highway in Pennsylvania Franz had the car jacked up so he could replace a flat tire.  ”I don’t think it’s that easy,” Spaz said. She had the car manual in her hands and was giving directions. “Did the bolt you removed look like a T or an I?”  On the side of the road Leon was on the phone with Kimmie.  ”We were making good time until the tire popped.  We’ll put the spare on and at the first garage we see put on a new tire.   Shouldn’t hold us back.  We were planning to stay the night in Ohio anyway.”  


“OK,” Kimmie said.  She was in her home office, putting in a few hours on a Saturday. “Does he still seem angry about losing so many of his employees to Yoohoo?”  Leon looked over his shoulder towards Franz on his back under the car. He cursed as Spaz handed him a wrench. “No, he’s moved on,” Leon said.  


In Brooklyn, Jacob knocked on Frederico’s door.  Frederico answered in his painting smock and a smile on his face.  ”You’re chipper,” Jacob said.   Frederico smiled even broader, “What can I do for you?” He stepped aside and motioned that Jacob should enter.    ”I’m about to rip out some wiring in my kitchen,” he said. “Do you mind if I turn off the power in the whole building for about 30 minutes?”  Frederico agreed and even offered to help with the project.  But first he put on a kettle of water and washed his brushes.  Over a pot of tea the neighbors discussed matters of the heart.  ”I think it’s possible to be friends after a break up,” Frederico said. “Martin and I are doing great as friends.”   Knowing otherwise, Jacob probed. “Really? You don’t think there’s a chance of a relapse? That one or both of you won’t take the warm feelings too far and fall back in love?”    Frederico pondered the theory. “No, I think we’re beyond that. I know he had some feelings still just a few months ago, but he’s been dating and has moved on.  I really believe that.  So, so have I.”      Jacob looked over his tea cup. “You’ve moved on?”       Frederico smiled again. “That’s what I said.”


“Do you you think he’s seeing just one person?” Frita asked Martin.  They were walking next to each other on adjacent treadmills.   Martin sighed. “I hope not!  How can he be dating someone?  I’d rather he be having cheap hookups than falling for one person.”    ”Really?” Frita asked.    ”Yes! Maybe. I don’t know!”   “Martin, you are a piece of work. You push him away, you pull him back, you push, pull.  Make up your mind.  Do you want him back, or is he just attractive because he’s unavailable?”     Martin sighed and stirred his coffee. “When will I get over him?”


And back in Jersey, Tyler and Todd continued their stand-off.  ”Aren’t you supposed to be getting back to Brooklyn?” Todd asked.   Tyler snorted, “and leave you here alone?”    The two sat down and glared at each other.  Finally Todd spoke. “Let’s clear up some stuff. First, I went to San Diego for a week to see my parents. Second, I didn’t check into rehab, I’m working the night shift there. Third, you don’t need to stay and keep an eye on me.”  Tyler eyed him for a while before speaking. “There’s something wrong with you. Everytime I turn around there you are, usually only a few feet from Frederico. Did you take this job just so you could keep tabs on him?  Man, let him go.  Let that friendship die.”    ”I have better things to waste my time on than Frederico.”     Tyler noticed a tone change that belied the truth. “That’s it!  You left because of Frederico.  Your dad isn’t sick, you moved to Jersey to get away. You’re trying to get past a major crush on Frederico, but instead you’re getting some cheap thrill out of working for his friends.” He punctuated each statement with a finger jab at Todd’s chest.   Todd quickly grabbed Tyler’s hand. “Don’t,” he said definitively, “don’t try to make this into something about him.”   Tyler pulled his hand back, “I’m going to let Leon know that his boyfriend hired the guy who got him kicked out of the gym, and has a problem with alcohol, and a bigger one with the truth.”    ”The truth?” Todd said. “Why would I take a lecture about the truth from you?  Ronald tells me you’re not so good with it.”   Tyler was stunned into silence again, by the mere mention of his ex-boyfriend’s name.

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


Based on events and people that may be familiar to some, names and associations have been altered to protect the guilty.

Posted by Tyrus at 04:22:25 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

The City - chapter thirteen

On the heels of Franz’s father’s visit, Kimmie popped back into town and stayed with the Jersey boys.  She was in town to conduct interviews for the new team she was building at YooHoo.com.  While in town she and Franz and Leon and Spaz took in a Broadway show and enjoyed dinner in a swanky new bohemian restaurant in Jersey City.  Spaz, ever the decision maker, selected everyone’s dinner entrees. 

At one of Leon’s jobs a position was created for an Event Producer.  He decided to submit his resume and apply for the job.

In Brooklyn, Frederico wrapped up his sketches of Nina and headed to the UN to drop off his proposal for the new mural project.  He was nervouse meeting with the committee of Upper East Side matrons.  Afterwards he phoned Tyler suggesting they meet for dinner.  They headed to a raw food restaurant in SoHo.  Tyler looked over the menu and ordered a watercress salad.  Later on the way home he grabbed a slice of pizza, a frozen yogurt, and a serving of moo-goo-gai-pan.

Ivan met a man online who wanted to use a variety of toys in their romp.  Coming off his latest experience with Mr. Fister he shrugged and played along.

In a coffee shop in Chelsea, Martin sat with Frita.  He discussed his latest run-in with Todd and his lingering feelings for Bad News Tommy.  Frita made the interesting analysis that Martin’s obsession with Tommy was actually a poorly masked longing for his past with Frederico.  Her theory is that due to the close living quarters with Frederico it wasn’t safe for Martin to show affection for his ex and therefore had subconsciously created the infatuation with Tommy.  She opined that Martin’s command to Todd that he stay away “from me and my boyfriend” could easily apply to Tommy and Frederico.  Martin’s head spun upon hearing this. 

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.

Posted by Tyrus at 01:57:44 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Saturday, March 3, 2007

The City - chapter five



Martin turned 30 with a brave shrug.  Leaving Bad News Tommy behind him, he found himself in a sane and secure space.  Frederico invited Tyler and Leon to join them for a birthday dinner at a tapas bar in the West Village.  Also present were Helmut the German architect and Frita the Filipina lesbian.

Todd, uninvited and presumably by coincidence, was dining in the same restaurant with an unnamed date.  Polite hellos were exchanged, but the awkwardness of his former friendship with Martin and Frederico was apparent.

In addition to his duties as the House Manager for a Broadway show, Adam was called to fill in for an ill singer at a tribute to Sondheim.

Ivan’s series of internet hookups continued.  He met a dancer on the Upper West Side.  His report is that the sex good, but the apartment wasn’t clean.

Franz learned that his father had terminal heart condition.  He took the bad news in stride and put in longer hours at the office.  He and Leon continued to show off their remodeling prowess.  Their friend Spaz came by and was impressed with their work in the bathroom. On her way out the door she shyly asked if anyone knew where she could score a quarter bag of ganja.  The shocked hosts said they’d look into it.

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.

Posted by Tyrus at 13:05:36 | Permalink | Comments (1) »