The City

Over brunch the day after the UN gala, Franz and Leon told Tyler about their upcoming trip to Memphis .  “We’re going to drive out with Spaz and visit Kimmie,”  Leon explained.    “And the new dog walker is so great, he’s already agreed to house sit for us again while we’re gone,” Franz inserted.    “My friend Adam is performing in a show in Memphis ,” Tyler said. “Be sure to see it.”

Initially based on actual events and real people, the story has progressed to such a point as to render everyone and everything unrecognizable.  Nonetheless, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

On his second cup of coffee of the morning, Leon chowed on a dry bagel and shook hands with the back-up caterer.  He was flying on faith that the runnerup company hired to handle bar service would be able to overcome the minor setback of losing the primary caterer due to a food poisoning lawsuit.  Checking that off his mental To Do List, he hailed a cab to get across town to oversee the delivery of flowers.  Seeing that one of his assistants was well capable, he then turned to the task of getting the evening’s list of speakers ironed out one last time and calling the printer to approve final revisions.  After that he took a breather by calling on the UN’s interpreter pool to be sure they had someone fluent in both Welsh and Swazi to escort the Zambian ambassador’s wife.

Meanwhile, stepping out of the subway Martin straightened his lapel and checked a final time that he had his resume on him before stepping into the offices of Harlem Realty for his interview.  “Is that Martin?” a familiar voice called.  He spun around to find himself face to face with Tyler’s friend and Frederico’s muse, Nina.  “Hey!” he said, less professionally than he would have liked.   “I thought I recognized your name,” she said.  “I’ll be interviewing you. Come on in and have a seat.”

Back in Brooklyn, Jacob returned to the apartment from the overwhelming good news his banker told him. Just that morning he learned he was in possession of quite a chunk of change.  He set about plastering the kitchen wall as his mind wandered.  The events of the last year now had a new light on them.  His anger towards Helmut, the lying German who instigated the affair with his cheating boyfriend that led to their breakup, swelled.  True that Jacob was quite wealthier because of the guilt felt by his ex, but remorse made him fantasize about the future they could have had together.  The full knowledge of what they had jointly accumulated made Jacob seethe with anger.  And all of the blame he was placing on Helmut. 

Tyler met Greg for lunch.  Greg told him the story of the bartender who had been a reliable source of entertainment without strings.  And how suddenly Greg found himself in the unexpected situation of being solicited for dates.  “Why would he go and ruin a good thing by trying to get me to dinner and a movie?” Greg posed.     To which Tyler responded, “Maybe it wasn’t a good thing for him anymore.”    “But why me?” Greg asked. “I’m totally not the dating kind.  He should be asking you.”    “ME?!” Tyler leaned back in his chair. “I don’t date.  Not for a full year.  I’m on sabbatical.”

After lunch, Franz sat in his office going over his plans for the weekend with Leon .  A knock on the door snapped him from his daydream.   It was another of his employees entering to offer a letter of resignation.  Disappointment crept in as he asked the employee the name of the company who had made a better offer.  After shaking hands, Franz picked up the phone and called his good friend Kimmie.  “So, you got another one of mine,” he said, less than polite.    “I see you just spoke to Veronica,” Kimmie said.     “No, that was Reggie,” Franz replied. “I should expect Veronica later today?”  After a terse exchange, the two friends said their goodbyes.

And after a day of sleep and relaxation, Frederico dressed and headed down to the UN.  His afternoon schedule included previews of the mural for a few board members and dignitaries before the official unveiling that evening.  A specifically timed pill guaranteed that he’d be calm and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

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

Initially based on actual events and real people, the story has progressed to such a point as to render everyone and everything unrecognizable.  Nonetheless, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

The day of the UN gala arrived.  Leon was woken by the whining of Mr. Sulu, the cat Tyler was watching for Adam.  The cat was staring at Leon’s face and poking him with his clawless paws.  Confused at first, Leon remembered he’d spent the night on an air mattress in Brooklyn so he could be in the city and start the day running.  Which he did, vaulting from bed and into the shower. 

Tyler woke at his usual slow pace and started making coffee.  Mr. Sulu ran back under the bed.  Tyler offered Leon breakfast when he emerged from the bathroom.  “No time!” he shouted, pouring coffee into a thermos. “I’m meeting with the emergency back up caterer in 30 minutes.  Hopefully they’ll have samples.”  He sprinted out the door.

He bumped into Jacob on the sidewalk, literally.  Without dropping the coffee, Leon landed flat on his back and immediately jumped up, grabbed his bag, held out a hand to the dazed Jacob, handed him the envelope he knocked out of his hands, apologized, dusted his shoulders, and ran to the train.  Tyler watched it all from the window.  “He’s in a hurry,” he said to Jacob.  Jacob looked up, “Was he one of yours?”   “He stayed last night,” Tyler responded before realizing how that sounded. “I mean, he’s just a friend.”    “I’m sure he is,” Jacob said, saucily.  He looked around at the pavement to check for any lost items. ”I have an appointment in 30 minutes, you can tell me about it tonight at Frederico’s unveiling,” he said.  Realizing how that sounded, he added “I mean, the unveiling of Frederico’s mural.  At the UN.”

On the third floor, Martin was checking himself in the mirror.  He had a job interview today, for an office assistant position with a realty firm in Harlem.  He felt he was overqualified, but the unemployment was getting boring.  Checking his suit and teeth, he dropped a copy of his resume in his shoulder bag and headed out.  He knocked on Frederico’s door, but didn’t get an answer.  “Poor guy,” he muttered. “Must be exhausted from all the work he’s been doing.”  He checked his watch and headed out.

As he was heading into the shower, Tyler’s phone rang.  It was Franz checking to be sure Leon made it out on time.  “You just missed him,” Tyler said. “He was up first thing this morning, then nearly wiped out my new neighbor on his way to the train.”   “He’s been working too much on this project.  Luckily, tonight’s the night and I get him back to myself tomorrow,” Franz said.   “You mean until the next project starts,” Tyler joked, to awkward non-laughter from Franz.    “Anyway,” Franz said, “I’m surprising him all weekend with a room at the Hotel Walstoria.  We’ll be able to go directly from the gala to a luxury suite.”   “Excellent,” Tyler opined. “Who’s going to take care of Nairobi?”   “The new dog walker/cleaning guy I hired has volunteered to stay here all weekend,” Franz said.    After hanging up the phone, Franz took Nairobi for a long walk.

Later that morning, Jacob met with his banker.  He and his ex were supposed to divide their combined investments, but the ex was a no-show.   “He called shortly before we closed yesterday,” their financial advisor said. “He asked that everything be put in your name.  I’ve drawn up the papers, all you need to do is sign here, here, here, and initial here and here,” she said.    “He’s not coming?” Jacob was stunned, and confused by the sudden generosity.  Guilt was apparently a motivating factor in his favor.    “He said he didn’t want you to try to talk him out of it so he’d be in later to sign.  It’s a very generous offer Jacob, and I think you should agree to it.”    “And what exactly is everything?  It’s just a joint savings account, right?”  He flipped through the papers.     “Are you serious?” the banker asked. “You co-owned quite a few serious investments with him.”  She began describing each piece as Jacob’s ears burned and jaw dropped.

In an apartment in Astoria, where Ivan was subletting from Adam, a neighbor watched as another strange man left the apartment.  She tried not to be nosey, but it seemed that this summer tenant had a penchant for overnight guests.  And rarely the same one twice.

Working on the railroad, Greg avoided a phone call from his bartender/recent date.  ‘No way am I taking this call,’ he said to himself.  ‘When did casual become serious?’

And on the Union Square train platform, Frederico spotted Martin and ducked behind a pillar but was too slow. “Hey!” Martin called out.   “Oh, hi!” Frederico said.    “Where are you coming from?   And weren’t you wearing that yesterday?” Martin asked. ”If I didn’t know any better, I’d say somebody got lucky last night,” he teased.    “Oh, yeah, that’s me,” Frederico said nervoulsy, “traipsing about town all night.  Ha ha.”    “Did you work another all nighter?” Martin asked, sounding sad.     “Yep,” Frederico responed. “Perfectionist that I am.  Never happy until the paint’s dry.”    “Well, go home and get some rest.  Tonight’s the big night” Martin said, patted his ex on the shoulder and trotted off to catch his train uptown. 

Initially based on actual events and real people, the story has progressed to such a point as to render everyone and everything unrecognizable.  Nonetheless, names and associations may have been altered to protect the guilty or to make things seem more interesting.

Home from taking Helmut to the airport, Frederico knocked on Jacob’s door.  Jacob answered the door wearing a pair of overalls, rubber gloves, and a face mask.  He was in the process of knocking out the shower walls with a sledge hammer.  Explaining that he was running out to the UN to work on the fresco, Frederico stated that he couldn’t help but notice the tension between Jacob and Helmut.  “What’s the story?” he asked.  Jacob responded that there was no short answer and if Frederico was really in a hurry there wasn’t time to explain.  Frustrated that his curiosity wasn’t sated, Frederico changed into his work clothes and ran off.

As the UN event drew nearer, Leon’s long hours at the office became even longer.  Feeling pulled in a million directions by the committee members and half-wit minions, he forced himself to take a 10 minute coffee break with Tyler one afternoon.  “When was the last time you slept?” Tyler asked him.  Before he had  a chance to answer, Leon’s phone rang.  It was Franz asking if he’d be home for dinner.  He also pressed for Leon to give him some input on summer vacation plans.  “I’m too busy to even think about that,” Leon snapped.  “Let’s get this event behind me and then maybe we can discuss a trip.”  Tyler sat wide eyed and sipped his latte.  He’d never seen Leon and Franz argue.  Leon slammed his cup down and said “I am so stressed by this damn job!”   ”It’s your first project, it’ll get better,” Tyler tried to be soothing.   “The company has gone through 3 project managers since the start of the year.  I’m #4!”   ’Wow,’ Tyler mouthed. 

Halfway through the week, Greg and his bartender went to see a movie.  Greg squirmed uncomfortably through the film, a chyck-flick starring Drew Barrymore, Ashley Judd, Hilary Duff, and Ashton Kutcher.  He wasn’t sure how, but the purely physical relationship with the bartender had turned into date night. 

Adam, on his way to Memphis, dropped his cat - Mr. Sulu - off in Brooklyn for Tyler to watch over the summer.  Mr. Sulu promptly hid under the bed and wouldn’t come out.  Earlier in the week Adam had agreed to sublet his apartment to Ivan, whose roommates had kindly asked him to leave on the grounds that he was entertaining way too often.  Ivan was looking forward to having his own apartment for the summer.  He rearranged the bedroom furniture and changed the pictures on the walls.

During another day of unemployment, Martin went up to the roof to sunbathe.  Jacob was up there taking a break from his work on the apartment.  The two introduced themselves.  “What’s the deal with Tyler?” Jacob asked. ”He seems to embarrass easily.”     “Don’t let the blushing white boy act fool you,” Martin said. “He knows how to play the game, he’s just out of practice.”    “Oh?” Jacob asked.    “Bad break up last winter,” Martin explained. “Three year relationship.  He needs to get over it and come out of his shell.”    “Hmm, good to know,” Jacob said. ”And you and Frederico?”     Martin rubbed sunscreen on his shoulders and looked off towards the Manhattan skyline. “That ship has sailed,” he said.

At the end of the week, Frederico came home from the project site for a long shower and a raw meal of celery, carrots, apples, nuts, berries, and greens in lemon juice.  He invited Jacob up to his apartment and told him “I’ve got a couple hours of free time.  What’s the story with Helmut?”  He poured two glasses of chilled wine.    “Well,” Jacob started, then took a long drink. “It’s probably not as dramatic as you might think, but the main reason I moved in downstairs is because I’ve been struggling to pay the rent in Soho since my boyfriend moved out last year.”    Frederico said nothing, indicating with a head nod and warm eyes that Jacob should continue.     “You said Helmut has been here for 3 months?”     “Yes,” Frederico said, “he came on a tourist visa, decided he wanted to stay, found a job, and is on his way back to Germany to work out the visa.”    “Well,” Jacob said, taking another long drink and offering his empty goblet  for a refill. ”He was also here a year ago and made a move on my boyfriend.  More than a move actually, they had some ridiculous two week long affair while I was in California for my mother’s funeral.”    Frederico’s head tilted and his mouth opened.  Helmut had told him he’d never been to the City before. ”He told me he’d never been to the City before,” he said. “No wonder you didn’t warm up to him last week.”    Jacob smirked, “Chalk it up as another lie.  He comes every summer.”  and he lifted his glass, this time to offer a toast. “To new friendships and old nemeses.”  Their glasses clinked.

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.

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.

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.

Being back in the States, and fostering a new dedication to the City, Tyler was reconnecting with old friends. 

Leon and Franz, Tyler’s put upon hosts, are on the suburban track.  They are remodeling their New Jersey 3-family one unit at a time.  This week it’s the first floor flat’s bathroom.  Unfortunately, that’s the flat they live in.  Middle of the night necessities might be interesting.

Meanwhile in Brooklyn, the end was official for Frederico and Martin.  Remaining neighbors has had moments of relapse and tension.  If a genuine friendship is in the future, time will tell.  In the meantime, Frederico has fallen for a Frenchman with one testicle he met online.  Martin, against his better judgement, is deeply infatuated with Bad News Tommy.  The longer his phone remains silent and his text messages unanswered the deeper he falls into that pit of self-doubt we’ve all visited.

Across the East River in Chelsea, physical therapist Todd was questioning his bachelorhood.  His unrequited crush on Frederico had a pathetic, alcohol induced fall out.  His interaction with the group has tapered off.  And he remains single.

Greg the engineer was enjoying his single life.  One awkward evening saw him picking up a cocktail waiter at the workplace of bartender Alan, another frequent overnight companion.  Tyler didn’t pry to ask how that turned out.  Yet.

While looking for a job, Tyler interviewed with an online firm.  In a eye rolling moment of “how is this possible” the man conducting the interview turned out to be the best friend of an old flame.  Perhaps amazingly, Tyler was invited back for a second interview.  But the job went to someone else.

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.