Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the month of September, I'm highlighting sentences from a short story that released two years ago, a contemporary gay erotica piece called Yesterday's Names. Jonathan has traveled to Italy to visit Nettuno, where his hook-up from the night before has surprised him by showing up to keep him company for what he knows will be a long, hard day. I'm skipping slightly ahead to that evening, after Jonathan has returned to Rome, his purpose for coming to Italy fulfilled.

...The images that filled my head weren’t the ones from the club, though I doubted I would ever forget the taste of his mouth on mine. No, I remembered him in the sunlight, the slight pressure of his hand on my back, the lyrical cadences of his voice as we talked more about our families. I had learned he had three siblings he hadn’t seen since he’d come out, and nieces and nephews he’d never seen at all. He’d told me about moving to Rome, and his first boyfriend, while I talked about how excited I’d been the first time I’d been able to kiss a guy without worrying Pastor Grant was going to catch me and renounce me for a sinner.

I didn’t want to spend the night with a stranger. I wanted Davide.

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the month of September, I'm highlighting sentences from a short story that released two years ago, a contemporary gay erotica piece called Yesterday's Names. Last week, the distraction Jonathan was searching for culminated in a hook-up with Davide and a sweet good-bye. Now, he's off to Nettuno for the purpose of his visit to Italy, where he is surprised by Davide showing up, to be there since he believes Jonathan needs a friend.

Within two minutes, we were back in the sunshine, a map of the cemetery with the grave I wanted clearly marked in hand.

Not all of the crosses bore names. I tried not to look at them too closely as we walked by, but when we passed the third one with the same inscription, I pulled my glasses off to scrub at my eyes.

Davide immediately stopped. He waited patiently for me to pull myself together, silent and present, the only two things I needed right now.

If I was losing it over, “Here rests in honored glory, a Comrade in Arms, known but to God,” how did I ever think I was going to make it with a grave I actually recognized?

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the month of September, I'm highlighting sentences from a short story that released two years ago, a contemporary gay erotica piece called Yesterday's Names. Last week, Jonathan Lynch, a teacher who goes to Italy for a very special purpose, met a guy at a club named Davide. After some private time in a dark corner, Davide is walking Jonathan to the taxi stand, holding him close to his side like they are boyfriends. This closeness is what Jonathan is referring to at the very beginning of my six.

...The glow left from my orgasm remained a lot longer than it might otherwise, because of that. The fantasy of having someone like this all the time was almost more delicious than the sex had been. I live a life of closed doors and whispered secrets, where denying who I am is as natural as breathing, where having someone walk next to me only means one of my students is having problems and is trailing beside me in hopes of help. Men didn’t walk me home, or slide their hand into my back pocket as a show of ownership. So I was going to enjoy this as long as it lasted, even if none of it was real. Because for tonight, I was going to pretend it was.

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.

Six Sentence Sunday

I am back to doing SSS! When I had to go on hiatus, I'd been highlighting sentences from a short story that released two years ago, a contemporary gay erotica piece called Yesterday's Names, so I've decided I'm going to stick with that for the month of September. It's the story of Jonathan Lynch, a teacher who goes to Italy for a very special purpose. It's not as easy to face as he hoped, though, and he's gone out to a local club in hopes of some distraction.

He regarded me with a half-smile, wide-set brown eyes friendly and inquisitive. Soft hazel flecks in them caught the evening sun. His dark, shoulder-length hair was combed off his face, tucked behind his ears like it annoyed him rather than as a fashion statement, and the shadows of the beard making itself known for the night barely masked the adorable cleft in his square chin.

“Hello,” he said, his soft voice carrying through the dance music.

Somehow, I managed a croaked, “Hi.” Mr. Personality, that’s me.

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to my SSS! For the month of May, I'm highlighting sentences from a short story that released two years ago, a contemporary gay erotica piece called Yesterday's Names. It's the story of Jonathan Lynch, a teacher who goes to Italy for a very special purpose. It's not as easy to face as he hoped, though.

Nothing says procrastination better than a trip to a local bar.

I can’t even say it was an arbitrary choice. I spent fifteen minutes Googling gay bars in Rome—fifteen wasted minutes, I might add, since my command on the Italian language consists mostly of tourist phrases I’d picked up to help me on my trip and not the ability to read conversational reviews posted by other desperate gay men.

All right, the desperate part of that description is probably obvious transference on my part. It’s been a stressful couple of months. I’m not feeling as nice as I usually try to be.

To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.