AN
INFATUATION
by JOE
COSENTINO
a Bittersweet
Dreams novella from Dreamspinner Press
With his ten-year high
school reunion approaching, Harold wonders whether Mario will be as muscular,
sexy, and tantalizing as he remembers. As a teenager, it was love at first
sight for Harold while tutoring football star Mario, until homophobia and bullying
drove Mario deep into the closet. Now they’re both married men. Mario, a model,
is miserable with his producer wife, while Harold, a teacher, is perfectly
content with his businessman husband, Stuart. When the two meet again,
will the old flame reignite, setting Harold’s comfortable life ablaze? How can
Harold be happy with Stuart when he is still infatuated with his Adonis, his
first love, Mario? Harold faces this seemingly impossible situation with
inimitable wit, tenderness, and humor as he attempts to reconcile the past and
the future.
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One Friday afternoon I accidentally
ran into my hero in the boy's locker room. I’d had enough of the big
guys banging me into gym lockers, pushing me into cold showers, and
hanging me from the gym ropes. So I was on my way to give Mr. Adoni a
note from Dr. Dlorah excusing me from gym class for the remainder of the
school year (due to my highly contagious disease being studied by my
doctor in Guatemala, where he could not be reached for the next year).
The
locker room smelled of an odd combination of soap, cologne, sweat, and
desire. Mario was getting ready for football practice, standing at his
gym locker without a combination lock on it. Nobody would dare to break
into it (Except for me that one time I smelled his jock strap. Okay
maybe it was a few times, but not more than ten.). Mario slid his
T-shirt (red today) over his thick, black hair and threw it on the
nearby bench. No longer harnessed by cotton, his arm, back, chest, and
neck muscles swelled to full size. I was half hidden behind the
adjoining row of lockers, wearing my usual green and blue flannel shirt
and brown corduroy pants. Mario, who wasn’t looking in my direction,
said something really beautiful to me that I will never forget. “Hi.”
“Did
you just? Oh. Hi. Hello. Good afternoon. Nice to see you. I mean,
change with you.” I looked down at the floor (but cheated a bit) as
Mario kicked off his boots, slipped off his jeans then threw them in the
lucky locker. His red underpants (briefs) revealed ample manhood. This is better than the newspaper’s underwear ads!
“Good gym class today with Mr. Adonis, I mean, Mr. Adoni.” Did I just say that? “Harold High.”
“Hi.”
“High.” How can I get my pulse down to 260?
“Hi.” Mario reached into his locker for his sweat clothes.
Shouldn’t people be doing that for you? “Oh, my last name is High. Like a kite.” How can I stop my arms from waving like an airport flagger on speed?
“Mario
Ginetti. Like nothin’ else imaginable.” Mario smiled, revealing a row
of perfectly white teeth, and held the sweat clothes in his hands as if
he was mortal.
“I know. I watch your body play.” Why can’t I stop talking? “I mean, I watch you play … football … on the field … in your football outfit.” I feel like Michelangelo with his David!
As Mario put on his sweats, I continued to sweat.
“I'm voting for your body … I mean I'm voting for you for president of your … our … the student body.” I need my jaw wired shut. “I’m your lab partner in Chemistry class. Ms. Hungry’s class … I mean Ms. Hunsley’s class.”
His olive-colored face glistened as Mario’s face registered recognition—of me! “I thought I knew you from somewheres. Hey, thanks for doing the lab reports.”
“It’s my honor … I mean my pleasure. It’s fine. If you need help putting up posters for your campaign, I can … ”
Having
just tied the laces of his sneakers, Mario stood absolutely still. He
looked at me as if he was staring into my heart and somehow knew what I
was feeling. “I gotta take a wicked piss.”
Can I watch?
“Thanks for helping me out, Buddy.” He slammed the locker door and left.
He called me, Buddy! My heart was as soft and silly as putty that Mario held in the palm of his hand like his soap on a rope.
Joe Cosentino
is the author of An Infatuation (Dreamspinner Press), Paper Doll, the first Jana Lane mystery
(Whiskey Creek Press), Drama Queen,
the first Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press-releasing this summer), and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
(Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in
film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie
O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. His one-act plays, Infatuation
and Neighbor, were performed in New York City. He wrote The Perils of
Pauline educational film (Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe is currently Head
of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily
married. His upcoming novels are Porcelain Doll (the second Jana Lane
mystery), Drama Muscle (the second Nicky and Noah mystery), A Shooting Star (Dreamspinner Press
novella), A Home for the Holidays
(Dreamspinner Press holiday novella).
Twitter: @JoeCosen
You must answer this question in the comments section and PLEASE put an email address where I can reach you, should you win. Here's the question:
Think about your infatuation. When did it start? Who was it with? How did it end? Write about it in the comment section.
One person will be chosen, BY ME, based on the answer that tickles the libido the most. To win their own electronic copy of An Infatuation.
Contest will run until Monday, May 25th. DO NOT FORGET TO PUT IN A VALID EMAIL WITH YOUR RESPONSE.
I can't wait to see what you all come up with!!! Thank you Joe for the amazing book! Make sure you all check him out!
Oh my gosh, talk about digging up memories. My very first infatuation was with a boy I'd known more or less all my life. We both spent most weekends and all holidays from Easter until Autumn Break in sort of holiday park. I was three the first time we went there so when I say I can't remember a time I didn't know him, I'm not lying. My infatuation crept up on me and I didn't actually realize I was infatuated until we both ended up on a branch in a tree (yes, I'm really going there) during a game of hide and go seek. That particular encounter started and ended with a very (on my part) clumsy kiss. It was my first and I went all panicky and tense which, I guess, scared him off. The next day he told me he didn't think we were going to go anywhere since I was too young. Broken hearted doesn't begin to describe it. Fast forward one year and we got together again. This time I managed to keep my nerves in check and a first kiss lead to a wonderful summer romance. When it once again ended I was sad, but not heartbroken. I think he might have turned into a lifelong obsession (or at least a thought in the back of my mind) if it had ended with that (failed) K.I.S.S.I.N.G. in a tree. The second chance next summer means I'm left with no regrets and memories that put a smile to my face.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entering as I have this book. I recommend it often. It's a great story If anyone is teetering I say take the plunge the book is worth it. . Happy reading
ReplyDeletemy first crush was in high school..you know when you get the butterflies when you talk to someone you are crushing on..the good thing was we were friends but we were only 14 and neither one knew what we were doing so we kissed but that was it and then we realized that friends were better....we are still friends to this day...
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