Mystery Dance

By Richard Natale

Richard Natale’s new novel, MYSTERY DANCE, is a story of second chances and our capacity for forgiveness.

Two young men meet and are immediately drawn into a rewarding and meaningful relationship. Then, a few years in, as they prepare to marry and start a family, the couple is torn apart by a spectacular breach of trust. Though neither fully recovers, they rebuild their lives and, separately, become single parents.

One Christmas Eve, they are accidentally thrown together again and forced to confront the damage they’ve inflicted. But is reconciliation even possible when their lives have changed so drastically in the interim?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blazing Heart Publishing
• Release date: Feb 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798201755591

Richard Natale

Richard Natale is a reporter and editor who has written for such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Village Voice and Variety. He wrote and directed a gay-themed feature film romance Green Plaid Shirt, which was the closing night film at the Palm Springs Film Festival and played at 20 festivals around the world. It is currently a best-selling DVD and streaming title for Wolfe Video. He won the National Playwright’s Competition for the comedy Shuffle off This Mortal Buffalo, which was produced in Los Angeles and Kansas City. Several of his short stories have appeared in the literary magazine Wilde Oats and have been published by Torquere Press and thewritedeal.org.

Book preview

Mystery Dance

Richard Natale’s new novel, MYSTERY DANCE, is a story of second chances and our capacity for forgiveness.

Two young men meet and are immediately drawn into a rewarding and meaningful relationship. Then, a few years in, as they prepare to marry and start a family, the couple is torn apart by a spectacular breach of trust. Though neither fully recovers, they rebuild their lives and, separately, become single parents.

One Christmas Eve, they are accidentally thrown together again and forced to confront the damage they’ve inflicted. But is reconciliation even possible when their lives have changed so drastically in the interim?

Genre: Blazing LGBT, Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary Romance.

Length: 61, 045 words

Mystery Dance

By

Richard Natale

PUBLISHED BY:

BLAZING HEART PUBLISHIN

https://www.blazingheartpub.com

Mystery Dance

© 2024 by Richard Natale

ISBN: 979-8-20175-559-1

First Blazing Publication: January 2024

Cover Art by Blazing Heart Publishing

Copyright © 2024 by Blazing Heart Publishing.

Edited By: Blazing Heart Publishing

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photocopy reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Copyright Page

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

About Author

More LGBT books from Blazing Heart

Open Calls for Authors

Chapter One

Under different circumstances, their story might easily have turned into a holiday rom-com in which two unattached men, Gerry and Lyle, discover that their physical attraction is more amorous than they’d first assumed.

Gerry and Lyle are not destined to be a couple. There will be no violins, no plucked heartstrings, and no swells of emotion between them.

Life has other plans for them.

Before we begin, however, a bit of background.

Eighteen months earlier: Gerry and Lyle are about to meet cute via a 21st-century cupid app, called Grind’r, a site that caters less to the romantically inclined than those in search of a quick fix. Grind’r locates all the available candidates in the area and their relative proximity as well. Both men are frequent visitors to the site, particularly the younger and randier Lyle.

In the past, he and Gerry have both been on the site at the same time but, for various reasons, didn’t give each other a second glance. Tonight, they will finally connect, less out of attraction than convenience. A chilly, rainy evening – a common enough occurrence in Bellevue, Washington especially during the fall and winter months. The downpour has been going on for several hours and is expected to continue until morning – enough to discourage even the heartiest adventurer from venturing outdoors. Lyle is particularly frustrated. As a rule, he exclusively pursues men his age, early to mid-twenties. Tonight, however, of the desirable men, he’s already sampled most and none of them warrant a return visit. The remaining few have previously rejected his advances. The usual range of excuses: Sorry, looking for older, African-American, Asian, dominant, passive, etc. The one or two willing (and acceptable) possibilities are either suspect or live too far away to warrant a hazardous drive through ectoplasmic sheets of rain.

Determined, Lyle refuses to call it a night and, just this once, decides to consider men up to the ripe old age of thirty-five. He’d perused Gerry’s photo once before: Slim, with symmetrical features and limpid, green eyes. Tall, but not too tall, and in good shape without being overly muscular. Alas, he’s in his early thirties. A non-starter.

Desperate times, however. He holds his nose and initiates contact. The deciding factor is that Gerry lives right around the corner. If he proves to be a dud, well, no harm done. At least he won’t have to drive miles and miles through a deluge only to discover that he’s been had; that the guy’s profile photo is more than a decade old and/or that he’s lied about other things as well.

As for Gerry, he’s been flirting with a case of the blues all day and the inclement weather isn’t helping. He lives alone and isn’t currently dating anyone, and for the most part, he’s okay with that. Tonight, however, he is antsy, and only a vigorous tango-for-two will lighten his mood. Until Lyle reaches out to him, he’s had no offers, so he takes a closer look. While most of his peers would gladly pursue this elfin sprite with curly, blond locks and a bad-boy smirk, he’s not one of them. Younger men, he’s found, may be physically alluring but most seem to be hyperactive and stuck in permanent adolescence.

Still, this Lyle fellow is a real looker.

And he’s interested.

And he’s close at hand.

Well, here goes nothing.

Gerry’s building has a doorbell camera that affords him a head-to-toe view of all callers. If Lyle appears the least bit dicey, he can abort without buzzing him in; tell him to leave and hope that he doesn’t put up too much of a fuss.

Before Gerry can comb his hair and neaten the bedcovers, Lyle is downstairs. He views him through the camera’s slightly distorted lens. Lyle is sopping wet but otherwise seems as harmless and adorable as a puppy. Should he be more obstreperous than he looks, for insurance, Gerry has a baseball bat under his bed. If he’s going down, he’s going down swinging.

Without so much as a hello, Lyle sheds his soppy parka and jeans. Aware that Gerry is watching him, he adds a little flair to the undressing. With a wink and a chuckle, he pounces on Gerry and nature takes its course. Their encounter is brief, no more than twenty minutes, but checks off all the desired boxes. Lyle hops back into his damp clothes, and with a nod of thanks, departs. Sated, and in a better mood, Gerald boards the express train to dreamland.

Over the next year or so, Gerry and Lyle connect on a semi-regular basis, often but not always for lack of a better offer. Soon, without admitting as much, they’ve become each other’s backup – on discouraging nights and dismal weekend afternoons – when the alternatives are not worth pursuing. Or if they’re tired of rejection or bored with playing online hide-and-seek. No offense is taken if the other refuses. There’s always a next time. And while neither is the other’s ideal, the encounters are more than satisfactory. They quickly become familiar with each other’s buttons and how to push them.

Otherwise, they seem to have little in common. Quite apart from the age gap, their personalities are dissimilar. Lyle is a walking definition of devil-may-care – young, impetuous, and cocky. He is thoroughly enjoying the first blush of adulthood and blithely unaware that, like childhood and adolescence, it will soon pass. And all too quickly at that.

Gerry is a high-school teacher, even-tempered and congenial. He wasn’t always thus. In his twenties, he experienced alternating periods of bliss and chaos, which left him unmoored. It took several years to reach his current level of relative stasis. But like Lyle, he assumes that his life will remain unchanged – indefinitely. That he’ll remain this side of thirty-five forever and retain his boyish looks and vigor. That he’ll be content to live out his days as a single, independent man.

Despite the differences in their characters, Gerry and Lyle enjoy each other’s company, if in small doses. Their post-coital conversations are amusing and lively and, increasingly, Lyle opts to spend the night. For Gerry, the luxury of spooning is worth putting up with Lyle’s occasional restlessness or the difficulty of rousing him early in the morning and then fending off his advances – a skirmish he often loses. More than once, Gerry has risked a speeding ticket in his rush to be on time for his first class.

Since they’re neighbors, on weekends they frequently run into one another and stop for coffee or to have breakfast together. They’ve jogged and gone bike riding as well.

By now, they’ve been together often enough to classify as FWBs. They are comfortable enough to tease each and intimate enough to share horror stories about their other, less successful hook-ups.

Beyond that, they share no burning desire for one another and don’t particularly care if either finds a more suitable bedmate for the evening. Neither is looking for genuine intimacy – if for completely different reasons.

Chapter Two

Six days before Christmas. Gerry and Lyle are relaxing in each other’s arms after a pleasant tumble and discussing their upcoming holiday plans.

I’ve got nothing going on, says Gerald. Ever since my mom died, the family has stopped getting together for the holidays. My dad and his new girlfriend are headed for Cabo and my sister and her kids are going to her in-laws. My friends are busy with family or winter getaways. And you?

I spend Christmas every year at my sister’s cabin on Vancouver Island.

Lucky you. I love Vancouver Island.

Yeah, but there isn’t much action out there, at least not during the holidays.

Poor baby. Gerry puts on his mock-pity face, which earns him a thwack on the arm.

Don’t start on me, old man. The one or two times I managed to find somebody, my sister wouldn’t let me bring them into the house.

You’ll live. It’s only a few days. You can always look at porn on your phone.

I do that anyway. But it’s not the same.

There’s something about Lyle’s little-boy pout that Gerry has come to find endearing. Lyle is well aware of this and not above using it to his advantage.

Hey, I just thought of something. You’ve got no plans. Why don’t you join me?

Oh? As your live-in booty call?

Why? Is that such a bad thing? Beats spending the holidays alone – and you get to feast on all this non-stop for a few days.

Your altruism is commendable, but no thanks.

Stop talking like an English teacher. I’m serious. Come with me. We’ll have a great time. My sister goes all out for the holidays and you said yourself how much you like Vancouver Island.

Though he’s loath to admit it, Gerry is tempted. Vancouver Island for the holidays. With a true and tested bedmate. No danger of sinking into his usual year-end self-pity pit where he examines his life and worries about his future. But then he stops himself. The longest he’s been around Lyle is the occasional night together or an afternoon bike ride. He’d hate to test those limits. Besides, they don’t know each other well enough to spend the holidays together, much less at a family celebration.

It’s kind of you to offer. But I think I’ll pass, Gerry says, somewhat reluctantly.

By now though, Lyle has become a dog with a bone and he refuses to be dissuaded.

I don’t see why you’re making such a big deal. It’s only for a few days and my family’s a blast. April will love you. She’s about your age and has tons of gay friends. Cute ones too. Your age and older.

Older? You mean like senior citizens? Gerry says with a mock gasp.

Don’t make fun of me. I already told you. You’re pretty good-looking for a guy your age and at least you don’t have too much baggage.

Oh, I have baggage. Trust me.

Well, I haven’t noticed any. Really. You’re pretty low on drama. Not that I’m one to talk. My life is a mess. I just can’t seem to get it going.

I wouldn’t worry too much. At your exact age, I was down for the count. But I managed to find my way out. You will too.

Thanks, but don’t change the subject. You’re coming with me and that’s it.

Is there no handsome young thing you can ask? Or have they all turned you down already?

No. You’re my first and only choice. I would never bring some twinky flake to my sister’s house. I’d never hear the end of it.

"Ah, I see. So you want to bring me because, what, I’m presentable?

Why? Is that an insult? You’d prefer to spend the holidays watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life and eating TV dinners?"

Have you ever seen me eat a TV dinner? I’m buying a roast tomorrow and potatoes and string beans. A perfect holiday dinner for one. With leftovers. And there’s nothing wrong with ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ It’s a classic for a reason.

Fine. Let’s watch it together. We’ll have our own room. With a big screen TV complete with Netflix and all that streaming shit.

With every rebuttal, Gerry is weakening further. I can’t crash a family event. I won’t know a soul. I’ll feel out of place. And I can’t very well show up for Christmas empty-handed.

You’ll fit right in. Everybody there is smart and well-educated. And I’ll be bringing gifts. I’ll just add your name to the card.

Though he won’t admit it, Gerry’s real problem isn’t being alone at Christmas. He hated the holidays growing up. The forced celebration was always disappointing. It was only during that one serious relationship that he gave himself over to the good tidings – which may be the reason he’s shunned it ever since.

He makes one last stab at resistance.

What if we don’t get along in Vancouver?

That’s not going to happen. If I get on your nerves, just tell me to fuck off. I won’t get offended. But if for some reason you’re unhappy, I’ll take you home. So? Deal?

Oh, all right. But only if you clear it with your sister beforehand.

I’ll do that right now.

You’re not going to tell her we’re boyfriends or anything like that, are you?

No. She already knows how it works with us. We have no secrets.

You discuss all your tricks with your sister?

Lyle’s mouth drops open and he laughs. Huh? Where would I find the time? Besides, you’re not a trick. You're the only guy I’ve been with more than two or three times since high school. And you’re not so bad out of bed either.

Oh, you sweet talker, you.

That’s what I get for paying you a compliment.

Lyle instructs Siri to call April and as the phone rings, says, if she says yes, then we’re on. Agreed?

Lyle’s winsome style of persuasion has worn Gerry down to a nub. The relatively quick acquiescence is unlike him – at least not in his current state. When he was younger, he often took risks. The first few times, he got lucky. Then he suffered a cataclysmic loss of nerve from which it’s taken him years to recover. But here he is, taking a calculated gamble, agreeing to accompany a casual acquaintance to Vancouver Island for Christmas. And he’s okay with it.

While he may no longer experience the euphoric highs of his earlier years, neither does he suffers from the lows of the period that followed. He’s finally found a comfortable middle ground; the occasional temporary beau. Usually, someone he’s met through friends. A chance connection every so often, at the supermarket or a coffee house. And Grind’r to fill in the gaps. Maybe not the ideal life, but he doesn’t have many complaints. He may have shed his youthful idealism, but at least he hasn’t turned cynical or bitter.

Well, maybe just a bit.

Lyle has a brief conversation with April and from the convivial banter and sparring, he senses an abiding affection. He and his sister, Dinah, get along well enough, but wouldn’t dare bring a stranger to her home for the holidays. He even hesitated when he was in a serious relationship. Showing up at her door with a man who reeks of passing fancy and frolicking in the guest room, would be unthinkable.

Everything’s all set, Lyle says after the call ends. April’s dying to meet you. I sent her your picture. She says you’re a knockout.

Tell me that it wasn’t my Grind’r profile photo.

Nah. I sent her a shot I took one night while you were asleep. Tasteful, only a little bit naughty.

Show it to me. Now.

In the photo, Gerry is fast asleep with a contented grin on his face. The bedsheet cuts a diagonal across his chest, exposing one well-defined pectoral, and part of his abdomen.

What do you think? Almost looks like you have a six-pack.

I did once. When I was twenty-two. But I’ll admit, it’s not the worst picture of me ever taken.

Gerry is somewhat relieved that the decision has been made for him. Lyle is a decent sort, maybe a bit of a goofball but otherwise completely harmless. The change of scenery will do him good. If it all goes south, and Lyle reneges on driving him home, he can always book himself into a local hotel – preferably one with a fireplace – and spend a few days sipping eggnog and catching up on his reading.

*

The day of departure begins promisingly. Lyle spent the night and Gerry made him oatmeal, and strong coffee, for breakfast. They hit the road a little after seven beneath cottony billows that are interrupted by the occasional patch of royal-blue sky. Though the sun prefers to hide during most of the journey, its rays occasionally filter through the gaps between the firs and pines and spruces and hemlocks and cedars they pass on the drive north. The crisp, winter air is bracing and Gerry feels relaxed and even adventurous.

Since Lyle is driving, he has called dibs on the music selection – mostly over-commercialized hip-hop and, strangely, a treacly Christmas album. A childhood favorite, he explains, from the years before their parent’s acrimonious divorce and remarriage to unwelcoming spouses.

Is Lyle nostalgic? Who would have thought?

His parents will not be in attendance, he says. They’ve sent their usual Amazon-selected gifts and their annual promise to visit their grandchildren (April has three) during the new year. They rarely follow through.