Between Boyfriends Read Online Free PDF Page A

real satisfaction when my professional life can merge with my personal.’”
    My mother had so blindsided me with this stunning revelation that for a second I almost missed the obvious.
    “Why the hell are you reading Homo Extra ?”
    “Lenny Abramawitz recently became homosexual and his granddaughter who lives in the city brings him gay materials to help him cross over,” she explained. “Loni is very sweet. Buck-toothed, but sweet.”
    “Ma, the GMHC gala is a very high-profile gig for Lorna,” I said. “She wants to transition to Broadway and this is a great opportunity for her.”
    “And what is the Salvatore DeNuccio Tenants Group Christmas celebration?” she asked. “I’ll tell you what it is. It’s what the Secaucus Herald called ‘ The annual holiday treat for mature adults.’ And they put the The in italics!”
    “Ma, I really don’t think I can help you out,” I said, knowing full well that by the end of our conversation I would have committed to help her out and agreed to run the lights for the show myself.
    “Stevie, you have to do this for your mother,” she began. “I already told my ladies that one of your soap people will be appearing live to sing and perhaps dance.”
    “Well, you shouldn’t have committed yourself,” I said, exasperated. “You watch I Love Lucy every day. Have you learned nothing?”
    “I was put on the spot! Paula D’Agostino started talking about her kid who works on that friggin’ Today show. She said Katie Couric—who Paula said still talks to her daughter—is going to come here and demonstrate what a colonoscopy really is and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I told Paula, ‘Katie can shove her colonoscopy up her ass, my Stevie is going to bring us the gift of music this holiday season.’ My ladies cheered me on,” my mother added proudly. “You cannot make me disappoint my ladies, Steven.”
    Before I could even utter a reason why Lorna could not perform at Mr. DeNuccio’s retirement villa, she continued.
    “What did I tell you the day you told me you were homosexual when I found you trying to squeeze into my Easy Spirit beige pumps? What did I say?”
    “You said you weren’t disappointed in me,” I responded sheepishly.
    “That’s right. I was disappointed in your choice of shoe, but I was not disappointed in you because you were gay.”
    “I know,” I said even more sheepishly.
    “So don’t disappoint me now, Steven. I need you more than ever.”
    “I will do my best to get someone to sing at your show.”
    “That’s my boy,” my mother said proudly. “Now I have to go, bingo starts at seven and Mama need a jackpot!”
    So many things raced through my mind after my mother hung up on me. Why it should never surprise me that I get sucked into her hijinks, how I secretly love to get sucked into her hijinks, and how Flynn and my mother both refer to themselves as Mama. I made a mental note to ask Lorna Douglas if she’d like to tour as I pulled the torn piece of the New York Times Arts section out of my pocket. I took a deep breath, happily realized that I hadn’t felt this nervous since I asked out Johnny Sanducci, the premed student who became my first boyfriend, and dialed Frank’s number. After four rings the machine clicked on. As I listened to Frank’s deep masculine voice assure me that I had called the right number, that I should leave a message with my date and time, and that he would get back to me as quickly as humanly possible, I thought that perhaps I should hang up and call him back later. But then I realized my number would be electronically saved on his machine so when I called him back later he’d know I had called him previously and hung up. Damn technology!
    “Hi Frank, this is Steven,” I started. Then I coughed. “Sorry. This is Steven from Starbucks. You, um, gave me your number on page three of the Arts section so I’m calling. I’ll keep this short and sweet so I don’t scare you off before I ever learn