Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Joseph awoke in his basement bedroom as soon as the sun set. The room was pitch-black with no light leaking in from the outside, but still he woke with the setting sun. He sometimes wondered how that could be possible, from an evolutionary point of view, especially since the time he woke up changed from day to day as the time of sunset changed.

But not this evening. The first thought to cross his mind was David. If he had dreams anymore, he never remembered them. Joseph suspected that something about the transformation from human to vampire had erased his ability to dream, but the fact that his last thought before falling into his daylight slumber was the boy he’d met the previous evening made it feel like he’d dreamt of him continuously.

He pushed back the covers of his bed and swung his bare feet to the cold stone floor. With his higher body temperature, he felt the coolness of the stone and the brisk dry air on his naked body as he stood and made his way to the bathroom.

He could smell David on himself. The saliva from his kisses and licks, his sweat which had commingled with Joseph’s own, and of course his sex fluids, which Joseph hadn’t bothered to wash off when he returned to the house. It had been late, yes, with the sun rising shortly after he got back to the castle-like house in the Hills. But he also found it intoxicating to feel and smell the results of their repeated lovemaking on his body.

When he walked into his master bathroom, automatic lighting accents gradually illuminated the floor and sink with a soft, warm glow while giving the eyes time to adjust to the change in brightness. Joseph entered the huge walk-in shower and touched the button to activate the half-dozen shower heads. He stepped back while the water warmed to a comfortable temperature and stretched his arms above his head while he waited.

After thirty seconds or so, the shower was steaming. Joseph dropped his arms, his hands running over his lithe body on their way down and stepped into the shower. The multiple heads felt like walking into a gentle, warm rainstorm. Joseph had felt such rain when he had explored the jungles of South Asia, and just as he had a hundred years ago, he longed to have another man’s body pressed against his now. Only this time, as the water washed the aftermath of their sex from his skin, he was thinking of a specific man.

Joseph’s morning routine was uncomplicated. He had no need for lotions or skin creams. He shaved every other day and got a haircut once a month. He didn’t need soap or deodorant. The only luxury he permitted himself was a small dollop of leave-in conditioner for his hair, a habit which started back in the 1980s when … well, when he learned to enjoy so very much the feel of someone running their fingers through his hair.

He dressed casually for the evening in jeans and a T-shirt and ascended to the main floor of the house, proceeding to the kitchen to retrieve one of the fresh bags of blood from the refrigerator. He popped it in the microwave for a minute, which brought it to a temperature that was pleasantly close to that of fresh, live blood. The plastic of the bag was thick and felt somewhat similar to skin as his fangs pierced through, allowing him to suck at its contents while he sat in his office and perused the day’s numbers from the company and review the news.

Joseph hated the news. The world felt like it was going to shit, with rich people getting richer and more powerful while poor people, after a brief period which felt like progress, began to get poorer and more destitute again. Joseph didn’t hate it because this was new; he hated it because it was exactly the same as the rest of history he’d experienced. He had hoped as humanity evolved and grew, they would become less greedy and less prone to violence. And he had to admit there were some places in the world that felt closer to that ideal, but here in the United States—in the promised land—the oligarchy was alive and well and getting stronger. Joseph tried to live by example. Though he and Rafaél were more than comfortable, his own wealth was directed almost exclusively toward making the world a better place.

The ringing of his cell phone roused him from the shit show of political coverage. His waking routine was so habitual he had completely forgotten to check his phone. It had only been a few years since the handheld devices began to hold power over human attention, after all.

It was Rafaél. “Hey, J, just checking in on my way out of the office. Everything good?”

“As a matter of fact, Rafi, it is. I was just looking at the quarterly numbers. Sales look good.” Joseph got up from his desk and walked back to the kitchen with the empty blood bag, putting the phone on speaker mode.

“Wow, you are in a better mood. You never talk business anymore. And it’s back to Rafi? Did you bring someone home last night?”

“No,” Joseph replied, “but it was a very good evening.”

“I’d love to hear about it. Want to have dinner?”

“I actually just had breakfast.”

“So we talk while I eat, same as every other meal.” Rafaél laughed.

Joseph considered for a moment. He looked at his phone, swiped out of the lock screen and saw a missed text notification. It was from David. “Can I let you know in fifteen minutes? I have to check on something.”

“Sure thing. I’m just leaving, and I’ll be in the car for an hour on the way to the Valley. Let me know and I can stop by on the way.”

“Will do. Bye.” Joseph tapped the button to end the call. He switched over to the texts and looked at David’s reply. It had been sent a bit after sunrise, a couple of hours after he’d left David’s apartment. Fourteen hours ago.

Joseph felt no need to be coy. He really liked this guy and wanted to see him again, and that was the end of it. He tapped out a reply, asking if David wanted to meet up again tonight.

The animated dots indicating that the other party was typing popped up immediately. Then disappeared. Then popped up again. Then disappeared. Joseph chuckled. David was struggling on how to formulate his reply. Either he wanted to get together but didn’t want to seem too eager, or he didn’t want to meet and was trying to figure out how to be nice about it.

David’s reply was a third option Joseph hadn’t considered. <I want to so bad, but I’m out with a friend, and heading home soon. SOOO tired after last night>

Joseph did some quick math in his head and realized the poor guy must’ve only gotten two or three hours of sleep at the most. A tiny pang of guilt hit him. <I completely understand. Luckily I managed to get a nap in. Ima bit of a night owl. Tomorrow maybe?>

The reply was immediate. <Yes plz> Then the toothy smiling face and horny devil emojis.

Joseph called Rafi back to confirm dinner plans.

Half an hour later, Rafaél pulled up outside the house in his gigantic Ford Expedition. Joseph had teased him about getting the oversized vehicle while living in Los Angeles but thought he understood the psychology of it. Even in his mid-sixties, after living in relative luxury and safety with all his needs attended to and wanting for nothing, Rafi longed for security and safety. The large SUV would surely destroy the average LA car in an accident, while sustaining minimal damage itself. Joseph would have gone for a Tesla, himself.

The ride to the restaurant consisted mostly of small talk about the business. Joseph had spread his wealth wisely over the centuries and invested heavily in technology (Tesla included), but the bulk of Rafaél’s focus was on the biopharmaceutical division. Very exciting developments were in the pipeline with the cancer research and genetic engineering arms. He got a bit geeky when he talked about these things to Joseph, so it was fortunate the ride was short.

The younger (but older looking) man drove them to Studio City on the San Fernando Valley side of the Hollywood Hills to a quaint Indian restaurant. There was no waiting on a Wednesday evening, and they were led to a table in the back corner where they could talk without being overheard. A cute young server, who appeared to be of South Asian descent but not actually Indian, immediately brought them water and menus.

“Hi, welcome to Gangadin. I’m Kaung. I’ll be your server today. What drinks can I get you while you look over the menu?”

Joseph noticed the proactive phrasing and the fact that Kaung made direct eye contact with each of them. The young man also had a very slight but constantly present Mona Lisa smile. Normally Joseph ordered something cheap to sip on while Rafaél ate his human food, but he suddenly felt the urge to support the kid.

“We’ll split a bottle of your most expensive red, please.” He glanced at Rafi, who cocked an eyebrow in his direction. “And I’m just going to have the wine, I ate already.” He smirked back at his adopted son, who these days looked more like his father to anyone who saw the two of them together.

Rafi picked up the menu. “I think I know what I want, just hang out one second…”

Joseph knew that Rafi knew he thought the server was cute and was keeping him waiting for his benefit. He took the opportunity to give the server a once-over while his ward confirmed his selection.

Kaung was young but legal. His caramel skin looked clean and smooth. He was more fit than skinny, with some good muscle tone. The server’s gaze shifted back to Joseph while he waited for Rafi to give his order, and his smile faltered as he locked eyes with the younger looking man who was just going to have wine. Joseph turned on his vampiric charm just a bit, and it was more than enough. He could hear the blood rush to the young man’s groin and smell the light sheen of sweat as Kaung’s skin flushed.

Joseph held the server’s gaze captive for an extra beat, then let his scrutiny fall to the boy’s crotch. The bulge there was impressive, and he raised an eyebrow as he returned his eyes to the dark brown eyes of the sexy waiter. But he was just playing with him and he knew it. He had no intention of bedding this guy, at least not tonight, so he showed the kid some mercy.

“Why don’t you go grab the wine,” he told the server, nodding his head at Rafaél. “He’s not as fast as he thinks he is.”

“I…” The waiter swallowed hard. His accent came out a bit heavier. “I, okay, I’ll be right back with that.” His light smile turned lascivious as he turned from the table and headed to the back of the restaurant.

Rafi didn’t look up from the menu. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Hey, kiddo, you’re the one who told me to get laid last night.”

“Yeah, last night, on your own. Not tonight while we have dinner. Ironically, a meal we’re having so you can tell me about your ‘very good evening.’” He placed the menu down neatly and took a sip of water.

“Right, right! Oh, and it was good.” Joseph looked down, losing himself in the memory. “You know what you want?”

“I knew what I wanted when we got here. I just knew you’d like the waiter when you saw him.” Rafaél nodded in the direction of their server.

Joseph chuckled. “He’s cute, for sure. Kind of reminds me of you when you were that age. Though you didn’t smile as much.”

“I was an introspective kid. Doesn’t help when your new dad literally finds you living in a box in Chinatown.”

Joseph made a new connection in his head, a fairly rare thing in his advanced years. “Is that why we never go out for Chinese food?”

Rafi shrugged. “I just don’t feel like it. You know what I had to do before you found me.”

Joseph did know. Rafaél’s whole story had taken years to unravel, but in that moment in 1965, seeing the pile of boxes the child had been using as a shelter, it was clear he’d been dumpster diving for food. Eating old wontons and slimy meat. Joseph shook his head. How stupid was he not to realize the connection before? Of course, Rafi probably wouldn’t want to eat sweet and sour pork or Kung Pao chicken for the rest of his life.

“What about Mexican food?” Joseph asked, suddenly curious about Rafaél’s culinary experiences.

“What about it?”

“Do you like it? It’s the food of your people, isn’t it?” Joseph traced a finger absently around the edge of the water glass but didn’t bother to drink.

“Actually, I never mentioned it, but a few years ago I got my DNA sequenced.”

Joseph sat up, suddenly intrigued by this new revelation. “You did?”

“Yeah, well, we have several providers we work with and the cost had come down so much… Well, I was just curious.” Rafi took another sip of his water and continued, “Turns out my mom was Puerto Rican and my dad, who we thought was Mexican—”

“That’s what it said on his military record.”

“Right. Well, he was from Peru. Mom was a mix of native and European, like most Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, but Dad’s lineage was old Peru. Like, I’ve got some Incan heritage in me.”

Joseph found himself speechless for a moment. Mostly, he marveled he was learning something so big about someone he thought he knew so completely.

They were interrupted by Kaung returning with the wine. His erection had subsided. “Sorry for the delay, I had to get a step stool to reach the top of the wine rack.” He uncorked the wine at the table, and his coy smile returned as he looked at Joseph again. “Our chef said he was jealous you get to taste this bottle. According to him, it’s very good on the tongue.” He chuckled but looked directly at Joseph when he did so, which made Joseph wonder whether the chef had actually made the innuendo-filled remark.

“I’ll definitely make sure you know how my tongue feels,” he quipped back. He sensed Rafaél’s bemusement and could practically hear his eyes roll. “About the wine, I mean.”

“I look forward to a detailed review.” Kaung’s erection was returning.

Rafaél cut in, putting on a cheerful tone of voice, “Well, I’m ready to order.”

The young waiter turned to the older-looking man, suddenly aware of his job. “Yes, sir, what would you like?”

Later, as Rafaél finished his lamb samosas and began tucking into his chicken tikka masala, Joseph sipped on the Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard Malbec. Though not terribly expensive as wines went, he hadn’t really expected a small Indian restaurant to have anything pricier than a hundred dollars. It was good. His tongue was happy, he thought cheekily.

Rafi scooped basmati rice onto a small plate and used the serving spoon in the masala to ladle chicken and sauce on top. “So, you got home before sunrise, but only barely,” he said, a touch of reproach creeping into his comment.

“Oh, stop, I was home well before sunrise. That wasn’t the point of the story,” Joseph defended. “I haven’t spent more than an hour with a guy in years. I thought you’d be happy for me.”

“I am, I am.” Rafi scooped the masala mix onto a piece of naan and took a big bite.

Joseph sipped. “But?”

Rafaél met Joseph’s gaze while he chewed. When he had swallowed enough to speak, he chose his words slowly. “But … I know you very, very well. You’ve been alone for a long, long time.”

“For good reason, I feel.”

“Well, yes,” Rafaél conceded. “Wait, which reason do you mean? The—” he bared his teeth to mean vampire without having to say it aloud “—or the other thing?”

“Both. Plus, relationships haven’t turned out great for me, traditionally.”

“Right, that’s kind of what I mean. The way you talk about this guy… David?”

“Yeah, David,” Joseph nodded, suppressing a grin at the mention of his name.

“I can only remember you talking and looking like this—” he made a gesture that encompassed Joseph’s whole demeanor “—one other time in my life.”

“I know. But I just met him.”

“Yeah, for sure. But…” Rafaél put the naan down and focused on his companion. “Dad, I just worry about you. I don’t want to see you hurt the way you were after Rob.”

“When was the last time you called me Dad?” Joseph asked, somewhat surprised.

Rafi shrugged. “This is a serious conversation. I’m being serious right now.” He picked up his own wine glass, smelling the bouquet before taking a sip. “This is my serious face.”

“Rafi, I love you. You are a better son than I ever could have imagined, you know that?”

“I know. And you’re a pretty good dad. I wish you knew that. I used to wonder why you never adopted any other kids. All the good you could have done.” The seriousness of the conversation subsided as they veered into old topics, and Rafaél picked up his naan again and piled more chicken masala on it.

“I’ve told you why.”

“Well, you say it’s not safe, but I don’t think I could feel safer than I do. I was certainly safer than most kids who have to live on the street. Safer than I would have been if you hadn’t brought me in.”

“You don’t know how much energy, and money, I spend to protect us, Rafaél.”

Rafaél chewed, savoring the delicate mix of creaminess and spices. “Mm’kay.” He didn’t push.

They sat in silence while Rafaél ate. Joseph absentmindedly swirled the wine glass as he studied the decor of the restaurant without actually paying attention to it. The blackberry and tea notes from the wine wafted up into his nose and sparked little fireworks of color in his senses.

Rafaél broke the silence. “Do be careful, though. Personally, I think it’s best if you don’t get too involved with this David guy… before you fall too much for him.”

Joseph set the wine glass on the table but grasped it with both hands, steadying himself. “I’ve been thinking about it. If I’m being honest, I’m very lonely. Most … others of my kind find a partner. Someone to spend the many, many years of their lives with. But you can imagine there aren’t a lot of gay—” he glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot “—vampires in the world. But does that mean I shouldn’t try for happiness when I find it?”

Rafaél sighed, sadly. He looked into the unchanging blue eyes of the man who had rescued him, completely unable to see him as the monster that myth and legend made him out to be. “You know, when I was younger, I don’t know, in my twenties or so, I sometimes wished I could have been that for you. I experimented with guys in college, did I ever tell you?”

Joseph reacted with a mix of humor and surprise, but he was touched at the revelation as well. “No, I had no idea.”

“I knew pretty quickly I wasn’t gay. I had a lot of gay friends back then, thanks to how open you were to me about it. I think most of them thought I was closeted and plenty were absolutely willing to try and help me find the way out.” Rafi chuckled. “But I knew I was pretty far from the gay end of the Kinsey scale. Anyway, I thought if I could be more than just an adopted son, I could help you be happier. Took me a few years to realize that wasn’t my role in your life. And then you met Rob.”

“Yeah.”

“I really liked him, you know. Other than having to tell him I was your cousin, at first. And I’ve never seen you so happy. But the last thirty years… Jesus, that’s half my life… after he died, I know how unhappy you’ve been.”

“It’s hard, is all. About a hundred years after my transformation I fell in love with a soldier.”

“Marcus.”

“I told you about him?”

Rafaél nodded. “A bit.” Joseph had told him many stories over the years; Of the wars he’d fought in, the corners of the world he’d explored. Rarely did he speak of his romantic relationships in more than ambiguous generalities.

“The great war was coming to an end—that is, the Thirty Years’ War—and Marcus and I found each other in France. He was my everything and I was his. Even after the truth came out about what I was, he stayed by my side. A few years later, he asked me to turn him.”

“But you wouldn’t because of Decimus.”

“That’s what I told you.” Joseph’s eyes darkened as the distant memory solidified in his mind, and he averted his gaze from Rafaél’s caring visage. “The truth is, I tried.”

Rafi’s eyes widened in shock. “What? But…”

“I know. I hadn’t experienced the misery of Decimus for myself at that point. I suppose I thought my will and our love was stronger than some ancient curse.” Joseph took a long, slow sip of his wine, feeling the alcohol warm his tongue and throat. “Of course, in those days anything we didn’t understand was attributed to magic and curses and gods. Now we know it’s just biology. But I wanted to give Marcus the gift of—” Joseph caught himself. This had become a moment of truth with his son, the person he never lied to. “No, that’s not true. I wanted to give myself the gift of a long life with him, not aging, in his prime forever. As a human I thought I had experienced love, but it was a pale shadow of what I felt for Marcus. So I agreed to turn him.”

There was a long pause while Rafaél waited for him to continue. Neither of the men drank their wine, and the tikka masala began to cool and congeal. Finally, Rafaél broke the silence.

“He died?”

“I killed him.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” The response came reflexively. Rafaél knew his adopted father so well, the urge to defend him was automatic.

“It kind of exactly was. The fang marks don’t lie.”

“You said he asked you to turn him.”

“He begged me. But I knew the rules. My sire had told me the dangers before he sent me on my own into the world. I just … didn’t believe them, and Marcus died for my arrogance and greed.” Joseph inhaled sharply and let out a tremendous sigh.

He could feel the empathy from across the table. Rafaél clearly wanted to say something, or perhaps wanted to say so many things. Offer platitudes about everything being okay and assure Joseph of what a good man he was, but anything that came to mind seemed hollow, so after a moment he stopped trying and just sat quietly with the only father he ever remembered having.

“And of course you know what happened to Rob,” Joseph said.

“Do I?”

“Yes, I told you everything. I felt you deserved to know the truth.” Joseph understood the question being asked, though. It had been a while since Rafaél had learned anything new about Joseph, so with these new revelations, he naturally must have wondered if there was anything else he didn’t know. Joseph cocked his head, the sorrow of the memory momentarily pushed aside by the bemusement of another realization. “It is interesting, though, now that I think about it, the public perception of gay people was worse in 1980 in Los Angeles than it was in seventeenth-century France.”

“Or the eighteenth, from what you’ve told me.”

“Oh, Rafi, I loved Europe during the Enlightenment. Marcus and I were able to walk in public together, even showing affection, with impunity. With Connor it was the same, but by then, my wealth shielded us even more than the tolerance of the time.”

Rafaél knew about Connor Robinson well enough. He was the relationship Joseph had no regrets about, as far as he’d let on. The two met after the turn of the eighteenth century in Paris. The young Irish boy had made his way to mainland Europe in search of adventure and was making a meager living as an apprentice farrier and selling his body to rich clients on the side.

By then, Joseph had learned how to use his long life to financial advantage, growing a diversified business and owning several large manors around Europe. He first hired Connor as a stable hand before the boy successfully seduced him. Connor later admitted he was just trying to get ahead by bedding the master of the house, but Joseph turned out to be so kind and noble, in every sense of the word, that the young Irishman, who was in his early twenties by then, declared his love after only a year.

Joseph didn’t push the boy away, per se, but did send him to the University of Cambridge to get a proper education, much as he would do with Rafaél over two hundred and fifty years later. However, even after exploring the world of University, including the virile young men there, Connor still came back to Joseph at every break, insisting his love was real. And so Joseph, who had also fallen in love with Connor, revealed his true nature to the young man. Connor had taken time to think about the revelation, that not only were vampires real, but he was in love with one. He approached the problem logically and ultimately determined he knew Joseph’s true kind nature and was not afraid of him, just as he was not afraid of an African friend at school just because he heard stories about the tribesmen of the Southern wilds. Joseph moved him into his home completely and the two lived as husbands for over fifty years until Connor died an old man in his sleep.

Rafaél had never asked if Joseph had considered making Connor a vampire. He knew about Decimus and assumed that was the entire reason it wasn’t considered. Even when Rob had died his tragic death in the middle of Pan Pacific Park on that torrential Halloween, Rafi hadn’t connected it with stories he’d heard about Marcus.

Joseph sighed again. “At least until heads started to roll during the French Revolution. At that point, as I’d long since become a member of the bourgeoisie, and when it became apparent that my wealth could not protect me from the mobs and their guillotines, I figured I might give the New World a look-see.”

Rafaél nodded. “Okay, I get your point. You know your heart and your life better than I do. And I do admit there’s something about you tonight that is good to see. You seem … lighter, somehow. I just don’t want to see you heartbroken again.”

“’Tis better to have loved and lost…”

“Tennyson. The same poem that warns of Nature, red in tooth and claw,” Rafi reminded him.

“Tennyson was gay. I knew him, you know.”

Rafaél grinned slyly. “No, you didn’t. You were on another continent his whole life.”

Joseph snorted lightly. “Okay, I didn’t. Good for you, Rafi. But he wrote a ninety-page poem for his dead college friend. You can’t tell me they weren’t doing it.”

“They might have been doing it,” Rafi conceded, pleased that the conversation had taken a lighter turn. He paused. “You’re going to call David?”

It was barely a question. “Nobody calls anymore, old man, jeez. Get with the times.” Joseph winked. “But yeah, I’m going to get together with him again.”

“Okay, well, just be careful. And if you call me old man again, I’m investing in some sharp sticks.” Rafi playfully poked himself in the chest with his butter knife like a stake to the heart.

“Oh, you just try it, Dad.” They both laughed as cute young Kaung took that opportunity to return to the table.

“How was everything? Can I interest you in any dessert?” It was apparent that the question was meant literally to Rafaél and as an innuendo to Joseph.

Rafi wiped his mouth with his napkin and replied to the young waiter, “Everything was perfect, thank you. Exactly what I was craving.”

Joseph reached for his wallet and subtly drew the boy’s attention. “On any other evening, I’d really show you what I was craving, and you’d wind up at my place,” he said matter-of-factly as he fished out four one-hundred-dollar bills and handed them to Kaung. “I can’t tonight, but I do want to make sure you know how beautiful you are.”

Kaung took the bills, making a point to touch the older man’s hand. Joseph didn’t relinquish the currency immediately. He brought up his other hand to lightly caress the inside of the waiter’s wrist.

Kaung gasped lightly, and his pants swelled noticeably. “Thank you…” he whispered. “Another time, maybe. I hope.”

“Me, too. Please keep the change.” Joseph released the money and smiled warmly as Kaung looked down and realized he just got a hundred percent tip on what was already a large bill.

“Wow. Thank you. Have a great night, guys.”

Joseph could feel the heat of the young man’s sexual desire. He suspected Kaung was going to have to take a break as soon as they left. The cute waiter might explode if he didn’t get to the employee restroom and jerk off immediately.

“We will, thanks,” Rafi said, rolling his eyes at the exchange. The pair got up and made their way to the door.

As they reached the SUV, Joseph made a decision to enjoy the night air. “Thank you for the delightful dinner, kiddo. I really do enjoy seeing you, but I’m going to walk home,” Joseph said as he opened the Expedition’s driver’s door and stood ready to help Rafi into the high seat.

“I guess I prefer kiddo to old man, but I don’t need help getting into my own car just yet,” Rafi replied. Once in the seat, he buckled his seatbelt and regarded Joseph skeptically. “Are you sure? That’s quite a hike.”

“I mean, besides having the stamina of ten men, it’s a beautiful night. Plus, it’s out of your way. It’s fine, really.”

“Okay, I won’t argue with getting home quicker.” Rafaél’s face turned serious. “Hey. You be careful, okay? LA might be kinder to gay people these days, but I’m not so sure about the other thing. Take it slow with this guy.”

“You’d have made a good, if overprotective, father, Rafi.”

“Oh, I’ve got my hands full taking care of you,” he replied with a grin. “Good night, J.”

Joseph closed the door with a heavy whumph. They design them to make that noise, he thought absently as the big Ford pulled away, taking up what seemed like three-quarters of the parking lot lane.

He turned and walked out to the sidewalk, setting a brisk pace along Laurel Canyon Boulevard, heading upward into the Hollywood Hills. As he went, he pulled out his phone, unlocked it using the two-factor authentication of his thumbprint and a passcode, and tapped into his chat with David. He had an idea. <Awesome. Let’s meet 8:30 PM tomorrow at the Starbucks near AMC Sunset 5>

The response was immediate. <Perfect! Looking forward to it>

Joseph chuckled at the enthusiasm and had to admit he shared it. <Do you own a suit or jacket and tie?>

A moment passed as David typed an answer. Joseph’s feet scuffed lightly on the sidewalk, but his soft footfalls were easily covered by the passing traffic on the busy road.

<What kind of self-respecting gay do you take me for? Of course I have a suit!> and then <but now I’m very intrigued why you should ask…>. A second later a curious face emoji with a monocle appeared. It was about three times as large as a regular emoji because it was in its own text line.

Joseph chuckled. He sent the face with a shhh finger, followed by <It’s a surprise… Wear it. See you tomorrow!>

He forgot how fun this part was. He hadn’t exactly dated in a while, but taking boys out for a good time before taking them to bed was not unheard of for him. And though he didn’t want to show off to David, and certainly didn’t want to tip his hand to reveal just how comfortable a lifestyle he enjoyed, he felt like treating this new guy to something special.

David replied with a GIF of a little girl doing an excited dance, and Joseph laughed out loud. He had always embraced new technologies. When he was a boy, the printing press had barely been invented, and he was fascinated by the ability to share a story permanently fixed in paper, even though his parents were strictly in favor of oral storytelling. Telegraphs, radio, television, the internet… Joseph had not only been in favor of these new methods of communication, he had helped develop some of them. When humans began texting on their cell phones, though, he hadn’t seen the appeal. It was so clunky and required so much work when a quick phone call could accomplish more, faster. But then Apple (he owed a fair chunk of stock) created a phone with a full virtual keyboard that was easy to use, and suddenly Joseph got it.

Initially, he had despised the rise of emoji culture, but now frequently used them as supplements to a conversation. GIFs though… They were amazing. The ability to find a looping video clip that so perfectly represented one’s mood in a particular moment was practically magic. Joseph liked it so much he had Rafaél purchase a GIF creation company over a year ago, and now they were an integrated part of the iOS, Android, and Facebook core user experiences. In the end, it didn’t matter what Joseph liked or not. If he wanted to hook up with younger guys (and every guy was certainly a younger guy), he needed to communicate the way they did. Resenting progress didn’t help. One might as well embrace it.

Joseph used another bit of technological magic. “Hey Siri, call Jeb Whitlock.” Siri, using Joseph’s preferred option, a male voice with a British accent, confirmed the call and the phone started ringing.

“Ahoyhoy.”

“Hey, Chief, it’s Joseph.”

“Oh!” came the sarcastic reply. “Thank God the caller ID wasn’t lying to me.”

Joseph heard the grin on the other end of the line.

“Ha ha,” Joseph gave the corny joke its due. “Hey, I need a favor. Can you get me passes to the club tomorrow night?”

Jeb didn’t hesitate a beat. “I can get anybody passes, I’m the president. And for you, anytime. How many do you need?”

“Just two, and reservations for dinner, please.”

“Ooohoooh,” Jeb teased. “A hot date, huh?”

“Kinda, yeah. Are you performing tomorrow night?” Joseph inquired.

“I am indeed, buddy. I’ll be on the main stage!”

Jeb was a perpetually cheerful guy. Joseph had met him when he saw him performing improv ten years ago. He was so impressed with the man’s ability to create hilarity out of thin air, he waited to meet the comedian at the bar attached to the theater. He was convinced to start taking improv classes at a highly regarded comedy theater, and the pair became friends. Jeb had even invited Joseph to his wedding (a daytime affair, Joseph had had to come up with a very convincing reason to not attend). But it wasn’t improv he wanted to treat David to on their first date. It was Jeb’s other incredible skillset.

“Your show is so fun. I can’t wait to see it again and share it. I’ll see you tomorrow night, my friend. Thanks so much!”

“Of course, buddy. I’ll have ’em put you on the list! Later, gator!” Jeb always called everyone buddy, and it was never insincere or annoying.

“Later, Chief.”

Chief was a nickname he only used with Jeb, because when they’d met he reminded Joseph of a character on a TV show who people called Chief. Joseph chuckled at the kind of person he’d be if he called everyone Chief the way Jeb called everyone buddy.

With that task done, he shifted his awareness to his walk. He made it past Ventura Boulevard (so many Boulevards in this city, he thought) and came to a parking lot on the right side of the road. It was mostly empty except for a few teenagers who were making out, smoking weed, or some combination of the two. Just past the lot marked the entrance to Fryman Canyon Hiking Trail. It was supposed to be closed after sunset, but Joseph supposed the restriction was more of a guideline than a rule. And anyway, he didn’t want to walk the whole way up the side of the road, especially since the sidewalk was about to end as Laurel Canyon continued up the Hills. From here, dark masses of shrubs and scraggly trees butted up against the road.

Joseph turned and headed up the trail.