Altimexis - Stories

The past comes to life as two boys, linked through their 22nd century implants, dream of a brutal gay bashing. But is the past really the past, or was it the future that was just a dream? If find their way back, might they then save what little is left of gay culture? (2008 Winter Anthology - It's Just a Game, Right?)

Like the namesake movie released in 2000, which is set in LA, What's Cooking (in NYC) explores the lives of four families as they make preparations for the Thanksgiving holiday. As with the movie, there is much unexpected drama, but with the added wrinkle that all four families, who are well-known to NYC Holidays readers, are waiting for loved ones to arrive on the same flight from California. When a glitch in Air Traffic Control occurs, anything can happen.

Last spring, Jeff was reunited with his long lost love, whom he last saw nearly fifty years ago, when they were both in their teens. Abandoning a life in California and moving in with Paul in New York City, merging two lifetimes into a 3-bedroom prewar apartment proved to be more difficult than either of them imagined. Things come to a head when they can’t agree on how to renovate the kitchen. Leave it to Paul’s grandson, Seth, to come to the rescue with a surprise plan, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

How different might Stephen's life have been had he admitted his love for Pete 20 years before. Perhaps it wasn’t too late. (December, 2010)

Left to give out candy in his penthouse apartment, Seth can't even go trick-or-treating this year. Making the best of it, he dresses up as an obscure Star Trek character that no one will recognize. Asher has become a bit of a loner since starting high school. With no parties to go to, he dresses up and goes trick-or-treating in New York City high-rise. A passionate fan of the Star Trek series, he comes to a certain penthouse and is greeted by a boy dressed as Captain Kirk's son. 5 hours later, several bags of candy consumed and every possible Star Trek topic discussed, he was no longer alone.

Jessica Greenly is worried about her reclusive teenage son, but then he announces he has something to tell his parents. She correctly guesses that Jake is about to come out to them, but her husband, Troy, doesn't take it well. When Troy suddenly leaves, Jake concludes he was responsible for his parents' breakup and in a colossal misunderstanding, he runs away. Little does he know that he wasn't the only one hiding in the closet. Jessica sets out to find her son, but she has a major decision to make, whether to try to put her family back together or to set off in a new direction with her son.

Freck and Kyle are both seniors and they’re out and proud. They’re also protégées, as Kyle just turned eleven and Freck is about to turn thirteen, on the day after Christmas. Kyle wants to get his boyfriend something special, but the watch Freck likes is way out of Kyle’s price range. Maybe with help from friends and family, and with a lot of self-sacrifice, he can swing it, but they’ll both learn the greatest gift is one they already share - the love of family.

In 1969, when I was 13, my parents and I set out on an adventure. We took the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco. My mom refused to fly and there wasn't time to drive during my winter school break. Besides which, highways could be treacherous in the winter. Nothing was going to keep us from seeing my new nephew, but the train was much more than a means of transportation.

This story is autobiographical, but some memories have faded and where necessary, I've embellished things to make the story more complete. Even so, this is an accurate portrayal of an experience that has stayed with me for more than 50 years.

Jack's grandson Steve Jr. fears his mother will reject him, just as she did his father when she learned he was gay. (November, 2010)

While attending a Memorial Day 18th birthday party, Seth is asked by a friend's brother about being interviewed for his high school newspaper. The interview brings back vivid memories of serving as a Congressional intern and being trapped inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.