About Lavender Boys
by S.E. Taylor
138 pages / 54000 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-917-0
Available file types -
html, lit, pdf, prc, epub, Sony Reader pdf
Brock Evans heads for Hollywood in 1935, hoping to be the next Clark
Gable, and meets another would-be star in Randy Pearce, who works as a
soda jerk while awaiting his big break. It’s love at first sight, just
like in the movies. But the path to stardom in Hollywood is not quite
that easy. Brock finds a job as a florist shop delivery man and gets to
meet some of Hollywood’s favorites, one of which finally gets him a
screen test at a major studio.
Randy finds an agent who gets him a screen test, too. It turns out Randy
is a ‘natural,’ but the big studios don’t want any more homosexual male
stars after some previous bad experiences. What kind of Hollywood ending
is in store for Randy and Brock, who are hiding their romance, their
secret trips to the Lavender Lounge homosexual bar, and their homosexual
boss and landlord with whom they live?
Review
Mychael Black, co-author
of the 7 anthology, writes: Brock Evans is new to Hollywood and looking
for work. What he finds—in addition to a job—is something much more.
During lunch, he meets Randy Pearce, a cook/waiter in a small downtown
diner. Brock’s Clark Gable-lookalike appearance goes a long way in
garnering him attention, but the passion he shares with Randy is far
deeper. When Randy gets his acting break with Paramount, Brock’s 100%
supportive. Unfortunately, not everyone in the business is supportive of
them as a couple.
Lavender Boys is a sweet romance set in the Hollywood of the 1930s. With
a plethora of stars and rising stars, it’s a cute little glimpse into
the world of the elite during a rough time in America’s history.
If you’re looking for an easy, light read with a little drama, give
Lavender Boys a try.
Sample
A uniformed usher opened the center door to the lobby of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and people filed out, mostly in twos and threes. Among them were Brock and Randy on this not-very-crowded weekday evening. Most of the moviegoers hurriedly left the area in front of the theater, but a few stragglers paused here and there to read the signatures and view the footprints and handprints of the stars pressed into the cement squares scattered around the sidewalk and entrance.
“Well, Sugar, what did you think of the picture?” Randy asked.
Brock thought about it for a moment. “Baby, I’ve got to try to avoid Miss Crawford for a while in case she asks me the same thing.”
“Oh? How come? Didn’t you like it?”
“What do you think? It was pretty awful. If her contract at MGM depended on this film, it would be No More Movies instead of No More Ladies! There wasn’t much I can think of that wasn’t just terrible. The story, the acting, the characters, even that stupid dress that Joan wore near the end of the movie with that really dumb big collar!” Brock replied. “Did you ever see anything so ridiculous?”
“It looked like they put too much starch in it before they pressed it,” Randy laughed. “And I agree with you. You’d better not tell her what you thought. It might hurt her feelings in case she thought it was a funny comedy. The only thing funny about it was that MGM even made such a bad picture to begin with.”
Brock sighed. “I know. It’s even worse when you know the star. Let’s forget about it and look at the footprints.”
“Okay,” Randy agreed. “Look! Here’s Clark Gable’s footprints. Let’s see if you fit inside them.”
“Yeah, let me try,” Brock said. “Hmm. His feet are bigger than mine. My feet totally fit inside his print. You know what they say about men with big feet, Baby?”
“But I hear he’s got a pretty small dick, Sugar!” Randy laughed. “But since yours is pretty big, I guess the theory’s not true.”
“Or else he’s got a bigger dick than I do,” Brock suggested ruefully.
“Over here, Sugar!” Randy said. “Maybe you fit in Jean Harlow’s footprints!”
“Ha. Ha. Funny guy,” Brock said. “Let’s go get a Coke before we go home. I didn’t want to spend a dime on a concession stand soft drink when you can get a Coke for a nickel anywhere else.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Randy said. “I’ve been meaning to mention this to you since I heard a couple of our customers talking about it the other day. There’s this place about six blocks from here that we should try.”
“What kind of place?”
“It’s a bar. A very special bar. They cater to people like us!” Randy exclaimed.
“Free, white, and twenty-one?” Brock joked.
“No, let me put it this way. The guys dance with other guys, and the girls dance with other girls!”
“You’re kidding! They’ve got a place like that?” Brock was stunned. “Are you sure about this?”
“These guys I was talking to swear that it’s true. They said they’d been there a few times on the weekend. And get this. You know what the name of the place is?” asked Randy. “It’s called the Lavender Lounge!”
“Perfect,” Brock replied. “Do you want to try it out? We can’t stay out too late because it’s a work night, but we could have a drink and a dance. Oh, Sugar! Imagine us actually getting to slow dance together in public. I can’t wait!”