Episode 002 - Season One

Joey sat nervously inside of Jed's office as Jed slowly looked through his portfolio. Once he noticed that Jed was finished, Joey nearly jumped out of his seat. Jed looked over at Joey with a business-like expression.
"You have talent," Jed said. "But I'm worried about how much experience you have."
"Oh, um, I know that my work in porn doesn't really make me qualified, but I would really like to get more experience in print work."
"Okay, I will make you an offer: I need someone to work in my mailroom and if you take the position I can promise you will receive more interesting assignments."
"Oh, um, okay. That sounds like a deal."
Jed stood up and reach out to shake Joey's hand. "Welcome to Blade Magazine, Joey."
"Thank you, Mr. Langton."
"And you can call me Jed. Come, let me show you around."
They walked out of Jed's office. "Here you will find the staff's desks and over there is the conference room..."
Jed noticed Nick walking in their direction. "Hey, Nick. What are you doing here? I thought you worked better outside of an office atmosphere."
"You were the one who dared to give me a desk." Nick said.
Jed smiled. "I just thought a bit of professionalism should be in the works. Nick, I'd like you to meet Joey Dials. Joey will be working in the mailroom as well as taking photography assignments from time to time. Nick has been assigned as a columnist here."
Nick and Joey shook hands.
"Welcome, Joey."
"Thanks. I'm a fan of your work. Your first novel was great."
"Thank you. I came in to get something off my desk, so I should be going. It was nice to meet you, Joey."
Jed called after Nick: "Don't forget about the meeting in the morning."
Nick continued to his desk. Just as he sat down, his cellphone rang.
"Hello."
"Hey there!"
"Ben, what's going on?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to have a drink later on?"
Nick felt a familiar tingle in his chest somewhere. "Sure. How about Nexus about five-thrity?"
"Sounds good. I will see you then."
Nick turned off his phone and started to look through his desk for the research notes he left the other day.
"Hey, Nick."
Nick turned around to see Damien standing by his desk."
"Damien. Sneaking around again?"
"When are you going to stop being suspicious of me?"
"What do you want, Damien?"
"Just trying to be nice."
* * *
After Jed finished showing Joey around, he returned to his office where he sat down and dialed Steve's phone number. When Steve answered, Jed felt himself smiling. "Hello, handsome."
"Jed. Hey, how're you doing?"
"Better now. How's your day going?"
"Pretty good. And your's?"
"How about I tell you tonight during dinner?"
"I have an appointment at five, but it shouldn't run over twenty minutes. Where shall we meet?"
Jed wondered if the fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach was butterflies...
* * *
Joey called Damien when he left the loft to tell him about Jed's offer.
"Joey, that's great news!! We've got to celebrate! How about Nexus, say, um, at six? My treat!"
"Thank you, Damien. I owe you one for this!"
"I told you, your life is about to get more interesting..."
* * *
Later on that afternoon, Nick and Ben met each other inside of Nexus. The bar was somewhat crowded with happy hour attendees drinking and bitching about their jobs. Nick walked to the bar to order drinks as Ben searched for a table for them to sit and chat. He found a booth near the back. He sat down and watched Nick. He felt something. He didn't know exactly what it was, but it made him excited. For awhile back, he had tried not to miss Nick after what happened and Nick left Port Wayne for New York. However, he found that he had to think about him in order to move on. Yet, Ben asked himself if he had really moved on. He looked up just as Nick walked up with their drinks and sat on the other side to face him.
"Thanks," Ben said.
"So, what's the reason for the sudden need to have drinks?"
"Just to see you again."
Nick smiled. "I should have left for New York long ago if I knew that it would bring this much attention my way."
"Stop being sarcastic. I am happy that you're back."
"Thanks. It's good to be back. I heard that you've been working hard at building your business up."
"Yeah, I took a number of risky deals that actually became quite the reputation builder."
"Good for you. You're a great architect, Ben. I've always thought that."
"Yeah, you were my biggest supporter."
"That's because I really believed in you."
Ben looked at Nick. Old feelings - or new ones? - had started to stir inside of him. "How about we work on giving ourselves another chance?" As soon as the question came out of him, he wished he could have taken it back to ask at a later time.
"Give us another try?"
"Yeah. I mean, why wouldn't we?"
"I guess we can leave things in the past. I'm not sure, exactly, Ben. I tell you what: let's just take things slow and see which direction we take ourselves in."
"I'd like that!" Ben said, moving his hand over to take hold of Nick's. Just then he looked up. It seemed as if the color drained from his face. "Damien..."
"Hi Ben. Hello Nick."
"Damien, hey. Oh, hi Joey."
"Hi Nick. Hey, Ben..."
Ben could barely get his words out. "Hi Joey..."

Episode 001, Season One

Maybe Jed was right, maybe it is time to move on, Nick Fuller thought and suddenly felt melancholy. Moving back to Port Wayne was a way to move on with his life after he'd been in New York for a few years. Nick stood in front of the doors that would lead him to the second floor of the building where the loft that held the offices of Blade Magazine. The ground floor of the building held a cafe one one side of the block and Nexus, a gay bar, on the other side. Nick entered the building and walked up the stairs until he was standing in front of the receptionist. Just as he was about to announce him name, he heard Jed's voice.

"Welcome to Blade Magazine!"

Nick smiled. "Glad to be here, Jed. Thanks for the offer."

"And thank you for accepting. You know I couldn't have done this without you."

"Sure you could."

"Well, it wouldn't have been right. Listen, I'd love to show you around but I have a last minute meeting with the printers and they're pissing me off!"

"I can show him around."

Both Jed and Nick turned around to see Damien Chastain standing behind them.

"Uh, okay, Damien." Nick said.

"Look at this!" Jed said with an comforting tone in his voice. "The three of us, together again. And, this time, we're actually doing what we said we'd do. And, just a reminder, I don't want any shit from either of you."

"Don't worry about me," Damien said.

Jed nodded and walked away with a bounce in every step. Nick and Damien stood and watched as he turned a corner down the corridor.

"Come, your desk is this way," Damien told Nick.

Nick followed Damien to a cubicle. Neither one said much during the few short steps.

"Here you are. My cubicle is over there."

"Thank you, Damien."

"No problem at all. And, I would like to add, that Jed is right. I would like to call some sort of a truce between us. We've been at each other's throats since college and..."

"Damien, its more like you've been at my throat and I just had to defend myself."

"Well, I want to tell you that I'm turning over a new leaf so I would like to declare us friends," Damien said, holding out his hand.

"That would be a good way to keep a close eye on you."


Later on that evening, Jed sat inside of Cavern restaurant just finishing up his coffee. He'd had a meeting with the party planners to go over details of the launch party. They argued over whether the affair should hold a bit of glamour as compared to a huge, but simple, occasion that probably would end up as being one of the most talked about events of the year. As he finished his coffee and signed the receipt, Jed looked up and noticed a gorgeous man sitting at the bar with a martini in front of him. His heart flipped and his stomach felt...wavy. He was indeed the most beautiful man he'd ever laid his eyes on. The guy turned slightly in Jed's direction. Their eyes locked. Jed smiled. The guy smiled back. Jed got up from the table and walked over to the bar.

"Good evening," he said.

"Good evening."

"I was sitting over there and...well, I thought I'd be finished for the night. But I'm wondering if I can join you for a drink?"

The guy smiled. "Yes. Yes, I would like that very much."

"My name is Jed."

"I'm Steve..."


"Thank you for having dinner with me. I wasn't sure if you would see me or not."

Nick sat across the table and looked at Ben. He was still handsome; still sexy. He wondered if he still harbored any feelings for him. There was something tiny in the pit of his stomach, but nothing overtly powerful. Not like before.

"I'm glad you invited me," Nick said. "I haven't seen you for a long time, Ben, and...well..."

"How do you feel about being back in Port Wayne?"

"Its kind of, I dunno, crazy, I think. It seems that I've been gone a long time."

"Two and a half years."

Nick smiled, and it eased what little tension had come to the table with them since they met in front of the restaurant.

"Its good to see you, Nick. You look good, and, from the sales of your last book, you're doing good."

"It was my first attempt at fiction and people seem to be eating it up."

"I've read it. It was good."

"No critique or ridicule?"

"Nope, not from me. I think maybe that writing that helped you deal with...I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I had dinner with Jed my first night back and he thinks that its time to move on. So, I'm moving on."

"Good for you."

Ben looked at Nick. He did seem different. More...what? Sharper? Stern? Happier? Whatever it was, it was turning him on. But he could not concentrate on that. Not right now. "How's Damien taking your return?" Ben asked.

"He wants to bury the hatchet."

"Maybe he's right. Maybe you should take your own advice and move on."

"I've known Damien since I was in college and I don't trust him, point blank."

"Nick..."

"You defending him probably would not be a good idea right now, Ben."

"You left town, maybe he's changed as much as you have."

"I can appreciate that, but remember that since college he's been trying to sabotage me."

"Its just jealousy. He wants so much to be like you and he wants to see you loose complete control of yourself."

"And what happened two and a half years ago wasn't enough?"

"I don't like where this conversation is headed. Let's just keep the focus on you and me."

Nick looked into Ben's eyes. There was a glow in them, just as there was before a long time ago when he fell in love - first - with those eyes and then the rest of him.


Damien wondered if Nick believed him when he said they should call a truce. As much crap as they have been through since college Damien would understand if Nick didn't trust him. But, why wouldn't Nick trust him? They did shake hands, by the way. It would be just like Nick to think all would be delightful and wonderful and...whatever. But what about him? Damien thought that maybe, just maybe, he could try just a little. The talk that Jed had with him before offering him the job of entertainment editor was somehow inspiring. And its a good thing that Jed had the job offering. Oh, Damien knew he could probably find something else or create something of his own. Since the cancellation of his short-lived television series, Damien seemed a bit unfocused for a nano-second before Jed told him that he'd bought that bar rag and intended to make it over into a splashy gay magazine. He was doing exactly what he said he'd do back in college. And, to add to the spectacle, he'd offered both Damien and Nick jobs just as he said he would. Damien often wondered why Jed didn't just purchase a magazine right from the get go, seeing that his family is one of the richest in the country. But, no, Jed was noble and humble; proud. He wanted to find his way first.

"Damien! Hi!"

Damien stopped thinking for a second and looked into the eyes of Joey Dials, a young guy he'd known a year or two back. "Joey! Hey, how're you doing?"

"I'm doing good. Its been awhile."

"Yeah, it has been. "What have you been doing this past year?"

"Oh, I went to L.A. and did some photography work. Ya know. I sold some of my stuff."

"That's good. So you're back in Port Wayne?"

"I've been back for awhile now. Just looking around for some work."

Damien thought for a moment. "Come with me, my young friend. I think I am about to change your life..."

Introduction

It happened one night after watching an episode of Melrose Place, I asked myself: 'why aren't there any gay soap operas?' Surely, gay men are all about drama whether they watch it or create it. Sure, gay characters had popped up in television series from time to time. However, they were given 'safe' storylines or limited visibility. I can understand the producers wanting to 'ease' into such a 'controversial' topic but, please, give me a fuckin' break. Most times when a show approaches a controversial topic, we are rather thrown to the lions in order to feel and/or understand its impact. What?? Speaking of MP, Fox could show Michael and Kimberly in bed, rolling around in orgasmic glory but panicked when the show's only gay character, Matt, was leaning in to kiss another guy. And while we're on the subject: why is it that gay characters don't have any gay friends and tends to hang out at straight bars? No one they can't find a relationship other than the straight-guy-struggling-with-his-sexuality. And, man, has that story been used up...in real life as well as entertainment.

Anyway, I started to think up some characters and their stories. I've often thought of gay soaps before, but not with the attention to detail nor the penache I've put into something that just popped into my head and wouldn't let me rest until I began to develop the characters and draft the storylines.

The place where my story was originally set was the Hillcrest District in San Diego. I'd visited Hillcrest a few times and, though a close cousin to L.A.'s West Hollywood, found it a bit charming. Hence, I came up with the title of District.

Over the next ten years, on and off, I would pull my notes out and make changes or adjustments or re-create original material that didn't automatically fit into the realm of my idea of a not only a gay soap opera, but a soap opera period. I know I have to grab my audience, but I did not want to throw out some big mysterious plot about hidden secrets and desperate measures. Rather, I wanted my audience to get to know the characters and their reactions to particular situations. I took out one major character I created because he didn't seem to fit the surroundings he was in. Also, the young character in the original story was a disturbed young man who caused more trouble than what he was worth and would soon tire the other characters and wear out his welcome. Over the years, I had come to like this kid and thought I should give him a break.

I took San Diego out as the place to where my characters would live and created an entire new background. Once I started to develop my notes recently, I thought that once I finished film school that I would produce a weekly animated online serial. However, once I started to blog and encountered online soap operas it became neccessary (and financially smart) to write my story out on a blog.

Yes, I will do 'seasons' and, no, no photos will be available...unless some of you handsome men out there are willing to volunteer your time. :-) So, now, I introduce the characters who inhabit the heavily gay populated Northwest District of the small city of Port Wayne:

NICK FULLER - a writer with a strong sense of independence.

BEN TAYLOR - a somewhat selfish architect whose addiction to sex most times gets him into trouble.

DAMIEN CHASTAIN - a journalist who is beginning to realize that he should have a soul in him somewhere.

JOEY DIALS - a twentysomething photograpaher trying to belong to a community and understand love.

JED LANGTON - editor and publisher of Blade magazine; a guy who grew up rich, yet down to earth.

MATTHEW GALVESTON - a documentary filmmaker who learned early on to be tough and true to himself.

HELENE LANGTON-MARSHALL - Jed's mother, a simple country girl who married into a wealthy family.

LOGAN MARSHALL - Helene's second husband.

STEVE LASSITER - a man who wants to start over.