Outstanding praise for the novels of Johnny Diaz!
Miami Manhunt
“Deep, poignant and a lot of fun to read.”
—Out in New Jersey
“Extremely well written…with likeable characters.”
—Between the Covers
“A fun book to read.”
—AfterElton.com
Boston Boys Club
“Breezy…fun…”
—Edge (Miami)
“A charming cocktail.”
—Out
“Make way for the boys of summer! Johnny Diaz has written a sexy beach-read romp that you won’t be able to put down.”
—William J. Mann, author of Object of Desire
“Sexy, funny, you savor every page…a great summer read…all you have to do is sit back and open it and enjoy.”
—Eureka Pride
“Boston Boys Club entertains, amuses and is the perfect compliment to a long, lazy day at the beach and cold tropical drink of your choice. But don’t be fooled, there is a serious side to this book, which makes it all the better a slice of LGBT life. There are issues and illnesses, losses and things falling apart. But in the end, things come together and these boys will win your heart. This book is a keeper, and Johnny Diaz had better start working on a sequel.”
—La Bloga
“Boston Boys Club is racy, funny and smart. With his unforgettable trio of narrators, Johnny Diaz ushers the reader through the sex-filled, weirdly skewed world of contemporary gay Boston. You’re going to love this book.”
—Scott Heim, author of Mysterious Skin
“In case you haven’t heard the buzz, Boston Boys Club is the book to read on the beach this summer…fast paced and lighthearted.”
—Bay Windows
More outstanding praise for Boston Boys Club!
“A fun summer read…one hopes that the author will grace readers again with another story of New England’s favorite city.”
—AfterElton.com
“A bubbly beach read…the author clearly knows Boston inside and out, and readers from New England will appreciate the attention paid to the surroundings and the many local insider jokes.”
—Bay Area Reporter
“A love letter to Boston.”
—The Gay and Lesbian Review
“A winner…sexy, rich and charming, this one is a true page-turner.”
—OutSmart
“Sure to make an appearance on many a beach towel this summer.”
—Here! Magazine
“A winning book, especially for a summer read.”
—Boston Spirit
“Johnny Diaz brings to palpable life the ins, outs, ups, and downs of gay city life and its most dangerous pasttime: dating. In chronicling the love lives—or lack thereof—of three good friends who meet weekly at a popular watering hole, Mr. Diaz gives us situations, hopes, fears, and, especially, characters, that all readers will identify with, and may even recognize as themselves. At turns comic, touching, and tragic, Boston Boys Club is sure to serve as a testament of American gay life in the new millennium, and the timeless search for Mister Right—or Mister Right Now. An addictive read.”
J. G. Hayes, author of This Thing Called Courage
BEANTOWN CUBANS
Johnny Diaz
KENSINGTON BOOKS
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated to my dear friends and fellow readers who have endured the pain of losing a loved one, be it a parent, grandparent, relative, or friend. They may not be physically here with us, but their spirits continue to live on in our hearts and memories. I hope that my closest friends and my extended family of readers will relate to the fictional long-distance conversations between Carlos and his mother, Maria.
A special thank-you to Ryan Andrews for penning the song “Give You Up,” which was highlighted in my previous novel.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
1
Carlos
Even in death, my mother tells me what to do.
“Carlos, you look just like your father when he was your age. He was heavier though. You need to eat more, mi amor. You are looking thin again,” Mami tells me in her Spanish-accented English. We’re sitting at a corner table at Versailles restaurant, where the large glass windows face the whooshing cars on Miami’s infamous Calle Ocho.
“I don’t look like Papi. You always say that. Don’t people have to say that a son looks like the father and that a daughter looks like the mother? I always thought I looked like you, Mami.”
“Bueno, you have my eyes, my sense of humor. You have your Papi’s short, dark brown, wavy hair, eyebrows, nose, and body. You have my quiet sense of humor, but more importantly, you have a good heart, and that comes from both your Papi and me. I think that’s why you became a teacher, to help others. You always had a special gift to help people, Carlito,” she says, extending her hand, softly tapping mine, and calling me by my nickname.
“Thanks, Mami. I just want to help other students adapt and learn. It was so hard for me the first few years after we came here from Cuba. The guys at school teased me because of my accent and because we came through the port of Mariel. I felt out of place and stupid.”
“Ay, Carlos. You are better than those estupidos. Look at what you have become, a good-looking, hard-working professional. You took a negative from your childhood and became an honorable, respectable hombresito. Hijo, I am very proud of you. You need to be proud of yourself, too. Don’t ever settle for less. Don’t ever let anyone