This Simple PhraseThis covers Christmas 2002. The title comes from “The Christmas Song.” The song Ms. DiNois sings at the Christmas party is “Santa Baby.” Wills is singing “(I’m Gettin’) Nuttin’ For Christmas,” which was written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennitt. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Trackrat told me of trouser rockage.
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I raised the razor to my face, then paused and stared at myself in the mirror.
Six months, twenty-three days, twelve hours, thirty-nine minutes and…I turned my wrist to look at my watch. And forty-five seconds.
That was how long I had been living with Theo Bascopolis. At the thought of the former rent boy who had given up the profession because I’d asked him, my c**k twitched.
Soon we’d be spending our first Christmas together.
I smiled at my reflecti
