Joey

5 August 2002

Dear Al

Thanks for the letter.

What a great time you're having down there.

I really can't wait to meet your young friend Bryan.

Just like you say, he's really cute.

But I think I'll call him José, if you don't mind…

Much more romantic…

Much more Latino…

Much more me.

But, given that you obviously know me - and my tastes - so well, it surprised me to hear that you only knew half the story about one particular incident that you mentioned in your letter.

The one involving the Latino bell boy in Los Angeles.

Joey.

You know, it really did take a long time to get my bags up to my room that night.

But, as you've guessed, not all of two hours.

Joey and I sure had a great time - he was so hot and eager to please - and I really was sorry to hear that they'd fired him the next day because of the time he'd spent in my room.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Oh, no.

Because before he was dismissed he'd checked out the hotel register.

And found me.

And my address.

And, believe it or not, just two weeks ago he turned up right here in NYC knocking on my apartment door.

Let's not kid ourselves, Al.

In L.A. it wasn't even a one night stand.

Joey had made himself more than available to simpatico guests lots of times before.

Not freely available, of course. He got, I guess, so little money at that place as a bell boy that he decided to supplement his money by branching out occasionally as a butt boy too.

So he wasn't exactly crossing the North American continent and scouring the streets of Midtown because he loved me.

No.

…and how to turn me right on.

Now, Al, if I do have a word of criticism at this point, I have to say it's about you, old buddy.

I just wish you wouldn't go around telling these kids what I do for a living.

Whenever I meet one they expect me to give them a diamond or two - when, in most cases, he isn't even worth a rhinestone.

But, as you raised the subject, let me tell you that Joey's jewels, as you so quaintly put it, outshine even your Bryan's.

For a start, they're bigger…

…and, to my eyes, they've been placed in an even better setting.

Pure gold.

And gold, I'm reliably informed by the guys, is exactly what Joey's making lots of on the streets right now.

Isn't it just amazing what word-of-mouth recommendation can do for a boy's career?

Of course, Joey still comes to call on me once in a while. After all, by the standards of his new profession, we're old friends.

But he's always looking for new friends too.

And he's asked me to let you know that, while I'm out of town paying that visit to your poolside in Bogata, he'd be more than happy to give you a personal tour around some of New York's biggest and most exciting locations.

Let me know what you think!

As ever

Kevin