Up Where We Belong, Rob Rosen

 

 

 

-Review by Kazza K

This is twenty five pages of fabulous. I loved the wit and the charm and the use of the title. I definitely liked the fact that so much was conveyed in so few pages. I have the hots for books that are short but read like the word count is higher, and Up Where We Belong gave me the short-read-hots.

Two men, both named Ted Jackson, turn up at Denver airport at the same time with a limo driver not sure which Ted Jackson he is meant to pick up. Ted-Squared decide to take the limo together, much to the limo driver's relief.

He smiled, I smiled, and the driver hit the highway, radio cranked to Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker's Up Where We Belong.
Ted grimaced. "Blech."
"Not a fan of romantic pop music, I take it?" I asked.
"Schmaltz," he replied. "I'll take Zepplin any day."
Not the gayest retort, but I was hopeful.

Just as well Ted #1 was hopeful, because he's right, not only was his namesake a nice, interesting guy, he's interested in guys. So Ted-Squared have even more in common than a name...and now a hotel room. Why not? They also both travel for business - one's an auditor, one's in medical sales, and they have a shared song now it seems -

We walked side by side into the elevator. Lo and behold, wouldn't you know it, they were playing the instrumental version of "Up Where We Belong."
"It's following us," I made note as the door slid shut.
"Attack of the killer schmaltz."
"You're not a serial killer are you?"
He shrugged, "Not yet. Maybe after the next audit is over."
I unlocked the door. "Good enough."

So Ted #1 is interested, and Ted #2 is a pretty free with his body. He decides to change his suit before they head out to grab a bite to eat and is standing around in his undies -

Ted, it seemed, worked out. A lot....

"Hot in here. Mind if I open the balcony door?" I rushed past him, opened the door, and stepped outside before he could spot my swollen crotch. Which had since swollen to tsunami  proportions.

But Ted #2 decided to follow him outside in his undies -

"Slippage," I told him, pointing downward because his prick had escaped its confines. He stared down but failed to unslip. In fact he was grinning up at me a heartbeat later. "Guess it likes the view, too."

Soon Ted #1 is down to his Haines - 

"Nice," he said stoking his prick through the cotton flap...
I sent it swinging within my briefs..."It does seem to be enjoying itself,"
"Might be happier out here," he pointed to the general area around the balcony.
I was suddenly naked and hard as granite...
"Yup, does seem happier," I agreed.
He leaned in and gazed down. "I can see that."
I closed the gap further, and my happy prick was quickly encased by his equally happy lips, mouth, and throat.  In and down and then out it went repeatedly, each time ending with a pop ...

So things progress a little more for Ted-Squared and they are having a nice time together -

"You this amenable on your audits?" He shook his head as we stood side by side, my hand again on his prick, his on mine, staring out at the darkening view. "Nope," he replied. "I'm a mean-ass sonofabitch. But the people I audit almost never look, smell, or taste anything like you."
"Guess I'm a triple threat. Good to know that. Though that might look odd on a résumé."

So the Teds get close but they have to return to their respective homes and base of work - Ted #1 in San Francisco and Ted #2 in New York - after several days together.  But you now they are meant to meet up again. They just fit right, like two gay Ted Jackson's with the same humour, same attitude, same interest in one another just should.

And meet up they do when Ted #2 has business in San Francisco  -


"My tush. Enjoy." Suffice it to say, I didn't wait for him to recant such a generous offer. I was squatting a mere moment later, face turned up to his ass as he spread his legs wider, the holy trinity coming into view: hovering cock, dangling balls, exposed winking hole.

Did I suck him off in the stairwell, rim him out in the bathroom, and fuck him silly in the basement? Fine, yes, yes, and hell yes

But the million dollar question: did I miss him when we weren't together?

"What shall we drink to?" I asked  him my glass tinkling up against his glass. He smiled and nodded. "To us."
"To us," I repeated, my heart fairly breaking at the thought that us would soon be him and me on opposite coasts, the road again long, too many mountains in our way to count.

And that is where I shall leave the review, because it is short and I have pulled out some of the humorous as well as the sexy...without it all. What I really haven't pulled out is the sweetness of the book. You really need to read it to find that because it is subtle and lovely. Anyway, I cannot do it justice in my review. This is not PWP (not that I mind, but for those who do.) It is nice writing with a poetic, witty, quirky and sharp dialogue. Also a no-nonsense style of writing that allowed much to be said in so few words. I loved how the title was used and the short comes under a series called Mixed Tapes, from MLR Press, so it slotted in beautifully with the brief. I highly recommend Up Where We Belong if you like short and sexy with feeling.

4.5 Short, Sweet, Sexy Stars.