Flame Magazine Nov 2012 by FLAME Magazine

CRISTIAN CRESPO

DANCING TO THE TOP THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN

MOVIES: GOING OUT VS. STAYING IN

SOUND CHECK WITH:

BRIDGIT MENDLER DOROTHY CHECKS OUT:

ALEX CROSS

PUBLISHER Peter Rayes

peter@flame-mag.com

ART DIRECTOR Kyle Johnson

kyle@flame-mag.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN KRESJ Graphics PR Solutions

COPY EDITOR Dana Haddrill

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Kyle Johnson Peter Rayes

advertising@flame-mag.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS Murray Grondin Klider Hakim Emil Harpe Tony Lowe Al Shimmary

CONTRIBUTORS

Robert Bruno Alysha Calamia Kelly Garcia Peter Hendrickson John LoPorto Steven Palmer Ed Sikov Jai Sky Dorothy “Joan” Stevenson

WEB DEVELOPMENT PR Solutions facebook.com/prsolutions

P.O. Box 869 Royal Oak, MI 48068

editor@flame-mag.com

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. No part of Flame Magazine, including stories, artwork, advertising, or photos may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent from Flame, LLC. Flame Magazine is published monthly by Flame, LLC. Flame Magazine willl not accept advertising which is found to violate local, state or federal law. The presence of the name, likeness, photograph, or other representation of an organization, business, or person(s) in Flame Magazine is not an indication of sexual orientation.

november 2012

CONTENTS

November 2012

Cristian Crespo | Photos by: Murray! www.murraysmen.com

MOVIES: HELLO, MY GOING OUT NAME IS... Check w/ Bridgit VS. STAYING Sound Mendler IN While we may have grown The World According to Joan

Watching movies has been a passion of mine from an early age – the little worlds in which I can lose myself for a few hours and escape from my reality which had my …

accustomed to Disney Channel stars becoming has-beens, there is a new singer from that lineup being sent to the radio waves who doesn’t disappoint. Introducing Bridgit Mendler! On her debut album …

CRISTIAN CRESPO Dancing to the Top

Born in Germany and raised in Puerto Rico, Salsa and Latin music was part of my culture and upbringing. Dancing for us is an expression of celebration. Patience, dedication and tons and tons of training in dancing made me who I am today …

HOME: THE REASON FOR SURVIVAL

Become Who You Are

Home – the entire spectrum of humanity can be contained within this simple four-letter word. Love, fear, hatred, compassion, security, and kindness all live between the h and the e. In the spirit of Thanksgiving and …

ALEX CROSS THE WATERAt the Movies with MELON Dorothy Cocktail Chatter

Alex Cross (Perry) is a master detective for the Detroit Police Department. Along with his team, Tommy (Burns) and Monica (Nichols), he catches the most ruthless criminals and solves some of the toughest cases. …

We were closing down the beach house for the winter. I was in a piss-poor mood and so was Dan, and neither of us was behaving with any degree of marital civility. We’d already fought over such …

november 2012

FLAME/ The World According to Joan Written by Joan Stevenson

The Movies...

going OUT vs staying IN

atching movies has been a passion of mine from an early age – the little worlds in which I can lose myself for a few hours and escape from my reality which had my teenage girl heart always fraught with one crisis or another intrigued me. Movies were what made everything okay. They let me be someone else, solve someone else’s problems, and took me outside of myself; they allowed me to dream. Movies have the power to inspire, empower, encourage, frighten us, and make us think that anything is possible. All we have to do is just believe. Somewhere along the way, growing up and rising costs caused me to stray from my darkened temples of imagination and my movie experience was replaced by cable and home video. While it is great to rent a video and watch at home, I think you lose the communal experience of being in an actual theater – that large, darkened cavern where you share the experience with your fellow movie-goers – that sense of community, for those few moments. Recently, I have been blessed to be able to rekindle that passion of the visceral experience of going to a theater. I think there is a portion of people that forget what actually going to the movies is like, as we’ve become too spoiled with services like Blockbuster and Netflix. With the evolution of technology, we now have our

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favorite movie at our fingertips on our smartphones, tablets, and computers. Your favorite film is never far from reach and you can feed your movie craving anytime and anywhere. But, while you can enjoy a flick on the fly, there is still nothing like the feeling you get sitting in that big dark room with a 30-foot screen, digital surround sound, and 3D – the experience you can only have if you actually go to the theater.

has with the theater’s organization. This is why your popcorn and RAISINETS® cost a small fortune, and why you’re seeing commercials before the previews start. While this makes home-viewing, rental, and video on demand services more attractive, the experience is still not the same. Why spend so much when you can just wait a few months and have it on Netflix or watch it on demand? Is the visceral experience worth the price?

...Movies have the power to “inspire, empower, encourage,

I say yes! There’s something wonderfully satisfying and unifying about sharing the same experience, in knowing that there are others who felt the rollercoaster ride with you. I just worry that the studios will eventually price the theaters out of business. Film studios will make money regardless, whether by theater, rental, cable or DVD and Blu-ray Disc™ sales, but as long as people will pay to go, studios will continue to milk every last dime for all films, from grittiest action thriller, to the quirkiest indie drama, and to the latest animated tale.

frighten us, and make us think that anything is possible. All we have to do is just believe...

„

With ticket costs at upwards of $10, and even more with extras like 3D glasses and D-box amusement-park type seats, I know that the cost of going to the movies in this economy is truly prohibitive. Although the cost of concessions is downright outrageous, we need to realize that’s how the theater makes money. According to some sources, at least 80% of the cost of your ticket goes to the movie studio, sometimes more depending on the agreement the studio

I know movie-going may be pricey, but that’s also what makes it even more of an event, like going to a play or a concert. Now, I’m not saying you have to go every week – if you can, fabulous! I’m just saying, give yourself a treat and get off of your couch at least once a month and set foot in an actual theater. Trust me; you’ll be glad you did!

FLAME/ Sound Check

Written by Steven Palmer

BRIDGIT MENDLERName is... y M , o l l e H W

hile we may have grown accustomed to Disney Channel stars becoming has-beens, there is a new singer from that lineup being sent to the radio waves who doesn’t disappoint. Introducing Bridgit Mendler! On her debut album titled, “Hello My Name Is…,” Bridgit not only has a unique spelling to a common name but has a unique voice to a common style – Pop. Her album was weeks away from its October 22 release when Flame Magazines was given the opportunity to listen to an advance copy. As most people excitedly do when they

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first acquire a new album, the skimming and skipping through tracks was done to get a feel for the album as a whole. In doing so, three other unique singers come to mind upon first listen: Jessie J, Keri Hilson, and Lily Allen. As those singers are very different from each other, one only has to listen to Bridgit’s album in its entirety to hear many similarities to these three artists with the undertone of one more superstar singer: Rihanna. Here’s the breakdown of how it’s possible to sound like all of these artists blended together into a new, fresh voice: Take the playful and perky music

stylings that are usually present in Lily Allen’s songs, add in the edgy voice of Jessie J, and pin underneath it all the soulful voice of Keri Hilson. Where did the Rihanna part come in? Well, there are certain songs that almost have that island-type feel to them. Now you understand the math! Most of the album has you leaning toward the feel-good side of things. Also, one thing we must note – her voice is so clear that you will never have trouble understanding what she is saying, so there’s no need to visit lyric websites to understand the song! The theme of the

Photos: Hollywood Records

album is very bubbly and, even in the slower songs, you don’t feel sad; you feel grateful to be alive and to be able and relate to what she is singing about. While Bridgit’s promoted single on the album, “Ready or Not” is a great song, there are definitely songs that are more noteworthy and that shine brighter than that. These songs are “Hurricane,” “City Lights,” “5:15,” and “Hold on for Dear Love.” “Hurricane” is a song you can sing along with about “…standing in the eye of a hurricane.” This song is mostly about that feeling we sometimes get in which we want to trust the person we think we might love, but there’s something that just won’t allow us to let down our guard. Perfectly easy to relate with! “City Lights” gives us a sense that, even though we feel we are small and don’t

make a difference in the world, we do! “Every time that you think you’ve lost your shine / Just remember nothing’s brighter / You’re the City Lights / Every time that you fade into the night / Just remember you’re the fire.” Do you see what we mean? “5:15” is that moment when you’re telling yourself, and probably the significant other in your life, that these are the last moments before you upand-leave everything behind you. The voice she uses in this song is almost empowering and captures that feeling of past-procrastination, putting up with things you no longer want to, and readying yourself for that big change in your life…with or without your babe! “Hold on for Dear Love” is the one song that shows the most versatility in her voice as you can hear many people in

this song within this one voice. This song is about that sick feeling you get in your stomach when you’re almost sure that everything is over between you and your love, but you don’t want to let go. It’s that moment where you’re ready to let go, but you know if you do, you may be making the biggest mistake of your life. So, get ready for Bridget Mendler because she is sure to make her voice heard as she is a standout from what we have been hearing from many other artists brought to us by The Disney Channel. Her album, “Hello My Name Is…,” is available in stores now. Check out some of her acoustic releases on her VEVO channel and look into her. We all want fresh music from people who can truly sing, right? Well, I know we do, so check her out!

november 2012

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(

CRISTIAN CRESPO dancing to the top

)

Wr i Pho tten b y: ww tos w.m by Kell yG urr : M ays a u me rray rcia n.c ! om

Cristian can you tell us a little about yourself and how you became a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer?

orn in Germany and raised in Puerto Rico, Salsa and Latin music was part of my culture and upbringing. Dancing for us is an expression of celebration. Patience, dedication and tons and tons of training in dancing made me who I am today. I became a dance teacher because I always wanted to teach people from all of over the world, what dance is all about. I love to teach, not only professional dancers, but students or even social dancers, not only the technique of dance, but how to enjoy and feel the music in every aspect. I became a choreographer, because I’m a very creative person and since I was young I wanted to show people how I’m not just good in dance, but I know how to d¬esign my costumes, stage makeup, and scenography, as well. not only as headliner of the longest running club title in the United States, at Gigi’s Gay Bar, but also as the diva of “Monday Nights with Chico and the Boys featuring Nickki Stevens,” she continues to perform and keep the “house” together. Here, she speaks of some of the milestones, victories and set-backs in the gay entertainment industry, as well as her projection for the future of female impersonation:

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158

How old are you? 26 Where we you born and raised? I was born in Newberg, Germany. So, you’re not officially Latino? Well, I’m Latino because I have Puerto Rican blood and I was raised in Puerto Rico, but I was born in Europe. So you’re EURO-RICAN? (Laughter.) Yes. Are you currently single? No Can you tell us about the lucky man? Well, he’s a wonderful man; we’re engaged, and are getting married next year. Were you always accepted for being gay, in your family and through the Latino community? At first when I came out, my father was strict because I came from a military family. My father didn’t think gay was right at the time, but my mother was accepting from the get go. After years went by, my father finally accepted me, and everything’s okay now.

Is your only dream in life to be a professional dancer or do you have any other aspirations?

What projects, organizations or companies are you involved or working in at the moment?

I love being a professional dancer, but I also have other aspirations. I will be a fashion designer for dance ballroom clothing. My vision is to create a more flamboyant, edgy, and couture style for the next generation of dancers and performers.

I work with the World Salsa Congress. I’m a teacher at Troy Dance Studio, and I’m choreographer and dancer for a dance drag drama production called COLORES.

What do you enjoy the most about being a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer? As a professional dancer, I live for the stage! My fans’ appreciation and gratitude keep me going. As a dance teacher, when I see my students growing, it brings me happiness. As a choreographer, I get the opportunity to come up with concepts, and the artistry and creativity behind the productions. How many years have you been professionally dancing, and how long do you see yourself dancing for? I’ve been dancing for 21 years and I’m going to be dancing for all my life! This is my work. This is my life. This is my passion. What about when you get older?

How would you say the Puerto Rican community feels about homosexuality?

I’m going to be teaching my students and people from all over the world. I’m going to be teaching them all of my experience, even with my wrinkly butt cheeks! (Laughter.)

I think now they are more open-minded these days than back in the day.

Do you have any other qualities besides dancing?

What do you think needs to change about the gay Latino community in Michigan?

Yes, I can sew, I can make my own costumes, I know how to do makeup and hair – I think I can do everything as a performer, except fix a car!

I think that we need to change, and create a stronger unity amongst Latinos. I’ve lived in many places around the world, and the Latino gay communities [abroad] seem more united than here. What do you think is most empowering about the gay Latino community in Michigan? I think that what is empowering is that gay Latinos here in Michigan unite through drag shows and productions. Through Latin dance show and artistry, Latinos find their unity.

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october 2012 november 2012

talented

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? Very successful, and sharing my talent and experience with the entire world. I see myself living in Los Angeles, California. What are your passions and hobbies when you aren’t dancing? When I’m not dancing, I love spending time with my fiancé and with my family. I enjoy the parks, outdoor activities, festivals, and everything besides sitting on the couch.

Tell me something that you would love the world to know about Cristian Crespo? That I’m an independent person – I’m a very focused person, I know what I want in life, I’m sweet, I can be silly, but I also can be your worst enemy! (Laughter.) How would you describe your group of friends and your social life? I consider my friends like my family – my friends have big hearts. My social life, no comment! What is your strength in dance? I’ve trained in every part of dance, including hip hop, jazz, modern, and ballet, but salsa is my strength. There are many of us that didn’t have the luxury of childhood dance classes or training, what would you say to an adult inspiring to be a professional dancer or performer? It’s never too late to follow your dreams, no matter if it’s dancing or anything else that you want to pursue. It isn’t going to be easy but if you have the passion you can do it! Would you say that someone has to be of Latino race to understand, learn or train in Latin dance? Of course not; I work with the Salsa Congress and there are many other people from other countries who dance better than a lot of Latin dancers. With your passion you can do anything. What is the most awful and dramatic thing you have experienced while dancing? Some years ago, I went to Venice, Italy, because I traveled there for a dance award that my dance partner and I were receiving.

It started raining and storming, the lights on stage fell down, and killed one of my close dance partners. That night, we won the award for best “DUO AROUND THE WORLD,” but we lost an amazing dancer and friend.

Who is your ultimate idol? My mother and my father because they were hard workers in life, and they always worked hard for our family, no matter the circumstances. My parents always believed in my dreams! Many say that dancers, and artists have a struggling path to stardom, is that true? Tell us more about your personal struggle. It’s really hard. Being a dancer comes with a lot of sacrifice, it brings solitude, and it brings you maturity. It’s really hard; when I was 15, I started traveling the world, performing and competing, but I lost a lot of my childhood to pursue what I enjoyed. At 15, I won my first international award and traveled my first time to Europe,

professionally. I moved to Europe when I was 16, by myself to Italy, without knowing anyone and without knowing the Italian language. That process was very difficult, but after coming back to the United States at 19, it was even harder. In New York, I danced in musicals, and even danced, every dancers dream, in Madison Square Garden. Life in New York was a struggle; it’s an expensive city and expensive life. I didn’t have a lot of money because a lot of a dancers’ time is taken up looking for auditions and gigs. When I was auditioning, I was training and investing my money in training and my breakfast. I left New York when I was 20 years old and I moved to Massachusetts and opened my first dance school – I started a youth, teen and adult dance group called ”EXTRAVAGANZA.” At that time, I started bringing my production into the gay scene, dancing and choreographing for drag queens and for the gay community. I decided to sell my business and move to Michigan to work for a Vegas-style show for a group called “Sensuality.” following that, I started teaching again. Years later, I opened my second Academy with my dance partner, Gaby Cruz. After two years, we decided to close the dance studio and concentrate on traveling with the Salsa Congress. Now I’m traveling, teaching classes and choreographing a huge upcoming dance, drag, and drama production called COLORES, which includes drag kings, drag queens, professional dancers, and Latin dance performances. My story doesn’t end now, because I’m still rising to the top

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FLAME/ Become Who You Are Written by John LoPorto

m ho the reason for survival H

ome – the entire spectrum of humanity can be contained within this simple four-letter word. Love, fear, hatred, compassion, security, and kindness all live between the h and the e. In the spirit of Thanksgiving and the stigma surrounded by this holiday, we must ask: where or rather, what, is home? Life is hard, and while I can attest one learns how to cope with it more as he or she ages, I am reminded of a quote from my favorite philosopher, Fredrick Nietzsche. He cautions, “to live is to suffer; to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” He is right. To live is to suffer through mind-numbing work days, to deal with people that make your skin crawl, and to do innumerable barely bearable tasks only because that is what is expected of us. So yes, life does suck. But the meaning we find in the suffering, or the purpose of existence, is the true task of survival (and just more

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food for thought: another of my favorite philosophers, Jean- Jack Rousseau would call purpose the flowers and garland on the chains of existence…they were pretty gloomy and angsty during the Enlightenment). Purpose is an interesting subject. It changes as we grew and most of us will never really understand our purpose. We can also have many purposes that provide us the same level of meaning. When we attain that level of personal enlightenment, the suffering of life is alleviated. When that happens, I venture we have arrived home. Home ought to be a place where we are ourselves. It ought to be a place where the stigmas of the insufferables of life instantaneously vanish. It ought to be a place where meaning and purpose converge to provide sustenance for survival. Unfortunately, there is a difference between what ought to be and what actually is.

I am fortunate. I have found meaning in being with my blood- family and within the traditional idea of home. I understand, however, especially within our community, sometimes home and family are the exact opposite of the oughts enumerated above. When that happens, you have to find your own version of home; you have to find your own meaning in the suffering. And it very well could be anything as long as it gives you hope to continue through the suffering of life (that’s also a Nietzsche paraphrase, so don’t go thinking I’m an antisocial hermit!). And when you discover your true home – and yes, you will discover it – purpose and meaning will give you the tools for survival. So go forth and find your home! No one else is going to do it for you and it certainly is not going to divinely appear before you. Find your purpose! Find your meaning to survival. Become who you are

FLAME/ At The Movies With Dorothy Written by Dorothy Joan Stevenson

ALEX CROSS 5 / 5 STARS Tyler Perry as Alex Cross Matthew Fox as Picasso Edward Burns as Tommy Kane Rachel Nichols as Monica Ashe Carmen Ejogo as Maria Cross Cicely Tyson as Nana John C. McGinley as Richard Brockwell Jean Reno as Leon Mercier

OUT IN THEATERS OCTOBER 19, 2012

lex Cross (Perry) is a master detective for the Detroit Police Department. Along with his team, Tommy (Burns) and Monica (Nichols), he catches the most ruthless criminals and solves some of the toughest cases. He is a loving family man with a beautiful wife (Ejogo), two children with one more on the way, and a mother to care for. He is considering taking a position with the

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FBI as a profiler when his team catches a case of a gruesome quadruple homicide. The woman who was the intended victim was mutilated and tortured to death. Reading clues, Alex begins to get into the killer’s head in order to track him down and figure out his next move because this psycho has an agenda. Dubbed Picasso (Fox) because of a drawing he left at the scene of the massacre, this psycho

is an ex-military assassin for hire. It’s up to Alex and his team to follow the clues to find this maniac’s next intended victim before more bodies hit the floor. While protecting Picasso’s next victim, the team gets close to apprehending the sadistic freak, but only succeeds in thwarting his plans for killing his next victim. This puts Alex and the team on Picasso’s radar as a problem to be dealt

with. It then becomes a cat and mouse game between the two. As Alex goes after Picasso, he tries to get at the root of what makes him tick. Picasso delights in taunting Alex, but becomes bored with Alex’s attempts to head shrink him. Picasso takes it personally, so he

...I know what you’re “thinking: Tyler Perry? Isn’t he

Madea? Hellrrrr. Well you can forget all of that! “Alex Cross” is about as far from “Madea” as you can get...

„

has to even the score. Someone close to Alex has to pay for annoying Picasso and making him miss his target. So he chooses another target – one very close to Alex. We’re left wondering if Alex can bring Picasso down before he begins to take his anger out on his team or even his beloved family. I know what you’re thinking: Tyler Perry? Isn’t he Madea? Hellrrrr. Well you can forget all of that! “Alex Cross”

is about as far from “Madea” as you can get. Tyler fits the bill and suitably serves bad ass as James Patterson’s literary detective, a role previously played by Morgan Freeman in two movies (“Kiss the Girls,” “Along Came A Spider”). He transitions easily from family man to master detective to a hardcore cop bent on revenge, and he doesn’t take a false step. He is well-grounded by his mother, played wonderfully by the legendary Cicely Tyson. The real surprise is Matthew Fox as the psychopath, Picasso. Forget the characters of “Lost” and “Party of Five” – as Picasso, Fox is truly insane. He is a sick butcher taking the greatest of pleasure inflicting pain, physical or psychological, on his victims, dosing them with a drug that keeps them aware of all the pain he is inflicting, while debilitating their movement and response. Creepy and unsettling, he is ruthless in the pursuit of his targets. The struggle of wills between the two is electric and engaging. Directed by Rob Cohen (“Fast and the Furious,” “xXx”), “Alex Cross” doesn’t pull any punches on the action. The film moves at a taut pace as Cross thoroughly

and carefully reads into the mind of Picasso to take him down. There’s plenty bang-bang, shoot ‘em up action, but I thought the fight scene was a little choppy. Although it moved at a quick pace, as you’re rooting for the hero, it was obvious that the fight coordinator definitely had their work cut out for them, but somehow it all works. I also admit another great reason to see this film is that part of it was filmed here in Detroit. It’s great to see the location shots and to hear the actors use actual streets and locations, as well. The cars also played a big part, as the Chevy SS and the Cadillac 300 take prominent product placement. It feels almost as if the TV drama “Detroit 187” was scripted into a film, but with a lot more grit. Do yourself a favor: Do not miss Tyler Perry’s turn in this role. I think you will be pleasantly surprised

november 2012

FLAME/ Cocktail Chatter Written by Ed Sikov

the watermelon W

e were closing down the beach house for the winter. I was in a piss-poor mood and so was Dan, and neither of us was behaving with any degree of marital civility. We’d already fought over such terribly important issues as what kind of garbage bag to buy (I favored the kind with built-in drawstrings; Dan immediately reached for Brand X to save a buck; I prevailed), whether or not it would be OK if I spiced up the day’s dull tasks by puffing some herb (it would not be OK, Dan snapped, and I withdrew the suggestion), and whose iPod would reign on the sound system while we worked. Dan loves Mozart. I detest Mozart. “I won’t play Twisted Sister if you won’t play Mozart, ” I generously offered. “It’s a deal,” Dan said. Poor Dan. I don’t have Twisted Sister on my iPod. I put on my favorite playlist, “Fountains of Wayne’s Best,” and we fell into an uneasy truce. It didn’t last long. Dan opened the liquor cabinet and began emptying it out. “This is going down the drain!” he stated, and before I had a chance to screech “no!” he’d dumped half a bottle of Midori into the sink. “Stop!” I yelled. “Why?” he calmly asked with an evil smile on his face as he kept pouring. “You’re wasting perfectly good liquor!” I roared as I sped around the kitchen island and grabbed the bottle out of his hands before he emptied it entirely. “This stuff bites,” he said. “Nobody drinks it.” “I do.” “You do not. It’s been here for three years.” I couldn’t argue with him. Truth be told, the violently green Japanese melon liqueur was one of those items that had

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sat untouched on the shelf for several seasons. “OK, OK. I’ll make you something good with it before dinner.” He shot me one of those cockeyed looks of radical skepticism he produces at times like this, and I instantly knew all over again why I adored him. I’d planned a simple meal: burgers and salad. There was a bottle of ketchup left in the refrigerator and not much more, except a half empty bottle of cranberry juice. I much prefer the 100-percent juice variety to the market leading cranberry, water and sweetener brand, but I didn’t have a choice; we had to use up what a housemate had left in the fridge. Naturally, we had Absolut. We always have Absolut. I mixed our cocktails and served them in the living room. Dan had finished his tasks and was reading The Economist. “Cheers!” I said brightly. Dan took his glass and examined it with the same wariness and vague distaste that a nurse practitioner would inspect an especially cloudy urine sample. “What’s in this?” he interrogated. “Drink it,” I said. “If I can taste that wretched Midori I’ll spew,” he threatened. “Drink it,” I repeated. He took a sip, then a gulp. “This tastes just like watermelon! It’s…!” Then he caught himself. “It’s OK. But it’s more of a summer drink.” “Put that glass down. Put it down now,” I commanded. He did as he was told. Then I dove onto his welcoming belly, yanked his shirt up and began kissing his navel mercilessly. I didn’t stop until he had apologized in several highly pleasurable ways

the watermelon (serves one) 1 part Absolut vodka 1 part Midori

+cranberry juice to taste

Mix the vodka and the Midori in a tall glass filled with ice. Pour in cranberry juice to taste; stir; serve.

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