by TL Gehr
But I have to check, because it’s Philip and I know him. “You’re sure you want this? Because if it’s just about me staying in the city, we can talk. You don’t have to do something so drastic to make me stay.”
He cups my face, his thumb sliding across my cheek in a caress. “I want nothing more than to wake up with you in my arms every day for the rest of my life.”
There is no music, no dancefloor, no one else. We are alone in a universe made up of those words.
Then Philip looks away, blushing furiously. “Sorry, I—”
“Don’t apologize.”
“I can’t help it.”
“I want that too.”
He meets my gaze again, “Really?”
I nod.
“Okay,” he says, “But not officially. Because if I ask you that, I mean when I ask you that, one day, it’s going to involve a ring.”
I’m full of sunlight, from my stomach to my heart to the tips of my ears. “Unless I ask you first,” I say.
Thank you for reading The Spindle’s Curse.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews are an immense help for authors.
Look out for The Midnight Dance, which follows Elam, the new occupant of Brian’s apartment, and his Wall Street prince.
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Author’s Note & Acknowledgements
The Spindle’s Curse was one of those novels that seemed to write itself. I’d had the idea to write a series of gay romances brewing for some time and one night as I was falling asleep (ironically) the idea of a recovering addict Sleeping Beauty dropped into my head.
I realised that I had never read a book that cast a drug addict as a romantic hero, but only as a tragic one, a villain or maybe a bad boy. While I’ve been fortunate to never have suffered from addiction myself, I have witnessed friends and family struggle with what Brian went through in this novel. Being an addict doesn’t make you a bad person and it doesn’t make you a weak person. It means that you have an internal enemy that you have to grapple with every single day. And some days you may not win and that doesn’t make you any less worthy of love.
If you identified with Brian’s struggles, here are some resources you might find useful.
Break Your Downward Emotional Spiral
The 12 Steps for Atheists
What Does Being in Recovery Mean?
Overcoming Drug Addiction
That first link is all about coping with general anxiety and it’s helped me personally conquer most of my own negative thought spirals.
Some facts about the story: The location for The Spindle really exists and is a restaurant. However, I have never been to the restaurant and so nothing once you enter The Spindle’s doors is true to life.
The Spindle’s Curse is set in roughly 2018 (because there was no way I was going to introduce a Covid subplot), so any references to fashion or technology date back to then. (The actual calendar will be a freebie on my website once more of the stories are out and will include character birthdays, so sign up to the Artis Rose newsletter to be notified.)
Even though this was one of those magical and rare books that seemed determined to pour itself onto the page, it would not have been possible without the endless encouragement of my good friend and editor Alex Dove, who was willing to respond to my messages at all hours of the day and night to share opinions or offer advice.
In the end, this book became less of a Sleeping Beauty retelling than I expected and more of a modern day gay fairytale inspired by the story we all know.
Up next is a story inspired by Cinderella that’s really about an ambitious ballet dancer and a lonely Wall Street investor who both need love and family more than they realize.
Brian and Philip will return in a festive short this Christmas when Brian takes Philip home to New Paltz for the holidays.
If you would like to get in touch with me, please feel free to reach out at [email protected]
About the Author
T L Gehr is an author and artist living in Cape Town, South Africa.
Gehr has bachelor’s degree majoring in journalism and psychology, is an avid reader and believes in the power of love and happy endings.
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