Nice Guys Don't Finish Last
Read Nice Guys Don't Finish Last Online
Authors: Chavez Brown
Chavez L. BrownThis book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Author’s Preface
“Nice Guys Don’t Finish Last” is a tale which took two years to complete in the midst of dealing with relationship issues, struggling in college & unemployment. Everyday situations inspired me to pull out a pen & paper, and create a fictional layer to distract me from my personal life. The characters are a mirror of certain traits I possess or people I crossed paths with. “Nice Guys” is a painting of a gay relationship between two black men which causes havoc in their personal & public lives. The story follows Nico, an aspiring R&B singer who will do anything to ink a record deal, even if he must hide his romantic interest or step on anyone’s toes. Abdul, a Marine who invests energy & time into a love affair with Nico, frequently receives the short end of the stick. When Abdul begins to search for comfort elsewhere, the pair is faced with life’s challenges & a supporting cast that helps intertwines their soap opera. This novel is a commentary about the joys & stipulations of homosexual affairs through multiple distinctive voices, and to capture the rawness & authenticity in the gay community. In relative to the alternative lifestyle, it was important to validate the audience understood the consumption of language & actions of the characters. A few personalities do not use correct English because of their urban background, and grammatical errors/ contractions are purposely written for illustration & age differences. The story teaches readers that ‘good’ guys conquer all & the ‘bad’ guys do not win in the end. When I watch gay themed television, I often see homosexuals portrayed as people who are overly flamboyant & addicted to sex. Yes, those clichés exist, but not a primary focus. “Nice Guys” captures the essence of human beings in a fight for love, respect & security. The tenacity isn’t to teach women about men on the down low or to preach against H.I.V because the concept is overdone. The subjects tackled in the story includes temptation, losing individuality, love vs. lust, death, trust, honesty, religion, power, identity crisis, promiscuity, survival, the music industry, gay sex, bisexuality, and much more. The goal is to embark readers on a journey allowing them to think, laugh, cry, & clap their hands with the characters. I chose the first-person method for the audience to get a glimpse inside the characters’ minds & offer a sense of realistic conversations through dialogue. It was a difficult task lending three unique voices to: a sophisticated, arrogant singer; a masculine yet caring marine, who never attended college; and a flamboyant teenage religious kid, who speaks gay slang. But I believe the challenge was tackled.
The book is broken into ‘two discs’ like a deluxe edition album. The first half describes the past & present for the characters. The second half forwards into their lives months later. Enjoy!!!
First & foremost, I would like to give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me with the ability to write & share lesson drawn stories with the world. He answered my prayers during trials & tribulations, and offered guidance throughout the writing process. I owe my debts to Him! Secondly, I am thankful for a supportive family who motivated me to complete this book. My mother, Candia J. Oliver, who molded me into the man I am today. She is the first person who embraced my writing; regardless if it was a persuasive letter or Christmas note. Thank you mommy for offering the support I need & introducing me to God. We fought, laughed, cried together, but in the end... I love you unconditionally! Thank you to my father, Leroy W. Brown Jr., who helped raise & lay down the foundation of a man. In order to obtain success, a person must work hard to receive it and you taught me this at a tender young age. I never worked as hard as I did on this book. The hunger does not stop here, I love you dad! I must acknowledge my younger siblings, Myles, who I adore (he’s going to be in the NFL) & LaRae, who cheered me on from the beginning & told me I am going to be a superstar. I love my sister y'all; my cousin, Shamara Bownes, who supported me throughout the process; my amusing grandmother, Joyce Lay, for those uplifting conversations & your unconditional love; my uncle, David Oliver, who read the book, critiqued & helped me along the editing process (a MAJOR blessing). I love you all! I want to give a special thanks to my best friend, Dominique Stiger, who believed & advised me to get it done. Our conversations about love & relationships inspired a story must be told. I love you bookie! Eric T. White, I would also like to thank you for being a genuine friend, and giving your honest input when needed. I love you!!! Thank you, Dwayne Benson, one of my closest friends, who read the book & connected the situations to real life. I appreciate our in depth discussions and I justly love you boy!!! I must also thank, Raven Ekundayo, for being my mentor at the age of nineteen. When you approached me about writing for 'eXcapethematriX', the opportunity opened the door for the birth of this “baby”. The drive to write “Guys” would not exist without the 'matrix' experience! I extend my thanks to: Darius Thompson, Kenneth Jackson, Alejandro Santiago & Savhad Lewis for reading the story and offering constructive criticism. I want to give a shout out to all of my Twitter followers & Facebook friends, who frequently inquired about the book. Specifically, Arnold Harper, he mentioned my book every single day with his inspirational tweets. I appreciate the love I received from everyone, and hope you all enjoy the book. I will see y'all on my book tour... speak these things into existence, right? Thanks to Will Caldwell, a fellow Baltimorean author who gave me pointers during the publishing process, I appreciate the helping hand. I must also thank the talented guy behind the book cover design, Tad Michaell. You brought the visual engraved in my head to life. You rock, sir! Thank you to my fellow gay pioneers: E. Lynn Harris, my biggest writing inspiration for sharing incredible stories with the world; and James Baldwin, for paving the cement towards Black gay writers & offering timeless art people continue to read. Their legacies live on! I would like to take the time out to dedicate my artistry to my late cousin, Britney C. Bownes. I know you are proud to see I am sharing my talent with the world. Your presence still lives through me, and I will continue to keep your legacy alive. I will always love you & we will meet again. Last but not least, I would like to thank James A. Carroll IV, for pushing me to write this story from the very beginning. We have been through hell & back together, but I love you with all my heart. Thank you! I would like to give extra shout outs to the people I love: Shinell Oliver, Nakeia Drummond, Aneisa & Omarr, Patricia Street, Jonathan McFadden, Terrance Jackson, Gloria Toney, David Woodson, Darryl K. Hargrove, Bobby Parks, Damon Rhodes, Jerome Lowery, Tiffany Tyndale, and Larry Moore. I apologize if I left anyone out, but it is too many people to think of. I am so blessed to have family & friends who love me unconditionally. Thanks everyone!
DISC ONE
“Piano & I (Nico’s Intro)”
B
etween Milo’s strained barks and inner city children propelling snowballs outside the window, I bred hesitant who to shoot first. I’d rather PETA throw buckets of paint on me than a conviction for first degree murder of a child; therefore, Milo is the front-runner.
After doodling for the past half hour, the ink pen bled through the yellow-lined paper, while I struggled to choose a format for the next song.
Will the arrangement be a rhyme scheme? They are 90’s and corny, does anyone continue to write them?
Music in the new millennium is bland relying on technology to camouflage their flaws & affect the remaining innovators like myself; dying for a big break. The pressure to inscribe original compositions, unlike the debris on the radio is difficult. The lyrics written in earlier circumstances are inspired by life experiences from close friends, but I often clash with the idea of affability & exposure outside my inner circle.
“Nico, you should write a song about your relationship with Abdul,” a friend suggested. The thought of vocalizing my romance with a guy is tacky & unnecessary.
My mother taught me to never blend business with personal inclination, and her advice crackles in my ears every second I consider going against the grain.
Imagine this… “Up & coming R&B recording artist/ song-writer, Nico Bilal, sings about fucking a dude in his new song.” The media would never respect me as a pliably gay vocalist. A white flame like Adam Lambert grabs crotches & kiss guys at the American Music Awards with no regards. In contrast, the Black community would cleave me a new asshole.
Homosexual artists are obligated to endorse fabricated existences to cater to unambiguous audiences. Do you think every rapper in the ‘game’ is straight? Hell no. What are the odds of a gay rapper obtaining the success of Jay-Z? Slim to none. The general public perceives a man as a tough & masculine object, if he displays a hint of femininity… labels believe he will lose female followers. In comparison, the industry hid Ricky Martin’s secret throughout his career to appeal to heterosexual women with a faux Casanova image.
After he came out of the closet, the music became a secondary focus amongst listeners. Ricky is a public display of what a nut-stacker should be, and the thought frightens me. Once people realize I am affiliated with the Rainbow Club, they will turn on me quicker than they did Chris Brown.
In relation to Chris & a pack of Michael Jackson imitators, the vision of male singers miming on stage to prerecorded vocals is cringe-worthy. When their microphones are on, they sound like dog shit ran over twice.
Move over, Trey! Sit down, Ne-yo! Apply to the nearest McDonald’s, Omarion! The retirement home called your name, Usher!
The aforementioned guys are typical ‘R&B singers’ stealing dance moves from M.J to compensate lack of originality. I will dip my feet in every genre possibly known to man. Once an artist crosses over, the bank becomes fatter & they gain global recognition. Diana performed facade of thousands in Central Park, Michael & Tina broke records with their tour sellouts & Dionne’s collaborations with Burt were massive hits on the charts; Nico will be mentioned alongside the greats.
The artists from the new generation dearth versatility the legends possessed. Social media convinces tone deaf listeners auto-tune is singing & catchy tunes create good quality! Where is the real music? Where are the songs with live instrumentation, meaningful lyrics, domineering melodies & the thrill of belting from the diaphragm? No one should have to shave their head or wear Halloween costumes to gain recognition.
I refuse to construct a ladder to only fall subsequently. The choice to be ‘out’ would contradict everything I worked hard for.
The struggle for words continued as I sat at the grand piano. What is intriguing about love & Abdul? I mean, the relationship is far from picture perfect and produces like a game of “tug-a-war”. The emotions are back & forth, occasionally I become careless to the union.
“Milo, shut up,” I yelled at the dog as he barked standing in the doorway. An echo of footsteps met the door, while the door knob turned slowly. Milo’s barks increased awaiting the door to open. There he appeared, wearing a Crest white smile on his russet brown face and the sleek eyes of an angel.