STRETCHED                 LOVE

  SYNOPSIS

STRETCHED LOVE plunges us into the passionate marriage of a couple in their thirties, Warren and Rebecca and her troubled younger gay brother, Paul. The hold that these three characters have on each other takes on mythic proportions when one of them faces serious illness. Blitz does not hold back from the savagery of disease and death. The relationships take an unexpected turn one that doesn't always make sense. Blitz brilliantly demonstrates that love in all of its forms can be stretched, even beyond the grave. 

EXCERPT FROM STRETCHED LOVE-WRITTEN BY  GORDON BLITZ:

Prologue-

At first Brandon thought the energy force and faint odor had aroused him until he realized it was the smell of coffee. He thought, thank you my love for remembering to set the Keurig so we’d have fresh caffeine in the morning. Rebecca looked consumed with finishing eight hours of sleep. The Land End’s Supima sheets wrapped around her frame, a blonde beauty queen resting. Last night’s love-making had guaranteed an unencumbered sleep for both of them. After Brandon edged out from Rebecca’s spooning embrace, Rebecca curled into the fetal position. Brandon’s scratchy eyes searched for the bathroom to relieve himself. The itch on his shaft was disconcerting. The bathroom’s marble tile cooled his feet and stretching his biceps energized Brandon. He used his favorite oatmeal-colored washcloth to give himself a whore’s bath, a quick sponge bath by hand. His stumpy fingertips needed rebandaging. He’d given up trying to break that habit of nail biting. He grabbed his cargo shorts and walked down the staircase to the main floor that housed the living and dining rooms along with the kitchen. He passed the rarely used front entrance at the end of the stairs because the kitchen had a door to the two-car garage in the back of the townhouse.

Since Rebecca had announced they were going to be parents last week, they’d been feasting on the thrill of having a child. Their shared DNA would create a testament to their values and love. With Rebecca’s teaching position blocks away and Brandon’s office within five miles, their Ocean Garden townhouse was a jackpot winner of places to live. The cliché it takes a village took on a luscious meaning for them.  

Sunday morning was Brandon’s favorite day. He would make gluten-free waffles smothered with Costco real maple syrup and blueberries. There was freshly ground Peet’s coffee and pulpy Valencia orange juice. In the background KUSC played the Mostly Mozart Program, while they would read the Los Angeles Times.

Brandon walked back to the second floor to awaken his wife, but she wasn’t in bed. Brandon listened for the shower in the second bedroom but it was silent. Outside the bathroom he saw the remains of a pouch sitting open on the bathroom counter. An oddity since she was so careful to keep it germ-free.

“Rebecca, where are you?” He checked the walk-in closet hoping she was deciding what sumptuous outfit she would be wearing, but it was empty. Rebecca may have been surveying the grounds looking for ripening lemons, figs, oranges, limes or flowers. The birds of paradise were in abundance and would make a lovely centerpiece for the round teak dining room table.

Brandon began checking out the sports section in the paper until Rebecca returned. Underneath the newspaper Brandon found a letter. The official looking court return address intrigued Brandon to read further. Ah yes, it was about a partnership Rebecca had invested in with her brother. The letter looked ominous. This was ancient history. He wondered if the letter upset Rebecca. He continued reading that there was going to be a distribution of the funds. Brandon hadn’t remembered how much money was tied up in the company, Realtor Plus. He was relieved that most of the inheritance from Rebecca’s mom had supplied them with a healthy deposit on their townhouse.

After half an hour Brandon decided to scan the complex for Rebecca’s location. The seventy-five townhouses imitated Palm Springs because the semi-private road circling the perimeter of the community ensured no street noises. The road was used for guest parking while the common areas were within the circle. Ocean Garden was blessed by not being a gated community which pleased Rebecca and Brandon’s sensibilities. A gated community would have given them a false sense of security and jailed isolation.

 The eerie quiet for a Sunday morning disturbed Brandon. Even the pool was empty. Normally, Alexandra and Garth would perch themselves on the pool lounges and be engulfed in the New York Times by now. The tennis court was vacant.

 Rebecca’s disappearance was out of character. Brandon grabbed his I-phone and tried calling her number. After eight rings it went to voicemail. Odd. Rebecca was always good about answering and leaving the ringer on. Jaunting back to the townhouse and hoping Rebecca had returned lightened Brandon’s mood. The radio was off and there was a man sitting at the dining room table.

“Oh, hi, Brandon. I wondered what happened to you. I’m starving. Becky finally slept through the night. Thank goodness, her teething has stopped. I was hoping we could make love this morning.”

“Who are you? Get out of here or I’m calling the police.”

“What? It’s Paul. Stop fooling around. You’re getting me scared.”

Brandon imagined this was a hallucination. Not only was Rebecca missing but a strange man who pretended to be his lover was in the dining room who knew Brandon’s name. And how could there be a baby upstairs sleeping?

Brandon said, “Where’s Rebecca?”