Way back
before their relationship began, the only link between Jack and Sean was their
mutual friend, Sean Gallagher. Jack had heard enough about Sean M. to pique his
interest, but Sean G. didn’t feel comfortable hooking his friend up with
his ex. The pair finally met when Sean G. threw a party and invited everyone
he knew.
The two boys arrived at Sean G.’s building moments apart. Jack saw a
skinny boy in a leather jacket enter just before him, not knowing who it was,
and was pleasantly surprised to find him at the party. Jack approached him
and discovered he was that Sean. They talked briefly, but Sean M. had a college
paper to write and left early. The memory of that boy stuck with Jack, but
it would be three years before he would see him again.
It was only because of Jack’s persistence that he had a second chance
to meet Sean M. In 1995, Jack convinced Sean G. to invite his friend to join
them for Gay Pride. They spent the morning together, but when Sean M. saw his
current boyfriend with another man, he trailed after them and got lost in the
crowd. Sean M. went home pissed off and alone. The one benefit of the day was
that Sean M. was freed from a tumultuous relationship and single again.
During that summer, Sean M. had a series of dreams about a smiling man. In
the dreams he was walking through the West Village where he met a dark eyed
man who would be “the one”. To put it to a test, he wandered through
the Village one night and ended up across the street from Jack’s apartment.
Sean M. knew to trust his instincts and playfully assumed that Jack was the “smiling
man”. He would have dropped by unexpectedly, but he didn’t know
Jack’s last name. Sean M. went home certain that something was about
to begin.
A few days later, Sean G. hosted a dinner for a few friends. Jack and Sean
ended up sitting together. The chemistry between them was obvious to everyone
as they flirted over dinner and a game of Trivial Pursuit. Sean M. kept bumming
smokes off of Jack, wondering when he was going to make the first move. They
took the subway back together, but Sean M. promised to ride home to Brooklyn
with another of Sean G.’s friends, so nothing more happened that evening.
At the end of the summer, after spending the day at Wigstock, Jack and Sean
G. met up with Sean M. for drinks at Uncle Charlie’s, half a block from
Jack’s apartment. It got a little late, they were tired and Sean G. had
a cold, so they called it a night and went back to Jack’s. Since Jack’s
roommate was out of town, Sean G. planned to sleep over rather than make the
trek to the Upper East Side.
Sean G.
still wasn’t comfortable about his two friends pairing off, so he selected
a movie he thought would be long enough to put them both to sleep before anything
could happen. He chose The Poseidon Adventure on laser disc and was surprised
to find out that Sean M. was also a huge fan of disaster movies; this was the
clincher in getting them together. They watch the movie every year on their
anniversary to commemorate Sean G.’s movie choice.
The tension between the two of them built up and drove Sean G. into Jack’s
roommate’s bedroom, and the two of them were alone for the first time. “You’re
welcome to sleep in my bed,” Jack said. “I know,” Sean replied,
and followed him in.
They talked for hours afterwards and began to realize that they had found
in each other the person they were looking for. They were both Pisces, which
seemed to be another positive omen. Confident about their relationship, they
moved quickly and were living together within a year. Jack and Sean will celebrate
their ten year anniversary on September 3rd, 2005.
Dates to Remember
