Papi is a very short story that has the potential to be a very fine tale. Papi involves two characters primarily, Kyle Lang, a recent divorcee and Jesse, a young and vulnerable street hooker. Papi is part of the Bittersweet Dreams collection, so the resolution is a given.
Kyle and Jesse are unexpectedly engaging and tender in their sexual encounter. Tenderness in an exchange between a hooker and a customer is startling, particularly when juxtaposed with the seedy, dirtiness of the hotel where it takes place. Barnaby provides glimpses into the lives of these two men, but the details barely scratch the surface.
Hopefully, this is the opening salvo in an upcoming novel, since it would be very interesting to find out how the two men came to this point in their lives. Papi gets 3 stars for the quality of the writing, but story disappoints with its ending.
Review originally appeared on Blackraven’s Reviews
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Image courtesy of Dreamspinner Press