OUT NOW! Joe by Tim Mead
Joe Hill thinks of himself as an ordinary guy with an appropriately ordinary sort of name. He discovers that some other Colby residents think he’s extraordinarily good looking, many likening him to Clark Kent. Joe’s newfound popularity goes to his head and he has a number of brief flings with various men around town.
Joe eventually begins to wonder if settling down with one special man would give him a greater sense of contentment. He sees the happiness his boss and a couple of his work colleagues enjoy with their respective same-sex partners, However, who would have him? He only spent one semester at college, and up until a recent promotion, Joe was employed mowing lawns and landscaping yards.
After offering to paint his landlady’s hallway, Joe goes to Home Depot for supplies. He has no idea what equipment he needs but a stranger helps him out. Joe is intrigued and turned on by the man but knows he probably won’t ever see him again. However, a couple of weeks later Joe see’s the stranger having dinner with his boss. Later still, Joe is invited to his boss’s house and he’s introduced to the stranger. Micah Sutton creates custom-made pieces of furniture. Joe is impressed by both the man and his woodworking talents.
Following a tentative start to their friendship, both men start to feel inferior to the other. Micah thinks he’s plain looking in comparison to Joe, and Joe believes a man with the skills that Micah possesses wouldn’t be interested in someone who spends his days ordering garden supplies in an office.
Is Micah’s and Joe’s relationship doomed from the start, or will they each wake up in time to smell the varnish/fertilizer to see they’re both exactly what the other needs?