Last Day of the Year

It was a hot day, all right – skin frying hot. It was 2007’s hottest recorded day, apparently. Tomorrow is going to be more of the same, in the forties. I could feel the sun burning into my skin, like needles, whenever I was out of the shade.

I headed off into the shimmering haze, in the direction of Bolago. I was to spend the night with LouLou, the beautiful Sebastian and his friend George, fresh off the boat from Italy. The day was peeking out on the sun’s rays, whited out just around the edges, as happens on a scorcher of a day. The colours were really bright, contrast was on high definition.

The roads were sparsely populated with cars – gentle and serene is what I may have called the day heading up the melting, like liquorice, bitumen.

I had to buy petrol – actually, I didn't, I had half a tank, but I like to fill up before I leave town. Besides, I wanted to run the aircon with impunity. I bought a litre of ice coffee milk, I was feeling a little peckish - ignoring Shane's constant reminder. "Flavoured milk may not be high in fat, but it is one huge sugar pill and unless you get yourself back to the gym, blah, blah, blah."

A litre of iced coffee milk plays havoc on the bladder on a long drive and it wasn't long before I was squeezing my legs together for want of a toilet. There is a rest stop about half way, which my bladder was leading me to.

As I pulled into the rest stop, I saw there were 3 guys hovering around a tap. They looked like surfies, even though there was no beach for miles. They had a van parked in the first parking bay. They were all shirtless, swarthy types, sun-tanned, dark. They were wetting themselves under the tap. They looked like they were washing, changing clothes, playing under the sprinkler, like kids. They seemed to be in their underwear. All three were very dark, dark hair, tanned skin. Big, boofy blokes, two with hairy chests, all three with really hairy, well shaped, legs.

I headed into the toilet, noting that they were all pretty cute. I love guys in their underwear, gets me hot.

As I headed back to the car, one of them was heading back from their car, he was close to the toilet door as I came out.

"Jeez, it's hot, ay?" he said, very affably, as I our eyes met.

"It's bloody hot, isn't it," I said.

"I'm Rob," said smiley man holding out his hand to shake. "Too hot for fuck!"

I gathered he meant anything at all. "I'm Christian."

A cigarette is a good prop for a chat. So, I lit one and stood. I offered one to Rob, but he declined.

"Nice to meet ya buddy. That's Carl and that's Mick." Each waved as he said their names.

The two other boys were splashing each other with water. Carl was the sexy one, fine, toned, low fat, body in his briefs, wet and not succeeding in keeping his manhood out of sight. He had a fine arse on him. He was washing himself down with water. Mick wasn't bad either, he laughed a lot, big, handsome, smiley face. He had on black trunks, with the thick strip of white elastic around his waist that I always find so sexy on men. Hairy chest, nice bulge. Nice, big legs.

"Good thing it rained recently, otherwise the whole bloody lot could be in danger of going up," said Rob.

"Yeah, I guess," I said. "Where are you guys from?"

"Oh, all over really," replied Rob. "We're on our way to the beach for New Year. Ya want to come to a party down Lorne way?"

I laughed, instead of answering, as I gathered, he wasn't serious, just being polite.

"Oh, fuck it," said Carl. "I need one of those outside showers like they have down the beach." He pulled down the front of his jocks and washed himself freely. Big grin. I was a bit surprised. I had to look away... what a schlong!

I looked at Mick. His cock lay sideways in his trunks and looked half on the pump, as he jumped as the cold water hit him.

I looked back at Rob.

"So, have you got a missus?" Rob asked me.

"No, no missus."

He smiled broadly and looked around at his mates. "Then you must be loving this, hey?"

What did he mean, I thought. Just because I haven't got a missus? I must have misunderstood him.

He was looking around at his two mates, almost lecherously. I didn't misunderstand, I gathered. We both gazed at Carl and Mick momentarily. Well, I took the opportunity to. Carl was back in his jocks and Mick was trying to gain control of the tap.

"So, who do you think is the best looking?" asked Rob. "Outa the three of us?"

"What?" I asked surprised again.

"Oh, come on," said Rob, as though he didn't believe my vagueness. "You're a good looking guy, you should be able to spot other good looking guys."

"You're all good looking guys."

"Ah, come on," protested Rob. "You have to pick."

I laughed, hoping a laugh would be enough. Somehow, I didn't expect it would.

"We're a bit messy..."

"How come?"

"We have a pill supply for the eve's party, but we couldn't help ourselves and just had to try a couple of them on for size."

"Really?"

"So, you couldn't tell?"

"No."

"Here am I assuming somethin' and it may not be true," said Rob. "You're probably a good boy?"

"What?" I said.

He leant into me. "Are ya a party boy?"

"Oh yeah," I said. "Have been."

Big smile from Rob. "So that's okay then, ya know what I'm talkin about when I say pills, yes?"

"Yes."

"I'd hate to be talkin' over your head, or somethink, you know."

"No, no, I understand."

"So we're pretty much understanding all around, hey?"

"Yes."

"It's good, huh?"

"Yes, it's good."

Carl pulled his shorts on over his wet jocks, body, hair, no attempt to dry himself. Mick was rubbing the legs of his shorts down to squeeze out the excess water.

"We're short on petrol money." He looked over at the guys. "Um, you see, will be stuck very soon." He looked at me and grimaced. "So, which one of us in the back of the van for a hundred bucks."

Rent boy? Rent boy? I thought. How many degrees of separation? I just looked at him, held his gaze. He held his cool expression, as though he had asked an everyday question and he was simply waiting for an everyday answer.

He dropped his voice and said, very mater of a factly."Carl's got a really big cock." He glanced sideways furtively and spoke softer. "But you'd like Mick's too. It's pretty nice. You know, if you like that sort of thing. But Carl is the biggest." He smiled. "Biggest of the three." He smiled. "Although none of us have anything to be ashamed of." He kind of chuckled.

I was speechless, one of those rare moments. I wondered if it was a set-up, you know, I was about to be bashed, my body dumped in the bushes, behind the bog, my car nicked. I started to say a couple of things, but couldn't.

Then I rather lamely said, with a laugh, trying to make light of it. "It's too damn hot for anything like that."

Rob's face came back to life. "I guess you're right, buddy," he said. "Worth a try, but."

Then I rather inexplicably said, "Sorry."

I looked at Rob and his piercing blue eyes and his mop of black hair, and his cheeky smile - not to mention his perfect hairy chest and stomach. You're the best looking, buddy, I wanted to say. Back of the van, now.

"No hard feelings, though," said Rob. He tapped me on the arm. "Huh?"

"No, no," I said. "Not at all."

"Dunno what we're gonna do," said Rob. "She'll be right, though. Always is, hey?"

"I guess."

"I've got a six-pack in the back of the van. Can I get you a beer?"

"Nah, I'd better get going," I said. "Get out of the heat."

"Okay. Suit yourself. Nice chatting with you."

"Yeah, me too."

"My turn under the tap." He reached for the elastic of his shorts.

I found that I was shaking, as I tried to push the clutch in and get the GTI into reverse.

I found I couldn't get the smile off my face.

Sebastian and George spent the day on St Kilda beach, in the 44 degree heat.

"I have never experienced heat like that before, anywhere in the world." And Sebastian has traveled a lot. "It actually was hot and actually hurt when you breathed in." He raised his hands and looked speechless.

In true Italian style, they were both beautifully brown.

LouLou had a feast prepared, of the million different varieties of cheese, nibbles and biscuits, ham, prosciutto, kabana, nuts, melon, pineapple, dates. Beer, champagne, pot. We drank like fish and smoked like demons. At one stage there were three joints coming at me and I already had one. It was like a bush fire there was so much smoke. We laughed, we played music, we danced, we feasted and toasted the new year.

It was a spectacular night, fresh and warm with the black velvet sky above.