Friday Night

It was a cold night, in Melbourne town, but, not in Myer, no sir. I went there for a rare turn at retail therapy, to cheer myself up from quitting smoking. I thought a pick through the sales tables would distract me for a moment. But, it was one hundred degrees and I was sweating, seemingly, as soon as I stepped foot in the place. I had my eye on a dark blue Tommy jumper, but how could I get enthused to find the right size when my clothes were sticking to me. The sales girl said that it wasn't the first time she had heard that.

"If you hadn't been at this counter," I said. "I would have just dumped the t-shirt here and headed out that door."

"You are not the first person to say that."

So, I headed up Lonsdale Street and stopped in at the porn shop. But, there was, unusually, a couple of gay boys who were looking at the DVDs, who, kind of, pushed me out.

So, I headed home, I didn't want any, anyway. A psychologist would have a field day looking at the number of DVDs I have stuffed in my bedroom cupboard.

I was on my way past the fire station, heading towards Victoria Parade, when a cute, dark skinned boy, headed towards me. His eyes picked up on mine - round, handsome, face, big brown eyes, an adorable smile. He looked back, so did I. Keep walking, don't look back, I told myself, with one voice. Look back, be more involved, what is he doing, I said to myself with another voice.

I stopped, I was looking back too, apparently. He headed over to me.

"What’s going on?" he asked.

"I’m just heading home," I said. "What’s going on with you?"

"Just heading home, too." He smiled. He looked me up and down. "I can't do anything now, I have to go to a bbq."

Straight to the point, I thought. A newbie? I could see the excitement on his face.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Fitzroy," I said. "Just up the road."

"Oh Fitzroy," he said. "Who do you live with? Do you live alone?"

"Two house mates," I said. "I live with two guys."

"Both gay?"

"Yes."

He smiled broadly. "Are they butch, or young guys?" he asked.

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant. "They are two normal gay boys in the 30's," I said.

"So if I came over to your place would I be walking into a um... er... sex den?"

"Ah, no," I said. "No, you wouldn’t."

"I suppose you go to the saunas?"

"Not so much now a days," I said. "Sometimes."

"I've never been to a sauna," he said.

"Really. I should take you." I think I was beginning to tease him, by this stage. Couldn't help myself. Momentarily, the thought of breaking in a newbie at a sauna appealed to me. Especially, one with such an engaging smile.

He laughed. "Yes. Maybe," he said. "Are you looking for a relationship?"

"Maybe," I said. "I guess. Whatever happens."

"I hear everyone has open relationships now a days."

"I used to," I said. "But now I'm not so sure. I kind of think someone special sounds more appealing."

He looked me up and down. "I can see you have an erection."

Not in this weather, buddy, I wanted to say. That's just wishful thinking. Too cold for a hard-on. He had on cream coloured pants, which seemed to bulge out in the right places. Some people wondered by, I wondered if they had any idea that two guys were picking each other up. I wondered how relaxed with it all, he was.

"Your bulge looks good enough to grab," I said. I watched the couple go. "Right here. Right now."

He laughed and took a step away from me.

I laughed. "I didn't say I was going to. Just that it looked good enough."

I gave him my number and told him to call some time.

His name was Neesha. He was originally from Sri Lanka, via NZ and Queensland.

He said he lived with his family, in the far outer eastern suburbs. When he told me that, I assumed he meant that he lived with his parents, or siblings, but as I left at Eastern Hill, heading down Victoria Parade, I wondered if he meant his wife and kids. Don't know, could be either. Now I'm just fantasising, I thought.

Got sozzled on red wine, with Shane, as the open fire crackled and Big Brother played. Went to Victoria Gardens to watch Get Smart with Shane and Matt. It seemed okay, but as I fell asleep for 1/2 an hour, near the beginning, maybe, I'm not the best judge. Oh, Friday night, end of the week, I was tired. It seemed to be more serious than the television series. And they seemed to make Max a rookie, where in the TV show he was a master spy, which was part of the irony. I liked the way they incorporated the cars he was famous for, the Sunbeam Tiger and the Karman Ghia and the shoe phone, for that matter, even if I missed what the significance of the, what seemed to be a, museum display was.

I also woke with a tickle in my throat, which I couldn't clear, which must have been a treat for the punters sitting around me, as I coughed for ten minutes. Damn cigarettes!

Day 3 though and feeling okay.