Ch 35 - Vegas

A cup of tea in his hand Triston walked the store fixing items, picking up dirt, and anything else he could think to distract himself.  It was four hours until his flight out of D.C. to Las Vegas and he was worried.  He had passed Cheryl for the third time when she caught his eye.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

He stopped in the doorway of the office, turned his head.  He had never been one to hide his feelings.  He had always been open and shared too much.  That’s why he couldn’t work anywhere else, but somehow this felt different.  He felt a shame unlike any other.  She continued to stare at him until he felt drawn into her confidence.

“I need to talk,” he said.

“Come in and have a seat.”

“I’m just, it’s this vacation.  I’m having some anxiety.  I’m worried.”

“Because of the relationship?”

Triston shook his head.

“Because of Vincent’s health?”

Triston shook his head.

“Well, you’re going to have to help me honey because I can’t think of anything else.”

“I’m worried about traveling with him.  It’s one thing to be gay.  It’s another to be a gay couple, and it’s even more when you go out in public, especially places where you don’t know how people will react.  It’s one thing around here in D.C. but out there...”

“Things are changing,” she said.

“Not fast enough to keep me safe.  I mean it’s like there are places where you know what you can and can’t do.  Bars, certain restaurants, and even certain streets it’s like there’s this safe place but I’ve never traveled with a boyfriend.  I mean I’m not much on PDA but still, just one look and it’s just the excuse someone needs.”

“It’s not going to be that bad,” she said.  “You’ll figure it out.  What would be different than being here?”

“D.C. is just such a progressive place.  I mean I know when I leave the city limits.  I know when I’m out of my element.  And I don’t want to just act like we’re friends.  I don’t want to act like we’re just two guys hanging out.  I’m a proud gay man.  I’ve marched.  I’ve come out to anyone who showed interest and some people who didn’t.”

“Have you looked up Las Vegas?  Have you done some research?”

“Not really,” Triston said.  “It was Vincent’s idea and I guess I just thought he’d do all the planning.  He talks about it with this kind of excitement.”

“I’m going to send you some links.  When I was there I saw a drag show and a production of Naked Boys Singing that was a lot of fun.”

“Really?”

“You haven’t done your homework.  Wait a minute.”

Cheryl turned to her computer, pulled up her email, and began to work on a list.  Triston watched her for a moment and smiled to himself.  He really hadn’t thought about it.

*****

Twenty-four hours later, Vincent and Triston were poolside at their hotel, side by side in matching swimming briefs, covered from head to toe in sun-tan lotion, and wearing sunglasses.  The backs of their hands comfortably rested against each other, some subtle connection that could have been an accident.

The only other person was an old woman who sat on the opposite side of the pool looking away from them with a cigarette in one hand and a book in the other.  It was comfortable, sunny day. 

Triston had his eyes closed when he felt Vincent move, his hand was gone.  He opened his eyes and looked up to see Vincent putting on a robe. 

“I’m going for a drink.  Do you want something?”

“Maybe I should dry out,” Triston said.

“This is Vegas.  I’ll get you what you had before.”

“Thanks,” Triston said.

He closed his eyes and raised his chin again into the sun.  He listened to Vincent pad across the concrete to the bar where a lonely server sat transfixed with his cell phone.  For once he felt comfortable, until he heard someone approaching who wasn’t Vincent.  He opened his eyes to see a middle aged woman at the foot of his chair.

“Is that chair taken?”

“Uh yeah,” Triston said.

He looked to the woman and he suddenly felt uncomfortable because she was so much like his mother.  She wasn’t dressed for the pool but her clothes were loose and open.

“We’re just trying to get some chairs together for the family,” she said.

Maybe it was the mention of family, maybe it was the presumption of them being heterosexual, maybe it was all that fear he had felt all of his life, and maybe it was a revolt against shame but his lips began to move faster than his brain.

“Sorry,” he said, “it’s where my boyfriend was sitting.  He’s over at the bar.”

She smiled at him, then looked to the bar, and back.  It was a sincere smile, though he feared it would turn cruel at any moment.  He forced a smile of his own.

“He’s cute,” she said.  “You know my son just came out recently.  He’s in the armed services so it had to have been after they got rid of that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.  Don’t even get me started on that.”

Triston stopped himself from a nervous laugh.

“He’s here in town with the family but there’s a big difference in age between him and his younger brother.  Well, big enough that I know he needs to get out an do adult things.  He doesn’t have any friends here, maybe I should introduce you to him.”

Triston looked back to the bar where he saw Vincent walking away with a tray of drinks and snacks, but he wasn’t moving fast enough.  Triston wanted rescued from this situation, but he looked back to the woman who moved to him and offered her hand.  They shook.

“I’m Maggie,” she said.

“Triston,” he replied.

“When he gets here do you mind if I send him over to say hello?”

“No, not at all,” Triston said.

She walked away and moments later Vincent arrived.  He placed the tray on the small table between them, scratched at himself.

“What was that about?”

“She wants us to meet her son.  He just came out as gay and he’s here for the weekend but he doesn’t have any friends, and he’s in the armed services.”

“Is he cute?” Vincent asked.

“You know, that didn’t come up,” Triston answered.