Back in college, it was the early eighties. We had just come out of the seventies wher everything was cool and smooth and a little too laid back. Our lives as early twenty somethings was dominated by New Wave vs. Heavy Metal arguments, conservative politics, school and the reaction against all that. It was a weird time to be alive.
I was in school in a small university city in central California ensconced in the mountains. I had my own place as I couldn't stand the dorms and had the wherewithal to afford living on my own off campus. It was my final year, and I was stressed trying to get all my classes done and my thesis project together. I didn't have much of a social life as I spent the vast majority of my waking hours studying and writing and my sex life was limited to beating off a couple of times a week when I was too exhausted to do anything else. Whoopee. I loved women and would fantasize but figured my best bet was to graduate and get a job before I would be able to date seriously.
In a lab for one of the classes a few of us were talking and I commented that although I was exhausted, I was having trouble sleeping at night, mainly because I couldn't shut my mind off. A few other guys said the same thing, then we heard:
"Just masturbate. That's what I do."
The line came from a guy most of us ignored. His name was John, he was about 5'-7" tall and 130 pounds soaking wet. He wasn't really noticeable by the way he dressed – usually pretty conservative, but when he opened up his mouth it was clear he was gay. Effeminately gay, which really wasn't cool with the rest of us at the time. All the more reason why his contribution to our conversation was uncomfortable. Most of us moved on and forgot what he said.
After a few more labs and more interaction with John, I learned to accept him for who he was. He wasn't offensive in any manner, and very respectiful. He just had a rather different point of view then the rest of us. And, he was 26 at the time, two years older then I was.
Then at the end of the term we had to complete a group project, and sure enough, I was teamed with John and two girls, neither of whom you would classify as hotties. As we needed a quiet place to work and space to spread out, my place was volunteered. Everyone showed up about three hours later and after four hours of work and three pizzas, the girls took off for the night, leaving me and John to complete our part of the work.
I can't say I was comfortable with the situation, but I tried to make the best of it. John and I finished our work at about 3:00am, and I assumed that John would leave as soon as it was over, but I was mistaken.
He got up from the table and moved to my couch and asked if he could turn on the TV. I was a little annoyed as all I wanted to do was get some sleep, but he insisted. So I said okay, and on came the TV. I really didn't know what he was looking for as the cable provider in this little town seemed to shut down after 11:00pm, but he found some news and I sat down and watched as well. I was whipped but the TV seemed to have a calming effect. Then John started in on me.
"So, how are you sleeping these days?"
"Huh?" I didn't connect the dots immediately.
"You know, you said last month you weren't sleeping well at night."
"Oh, uh . . .yeah, well, I'm okay now, uh," I was starting to understand where he was going.
"Did you try my suggestion?"
"What, uh, what was that again?" I was getting tense as I realized he was boxing me into an uncomfortable corner and he was enjoying it. The Gay Hunter stalking his Straight Prey and I was the Deer in the Headlights.
