A guy I used to work with a few years ago got in touch and said he was going to be in the city for a few days and asked if I wanted to meet and catch up. So, the next week, I popped on a train and met him at a cool cocktail bar downtown. He had clearly started earlier in the day. I ordered a double Old Fashioned and about halfway through he asked me if I would go with him to this new gay bar he heard about.
Ah, that was it. He didnโt really want to catch up. He needed a wing man. I knew he was gay. Most of the guys I had worked with were and I occasionally went with them to gay bars after work. So I agreed to tag along again. No big deal. The bars they typically dragged me to were the same as virtually every other place. So I downed the rest of my drink and we jumped in a cab.
This place was a bit out of the way. Bouncer standing in front of a big metal door checking ID. Walked up a big flight of stairs into a dark warehouse like space with a long bar, columns, partial walls all over creating nooks and crannies. Wasnโt real crowded and my buddy bought me another double and then asked if I wanted to explore the place. I passed deciding to enjoy my drink and catch the scores on the tv.
Now, as Iโve said, I had been to gay bars a number of times before and I had never been hit on. Iโm a regular guy, mid 40โs, stylishly dressed but not handsome by any means. Gay guys were always friendly but left me alone. So I was perfectly comfortable just hanging out & having a few waiting around in case my buddy wanted to grab a late bite after he had his fun.