When I finally turned 18, I was excited to be able to get into one of the adult theaters I saw lining the Interstates of Houston.
My father's porn tapes and Penthouse magazines were starting to get stale for me. Having a chance to see something new was exciting.
When I arrived at the theater, I was overcome with guilt and shame. I was watched by everyone whom was milling about in the store, and it prevented me from working up the nerve to pay for admission.
I nervously stalled. I looked at all of the magazines on the walls and browsed the videos on the shelves waiting for the lobby to clear.
I stayed clear of the "Gay" section because I wasn't interested in it, plus, I didn't want anyone to get any ideas about me. However, my anticipation grew as well as something else began to grow the more I looked in the straight section. To my relief, the crowd in the lobby finally began to disperse and I saw my chance to pay.
The cashier must have known how nervous I was after paying because I had no idea what to do after I received my change.
"The main theater is on the right. There are six mini-theaters on the left," the cashier said as he peered down at me from his elevated station.
"Thanks," I meekly replied without looking him in the eyes.
I quickly decided to go into the mini-theaters so I could check out more movies in a shorter period of time.
When I opened the door, I found a hallway leading to six small rooms with no doors. I kept my head down as I darted into the closest room to the door so I couldn't make eye contact with anyone.