Special thanks to FGS for his ideas and comments.
There is no sexual involvement of an under 18 person.
*****
I was raised by religious, conservative parents in one of the small villages in Tennessee. I was their only child, and they instilled in me their traditional puritan values. I was expected to be a perfect child, always nicely dressed, speak in a low tone, be polite, and, of course, never curse. My parents earned a modest living, but I was proud of them and tried my best to accomplish everything that was expected of me. I was a good student, never failed a test, and even when I played with my classmates, I joined only the nonviolent games and later went straight home. I didn't drink alcohol and never attempted to use marijuana.
In my junior high, I began dating Elsa. She sat near me in class, and we found chemistry from the first day we met. Both of us were very shy, and our dates consisted of strolling in the neighborhood, the occasional movie theater, and mostly sitting in my room and watching TV. We respected the institution of marriage, and until our wedding night, 6 years later, we didn't have sexual intercourse. In fact, we never even crossed first base...
Our daughter, Dara, was born 2 years after our wedding night. Elsa became a stay at home Mom, while I continued studying and became an MD. My uncle recommended that I become a GI doctor. I listened to his advice and got accepted to the GI fellowship program at Vanderbilt.
I did well in my first year, and a poster presentation with me as the first author was accepted to the American College of Gastroenterology later in Philadelphia. My parents and Elsa could not be prouder, and I was on cloud 9.
...
My department was supposed to pay for my 3 night stay, including flights, lodging, meals, and transportation. Prior to that trip I had not moved beyond the bible belt, and rarely crossed the Tennessee border, so I had no experience with arranging the travel. However, since other rookies like me did it, it shouldn't be a big deal. I booked flights and a hotel room not far from the Convention Center.
I arrived at my hotel in the afternoon a day before my presentation. The hotel was very luxurious. I went to eat an early dinner at the hotel restaurant. There were a few couples and a single, middle aged guy who sat by himself in the corner and used his laptop. I was led to the table next to this guy. I gazed at him, and his face looked familiar. The more I tried to recall where I'd met him before, the more frustrated I became. I had no clue.
Then he lifted his face from his computer and saw me staring at him. He smiled at me. I could not resist and asked, "Sorry to bother you, but I've seen your face before. Are you from Tennessee?"
He had a pleasant laugh, "I've been to Tennessee only once in my life. Let me guess: You are here for the ACG conference, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"You must have seen my picture in one of the medical journals. I've published manuscripts in most of them, and gave countless talks. My name is Dr. Alexander Dubnov, and I am from Boston."
I blushed profusely, "Of course, doctor. I've read several of your articles and watched 2 of your presentations online."
He smiled, "That's OK. Outside my department, I do not expect people to know who I am, and I actually like it that way. It allows me to move around without people crowding me. During the 3 days I'll be giving talks and moderating scientific sessions, I'll be busy and surrounded by too many physicians."
I grinned, "I get the message. I'll eat and will not disturb you again."
He chuckled, "I didn't mean to offend you. I was talking in general. Today is my birthday, and since I promised the organizers to participate in several activities, rather than celebrate my big day, I came here early. Come, join my table and tell me a little about yourself."
"Doctor Dubnov, I hate to impose..."
"Don't be silly," and next, his leg pushed the nearest chair in my direction.
I moved to that chair, sat down, and didn't know what to say. He smiled at me and asked, "Are you married? Children? Are you a fellow? Is this your first time at the ACG?"
I mumbled, "My name is Tom. I am married to a beautiful wife called Elsa and have a young daughter. Currently, I am a first year fellow in the GI department at Vanderbilt."
"That is great. I started my career at Mount Sinai in New York, then moved to Philadelphia for a short time, and later got an invitation to join the team at Mass General in Boston. Have you ever been to Boston?"
"No. Never."
"It's a beautiful historic city with many attractions. Its nightlife is also fun. Here in the hotel, the evenings are unimpressive. Since it's my birthday, I thought of going to the nightclub across the street. Would you care to join me?"
I stuttered, "I've neever been to aa club beefore..."
Dr. Dubnov smiled, "No worries. It's a place to have good time. Come with me and I'll show you."
Getting entertained in the company of one of my admired personalities was very tempting. I asked, "Do I need to dress differently? And what is the cost?"
"No need to change clothes, and I'll bring you in as my guest. They know me from prior visits."
...
After crossing the busy street, we arrived at a crowded door with multiple people of all ages attempting to get in. Many had piercings, tattoos, colored hair, and funny clothes. I wondered what all these weirdoes were doing here. Dr. Dubnov approached the gatekeeper, slipped a bill into his hand, pointed at me, and the guy let us inside without delay. When we were in, Dr. Dubnov turned to me and said, "Tommy, at work or during talks, people address me as Dr. Dubnov. In here, you can call me Alex. OK?"
"OK, Dr... Alex."
He grinned and pulled me into a large hall. It was dark with many colorful projectors turning in all directions. Hundreds of people filled the room, moving and dancing nonstop. On the right side, I saw a bar. Alex signaled for me to wait in the corner as he went to the bar. My eyes were glued to the large human mass moving before me in the darkened room.
