I'm enjoying the Scotch in the hotel bar, wondering what I could do for the evening when a guy comes up to me. I'd flown into this Midwestern city a few hours earlier to attend a series of meetings that would be held over the next couple of days. I'm not a fan of such travel, largely because I'd be away from my home and my family in the middle of nowhere.
This guy, though, is about my age. He wears a nice suit. By then, I'd changed into a pair of slacks and a dress shirt without a tie or jacket.
He signals to the bartender and a drink much like mine appears in front of him.
"Let me guess," he says. "You're from a real city here on business."
I take a sip. "How'd you figure that out?"
I may have been a little snippy in that response but he takes it in stride.
"That's what this place is all about. Guys from New York or Chicago having to come to this backwater for a day or two of meetings before flying the hell out."
He takes a long sip of his drink.
"Let's sit at a table," he says, and we take our drinks to a small booth off to the side.
"So what is it?" he asks. "Where are you from?"
"Boston, as it happens. And you?"
"Me? I'm local."
"Local. Then why come here when, as you say, it's just a bunch of guys trying to survive the trip?"
"Well," he says, "I come to see some of those guys."
"Wait. Are you a--"
He laughs with his drink up near his face. "A prostitute? No. Nothing like that. I'll even be paying for your next drink. No. I like to check out the guys here or at another hotel nearby and see if I can seduce them."
I almost spit out my own Scotch.
"You okay?" he asks.
I dab my mouth and lips with a napkin. "Yeah. I'm just surprised you think...you think I'm gay."
"Did I say I like to check out gay guys? There's no challenge in that."
"What do you mean."
"I mean I like to seduce straight guys. Guys who've never sucked a cock. Guys who've never fucked another guy or been fucked by another guy."
He is very nonchalant about this, not particularly concerned that we'll be overheard. He takes a longer sip and puts his glass on the table. I don't know what to say to this but decide the best course of action is to get out of there ASAP. But I don't. Which he notices.
"Guys like you, am I right?"
I lean closer to him and he leans closer to me. We both have our glasses cradled in our hands. "I'm straight."
"And has a guy even given you head?"
"Well, no."
"Do you want me to?"
This is crazy.
Before I can answer, he says, "Look. Let me tell you a story. You can react to it however you'd like. No hard feelings. Deal?"
"Deal," I say.