I worked in the ticket office of a performing arts center to make ends meet during college. Most of the men that came through there were fabulous-sexy, great singers and talented dancers-but very, very gay. The occasional one that wasn’t gay was always involved with one of the females on the tour.
But this tour was different. Towards the end of my junior year, a drum and bugle corp type show. It was about 75% male and about half of that was drummers. I played drums since fifth grade and had never met a gay drummer. I was excited to see this show.
I had to work on opening night of the show, so I went backstage to get a soda from our vending machines. I was wearing a sexy-but-sophisticated black pinstripe skirt suit with high heels and a low-cut red silk blouse underneath. I stand 5'9" tall, but with the heels, I was pushing 6'. I’m not a 10 as far as the body comes, but the tailored suit made me look damn good.
As I was putting my money in the machine I heard two men talking down the hall.
“Hey, Ashur, you got a dollar?”
“Why?”
“Cause I want a soda.”
“Don’t you have your own money. You’re the freaking drum captain.”
“Yeah, so. Please, Ashur, please!”
“Fine; now you owe me $27.”
Then they rounded the corner. The drum captain stood there with a dollar in his hand, eyeing me up. He was tall-about 6'2" and very well built. A drummer in the fines sense. I took the other one to be Ashur, who was staring as well. Slightly shorter and not quite as well built. My educated guess was that he played trumpet or mellophone.
The drummer said, “You work here?”
I replied, “Yeah, in the ticket office.”
There was momentary silence. The drummer blurted after the pause, “Well, my name’s Phil and this is Ashur. I’m the drum captain and he plays trumpet. What’s your name?”
I’m always embarrassed to tell people my name. “My name’s Echo. Yeah, I know. My mom was an anthropologist emphasizing in Greek mythology. My big sister’s name is Calliope and my brother’s name is Odysseus. Why my father didn’t object is beyond me.”
The guys laughed a little, then Phil leaned over and whispered to Ashur.
Ashur said to me, “What are you doing after the show?”