Badges

on the pier. After giving their drink orders, they sat there looking at each other until Frank broke the silence.

    “So, you moved here from Portland. I’m curious as to why,” Frank said.

    “Well, believe it or not, I followed someone here only to be dumped after we arrived. I felt like the biggest moron in the world for having given up my seniority at my old department and starting over here in San Fran because I thought I was in love. Stupid, huh?”

    “Stupid? Not at all. If you don’t follow your heart, you’ll never know what you lost or didn’t lose. What was her name?” Frank asked with bated breath.

    Scott stammered and blushed. “Well, ya see, it’s like this. Her name was Daniel.”

    “It was a guy you were in love with?” Frank asked to clarify.

    “Yeah, now if that’s a surprise to you, we can just pay the check and leave if you wish.”

    “Pay the check and leave? Not on your life, buddy boy. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since I laid eyes on you at that drunk call. You’ve even invaded my dreams twice. I’d have been crushed if you came back with the answer Jane, or Cindy, or something. So, just to be clear, you’re gay?”

    “To be clear, yes, I’m gay. I take it you are too?”

    “Yeah, straight guys usually don’t dream about hot guys they meet on the job.”

    “You think I’m hot?”

    “Hot as hell, guy. You’re a total stud in my eyes.”

    “So this is a date, then?” Scott asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

    Frank laughed out loud, drawing the attention of a nearby table full of people.

    “That is the same question I’ve been asking myself. ‘Am I on a date?’ Now we both know the answer is yes!”

    “Does it seem like we put a lot of work into trying to figure out what we were doing?” Scott asked with a laugh.

    “Yep. But I’m very pleased with the outcome,” Frank said as the drinks were served and their food order taken. “I am sorry, however, that you went through what you did coming to our fair city here. The asshole just dumped you?”

    “Yes. I had known Daniel for over three years, and we were close. We had a sexual relationship that was ongoing, and when he was transferred here by his company, he begged me to come along with him. We were talking about being a couple and everything, so I figured, why not? You only find love once in a lifetime maybe, so I went for it.

    “We got here, and things were going along fine when all of a sudden, he had to start working late at the office. When he didn’t come home one night, I guessed he was seeing someone, and when I confronted him, he admitted to it. What I wasn’t prepared for was the fact that the guy he was seeing was only nineteen years old. I’m in my early thirties, and I just don’t know how to compete with some young kid who gets hard when the wind blows. So he dumped me and moved in with this little chippy.”

    Frank answered candidly with his own story. “Well, I kicked my boyfriend out four months ago for serial cheating. I try to be understanding in that we do live in San Francisco, where one in six men is gay. I was even willing to forgive a moment of weakness like with some young hot little cutey like yours found, but this turned out to be a whole lot more.

    “While I was out serving and protecting at night, my loverboy was out on the streets spreading his ass cheeks for a bunch of tricks. He even had the stupidity to give them our home phone number to contact him when they needed some ass. One night I wasn’t feeling good and took the rest of the shift off and came home. Not only wasn’t he there, but I answered three calls from guys looking for his ass. That was it for me. I forgive a mistake but kick to the curb for being a slut.”

    “Damn, sounds like we both had a raw deal from the men in our lives. Are you dating now?”

    “Not really. It took me the first three months to get over him, even though I ended it. I’ve been so busy with work this past month that I haven’t had time to look for someone new. Then a certain man decided to see if he could drink the city dry, and I met you. You do know you took my breath away on that call?”

    “Get out! There’s nothing special about me, and you see all kinds of guys on your job, many of whom are undoubtedly gay. Hell, you’re one of the Castro Street cars, which makes it even better for man-hunting.”

    “When I’m on the job, I usually don’t look for that kind of action at all. I