Wild Ride -- The Crush (chapter 3)

 Winter’s end was nearing and the weather was starting to take a seasonable turn for the better. I had assumed my spot in line, the winter arrangement had ended. We had our beds assigned to us in the order of our appearance -- the earlier you returned to the line, the more favorable chance you had at a bed. It was never a guaranteed, done deal unless you had a permanent bed assigned to you. This made the wait longer, as you had to arrive earlier, which made standing in the line about as much fun as a root canal.

Talk always ranged from who had acquired what during the day, who you'd seen making way around town, and always, who was too intoxicated to fool the staff, who would not be getting 'in' that day. Our shelter staff consisted of easy going and not so easy going people who could, it seemed, smell alcohol from all the way down the line, and the rules were vague.

For some, just being intoxicated barred you from entering. For others, as long as you weren't trying to smuggle a bottle in during search, you could do no wrong. It was during the chatter of 'who will? who won't?' that I spied a new face in the line, talking to Canyon.

This was Aidan and, once seeing him, I knew we were going to join forces instantly -- the way you recognize an old friend. He was familiar and a charismatic stranger at the same time, clearly from prison with a 'the sun revolves around me' attitude. Like a Santa Claus who had taken the low road, he wore glasses that made him look smarter -- a tank top that made him look foreboding with a broad chest and muscled arms, long gray hair and beard that made him look wiser than any man I have ever seen. Incredible eyes that showed his enthusiasm for just being outside after being caged so long -- vitality effused from him and he had a voice that was, at once, all that I was willing to hear. Everything else was shut out, and I hung on his every word. He had a voice that was deep and masculine but clearly loved to laugh.

My mission was clear before I spoke to him and I planned my strategy immediately. I had food stamps, or what we affectionately call 'grub stubs', and headed to the corner store, breaking line and asking a mate to guard my bag, and my place in line. It was a warm day and I casually grabbed at ice creams in the freezer until the store clerk looked at me as if I were totally insane, loading them onto the counter. I returned to the line and started eating one and offered them to my friends in line and then made my way towards him. I casually looked in his direction and asked if he wanted one -- it gave me a chance to look more closely at him and introduce myself. AND also see if I could generate two flickers of interest -- one of genuine friendship and one that was entirely sexual.

In a Native American sense of understanding, it was clear to me that Dan had left this world and my life because he knew that Aidan was coming. There was nothing anyone could do to stop our meeting -- it was best to relinquish any hold on me, because the minute I looked, I was lost in him. In a world of wanting and feeling attraction to people that goes unanswered, hoping you're right, understanding when you're not, who'd have guessed that this guy would hear the message and have one of his own for me?

Who could know that he would ask me to kill him, and that I would agree to do it?
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Brian is a bohemian writer with a fab-ola warped sense of humor and sarcasm, (provided at no additional charge). He married a great guy and moved out of the States to Australia.