I write this to report the return of The Australian.
The scene: my wonderful local gay bar.
The time: tonight, circa 2 am.
The cast: Me. Union Worker*. Art Student. The Australian. The Annoying Man.
(* The Union Worker is no longer a Union Worker. Stay tuned for a new moniker.)
Union Worker and I were enjoying a quick drink, discussing our varied work ethics, the Hard Sell technique, searching for jobs -- general topics regarding gainful employment. In walks The Australian. I had met him about four months ago, same setting. Several exceptionally pleasant nights were spent in his company, chatting away over a pint of Brooklyn Lager. (I should mention at this point that The Australian is almost painfully handsome, dashing, funny, and altogether what one might call quite the dish.) He went back home for a while, and returned to the city only yesterday. Poor boy was overcome with all kinds of jetlag, but still retained his charming quality of seeming to be enamored of everything I said. Union Worker beat a strategic retreat when, upon returning from the bathroom, he found me occupying his former seat so as to place myself in greater proximity to The Australian. Art Student joined us for a while, and made (as usual) a lovely impression.
At this point, Annoying Man makes his first appearance. He compliments Art Student on her hair, and she is duly flattered. She leaves shortly thereafter, leaving me in the enviable position of being The Australian's only company.
Annoying Man interrupts several times to assure himself that I am, in fact, Art Student's roommate. The Australian takes these interruptions stoically, and is always ready to rejoin our previous conversations. When he finally succumbs to the call for sleep, he kisses me, and starts to leave, whereupon he is caught in a conversation started by Annoying Man, asking whether he was interrupting anything. Honestly, if you have to ask...
So The Australian tells me that he is looking forward to seeing me again, and in an uncharacteristic surge of bravado, I mention that were I to see him in a venue other than the neighborhood meetingplace, I would not mind. He winks (he WINKS) and says that as soon as he is settled in, he would not be at all surprised if exactly that happened. And he saunters out with his cute Australian saunter, and at the door, turns and blows me a kiss.
Afterward, I got caught up in a frustratingly lengthy conversation with Annoying Man, but even that cannot dampen my spirit.
Hope springs eternal.
The Australian has returned.