Persistent James

My houseguest John and I had a wierd but intriguing experience at the Eagle on Saturday night.

James is a guy who I’ve seen around the bar regularly since I started going there a year and a half ago. He’s a black guy in — I would say — his early 40s. Very, very handsome and built like a brick you-know-what. We flirted one time about a year ago; he was definitely interested, but when it came out that he was a non-stop top, I deflected his interest and we haven’t spoken since.

Last weekend in Rehoboth, Raymond (re-)introduced us, and Raymond, James, and I chatted amicably for a while on the beach. I don’t think James remembered me.

Which brings me to Saturday. John and I are talking downstairs, when I notice that James is standing behind us. So I turn around and say, “Hi, nice to see you again.” I had to remind him that Raymond had introduced the week before, and still, I’m not sure he actually remembered. But he, I, and John start up a conversation.

I’m not sure how it came up exactly, but after John had explained that he was on a tour around the country, and will be heading back to S.F. next week, James suggestively suggested that, “You (John) should do him (me), and then go home.” This he repeated at least three times, each time with a progressively more vivid leer.

Although I guess there is a little sexual tension between John and I, we’ve kind of ignored it, so it was disconcerting to have James pick up on it and run with it. My reaction was to deflect and act kind of bashful. John, being John, punched right back, asking James how old he was. “Old enough,” James countered. John: “No, I want a number.” That slowed James down a bit.

But it didn’t stop him. The picture suddenly got much clearer when, a little while later, James was back, saying, “I’ve got an idea. First I’m gonna give it to you (John), then I’m going to give it to you (Tim).” Which, he again repeated several times. All we could do was laugh, and say thanks but no, and flee upstairs.