Team Building.
Attendances at my company's team building event were compulsory, everybody dreaded them and their consequences. I went to be seen to play the game some of my colleagues had other agendas.
Partner bringing was compulsory too I was planning to go alone but had been paired up by someone's girlfriend, a new start in our Accounts who had an available unattached friend she was going to bring as my partner. What could I say?
It was being held in the grounds at a country house miles out of the city. I had elected to take my four by four pickup so I could escape early. Most travelled by company organised transport.
We all arrived in good time for pre-barbeque beers, this was when I was introduced to my 'blind date' like the rest of us were wearing tight fitting company logoed shorts and shirt, about my age, similar height, short hair, olive tanned legs
he
was from the south of Italy.
Although not camp in general appearance, was vocally and in mannerisms, my self-confidence flat-lined when I identified him as being embarrassingly gay. He was visually equally embarrassed as we were introduced, I don't know what we both expected; hopefully nobody noticed.
He had arrived by company transport I think if we had not been in such a remote location would have made excuses and left early.
We exchanged all the introductory pleasantries within my team. They were embarrassed by the situation that they had unwittingly created and didn't want to aggravate the situation further. We all sat at one of the big outdoor wooden tables, that had our place names on them, it was then we all found out his name was Luca, who I was to sit alongside.
In many ways the situation induced an inviting environment that overtly involved Luca and I in the discussions which seemed to negate any negativity. In particular from my line manager, who had been censured for some unguarded homophobic comment he made about me while under the influence of drink. He had brought his company car as an excuse not to drink.
We collected our meal from the barbeque pit and returned to our table, discussions were pleasant and courteous, again drawing both Luca and I proactively into the discussions. I hadn't had any opportunity to speak to Luca alone and apologise for what had happened. After the inevitable well done speeches, we moved from the tables to allow catering staff to clear away.
I managed to get Luca alone and found a bench in the corner to talk and have paper cupped coffee, to any onlooker we would be just two guys chatting away from the crowd. Before I could say anything he apologised for what had happened and started to explain why we were the fall guys of someone's sense of humour.
"I am gay and only came out to my family a few weeks ago, but to nobody else, you are now the only person outwith my family that knows.
My father was vocally furious at me but accepted my choices and apologised for the unreasonable comments he had made in the heat of the moment. My mother and sister where happy that I had come out to them, they had suspected something like this for a while. We all agreed not to say anything outside the family. Someone must have found out or assumed I was gay, perhaps someone here today had also assumed you were gay too."
As we sat out of the way, people I worked with came over to chat or just say hello including the CEO. We both had their congratulatory or sympathetic approval, even although we didn't know each other before this afternoon.
After a while we started to get the feeling we were intruding on the harmony of the day; I suggested.
"As I have my truck with me, if you want to leave early I can drive you home."
"I think in the circumstances that may be best for everyone."
We discreetly left.
Luca had his own apartment in a trendy part of the city, we parked-up in his slot which was luck or fate. He invited me for a coffee, although reluctant I was embarrassed with what had happened and accepted.
His apartment was one of the new builds in that area and very modern inside, his sister, an art student and her student friends had picked the furnishings and its décor.
We sat together in his apartment couch, coffee in hand. Luca felt he wanted to share with me how he thought all this might have come about.
"For a while I thought I might be gay from my feelings, thoughts etc. To find out I went to a gay nightclub I had heard off called the Underground. I met someone, rather someone picked me up. We had a three month very athletic affair which ended acrimoniously a few months back.
Before meeting me Sebastian had been dumped by his partner who thought he was getting overly possessive, he had a lot of bad feelings about it. Subsequently I heard from a friend he was going to dump me and go back to being on the game. In many ways I was relieved when it happened it was then that I decided to walk away from him.
A few weeks later I was in Berlin alone on business and went to a well know gay club. I wasn't there long before somebody sat down beside me and asked 'how much.' I knew the going rates, still angry about how Sebastian had used me, before going to the club I looked it up, intending to pay.
He was in his mid-fifties well dressed and looked good, from just outside Stockholm. We went back to his hotel room where we slowly caringly and genteelly striped each other and I had my best sex ever. We changed our return flights had a wonderful weekend together clubbing and being photographed.
Sebastian Found out about it and threatened he was going to out me to my family. The outcome of which may have been what created tonight's events. Sorry about that."
I felt I should share the blame for what had happened and that there was nothing he could have done about it.
