My family didnât intentionally plan their vacation during the weekend of Denver Pride. It was a surprise to all of us. When we arrived, there were loads of queer people at the hotel. My Uncle copped to this after a quick phone call. We were using his time share.
I had just turned 18, so I was able to book a separate room for me and my girlfriend, Sara. She was arriving later that evening.
I wanted to drink in the meantime. At the lobby bar, the bartender kicked me out because I wasnât 21. I barely looked 18 in the right light.
But I was determined. I didnât want to use the room mini bar, because my parents could find out. I considered the swim-up bar on the other side of the hotel. It had different staff. I determined, so I went upstairs to change into a bathing suit.
I started to pull the red bathing up my legs past my big ass. âShit.â It was too small. I had gained a little weight senior of high school, especially around my glutes and buttocks. My friends joked that I should bring butter to go with these two huge loaves. Fuck them. I was able to pull up the bathing suit with some force, though my friends were right. It looked like I was smuggling in two large loaves of bread. It was frustrating just looking at it.
My ass was the main reason Sara and I started fighting. Specifically, because ever sense my butt got bigger, my girlfriend, Sara, had been wanting to peg me. She wouldn't let me fuck her until we were married, but she wanted to peg me because 'pegging doesn't count.' Can you believe that? I had never even heard of pegging, and when she explained it, I was so flabbergasted I stormed out. I had no interest in doing that and wondered what suddenly had gotten into her. She responded, âI donât know. Thereâs just something about that ass thatâs begging to be fucked.â
I bent over to get my shirt from my suitcase and thatâs when I heard a riiiiiip.
âFuck.â
I looked at my ass in the mirror. I saw what I already knew to be true. My shorts had ripped, exposing half my ass crack.
Still, I was determined to get a freaking drink. I decided I would put on a baggy shirt that covered everything. All I had was an overly large, white T-shirt that reached my thighs. I looked like a kid in his dadâs t-shirt. Whatever.
When I stepped out into the bright, blinding sun I remembered it was Pride weekend. Fuck.
Everything seemed to be going wrong. The pool was full of gay men. I hadnât put on sunscreen. I left my sunglasses up in the room. There was no shade. And all the men: men in rainbow hats with scant bathing suits. Men with muscles bigger than my head. Men with salty-gray beards. Men applying sunscreen to other men.
I found the steps to the pool. I had never swum with a shirt on. It didnât occur to me that when my white shirt got wet, it would be completely see-through. I guess thatâs why frat parties sometimes had wet t-shirt contests. Everyone could see through my shirt as it clung to my stomach and nipples. It didnât even occur to me until later that my shirt was even see-through where my swim trunks were torn, thus revealing my ass crack and nullifying the only reason I wore the shirt in the first place.
I floated for a few minutes. Maybe it wasnât all bad. With a pool full of gay guys, I was sure someone one would be willing to buy a drink for me. I scouted. Thatâs when a tall, burly, beefy man in a black speedo and matching cowboy hat started walking towards me. He had the face and build of a lumberjack model. He tipped his cowboy hat at me.
âYou look lost.â His Texan accent made the word âlostâ come out like âlaaawst.â I was stunned. I had never heard such a strong, baritone voice before.
âOh, Iâm just hanging out.â
âYouâre as white as ghost, do you need some sunscreen?â He pointed with his thumb towards his cabana. Bold move, if I was being honest. But there was no way
I was getting in that cabana.
âIâm fine. But thank you.â
âHere. Hold on to my hat, just in case. Get that sun out of your pretty little eyes.â
He removed his hat, revealing a nice head of gray hair. He put the hat on me without even asking. The hat was a little loose on my head and no matter how I tried to fix it, it sloped down.
âNameâs Hunter.â He reached out his hand out for a shake.
âJake.â
Considering the size of his muscles and his machismo attitude, I assumed that Hunter was going to squeeze my hand super hard. I prepared for a tight grip and squeezed Hunterâs hand as hard as I could. Truthfully, I was feeling a little insecure in front of this man. The problem was that I squeezed too hard and too early causing me to miss Hunterâs palm, and ultimately squeezing his knuckles.
âOow boy.â Hunter shook his hand. âSome grip you got.â
âOh, shit, Iâm so sorry.â I felt awful. I couldnât believe I injured this man just after he lent me his hat.
âItâs fine. You can make it up to me by letting me buy you a drink.â
I hoped I hadnât given Hunter the wrong impression. I couldnât believe how well this was going. âSure. Vodka coke,â I said, grinning.
âYou got it, boy.â
As Hunter swam towards the bar, I looked around. People were glancing at me sideways. Red swim trunks, white t-shirt, black cowboy hat âIâm sure I looked ridiculous. I started to feel very self-conscious and swam so that my back was against the edge of pool. The only thing behind me were cabanas.
Hunter came back with more drinks than I expected. âI went ahead and got each of us two drinks. Or you, three, and me, one. If you want to catch up.â
I smiled. This was going really well. âThank you. Glad you found me.â
âItâs hard to miss the only boy in a white shirt and cowboy hat.â
âThatâs true I suppose.â
âI canât in good conscience let you keep that white shirt on.â
âOh- I gained a few pounds. Iâm trying to hide it.â
âYouâre not fooling nobody. Plus, you should be proud of your body. Confidence is the most attractive quality.â
âMaybe. Just not yet.â
Hunter reached his arm out over me and held the edge of the pool. He kept his drink in his other hand. He was slowly cornering me. I stepped sideways.
Hunter leaned in to tell me, âWell, just to give you a heads up, I tend to get my way.â
I was starting to think I should tell this guy Iâm not gay. I was only here for the free drinks. But I decided against it. I wanted to at least finish the drinks he already bought. Plus, telling this guy Iâm only using him for drinks did not seem like a good idea.
âCan I finish this drink first?â I donât know why I was asking permission.