My best friend and I went to
Dornoch Castle
what a farce it turned out to be.
We had been up since five in the morning last night was also a late night 23
rd
birthday celebration in the pub for William
(Will)
Clegg, although that wasn't his actual birthday it was a week before on the 1
st
April. My 23
rd
birthday wasn't for another two months.
We were now traveling north on a bus from Glasgow to Inverness, Will who is my lifelong friend was asleep with his head on the bus window as we trundled up the A9 passing Perth. I started to think how we ended up being Ushers at his uncle's wedding.
It all started three weeks earlier when Will's Uncle Alexander who Will looks like, both being tall, dark haired and having muscular builds, gave us a free five day holiday. A client had asked him to evaluate his hotel business in Barcelona after he arranged its refinancing; a freebie.
Alexander was 52 a part time University lecturer in Business Management working on his doctorate, an astute investor in partnership with Cyrus Strombact 52 who was a wealthy Ukrainian businessman. Who wasn't what you would call the stereotype gruff Ukrainian, the very opposite lightly built, soft politely spoken, you would never pick him out of a crowd.
What they had in common was they were both astute businessmen and well respected by their many financial investors who queued up to invest their money in their projects, some who's pedigree was questionable, and that they were both gay and lived openly together.
When we arrived at the hotel in Barcelona three weeks ago we were shown to a very plush ground floor suite with a private exit onto the hotel patio and pool area. But, we were to share and it only had one double bed which couldn't be split. Neither of us wanted to make an issue or draw attention to it so said nothing.
We hadn't worked out what we would do for sleeping arrangements, but the sun was up it was hot unlike back home where it was raining and cold when we left. We donned shorts, trainers and shoulder bags, the beach and its promenade was just down the road.
First priority was to get a beer and explore, we walked along enjoying the sun on our bare backs, the beach was crowded so we kept walking towards a quieter beach we could see further round the bay. As we approached the quiet beach a picture sign warned this was a naturalist beach, Will was excited about the prospect of going naked I was not entheaustic, but ok about it.
We had done that before on a mini back packing holiday in the South of France, we stripped off, shorts stuffed into our bags with only trainers on we walked along the sand passing a few naked bathers and sun worshipers. A beach volley ball game was being played ahead of us so we walked towards it, two young guys a bit older than us were playing. On seeing us they invited us to join them in their game, which we did and got absolutely tanked. They were Dutch called Henk and Eric.
Game over and out as we stood there vocally sharing the highlights of the game, we were joined by their three naturalist friends who had been watching and photographing us from a distance as we played. I was a bit uncomfortable about the photographing but it was a public beach, we ended up with a group photograph and with each other which was copied to all our phones.
Henk invited Will and I to joint their group tonight at a night club called
'Night Barcelona'
never heard of it but was near the University, we accepted. We all dressed before heading back along the promenade to our respective hotels.
Back at our hotel, red skinned all over we met the owners who invited us to join them at a complimentary inaugural hotel barbecue tomorrow night and we could invite guests. Will suggested our five new Dutch friends which was acceptable.
After a meal we headed into town and found the night club which double checked our age a Spanish thing.
It was a bit boisterous but not overly so, as we walked in Henk and Eric were standing near the door, with large 2 pint steins of Spanish beers in hand waiting on us. Not to be left out we purchased steins of Spanish beer too, we all sat around a large table talking, after two or three of these large beers we were all very relaxed and talkative.
The subject of our naked beach volley ball game came up, Eric said he had a copy of a video of it from Utube and I looked really great in it "did I want to see it?" What could I say but "yes" before I knew what was happening Eric had taken it over to the bar and bluetoothed it's link to the large multi-screen television above the bar.
There I was, naked, wearing only bright red trainers which looked like fiery beacons on my feet as I cavorting about, as I jumped up to give a high drop shot it slowed down. Their I was on screen in slow motion as I cannoned the ball down into the sand with the club punters cheering on my antics.
It was then that I noticed that they were mainly guys, generally a bit older than Will and I, in the bar dressed in colourful tight fitting shorts and cropped tops; it was a gay bar, Will's reassurance to me was.
"Don't worry about it nobody will remember your face only your erotic antics and swinging bits."
Henk added; "Eric pulled that down from Utube today after we got back to our hotel, don't know who posted it but I will get him to send you the link for it".
The bar replayed it every half hour or so to the boisterous encouragement of the clubbers. I pinged the link so far 2.3k views.
We had a few more beers somewhere in-between my memories vanished until the next morning when I woke with a thumping head, palpitating stomach and a painful thirst in bed naked with Will warmly curled up behind me with his arm round my waist. I was asking myself.
"What the fuck! happened last night."
With difficulty I separated myself from Will's hot grasp and headed unsteadily into the bathroom before any mishaps happened, I reverted to having a warm shower after about twenty minutes I dried myself off, still fragile but recovering. I walked out with a damp towel wrapped around me, Will was now wide awake lying naked on the bed, he look at me and said all knowingly.
"You are a dark horse I never thought you were that way inclined. If only I had known!"