Nothing makes you feel quite like a loser then spending your Saturday night trying to impress women, and
ending the night at the bar downing drinks with your gay friend. That was my life for nearly a year. I would get dressed up and head to the bar at about 8:00. I tried to talk to the women who came in. I thought I was pleasant. I wasn't a jerk or a creep, at least I didn't think so. I tried to be respectful and thoughtful. But without fail, they'd give me a polite smile, tell me they had something to do, and leave me standing there, lonely as hell.
After five or six rejections, I'd bore of the game, and take up my spot next to Carson, my best friend since elementary school. Carson was always there on Saturday night as well, but it wasn't a gay bar, so he wasn't trying to pick anybody up, at least I don't think so. He always sat in the same spot and ordered the same drinks: screwdrivers. The color of his drinks matched the color of his hair: an unreal bright orange-yellow that cascaded from his scalp to his collarbone. It was a stark contrast to my dark brown, short cropped style.
Carson was a great guy. He was always willing to listen and always did things to let you know he cared. When I broke my arm in 5th grade because I was jumping off the roof onto the trampoline, like my parents told me not to, Carson really saved my butt. I would have been given a beating likely to break all my other bones if it weren't for him. He convinced his parents to take me to the doctor and pretend I was their son so my arm could get repaired. I wore a thick, long sleeve hoodie for the six weeks that my arm was in a cast, and Carson did all my chores for me until I could do them on my own. Because of Carson, my parents had no clue that I had a broken arm, and I avoided the severe punishment for disobeying them. That's just one example of what a great friend he was to me. He was always willing to go above and beyond, and he was always there when I needed someone to talk to... like after being rejected by every single woman in the bar.
This time I decided that I was going to give up on the game. It was becoming apparent to me that the kind of woman I was looking for, and the kind of woman looking for me, was not to be found in a bar. I had just spent an hour chatting with a lovely woman. It seemed like it was going somewhere. I was really looking for a relationship, but sex was a nice idea too, and it looked like this woman was going to take it there. And then I asked for her number. I guess that was a mistake. Her smile disappeared and she completely avoided the question. She scurried away like a vampire who can see the sun coming up. Even though I didn't really know her, this time the rejection really had a sharp edge. It hurt.
I slunk back to my spot at the bar. Carson took one look at me, then called over the bartender and said,
"Get the man a black Russian, and fill me back up....please."
I was too emotionally tired to object to the black Russian. I wasn't the type to drink away my problems. I told myself that I'd just have one. I had downed two before Carson and I had even begun talking.
"I can't take it anymore, man." I protested. "All I want is someone to love, who will love me back." I went on. "I know that sounds
corny and sappy, but it's true. I'm twenty-eight. I don't want to be alone forever."
Carson gulped down his drink and gave me a pat on the back.
"I know what you mean." he said sorrowfully.
"How can you know what I mean?" I questioned. "You're gorgeous. You could find someone in a heartbeat. I don't think you're
even trying. You know you're not going to find the right person here." I said, looking around at all the straight people in the bar, groping up on each other.
Carson looked me in the eyes, his bright blue eyes tunneling into mine, and replied simply,
"I think I might."
I shrugged him off, thinking he wasn't really listening to me, and ordered another drink. And another. When the bartender came
to take my order for my fourth shot, Carson piped up,
"Switch me over to what Lukie boy is having!"
"It's Luca!" I corrected.
"Well duuuhhhh." he spat back in jest. "I've known you practically my whole life, you'd think I'd know your name! For god's
sake, I've spent a good fourth of my nights sleeping next to y..." he trailed off, and then looked down at his drink with a