The bar was reassuring warm after the cold night.
I shook the rain of my jacket and ordered a cold beer.
It had been a long day, or more like a long week. I'd been working the weekend shift and had been doing 14 hours a day for eight days now. My mind and body ached and the only thing that I was thinking was my much needed days off.
The beer was good and I moved to one of the sunken leather sofas next the glowing embers of the day's fire.
I sat alone, musing and flicking through the day's paper, oblivious to everything around me.
"Cheer up"
The thick accent made me start. I glanced up to see a handsome and boyish faced beaming back at me as he cleared the empty glasses from my table.
I smiled weakly, embarrassed that he had spoken to me and unsure of how to reply.
I just nodded and mumbled something about it being a long week and put my head back to the paper.
I spent the next couple of hours in that seat, reading and watching people and ordered a few more beers.
The barman's name was John and as the pub's customers began to thin I moved to the bar and we started conversation. We shared jokes and stories and I relaxed.
He gave me a whiskey on the house and then asked if I smoked. I nodded and he asked if I wanted to come back to his flat for a quick smoke before turning in for the night.
I agreed and when his shift finished he showed me up to his place directly above the pub.
As we climbed the narrow stairs, I couldn't help noticing him in the faint light. He was very good looking, with swept back golden hair and a hint of boyish stubble.
He was shorter than me, but more firmly built and his clothes fitted his him well.
A pair of faded ribbon bracelets were interwoven on his wrists, and his arms were tanned and strong.
Without realising it I was checking him out.
I had played around with guys in my teens, a hand job here and a blowjob there, and enjoyed the odd bi-sexual fantasy since, but here I was entranced and checking out a guy I had just met in the same way that I would a women.
We went into his living room and as he grabbed me a beer from the kitchen he told me that his flatmates were out for the night.
We sat down on the sofa and started to watch some tv.
Content we lay back on the sofa as flicked channels settling on a mindless cartoon comedy.
After another beer, he got up and went to the bathroom and I changed channel, settling on some soft porn- oddly sure that this guy I had just met would be completely fine with watching porn with someone he had only known less than a few hours.
He smirked as he came back in, and then sat down, nearer this time so I could feel his leg resting against mine.
The film continued and a few minutes later I noticed that are legs were nearer still.
Our breathing was in sync, seemingly the only sound in the room.
Slowly he turned and looked at me and I nervously returned the gaze, my heart beating as I knew that I wanted to kiss him.
So I did, or we did. Gently at first, and then I felt him bring my hand up to his cheek.
My hands held him and I kissed him deeper, my tongue dancing in his mouth and my hands pulling him towards me.
He pushed me away and I snapped back to reality embarrassed by what had happened, shocked at my actions. But he didn't move away in protest, but stood up and held out his hand.