"Stewart", Part 2

(Continued from Part 1)

Two weeks passed. No communication. Break from going to “Kingdom Come” (Friends and I went to “Home Base” instead). I forgot about Stewart.

On the eve of Christmas Eve, I decided to visit the bar, with my gay friend, after a surprising text kumusta from Stewart and a lengthy sms conversation with him (despite him never even mentioning for me to pay him a visit). Upon seeing him, feelings resurfaced. Yes, I was so in-like, but I had to restrain myself because I believed I was just one of his customers. I wanted to ask him out, but had to find a way without making the invitation sound sleazy. Good thing we left the bar until it closed. The opportunity to bring him home opened. Even if the idea came from him, after I agreed, he was nahihiya at first because he lived far south. But I insisted, and assured him that I would often do this to my previous boys.

The 30-minute car ride was the closest I can get to a date with Stewart outside the bar. I was nervous, unsure. I wanted to spend more time with him, like offering to treat him for breakfast or maybe go on a booking so that he has more money to bring home for Christmas. I didn’t want to sound sleazy to him, like taking advantage of the situation.

But nothing happened. I just dropped him off at a distance from his house. He rushed to walk home, even forgetting his cellphone inside the car. So I made a u-turn, asked the neighbors where he lived. I got to his place. He rushed again to my car to retrieve my phone. Apparently, his dad and sister were already awake at 5am, and outside the house. So they saw my silhouette inside the car. What could they have thought – their boy going home nightly at that hour, but this time brought home by a guy with a car?

With that thought in mind, I was apologetic. He replied that it was perfectly okay, after a very grateful text message. No questions were asked by his folks apparently.

It’s been almost a week since that night. We greeted each other last Christmas. We sent a few messages every now and then, before I left for a post-Christmas family trip. But the entire day and even tonight, no word from him.

I texted him “I miss you”, just before starting this post.

(Names here are not their actual bar names, which are also pseudonyms to protect their real identities. All names here have been tweaked a bit – with an added little hint on their bar names).