Selos Factor

Oh, the games people play.

Jimmy was surprised why he was not chosen by Rhey.

The 24 year old macho dancer has been sitting with one of the walk-in lady customers, when he saw one of his regulars, Rhey, a 42 year old gay guy, enter the bar. 

Jimmy wondered. It was a weekday night, and that particular regular customer would only go on weekend nights. Also, Rhey didn't text him earlier that he'd be arriving. Come to think of it, he wondered, Rhey hasn't been texting him for a few days now.

Jimmy glanced where Rhey would be sitting. A few tables away. Good, far from where he is at. When Rhey scanned the room, Jimmy grabbed his beer, slouched on the couch, and averted his gaze. I hope Rhey wouldn't see me beside another customer, Jimmy thought.

Rhey has been that gay bar's customer for some months now. He's been going around the macho dancing gay bar circuit for years, and in every bar he's been to, he has had at least one dancer he became serious with. He has already asked two dancers before to stop working with a monthly allowance (known as "binahay" / "housed"). In the previous bar he used to frequent, he already gave close to P100K to the boy he got enamored with. Too bad, that boy left him for another customer, a woman in her late 30s who also proposed marriage. Heartbroken, Rhey transferred to a new bar and saw someone he knew he'd fall for. 

Jimmy was his type -- fair-skinned and boyish-looking, the types who join TV reality show contests as  skinny tambay boys, but with the right clothes, the right haircut, the right weight, the right smile, transform into matinee idols. 

The first time Rhey tabled Jimmy a couple of months ago, he knew he was smitten. They've been exchanging text messages once in a while, and the more Rhey got to know Jimmy, the more he got hooked. Rhey wanted them to have something more than the typical customer-MD relationship.

Thus, Rhey made sure Jimmy knew of his richness and power. He'd always buy Jimmy six to ten drinks in every visit. He made sure that Jimmy wouldn't get a tip lower than P1,500. He has even dangled the idea of buying a motorcycle for Jimmy, which made the macho dancer's eyes widen. 

That's why a few days ago, when Rhey asked Jimmy to spend a night with him in his condo, he wondered why Jimmy's reply was "Sorry, di ako pwede. May lakad ako sa gabing yun. (Sorry, I am not available. I have another thing that night)." 

Rhey insisted, and asked if they can reschedule. What Rhey got was another excuse, a lame one in his mind. They didn't exchange messages for a few days or nights after. Why Jimmy didn't even text back, Rhey just thought the macho dancer would just forget him for another customer. 

All that time, he was thinking of a simple plan to win Jimmy. Why not make him jealous? Rhey thought. 

So on that weekday night, Rhey went to the bar without informing anyone of his arrival. As with any regular customer in the bar, he was greeted by the managers with much fanfare. After he sat down, he told his manager that he'd be getting another dancer to sit with him. The manager let out a surprised gasp and wicked smile. The manager walked off and came back with the newbie dancer, who was much taller and younger than Jimmy. Rhey smiled at his choice. 

The plan seemed to be working, Rhey thought. He could see Jimmy walking from the dressing room to another group of lady customers a few tables away. But Jimmy seemed to be looking away. Good.

Seeing his regular customer and the newbie macho dancer having some early fun, Jimmy wondered what got into Rhey's mind. So he sent Rhey a text message.

"Hi. Kumusta? Dito ka pala sa bar. Iba rin kinuha mo, (Hi. How are you? You're here in the bar, and you got another dancer)." 

Rhey read the message a few minutes after Jimmy sent it. He deliberately didn't check his phone, so as to appear nonchalant about the whole thing. He thought of something to reply. Something that would hit his target hard.

"Oo nga e. Marami pang isda sa dagat (Yes, that's right. There are many other fish in the sea), " Rhey replied. That's what you get for declining my invitation, Rhey imagined telling Jimmy. 

Jimmy thought, okay, hindi ako affected. At least he has some other customer who's siting with  him that night. Akala niya mapapa-selos nya ako? (He thinks he would make me jealous), Jimmy whispered to himself. Typical response of a macho dancer.

Rhey was waiting for a reply from Jimmy, which never came. So the gay customer just acted as if he found a new dancer he can splurge on, to replace Jimmy. Hugging, laughing, downing bottles of beer. 

Moments later, when Rhey's newbie dancer went up on stage to dance, he thought of another idea to make Jimmy jealous. Rhey called the floor manager, and as the manager approached, he whispered, "Give this P5000 cash to my dancer while he's dancing." The manager gave a wicked smile, then approached the stage to tuck ten bills of P500 on the guy's cycling shorts strap. 

Seeing what Rhey has done, Jimmy thought of approaching Rhey right after the newbie dancer's performance. Jimmy excused himself from his customer, and went to Rhey's table. 

"Hi. Kumusta? Sorry nakaupo ako, (Hi. How are you? Sorry I'm seated with someone)," Jimmy mentioned, as he held out his hand to Rhey for a handshake. Rhey extended his, but after the casual shake, Jimmy just held on to Rhey's hand.

"Oo nga, nakita ko. Okay lang, may iba naman akong napili. (Yes, I saw. It's okay because I chose someone else)," Rhey said with a somewhat bored face, as he slowly pulled his hand again.

"Buti naman napunta ka ngayong gabi. Di ka naman nagpupunta kapag may pasok ah (Good that you came this night. You don't usually go the bar during work weeks)."

"Wala lang. Gusto ko lang. (Nothing. I just wanted to)."

"Di ka nagsabi e. Ayan tuloy naupo na ako. (You didn't tell me beforehand. And now, another customer got me)." 

"Okay lang. Iba naman plano kong kunin talaga. (It's okay. I really planned on getting another guy)."

"Mukhang enjoy ka nga eh! (It seems that you are enjoying!)"

"Oo, masaya siyang kasama! (Yup, he really is fun to be with!)"

At that moment, the newbie dancer came back to Rhey's table. Before the newbie dancer got a chance to sit again, Jimmy grabbed the newbie dancer by his shoulders. The dancer just stood beside Jimmy, in an awkward stance.

"Alagaan mo itong customer KO ha (Take care of MY customer)," Jimmy instructed the newbie dancer, as he strengthened his grasp on the newbie's shoulders. "Sobrang bait niyan (He's a very nice guy)," Jimmy added with a smile, but with an intense look in his eyes.  

The dancer sheepishly grinned, then motioned his way back to his seat. Jimmy gave a short goodbye, then turned away. Rhey put his arms around the dancer again. 

After half an hour, Jimmy's lady customers got the bill and left. Without any other customer tabling him, Jimmy just stood in front of the dressing room. He made sure that the bar's customers can see that he was available at that time. 

Seeing that Jimmy was already customer-less, Rhey decided to stay longer. He got another round of beer for the dancer seated beside him. He made sure that the bar's macho dancers can see that he was enjoying with the new guy.

At 1:30 AM, after six bottles of beer for the newbie dancer and three for himself, Rhey decided to leave. He got the bill, stood up, and proceeded to the bar's main doors. Before reaching the exit door, Rhey gave another thousand pesos for the newbie dancer as tip. To which, the dancer said thank you, and hugged Rhey before he opened the door. The dancer returned promptly to the dressing room after.

As Rhey exited the door, he saw Jimmy outside leaning against the wall and pretending as if to text an arriving customer. Jimmy looked up and smiled as he saw Rhey. 

"Oh, alis ka na? (Oh, you're leaving already?)" Jimmy asked, as he stood up to face Rhey. 

"Oo, anong oras na? (Yes, look at what time it is)" Rhey responded. He could not move forward, as it seemed as if Jimmy was blocking Rhey's path towards the bar's main entrance.

"Sige. Balik ka sa susunod ha (Come back next time)." 

"Okay," Rhey replied in a faked sleepy tone. He maneuvered himself to move past Jimmy's body.  

"Text kita mamaya ha. Antayin ko reply mo (I'll text you later. I'll wait for your reply)," Jimmy tried to remind, as Rhey was already exiting the bar's building. 

"Oh sige na. Bye," were Rhey's last words before proceeding to his parked car outside the bar.   

As he was starting the car's engine, he saw a figure at the bar's entrance. It was still Jimmy, who was looking on and waving goodbye to Rhey.

"Ang sarap talaga paikutin sa mga kamay ang mga lalaki (It feels so good to play around with men)," Rhey thought, with a sly smile.

Oh, the games people play.

*P.S. Just a thought. If the customer wasn't a "Rhey", but a "Rhea" who's a 48 year old matrona, or a "Reza" who's a 24 year old bar girl, would the whole scenario change? Read again with the new characters and see how your views on that "selos factor" would change.

GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com
twitter: @gbgoer

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Photo credits: http://gaygifts.tumblr.com/post/3782783107 (from Bel-ami)