"That's a little too sleazy for me"

I'm sitting at the Beaverton Mall at about 1:30a one Monday morning reading a book (sidenote: best part of working a slow Sunday night is working the 1st 3 hrs and taking that money and spending it at Powells) and get sent to Stars Cabaret to pick up a fella.

I get there, check in with the doorgal and go back to my cab to wait for a minute and these 3 guys come walking out. 2 middle-aged fellas and younger, red headed fella. They have their 'good-byes' at the door, talking about what a good time they'd had and whatnot and the red headed fella gets in my car and we head downtown.

Me: So, how's your night?

He: Meh. and shrugs

Me: Hunh. Well, how was Stars? I hear they have the best lookin' nekkid women in the city.

He: Well, I suppose they were all right. I wasn't really looking. I'm gay.

Me: Then why ya in there?

He: I work with these guys and they paid for me to come out here to Ptld and said they would show me a good time, this is what I got.

Me: And where ya from?

He: Boston.

Me: Well, I could understand being so covert in Boston, but this is Ptld, every other person in this town is gay.

He: Yeah, that's what I hear. That's why I agreed to let them bring me out here. My parents, and the rest of my family and workers, none of them know I'm gay so I just need to get away sometimes.

So he and I have a fairly amusing discussion about liberalism and the city of Ptld as compared to Boston. Turns out he's a book 'dealer' on the 'net. Makes loads of money (according to him).

*****

This part may not make for entertaining reading but I'm putting it in here anyway :o) :

He's always hiring people to peddle his books for him and since I have a bag chock full o' Powell's goodness on my front seat he wants to know what I'm reading. So we're discussing the reading thing and turns out he sells books, but doesn't read much. He has lots of books that he rotates in and out of his bookshelf at home, just for show, but nothing he reads any longer. I tell him that I read all the time, averaging about 10-15 books a week.

He: Yeah, see, I would never hire you.

Me: Really? I would think you would want someone that actually reads and knows what's good and/or popular to work for you.

He: No. I want someone that can read the stats to tell me what's hot, not someone that reads the actual books themselves.

Me: But, it only takes me about 3 hrs to read an average 400 pg book.

He: Then I definately wouldn't hire you. Readers, especially ones that read that fast, are too opinionated and only tend to stick to the genre's they like.

Me: Well now, that's me on the nose I'm guessin'. :o)

*****

So as we're discussing the things to do and see in Ptld he asks me about where all the open places at this time of the night are.

Me: Well, it is sunday night after all, but we have a few bars that are still open til 2:30a when we stop serving. We have a coupla after hours joints that are open until 4a, but again, sunday night. There's a few Fantasy Adult Videos open close to downtown if that's your thang. We also got ...

He: Wait. What is a FAV?

Me: 24 hr adult porn sales that has booths inside.

He: Hunh. Can a person get blown at these places?

Me: Yup. I know of one specifically where you are pretty much guaranteed to get blown - if you aren't too concerned about the gender of the blower - if you're willing to pay.

He: All right. Take me there.

Me: All right.

So I get him there, he asks me to wait and has to go get some change for his big bills so he can pay me the fare so far and pay for ... whatever he wants inside there. They made him buy some bottled water to get change so he gave me a couple of his 10 bottles. Of their own brand. Bottled here in Ptld. And it has an expiration date on it. (That kinda scares me) So he gives me $40 and asks me to wait. I whip out a book, lock the doors and wait. For about 5 minutes. He's done and back out and ready to go to the hotel.

As we're tooling down Sandy to downtown and I am purposely avoiding asking him how it went I point out 'Steam' which is a 24 hr male bath house.

He: Pssht. I would never go to one of those places, that's a little too sleazy for me.

Me: .... Can I ask ... ? Where, exZACTly do you draw the line on sleazy? I mean, after what you just did?

He didn't say anything else to me the rest of the ride. Did tip me an extra $20 above the fare tho.