Braver and surer

How do you compare it to the views you've seen? I know I am better, braver and surer too

How do you compare it to the views you've seen?

I woke the next morning to the smell of fresh coffee. Matt was up and about getting ready to go to work. He told me that he was going to try and finish at lunchtime so we could go for an afternoon hike. With that in mind I spent my morning conserving energy. Matt got back from work around lunchtime but then had to deal with some work emails before we could head off. A short while later we were good to go. We grabbed some water and energy bars and headed off for our hike. Matt took me to Runyon Canyon Park, a regular haunt for LA locals who want to get some outdoor exercise. We met up with Chris who I had met the other week at Josh’s and we set off up the hill. The three of us chatted away as we started the climb. As we got to the steeper bits the conversation (at least from me) waned a little. It was a good hike though and from the top of the mountain (hill) you could see a lot of LA. It sprawled in every direction pretty much as far as you could see. Compared to a lot of the places I had been to it was a fairly unremarkable skyline.

Our Friday night started with a trip to Little Tokyo. Matt had recommended a place called Daikokuya for dinner. The street the restaurant was on had several other eateries on it. The one that we were headed to was the only one with people waiting outside, all of the tables inside were full. The others were half empty. I figured it must be good. We put our name on the list for a table. They were at number 1, we were number 28. We headed off to a bar just down the road for a couple of drinks while we waited for our number to come up. We sat at the bar chatting away and I reminded myself again it was not a date. I asked Matt what dating in LA was like. He said that he found it difficult sometimes & felt in a minority having a Monday to Friday office hours job (although knowing the company, office hours had a habit of encroaching into evenings and weekends).

I know I am better, braver and surer too

It got me thinking about my own rather chequered dating history. Two semi-serious relationships and several that had lasted between three and six months was my tally. Had I not met the right man? Had I been too picky about ones I had met? Did people give up too easily when things weren’t 100% perfect?. I knew that I was now much happier in myself and that the trip had made me realise that I was ready for something more serious. I was finally beginning to see how this trip was changing me and my outlook on life. Perhaps I just needed the confidence to go for it if and when the opportunity arose.

Post dinner drinks were at MJ’s in Silver Lake. With no hint of irony Matt had looked at me and said that I would fit in there as the crowd was older and more hairy. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It turned out that Matt was right, the crowd seemed a little older and less LA than the previous night. For a while we stood out on the back patio, drinking. As we chatted away a go-go boy in just a jock frolicked in an inflatable paddling pool while sucking on a lollipop. He was extremely supple and contorted himself into a number of positions that would render a boyfriend obsolete. I couldn’t help but stare.

We had a bit of a dance, bumped into Chris and Martin and had a few more drinks. The music died down and the host of the club cleared the go-go boys from the stage so that they could have a competition to find the sexiest man in the place. It was clear that it would involve having to remove at least some clothing so I stayed exactly where I was. As the guy called for volunteers he looked right at me & Matt and tried to convince us to go up on stage. Both of us refused. The host told me that there was a $50 prize for the winner. I told him I didn’t need the money. There was no way I was about to get on stage & have to strip just to try and win $50. I have standards. The prize would need to be three figures for me to strip in public.

Saturday was Ricey’s birthday and the celebrations were taking place in Santa Monica. The timing had worked out perfectly as Matt had already got plans for the evening (a swanky work gays event – he had tried to get me a ticket but they were rarer than hen’s teeth) which meant I could head off to meet Sara(h) Squared. After a quick drink with Matt and his friend Jo on the roof terrace of the Standard Hotel I made my way to Santa Monica. I was escorted by Matt & Jo to the bus stop that would take me to Santa Monica. Using public transport to cross LA seemed an alien concept to them. I think it is something that is reserved for the poorer sections of society. My $2 fare got me to Santa Monica in around 40 minutes so I wasn’t complaining.

I walked for a good ten minutes from the bus stop to the hotel where Sara(h) Squared were staying. I gave them a call to let them know I was outside and miraculously they were both ready at the time they had said they would be ready. As we walked to the restaurant that Ricey had booked for dinner we caught up on our respective travels since San Diego. Ricey asked me how I was getting on with Mary, I asked her if Spangles had come out with any corkers that couldn’t be posted on Facebook. The restaurant turned out to be half a block from where I had got off the bus. I gave Ricey her birthday card, telling her that my presence was my present. She handed me a birthday card and a present for my upcoming birthday, three weeks away. I felt suitably guilty and vowed that I would be a better birthday present buying friend (starting once I get home). We had a post dinner drink in an English pub listening to three Northern women discussing their favourite sandwich filling.

Having done yet another goodbye with Ricey and Spangles I set off to get the bus back to Matt’s. Sara(h) Squared stayed with me at the bus stop to make sure that I was ok. There were plenty of people around but some of them seemed a little crazy and/or drunk. I told them I would be fine. It was just like getting the 176 night bus (only a little more Latino). As I got on the bus Ricey told me to sit close to the driver and not stare at anyone. I followed her instructions. There were a few crazies on the bus but I concentrated on looking out of the window and texting Matt to give him an update on my position. I made it back without incident and without falling asleep on the bus and ending up in some random part of LA.

“How do you compare it to the views you've seen? I know I am better, braver and surer too” 
Lyrics from Who Are You Now? from the musical Funny Girl