One more slug of gin

One more for the road, one more slug of gin

One more for the road

After Family Week in Isla Mujeres it was time for me to return to the States. My return would see me fly into Dallas-Fort Worth for a few days in Texas. The plan was then for me to head up to Seattle and work my way down the West coast. I had a few gays already lined up and was working on getting my remaining slots filled. My next hosts were Gary and Duane. I had been put in touch with Gary by the cousin of Number 14, Rhett, my Nashville gay. She had been following my trip after seeing Rhett post about my visit when I was in Nashville and had sent my details on to Gary. My flight from Mexico City was on time and getting off the plane I was prepared for what would be my third pass through US Immigration since starting my trip. I knew that key to getting out as quickly as possible was to beat as many people as possible to the front of the queue. Having got off the plane I power-minced through the arrivals hall to Immigration.

Despite managing to get near to the front of the queue it still took me a while to clear Immigration. When it was finally my turn I hoped it would be quick and painless. The guard didn’t ask me any questions and I was through with the minimum of fuss. Gary was outside the doors waiting for me. We headed off to the car park. Gary said that he couldn’t quite remember where he had parked. It didn’t take us too long to find his SUV though. It was huge and stuck out of the parking space by quite some way, towering above the cars parked either side. It was probably about the size of my flat back in London and I felt like I needed a small ladder to help me get into the passenger seat. I had heard that everything was bigger in Texas.

As we drove to the house Gary asked me whether there was anything particular that I fancied doing that evening. I said something that involved getting some food to start with would be good as I realised I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and was feeling peckish. After that something involving alcohol would be fine with me. At the house I met their three dogs, was shown to my room and showered and changed. We had dinner at a little family run Italian called Moni’s. Gary asked for my opinion on one of the waiters as to whether he was a gay or not. I couldn’t tell. It is sometimes really difficult to tell now, especially with younger guys. I blame it on the fact that straight men realise that they have to make an effort with their appearance and dress nowadays. Dinner was great but I barely managed half of my dinner the portion size was so huge. It was still looking good for everything being bigger in Texas.

After dinner we headed over to Best Friends Club in Fort Worth. It was poker night. I told Gary that I had never really played Texas Hold’em & Poke’em before. We put our names down on the sign up sheet, Gary making sure there was a name in between ours so we could end up starting at the same table. I think he just wanted to be able to take all my chips knowing I was a novice. The bar was offering 75 cent beers so I had one of those rather than my usual G&T, not wanting to get too drunk on my first night. I was introduced to Duane, Gary’s other half who had called in for a quick drink on his way home from work and a friend of theirs, Galyn, whose birthday it was. I wished him a happy birthday.  Neither Duane nor Galyn were playing poker so Gary and I went off to settle ourselves in at the poker table. I was soon getting the hang of it. I just didn’t want to be the first one at the table to lose all their chips or to drop the cards when it was my turn to shuffle and deal. During the poker people could also get up and sing karaoke to get some extra chips. I passed on singing. Most people who sang did country numbers I had never heard of.

One more slug of gin

I lasted several hands, even winning a pot or two before losing them all. I was pleased I wasn’t the first person out, a couple of people had already gone out before me. Gary still had a huge stack of chips so while he continued on playing I headed to the bar to get another drink. I ordered myself another beer, getting a dollar out to pay for the drink and another dollar out for the tip. The barman asked me if I was from Australia. Oh how I had missed the Americans always asking me that. I told him I was from London.

There was a break halfway through the poker so that the remaining players on the two tables could be put on one table. Gary was still in the running for the $100 prize money which considering it was free to enter was not a bad prize. I was introduced to Dino, the lovely woman running the poker night. She asked how I had done in the poker. I said that for my first time I thought I had done ok. She asked how I knew Gary and I explained about my travels and how we had got in contact. Gary and Dino headed back to the poker, leaving me at the bar. After a few minutes sitting alone watching the sports on the tv behind the bar a guy came up to me and said hello. We got chatting. He told me I had a nice accent and asked if I was from Australia. 

After the poker ended Gary, Dino and I had a couple of drinks at the bar. There was a cute bartender working, Casey, and he made us a round of Cocksucking Cowboys. I wasn’t sure my first few hours in Texas could have contained any more clichés – the poker, the country music, the cowboy related beverages. After Best Friends we headed back to Gary’s, via “the best little gay bar in Arlington”, a place called 1851 Club. I think it might be the only gay bar in Arlington. It was very much a local bar for local people type of place. It was fairly quiet it being a Tuesday night and everyone turned to look at us as we walked in. I was asked for my id at the door. I showed the doorman and he let me in. Gary saw my provisional licence and asked to see it. I explained that I couldn’t drive. I vowed that when I got back home to London I would take driving lessons. That said, I think I do much better as designated drinker and had had a thoroughly enjoyable first night in Texas. I wondered if during my time here I would get to check out whether everything was bigger or not...

“One more for the road, one more slug of gin” 
Lyrics from Master of the House from the musical Les Miserables