Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 23:39:07 +0800 From: Reggie Tangan Subject: JOY 1 J O Y by Reggie Tangan Disclaimer: all of the characters portrayed here are used fictitiously, and used for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to the characters and situations are purely coincidental. This story is for adults only; if you don't like sexual themes, please leave immediately. for reactions, critiques please send me an email at reggietangan@edsamail.com.ph or visit my website at http://www.reggietangan.cjb.net/joy ************************************ "Mr. Perfect" Here's a Valentine's Day tale for you. Prepare yourself. I met this lowly 23 year old guy I hang around for work. Dorky-looking, yet suave, there was something about this guy that projected masculinity but in a sense he could get it on with someone. As in a relationship. What the hell were you thinking? As I was saying, the 25 year old guy, let's call him Rockwilder, young, very dorky, with those baseball caps, hip-hugging shorts and more caps. He was capable of making realtionships with the opposite sex and stuff heterosexuals do. He couldn't believe at this time of the world he's now having a hard time looking for a relationship. What is about 23 year old young, single bachelors that keeps them 23 year old young, single bachelors and dateless? "I'm making a decent living out of this work, and all of the potential girls don't go for young guys anymore." He said, lounging around with his trademark blue Yankees caps, and a slighty chewed off tip of a pen. Maybe he wasn't serious enough for a relationship. I just thought he was just looking for that single day or I mean night to get laid. Oops. Rockwilder's problems wasn't on the dorky look that was tried and tested for the past years of his sane life, and it wasn't his sauveness that propelled him there. I pretty guess the girls didn't want those kind of men to be existing in their shopping lists of men. "I keep telling you it's not your problem, it's how girls are managing to be themselves and choose to their total liking without making those swift turns and complicated technicalities." I told him. But it didn't cheer him up. I could only blame Destiny's Child. "Why?" Rockwilder asked, scratching his head. Independent Woman? Poor Rockwilder. *** As my time progresses, I lean back at the glass door, looking for that possible attraction found in crusin' the mall. Ok, I maybe 22 and still a blooming person (emotionally) and on an active role (sexually) and more about that later. Thursday afternoon, Glorietta mall. When it comes to retail, I usually had this fetish for huge pants and body-tight shirts as well as long sleeved tees. My fashion sense was on a bit of the edgy side, not too extreme or too soft. B-Boy style as they say. Just perfect. Looking for a possible prospect has it's ups and downs. The more actual hunting comes in when your prowling eyes come over in the unperfect of things: accidents. Then things turned out to be perfect. I remembered what Rockwilder's problem with women. Women are things to be lo and behold, not treated as a sexual object, but as goddesses who can really change your life. In English, women want things perfect. I say, go gay. You know what you want to get. Pondering on that thought I really found this hot number at Sean John: hot shiny corduroy pants and a cool white tee with Sean John logo on front. With that I added a black bandana to go with my Sean John cap. Actually, I was with Alex Santos, beefed-up jock who's really my best friend in terms of retail. He tagged me along as he was too looking for that hot cool ensemble he was going to use of this coming Saturday's party. Alex found this quaint small clothes store just in front of the store where I was. He insisted I come with him and check it out. "Tonj?" Pretty weird name, but has the most stylish clothes. As we entered the store, there only a few people browsing around for the clothes displayed. But these clothes were cleverly designed; not to shabby, not to hardcore and the store had an array of cool accesories like wallet chains to chain necklaces. And I thought bondage was for discreet people only. But I think Alex digs that stuff. "So this is the store I really want to see." He said, looking over the merchandise as if he was in a candy store. Lots and lots of clothes and stuff fill the store. Particularly, I eyed that lava lamp, near the cash counter. And so was that cute guy. "Jethro, what are you looking at?" Alex nudged my arm. "Nothing..." "As if. You were checking out that guy." He smiled. "No." "Come on, just tell the guy you're a model and he'll give you a discount." Alex suggested, then I looked again at the guy. He was preoccupied with someone near the counter. "Like, you already shopped here?" "Duh." "Whatever, what's his name?" I asked Alex, stepping on his toe. "Heck, that's your job. Hey, he maybe good-looking but he's not my type, and besides, he wears eyeglasses, makes him look like a dork." Alex concluded, and he found the perfect shirt to wear while working out. A cut-off sweat shirt with the word 'devil' written all over with. Oh, come on, thought the guy was really cute, he didn't show any sign of interest whatsoever, he was looking good though, with that hot white undie shirt, and a thinga-ma-jig on his shoulder, believe I couldn't understand the fashion sense of today, more upbeat and hip but with that sense everything looked heavy than actually comfortable. The thing is, his eyeglasses make him look dorky and geeky, but not to the pretense that he is a dork and a geek. You see when adding a letter 'y' after a word dork or geek changes the meaning of those words. How letters change meaning and demean everyone. "Maybe, maybe a crush, but not someone I would go down and settle down with." I told Alex. Rest assured he really knew my taste in men were. Suddenly out of nowhere the cute guy in the counter looked at me, yes, he actually looked at me. Sensing my interest, but I opted to act non- chalantly, for the reason I didn't like stepping on the wrong foot. Instead I grabbed hold of anything near me. "800 bucks!" The cute guy called me. As if I noticed what was I holding, which I was not really... "For a pair of hot leather pants?" I exclaimed out of disbelief. He walked out of his counter and approached me. I couldn't move out to where I was standing, but the nerve of getting a pair of leather pants was an insult to my fashion sense. Ewww! "Nice choice," The cute guy said. I just looked at him. His eyeglasses seem to shimmer to the lights of the store. "Yeah, I bet, this would have cost more if I bought this somewhere else, and besides I'm gonna get this, and hey, I'm a model!" I jumped, as if I was really interested on that pair of pants. "Hear me out, a pair of 800 bucks of leather pants, the model discount. Say which modeling agency you come from?" He asked. I wanted to lie but eventually at some point he will know eventually that I was lying to him all the time. So, I wanted to be as truthful as possible. "Sorry, I'm not really model, I was only after the discount." I said. He kept on looking at me, his smile didn't change, instead, he moved in a little closer to me. "Liar. You're a model. You've got the looks." He gave me those hefty one thousand watt smile. I wanted to melt down on his arms, but Jethro maintain proper composure. "How can you say that, I'm not even that hunky..." I cranked up a bit. "Hey, models do not need to be hunky, just the attitude." The cute guy said, he was slowly caressing the black leather pants. I sensed he was trying to hit on me, by expressing his fashion sense and adding a healthy dose of sex appeal. "Oh." He grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled on it. "So, the pants minus the model discount, I'll add another ten percent when you add in your cell phone number," he said, grinningly he sent me out a menacing wink. He glanced upon my 3315 Nokia cell phone, which was cradled in my hand for quite sometime, I couldn't help but look at him. "Excuse me, are you hitting on me?" I asked, as if I didn't like it, I was enjoying it very much. "Yeah, I think so. So what's it gonna be?" "I don't know, it just seems so fast." I tried to look the other way, but there was something about him that stands out. No, not that. Not the really hot bod he was flaunting with. The shirt he was wearing was tight, I could see the small built muscles. And here's the good part, the shirt was written 'Sexy Boy.' *** "So does it fit?" Travis, my friend down in the ghetto sat down on the computer desk, dying to know the details of cute guy at Tonj. I looked up on him, the thought of sex wasn't on my mind, but the pants that I couldn't afford, suddenly made accesible by a guy who knew what pants I was supposed to be wearing and make it look better. Is that cute guy a psychic? A sudden gust of wind filled my brain. No, this is not it. Ever since I broke up with Stud a few months ago (I will tell that story soon) I always thought I can be less-demanding than I was before but here I am again, in the position of making decisions with precise accuracy. And that the thing... Precise accuracy means high standards should be met. And I think that cute guy at Tonj seemed to be perfect. Perfect? Like, there's no such thing as Mr. Perfect. There never existed a Mr. Perfect. Why is this happening? Tonj can't be the one. Or is he? "The pants was right, just right." I murmured but it was audible for him to hear. I wasn't that really into that leather pants thingy, all I can think about was that cute guy now I call, Tonj. I don't know what came over me, now I'm giving out weird nicknames. "I don't know, Tonj can be cool sounding." Travis said. "Hey we're going to Club Mint/Babylon, the usual I guess." Great, give me shelter there. *** Anyway, changing the topic. Travis was on his way to work, when he usually takes a taxi cab from his place to the place he works. As for work, he works for a ad company, as for his ad company, which gives him double figures every month, even twice if his ads make more money, and he actually has the luxury of fab wardobe but dramatic irony, he prefers dressed down garb and stuff like that. He only has time to play dress up when he goes to a fab party and nothing else. On his way to work, he usually hails a cab within a few meters upon visibility of the taxi cab. He would shout "TAXI!" Just once the taxi cab actually stops and waits for him. But this time it was different, he did managed to stop a taxi cab, in just some area in Makati, but instead of him taking a cab a guy suddenly appears to grab the cab. "What the fuck? Hey mister, that's my cab!" Travis shouted. Banging on the windshield, trying to pry out the guy who grabbed the cab. The guy just smiled and mouthed 'sorry' to Travis. Dumbfounded, Travis stood on ground with his mouth opened down. "Taxi driver, Rockwell Mall, please." The guy told the driver, the engine was starting. Coincidentally, Travis was also going to that mall as well, as the cab stopped moving in front of the street light to avoid incoming traffic. Perfect timing. Out on a nerve, Travis ran after the cab with his Anonymous shoulder body bag, wanting to get back on that guy who grabbed his Taxi. Finally reaching the Taxi cab, he opened the door and slammed himself right in the taxi cab, the guy looked surprised and shouted... "What the hell? I was first!" The guy said. "Oh please, just enjoy the ride, I'm going to Rockwell too." Travis said, with an evil sly on his face. He may have the last laugh. He always does. "Well, you're very feisty." The guy said looking at Travis. "Thank you, at least you noticed." He said. "Rockwell, huh? What you do?" Travis asked the guy. "Nothing much, I thought I could hang in there for a while." He said. "Yeah, in eight a.m. in the morning, unbelievable." Traves snickered. "Heck, I work at Page One, that bookstore over there." The guy defended. "Oh do you?" Travis looked again at the guy, his mestizo look was already daunting Travis' eyes. He looked really cute though, he thought, but he was thinking about his meeting at Starbucks about that new ad campaign for some shoe Travis has never seen before. Travis thought, "How jologs." "What?" The guy looked at him. "No, not you, I was thinking about that meeting I was suppose to be in." "Tell me, I'm a good listener." He suggested. "No, thanks. It's all business, you won't understand it." "Fine by me." Whatever, Travis couldn't maintain his composure. Yes, the guy he bumped inside the car was really cute, then transitioned to hot. The guy seemed to notice how Travis was already squirming in his side of the seat. "Are you, I mean, I don't want to be rude, but..." "But what?" "I'm kinda into your scene, kinda very gross aren't I?" Travis had a hard time asking whether the guy was gay or not. Well, he just met the guy and now he's having a thing for bookstore guys. So that's why Travis started reading books ever since. "Oh." The guy's eyes suddenly opened. Flabbergasted, I think. "Sorry, it's a gay thing I don't mean to be rude or such." "No, it's just fine, I like being flattered by anyone." The guy just smiled, in acknowledgement of Travis' advancement. "You sure? You're not playing, right?" He was just trying to be sure. "If you're playing that's what." Travis seemed to like the guy already. Travis always looked for the positive side on everything negative. Downward spiral or was it the way the guy looked so hot. I guess the guy enjoyed the ride. Just perfect for Travis. *** Later, lunch was at Cibo, Travis' treat, I was taking some notes for that upcoming article for my tabloid. "Yada, yada, yada, the typical sex stuff so people can buy that damn paper." As I started to lit my cigarette up. I was in the mood for smoking a bit until the hostess approached us. "I'm sorry, no smoking allowed in restaurant premises." She called. What the fuck? Nevermind, even Travis looked a bit disappointed. I threw the lighted cigarette at the nearby plant that was beside the table, Travis and I laughed a bit, we like getting back at them. "And so after the meeting at Starbucks, I made sure I visited him at that bookstore, Page Two..." "Page One, Travis." I reminded him. "Whatever, I asked him out tonight, to Club Mint/Babylon." He said. "That's cool, so anything about him that bothers you?" I asked. "Well, nothing at the moment, I guess." Always the latecomer, Alex came in, a bit sweaty, albeit he went to the gym, working out his already buff bod, not that big just making sure he maintains his stature as a hot gay guy with huge pecs. "Sorry, guys, the guys at Tower didn't let me go that easy." He said, as he sat down, and looked at the menu. And you know what, as buff as Alex can be, he eats so much fatty food. And he says he has a fast metabolism. One time he advised me on eating habits. 'You can eat your fave food, only in smaller pieces.' And God was he right. "I'll take that seafood lasagna you tried last week." Alex looked at me. "Yeah, nice combination of squid and tuna." I said, smiling. "So, what's for tonight?" "I met this guy at Page Two." Travis smiled happily, looking perked up. "Page One!" "Whatever." "Me too, yesterday at Gold's Gym." Alex said. And he started talking. *** Alex, on the other hand was on his way to the gym, a typical crusing point to look for spotters. In gym lingo, looking for a 'spotter' meant looking for a 'date' and Alex was in no shortage for spotters in the gym. Oh yeah, he works out at that Gold's Gym just a few flights of escalators from his place of work at Tower Records. Like there is this one time Alex was on the floor doing ad reps as many as humanly possible, actually when I first met Alex I almost fell in love with him with those great six pack. Of course, I didn't because I was on a sex diet. Less on physical emphasis. Back on track, Alex somehow met the perfect guy for him. Let's call him Unattainble. Alex told me how the date turned out to be. "That rich chocolate really sprang the kid in me," Unattainble said, as for Alex, he was yawning, feeling bored. Eventhough Unattainable had a great bod, his actions were actually louder than words. They were screaming 'Boring.' "Yeah, I think so, so what shall we do next?" Alex asked, he tried to open his eyes trying to look for that sense of good interest from the guy, but it seems he was really boring. He wanted to leave, but instead gulped another vodka tonic. While drinking the concoction, he noticed most of the men and the women were staring at them, as if they had never seen a gay couple dating inside the restaurant. Sporadically, the waitress came upon them... "Everything's fine?" She asked, but she wasn't addressing to Alex, she was staring at Unattainable. But Unattainable didn't mind the waitress, he was too busy staring at Alex drinking another glass of vodka tonic. Then it hit Alex. He was actually dating the perfect guy that everyone wanted to get. Alex seemed comfortable, but with Unattainable's boring outcome, he just wished he just took another swipe at imperfection, at least he's having fun looking for flaws. "Everything's fine, maybe another vodka tonic, please." Alex responded. Unattainable smiled and kept on taking the chocolate mousse he was devouring, but in good taste. "Sure," the waitress said, but she kept looking at Unattainable, not minding Alex's order. In order to maintain composure at everything, out to make a prefect night, Alex made sure he was drunk to make sure Unattainable will take him home and probably do something. "Have you had enough of your vodka tonic?" Unattainable asked. "No, no, I'm fine..." Alex wanted to throw up but he seemed to be good at controlling urges. But there's one thing that he can't control... His sexual urge. A few hours later, at Alex's studio apartment in Makati, Alex couldn't seem to control his sexual urge for Unattainable, his hands were all over Unattainable, groping every part of his body. As for Unattainable, he felt as if he enjoying every part of the whole groping thing. "Take me home," Alex begged, suddenly touching Unattainable's bulge from those loose Fubu pants he was wearing. With that he popped a woody, wanting to get down but there was something bothering him. Alex continued to undress sloppily. "You are, you are home," Unattainable replied, he didn't seem to mind Alex putting his hand under his undies, as he continued further down towards Unattainable's growing erection. With all the groping, Alex was starting to push Unattainable into his bedroom, feeling already horny, with too much vodka tonic, so much it could be replaced as drinking water in his fridge. Of course, Alex is not a drunken bastard. Only in bed that is. "Oh come on, I want you, down..." Unattainable began to unzip his pants trying to pry out the hardened woody. Alex, so surprised, grabbed the unsuspecting Unattainable to the bedroom and on to the bed. There it is. The next day Alex woke up with a massive hangover he ever experienced in his whole life. Noticing Unattainable had already left his place. In the hopes of leaving something from their date, Alex noticed a small note near the flower vase near the door. It read... Hey Alex, Last night was really intense and more. Thanx for the night over at your place, More on that here's something you should really call 555-5609 For you Loves... He did leave a perfect number all right... "Fuck him, he left me the number of AA (Alcholics Anonymous)" Alex said. "Hey, you had too much vodka tonic," I said, checking my cellphone for those stupid yet sweet anecdotes Tonj may have sent. "Let's just put it this way, he was concerned, after all." Travis sat down, he just came from the comfort room, fixing his clean-cut hair with that new gel he bought from Bench. Still Unattainable asked Alex out again. Why? Maybe it was the drunk thing that made him so, well, attainable in Alex's eyes. *** We were on Fidel in Malate, just a few feet away from Club Mint/Babylon, it was already eleven p.m. but the night is still young. I asked out Tonj if he could meet us there and have some fun. "I couldn't believe he gave me that number," Alex shook, then took another shot of vodka tonic. "And he asked me out again." "Yeah, we noticed." I said, seeing Unattainable devouring a set of squid balls just outside Fidel. "Come on, I know you really like him." I added. Alex looked outside, waved at Unattainble, he waved back at us. "I guess so." Alex said. "Yeah, like you said, he was unattainable, now he's yours." Travis said, beside him is the bookstore guy who enjoyed the ride after sharing a ride with Travis to Rockwell. "Where could he be?" I started to look around for any signs of Tonj around, I already sent five messages saying 'Where are you?' and he hasn't shown up. With a sudden jolt, I felt my Nokia 3315 vibrate with a matching ring tone, 'Jumpin Jumpin.' (how appropriate) It was Tonj, giving me a call. "What!? where are you?" I almost shouted. "I'm already here outside Fidel, just look I can see you inside." He called. In an instant I stood up my seat, went out looked for that sexy boy with geeky glasses. I felt his presence. I looked, and there he was, Tonj, with all that trimming any guy would want. He smiled at me knowing this could be the perfect little thing he could do to make things absolutely perfect. Isn't it perfect? We all went outside, I hugged Tonj, Unattainable joined in grabbing Alex by arm, wanting to grab a kiss from him. Travis and the bookstore guy followed suit. Let's paaarthaay!!! Thinking to all what happened in the past few days is that our sort of unperfect life seemed to be perfect after all. Looking through imperfections make us realize we can live a perfect lives without having to be specifically be perfect. But this is a close as we can get to the real thing. To be continued... ************************************ for reactions, critiques please send me an email at reggietangan@edsamail.com.ph or visit my website at http://www.reggietangan.cjb.net/joy