Prince Charming

Once upon a time, about 20 years or so ago, two best friends decided to head to the magical city of Columbia SC, to experience what nightlife there was like. They rode into the night for an hour or so, chatting and playing loud 80's music on the stereo, before pulling up in front of a nice little motel. Each was excited about what prospects the city held for them. They check in, unpacked and readied themselves for the adventures ahead. Off they went in search of neon and bass beats. They visited three establishments, each more fun than the last. The music blasted, the alcohol flowed and they danced heartily. The last little place they visited was packed with handsome and charming men. The gawked and stalked to no avail. The taller, yet willowy one was ready to move on and call it a night. The handsome, muscular one was having fun, for he had spotted a potential husband among the crowd. The best friend left, since they had separate rooms and weren't but a block or so away, the other stayed to try his luck.

After much eye contact and shy smiles, they still hadn't spoken. The crowd left, only a few remained behind gathered around the bar. Our heroes cast sly glances at one another from across the bar. The handsome lad was smitten with his future husband's looks and demeanor. A strong jaw line, sparking blue eyes, luxurious dark hair, neatly trimmed, a beautiful smile, he couldn't believe the interest he was showing. He whispered to the bartender that he hated he came on a night when the male entertainers weren't there. The bartender sighed and smiled before being called by the beauty across the way. He could see them talking, the future husband raised up to look over the bartender's shoulder at the handsome lad. As the bartender turned away, he jumped up on the bar. He teased with his shirt, flashing abs and pecs. He threw it on the floor. He gyrated and grind. He unzipped his pants and twirled. The handsome lad was mesmerized. This show was for him! As he twirled and bent over, he lost his balance. Oh my, the handsome lad called out. He tumbled behind the bar. His chin the cooler. He was shaken and a little embarrassed. He gathered himself together and walked round the bar.

He perched on the stool next to the handsome lad. They smiled knowingly at each other. They introduced themselves. The handsome lad thanked the beautiful stranger for his dance and offered his sympathy for his slight injury and misstep. He noticed it was bleeding slightly and offered his assistance. They retired to the privacy of restroom. The handsome lad dabbed at the cut with a wet towel, leaning closer the his face to get a better look. Their eyes met and their lips hungrily found each other. The groped and moaned in the tight space. The beautiful man offered his place for the night. Handsome lad eagerly accepted.

It was early, early morning, around 4am when they arrived at his place. A nice home on a quite street. The beauty fixed breakfast for them both. They necked a little more. In the harsh light of the kitchen, handsome lad couldn't believe his new friend looked even better. They showered together and retired to the bedroom. There was a huge poster sized picture of the beautiful man leaning against the far wall. He inquired about it. Beautiful man once modeled, hence the picture. They explored each others bodies with hands and mouths. Making love like a long celibate monk let loose upon the world. Moans and groans and words of encouragement were all you could hear. Finally, they fell exhausted into each other's arms and slept blissfully till noon.

It was near time, merely an hour or so away before beautiful man had to go to work. He drove his new friend to the hotel. The handsome man didn't see his best friend's car in the parking lot. He walked to the office while the model waited in his car. The desk clerk confirmed his fear. He had been abandoned and his friend didn't pay for his room like he said he would. He used his last dollar to pay the bill, because they wouldn't accept an out of town check. This was the dark days before the proliferation of debit cards and ATMs. He gathered his stuff from the room and went back to the car. He explained the situation. The beautiful model said" don't worry, after work, I'll make sure you get back home." The handsome lad sighed in relief and gratitude. He couldn't believe his best friend would do this to him. Abandon him in a strange city, far from home, with no money.

He explored the city, carrying his backpack with him. Such humidity, so much walking. When a gay bar opened later that afternoon, he quickly went inside. The bartender was a kind fella and remembered him and his friend from the night before. He even inquired as to where he was. The handsome man explained it all with much indignation. The bartender was aghast. They set at the bar talking watching people slowly trickle in. Word got around as to what had happened. The nice locals bought him drinks and paid for pools games with him. His mood was lifting, though secretly he was a little worried that his beautiful model may let him down, now that he had time to think about it.

The time came to meet up with the model outside his place of employment. There he was smiling, waiting for him. He even gave a hug and a peck on the cheek in welcome. They got into the car, where the model explained that something had come up, but he was gonna make sure he got home like he had promised. After a short drive, the car pulled into the Greyhound bus station. It wasn't ideal the handsome man thought, but it beat walking or hitch hiking. The beautiful model purchased the ticket for him and found seats for them to wait. They talked, truly enjoying each other's company. Finally, it was time to go. They walked slowly to the bus, gave a small kiss on the cheek to each other, hugged and said goodbye. The beautiful model watched as the bus carrying the handsome lad pulled out into the night.

That was the only time the handsome lad had ever been to that far away city, but it left him with a good impression despite what happened with his best friend. The beautiful model was true to his word. He got him back home safely. The handsome man remembered all the kind fellas that help make that time bearable. He had never experienced such kindness from strangers before or since. The handsome man looked back on that night. He realized that he not only found his Prince Charming, but a whole community of them, as he spoke into the phone, "Mother, can you....."