Only Prompts - 19. Blue Jays Pride Night

“Let’s just go. I’ve got two tickets, Pete.”

“For what? The nosebleeds?” Me, a broken leg and crutches, humping it up to the uppermost seats in the Roger’s Sky Dome was not appealing. Even for Pride night.

“Okay, well, they are not quite the nosebleeds,” Tom was saying. “And they are giving away Blue Jays Pride caps!”

“Well, I’m in for that! I need to advertise I’m gay.”

Tom simply stood and stared at me. “You know, it might help.”

I was seated on my sofa with my broken right leg resting on the coffee table. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Tom had moved into my tiny kitchen to make coffee. “It means you bitch about not having a boyfriend, but you don’t go anywhere there are available men.”

I hated when he was right! But I also don’t think I should chase guys either. “You know how I feel about throwing myself at people.”

Tom handed me a mug of fresh java. “Who said you should throw yourself? Maybe just being around and talking to some would be helpful.”

“Thanks.” I sipped my steaming drink. “How would being at the baseball game help?”

“Gawd, Pete. The place holds like sixty thousand people. It will be stuffed with LGBT men and women, with a few of us straight types sprinkled throughout. How could you not meet them?”

“Shit. Okay, okay. I’ll go.”

Tom handed me my ticket.

On game night we’d gotten there early enough to snag one of the coveted Jays Pride Caps. I wore mine as I stood in line for a beer. Tom had gone to the can. When my beverage arrived on the counter, I realized the problem I had; no hands! I looked around for Tom. Not seeing him, I swore under my breath.

“Hi, can I help?”

I turned. There was a guy, with his Pride cap in place, beer in hand. He was smiling. He was average looking, but then again, so am I.

“Thanks. I need another hand, I think.” I held out my pair, balancing on my crutches.

The guy beamed. “I’m Geoff. You can borrow mine.”

Geoff carried my beer to the table. Tom was still missing.

I sat and invited Geoff to do the same. “Sit down, please. I’m Pete.”

“Thanks.” Geoff put his beer on the small table. “You, um … here with anyone?”

“Just an old pal.” I smiled at my new friend and added hurriedly, “A straight friend; no idea where he is. What about you? You here on your own?”

“Yeah, I am. Decided on a whim.” Geoff sipped his beer. “It was come on down and at least see a ball game or sit home again.”

I grinned. “I’ve seen better games, but I like the idea of Pride night.”

“You know why they’re doing this Pride thing, don’t you?” Geoff asked.

I felt like I should. I thought back to the previous year. “Oh, was it the Pillar thing?”

“Yeah. That really surprised me.”

“It did me too. I mean, Kevin Pillar seems like a real decent person.”

“Yeah. Part of me wanted to believe how sorry he said he was.” Geoff took another sip of his drink. “But well … there’s a lot of other words he could have picked. Heat of the moment, he said. Well, he dragged that nasty word up from some dark place.”

I nodded. “Let’s hope they just start having Pride night annually rather than every ten years, or whatever it’s been.”

“Exactly.” Geoff smiled. “Listen, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be a wet blanket.”

“Nah, you’re not.”

Geoff ran his finger through the condensation left by his plastic beer cup, then looked up at me with a squint. “The game is kinda dull. I was thinking I’d buy a hot dog or something. I’m kinda hungry.”

“I am too. I thought Tom and I would grab some stadium food. But I think I have been dumped.”

Geoff stuffed his hand into the right front pocket of his jeans, leaning awkwardly to one side as he did. He dropped a handful of loonies, toonies, and other change onto the table. With his index finger he pushed a loony, a toonie and a quarter toward me. He scooped up the rest and pushed it back into his pocket.

As he smiled at me, I noticed the nicest hazel flecks in his brown eyes. I gazed down at the change and back up to him. “What’s this for?”

“Bus fare. I have a Pass.” He frowned. “I don’t own a car.”

“Okay, me either, but why the bus fare?”

“We aren’t too far from China Town. We could grab a streetcar and go get some food. If you want to, that is.”

“I’d like that. If you don’t mind walking slow.”

“Slow is fine. Gives us more time to talk.”

We finished our beer, while moaning about the Jays’ lackluster performance. Then Geoff helped me to my feet. He walked beside me as I moved through the crowds. The feeling I got when my now-date put his hand on my lower back was nice. As we walked, I saw Tom at a souvenir stand, trying to hide behind a t-shirt.

He smirked and gave me the thumbs up. I gave him the finger, grinned and kept on walking.

The End