he was reading in green pants and glasses. “excuse me, can you tell me how to get to dolores park from here?” he had explained me off the bart, on the muni, and somewhere near a market when he realized i’d surely get lost. he offered to ride along with me. he was in advertising. freelance. and one of his eyes was lighter than the other. in the sun, they sparkled gold. his parents and older brother all lived in chicago. and sure, he missed them, but he loved this city too much. when i asked him why, he said it was always having to look twice. “every day i catch a glimpse of something that makes me forget, even if just for an instant, where i am and what i am doing.” i leaned in and i kissed him. we reached the park and found a spot, and were soon approached by a pirate dragging his treasure chest. we bought two beers and off the pirate went. he asked where i was staying. i told him i didn’t know. “don’t you have friends in the city?” i told him i didn’t. “business?” none. “what are your plans?” i don’t have any yet. he leaned in and he kissed me. over dinner we found and booked my hotel room. he walked me to my room and said he’d be by in the morning. i woke to the sun through my window and a knock at my door. he’d come just like he said he would. with coffee for two. he watched as i dressed. after about an hour’s drive in his boxy, white accord we were surrounded by redwoods. all day. he’d brought along cheese and wine. “how are you allergic to cheese?” i stayed under the covers and he stayed over that night. and in the morning, we fucked. we fucked that afternoon. and that time between morning and afternoon - we fucked then, too. also see : evening, night and twilight and all the moments in between. we had tacos for dinner; his favorite hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant. we took tequila to go.
i went for all of the wrong reasons. or maybe it was all of the right reasons. i don’t think i really had a reason. i just went. it felt so good to leave. it felt even better to arrive. to arrive in a place where i was not expected and there was nothing expected of me. i arrived on a Monday three months ago and spent the entire week with him. he arrives tomorrow to spend an entire week with me. things happen when you’re not expected.
