Awkward!

He was with a group of people, because I could hear voices and music in the background. He sounded a bit juiced as well. Someone interrupted him, and he said, “It’s okay,” and I told him to call back when he could actually talk to me.

“I can talk, Isaac. At least enough to tell you that I should have called you sooner.”

“Don’t worry about it, Peter. I’m a big boy.”

“When can I see you?”

“When is good for you, Peter? I have nothing pressing in my schedule.”

“How about tomorrow evening?”

“Do you want to come over for dinner?”

“That would be fine.”

“Come about six.” There was raucous laughter in the background and the music had gotten considerably louder.

“What?”

“Six,” I shouted into the phone. “Come over at six.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll see you then, he said.” And, at that point he was interrupted by someone saying that they were ready to leave, and was Peter coming with them?”

“I’ve got to go, Isaac. See you tomorrow evening.” The phone line went dead, and I couldn’t help but feel that Peter had squeezed that call into a busy social evening, almost as an after thought. At the same time, I felt my heart leap. I know it skipped a beat or two. Could we be good friends now? Or had Peter learned to love the young gay social whirl so much - being sought after and fawned over in the bar and club scene - that he wouldn’t have time for his old friend? Had a chasm opened between us? Or could we renew and make better a friendship that had become muddied and awkward because of an unhealthy physical attraction on my part, and an insalubrious eromenos-like (ancient Greek student/lover) attraction on Peter’s part?


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