Jamaica, New York, February 2000That Thursday was one of my long days: up at 6, classes at LIU, teaching at LIU, gym, an hour train trip from LIU to Hofstra, teaching a three hour night class, and then an 1 1/2 hour train trip back to Manhattan.,
By the time I got on the campus shuttle to the Hofstra train station at 9:30 pm, I was exhausted, and not looking forward to the next 1 1/2 hours.
Standing on the platform on a cold, snowy February night didn't help matters.
I wanted to doze or read. I was in no mood for cruising or small talk.
No matter how cute the guy was.
So when Mason got on the train with me, I was not pleased. He was one of the nondescript students in my introductory class last semester: a freshman, tall and thin, pale, with thick brown hair, glasses, a sharp nose, a weak chin, and acne. Sort of cute, in a fresh-faced innocent way, but nothing spectacular.
He plopped down across from me and didn't say anything. I saw a sizeable basket that I hadn't noticed in class. Bratwurst, at least.
"Hi, Mason!" I said with my best smile.
"Hi, Mr. Davis," he said politely. "Where you headed?"
"Hi, Mason!" I said with my best smile.
"Hi, Mr. Davis," he said politely. "Where you headed?"
"Penn Station. "You?"
"Hey, me too! I'm going to meet some friends at the Tunnel. I've never been there before."
A mixed gay-straight club on 12th Avenue, a few blocks from Penn Station. Could Mason be gay?
He moved over next to me and started describing the club and his friends. A few follow-up questions should reveal if Mason was gay or not.
But I didn't get anywhere. Mason may be gay, but he wasn't open about it, and he wasn't cruising me. I was too tired to press the issue, basket or not.
Another hour, with a change of trains at Jamaica Station and a short subway ride, and I'd be home in the East Village, where there were plenty of open, active gay guys around, most with sizeable baskets.
As we chatted, I found myself ignoring Mason to gaze out the window at the thick-falling snow. It was coming down hard. I wasn't worrried - trains can plow through anything.
At a little after 10:30, we stopped at Jamaica Station to catch the train to Penn. Usually it was a five minute wait, or less. But tonight, as we stood shivering on the platform for five, ten, fifteen minutes...
Could we have missed it? It only came once an hour after 10:00 pm.
And the snow kept falling.
But I didn't get anywhere. Mason may be gay, but he wasn't open about it, and he wasn't cruising me. I was too tired to press the issue, basket or not.
Another hour, with a change of trains at Jamaica Station and a short subway ride, and I'd be home in the East Village, where there were plenty of open, active gay guys around, most with sizeable baskets.
As we chatted, I found myself ignoring Mason to gaze out the window at the thick-falling snow. It was coming down hard. I wasn't worrried - trains can plow through anything.
At a little after 10:30, we stopped at Jamaica Station to catch the train to Penn. Usually it was a five minute wait, or less. But tonight, as we stood shivering on the platform for five, ten, fifteen minutes...
Could we have missed it? It only came once an hour after 10:00 pm.
And the snow kept falling.
Just my luck. Waiting on a freezing train station platform in the middle of the night with a nondescript, straight student. The full story, with nude photos and sexual situations, is on Tales of West Hollywood.