Chapter 6

Marty's transportation wasn't what Charlie had expected. A big Honda VTX1800 motorcycle rumbled up the street and came to a halt in front of him. He wasn't even sure who it was until the helmet came off.

"All right!" Charlie exclaimed with an ear-to-ear grin. "This is so cool!"

"Thought you might like it," Marty came back. "Grab that helmet off the sissy bar and climb aboard!"

He slid the full-face helmet over his head and got settled snugly behind his friend. "It's a beautiful bike, Marty. Looks like it weighs a ton."

"Not by half. Basically, it's an old Gold Wing without all the gew-gaws. If you haven't ridden on the back before, just remember not to try to help me by leaning on the turns and keep your feet on the pegs when we're at a stop. It doesn't help and you'd probably burn your leg on the exhaust pipe. Ready?"

"Let's go!"

The big machine rapidly accelerated down the street and turned off toward Palo Alto. After they got into the traffic and moving in a straight line, Marty turned his head and shouted over the wind, "Do you like seafood?"

"Yes, I love it!" Charlie shouted back.

It took twenty minutes to get to the restaurant on the outskirts of town. Marty backed the machine into a parking spot and killed the engine. Charlie started to hang the helmet on the sissy bar but he was instructed to bring it along since there was a chance it would disappear if he didn't. They were led through several small, rustic dining areas to a table near the back and given menus to peruse. Marty ordered scallops in a white wine sauce and Charlie decided on grilled Alaska salmon. Both asked for iced tea.

"If you want wine or something, don't deny yourself on my account." Charlie offered.

"I don't drink. It's not a moral issue or anything. It's just that I tried it once and didn't like my brain not working the way I wanted it to. Hope you're not offended but in my opinion, dope is for dopes. That's also why I don't hang out at the off-campus hangouts. Maybe that makes me kind of a wuss, do you suppose?"

"Not at all. I've never enjoyed watching people turn into complete asses under the influence."

Through most of the dinner, they exchanged small talk and information about themselves, nothing too personal. The food was the best Charlie could remember enjoying for a long time. After the dishes were cleared away and they were finishing their iced tea, Marty caught Charlie staring intently at his face with a curious expression.

"What? Have I got a booger hanging out of my nose or something?"

"Oh," his companion blushed, "I'm sorry for staring. I, of all people should know better. It's just I've read a lot about what makes a person attractive to others and your face is about a perfect example of symmetry. You could easily be a model. I guess I'm envious."

"Well, I'll tell you two things, Pal. One, I have done quite a bit of modeling and it's not nearly so glamorous as you might imagine and, two, your face isn't nearly so off-putting as you think it is. Give yourself a break, for god's sake!"

"I don't mean to sound self-pitying. I'm used to what I look like. It's just that I wonder what you found interesting about me in the first place since it obviously wasn't my looks."

"It was your running. I was behind you for about a block before I caught up and I was impressed by how smoothly you moved on your feet. After I introduced myself, I found more things about you that were interesting. I can't remember ever meeting a more mature sixteen year-old."

"Thanks for the compliment. I suppose you have girls waiting in the wings for you to ask them out. That I have to be envious of."

"I've had a few dates but women would get awfully tired of waiting for me to ask them out. The fact is I'm gay. I hope you're not shocked and disgusted by that. I would have misread you by a wide margin if you were."

Charlie grinned. "No, I'm not shocked or disgusted. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that people are what they are. I suppose I started thinking along those lines when I became aware that my stepdad was such a homophobe. That alone was enough to get me thinking that it was a very wrong-headed attitude."

"They are a strange lot, aren't they? Look, since I've announced myself to you, maybe I should add that I'm not a predator. I didn't invite you out tonight to seduce you, although I have to admit the thought has some appeal. Your purity is safe with me."

This time Charlie laughed outright. "The thought would never have occurred to me and besides, I can probably outrun you. It's comforting to know I won't have to compete with you for women."

When the check came, Charlie reached for his wallet but Marty stopped him. "I invited you, remember? Dinner's on me. You can get it next time."

"Thanks."

"Have you seen the Pacific yet?"

"No! Is it near?"

"Only about thirty miles. Come on, we've still got more than an hour of daylight and I happen to know where there's a great view."

Just as the vast ocean horizon was coming into sight, Marty turned off the road between two stone pillars. They rode for nearly half a mile up the paved drive and past a magnificent mansion. They continued through a wooded area and came out onto a promontory overlooking miles of beach and an unparalleled view of the Pacific Ocean. The sun was just beginning to drop beneath the horizon, looking like a big red ball floating on the water. The two new friends got off and slowly strolled through the tall grass to the edge of the cliff.