I guess eveyone has a nemesis and I came face to face with mine last night – bit of back story required here; cue wavy lines, dissolving into a younger looking me. I was 21 and had only just moved to the city, dazzled by the bright lights of the gay scene and, to cut a long story short, I was naive enough to think that a much older guy who I was introduced to at a gay club through a friend of a friend of a friend etc and whom I found interesting, but had no sexual interest in would invite me back to his place without any ulterior motive and purely for some intelligent company – I didn’t become aware of how wrong I was until weeks later…

I had drunk a lot in the club and we did carry on drinking at this guy’s flat, but I’ve never been one to drink to oblivion and I know my limit. However, that night, from some point after arriving at his place, I have no memory; it’s a blank, and to this day I’m convinced of foul play, that he spiked my drink. I remember waking up early the next day in his bed, naked and feeling so sick, it was a wonder I managed to get my clothes on, creep out and make it home without vomiting.

I thought that was that, not exactly a memorable night, in fact not a night I could remember much at all, and even though I woke up de-clothed, I was certain nothing x-rated had taken place and I definitely didn’t feel violated; it seemed the worst thing to happen was this guy taking the opportunity to strip me and get a good look, but then maybe I’d done all that myself; I just couldn’t remember.

Then the fourth-hand bits of gossip and innuendo started spreading like an undetectable poison through my social networks; friends would wink and say that they heard about me and the old guy; people I barely new myself seemed to know all about my night with Barry; I felt violated, and became paranoid. I wasn’t able to pin down exactly what was alleged to have happened, as the story always changed. It didn’t help that I would sometimes see Barry out, and rather than confronting him and going straight for the source, I decided the best course of action was to avoid him at all cost, but the price was to encourage the spreading of more lies and embellishments of the story from him and his cohorts and spoil many a night out after making a hasty retreat from a bar or a club – nice guy right?

I won’t go into the details of what is alleged to have happened, as it’s not true and stating it just keeps it alive.
The other thing I haven’t mentioned is that Barry is a local politician and in the closet – unbelievably, considering how much time he spends on the gay scene, he still presents himself as a straight man to the electorate! Not that his being gay is exactly a secret.

Anyway, it all happened a good few years ago now, and I don’t have any strong feelings towards him anymore; I just see him for the pathetic man that he is – he was getting on then, but he’s still up to the same tricks, going to the same clubs – the only difference is that he has fewer friends, and the ones that hang around with him seem to get younger and more desperate each passing year.

As I mentioned, he was in the same club as me and Rich last night, and, better than ignoring him, I had the satisfaction of pretending not to remember him when he attempted to intercept me as I carried our drinks back from the bar.

I always have to restrain Rich from confronting Barry anytime they’re in the same vicinity, having told Rich the full story. Turns out Rich did enact a rather delicious revenge however; on a visit to the packed bathroom, he spotted his opportunity to stand next to Barry at the urinals. On looking down and to the side, he said very loudly to Barry “Shit, that looks nasty, you should get that looked at”, and you know how quickly gossip spreads…