prattled, “Do you suppose the papers are right claiming that boy was straight? I think it’s just his mother. Such a pity. The boy is dead and his mother’s main concern is that everyone knows he was straight. Poor little bastard.”
“He could have been. You just don’t know.”
“Looks like a classic case of doing the beats to me. And they’ll never catch the bastards who did it. The police don’t try over-hard. Don’t care. Another poof hits the dust, that’s all it means to them. It’s like sideshow alley to them, nothing more. Down goes another.” Gerry was looking a bit odd. Obviously he wanted Robert to be more discreet in front of Steve, but why should he? It was time people from Gerry’s work met Robert. Besides he was going to impress upon the kid the danger of the beats. It would be a bonus to know what kind of thing could happen. So on he went: “It’s hard for the police anyway. It’s motiveless crimes like this that go unsolved.” Gerry butted in, “We don’t know that it was motiveless. Anyway, Steve doesn’t want to hear all this. He’s got problems of his own tonight.”
‘‘Sorry I spoke,” Robert mouthed pertly. Steve sat feeling even more awkward. Even a lot of the language was unfamiliar to him. Nor did he want his troubles to become the centre of attention right now. He just wanted to drink his coffee and go. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Gerry. He felt wrong. He needed to be alone. Robert had given him some pastry thing and a cake fork to eat it with. He couldn’t use the fork and had shot crumbs all over himself when he tried. Gerry came silently to the rescue by using his fingers to eat his own. Robert noticed too, and felt guilty about it. Of course Steve wouldn’t use a cake fork. On the other hand he would have to learn to overcome such things. Sooner or later he would need all the social skills he could muster amid elements of the gay community. Let him start to build his survival kit now, amongst friends.
“Will you talk to your parents first?” Gerry asked. “Don’t know. S’pose so. Mum will be pretty cut up. She was pretty keen on being a grandmother.”
“Maybe you should just tell Sue.”
“I don’t know. I don’t s’pose you could sort of … ?” “No, I don’t s’pose he could,” cut in Robert. “You stay out of it Gerry. It’s up to Steve.”
“Yeah.” They sat on in silence. At length Steve said, “It’s a nice place.” The statement sat alone in the shared awkwardness.
“We’ve been here years,” Gerry said absently.
“It’s nice,” Steve repeated. Robert sensed he was the cause of the unease and considered finding another excuse to withdraw. He couldn’t see why Gerry was getting involved. He was prepared to bet the boy would make the same mistake he had and go through with the wedding. Then it was kids like Steve who ended up having to do the beats to meet someone. He couldn’t see what Gerry was getting uptight about. Steve was just the kind of kid who needed to be warned of the dangers it incurred, the kind of kid who ended up dead in the park with his mother pleading he was straight. At times Gerry was so prim about things like that. Warning Steve was surely best.
“You going to be alright?” asked Gerry.
“Yeah. I’d better be going now.” And he was on his feet to leave. Gerry guided him to the hall. Steve paused in the doorway.
“Is it OK if I talk to you again? After I’ve told her, I mean.”
“Sure. Of course. And Steve.”
“Yeah?”
“You’ll be alright?”
“Yeah.” He went. Robert heard the door close and was there in a moment.
“And what was all that about?” Gerry explained as well as he could. Really there was little to say.
“That’s what I thought,” Robert rejoined. Then returning to the kitchen, he proceeded to sing in bursts of falsetto, “I’ve got a crush on you.”
“What’s all this about?” Gerry asked at the door.
“Well, don’t you think he
“He could have been. You just don’t know.”
“Looks like a classic case of doing the beats to me. And they’ll never catch the bastards who did it. The police don’t try over-hard. Don’t care. Another poof hits the dust, that’s all it means to them. It’s like sideshow alley to them, nothing more. Down goes another.” Gerry was looking a bit odd. Obviously he wanted Robert to be more discreet in front of Steve, but why should he? It was time people from Gerry’s work met Robert. Besides he was going to impress upon the kid the danger of the beats. It would be a bonus to know what kind of thing could happen. So on he went: “It’s hard for the police anyway. It’s motiveless crimes like this that go unsolved.” Gerry butted in, “We don’t know that it was motiveless. Anyway, Steve doesn’t want to hear all this. He’s got problems of his own tonight.”
‘‘Sorry I spoke,” Robert mouthed pertly. Steve sat feeling even more awkward. Even a lot of the language was unfamiliar to him. Nor did he want his troubles to become the centre of attention right now. He just wanted to drink his coffee and go. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Gerry. He felt wrong. He needed to be alone. Robert had given him some pastry thing and a cake fork to eat it with. He couldn’t use the fork and had shot crumbs all over himself when he tried. Gerry came silently to the rescue by using his fingers to eat his own. Robert noticed too, and felt guilty about it. Of course Steve wouldn’t use a cake fork. On the other hand he would have to learn to overcome such things. Sooner or later he would need all the social skills he could muster amid elements of the gay community. Let him start to build his survival kit now, amongst friends.
“Will you talk to your parents first?” Gerry asked. “Don’t know. S’pose so. Mum will be pretty cut up. She was pretty keen on being a grandmother.”
“Maybe you should just tell Sue.”
“I don’t know. I don’t s’pose you could sort of … ?” “No, I don’t s’pose he could,” cut in Robert. “You stay out of it Gerry. It’s up to Steve.”
“Yeah.” They sat on in silence. At length Steve said, “It’s a nice place.” The statement sat alone in the shared awkwardness.
“We’ve been here years,” Gerry said absently.
“It’s nice,” Steve repeated. Robert sensed he was the cause of the unease and considered finding another excuse to withdraw. He couldn’t see why Gerry was getting involved. He was prepared to bet the boy would make the same mistake he had and go through with the wedding. Then it was kids like Steve who ended up having to do the beats to meet someone. He couldn’t see what Gerry was getting uptight about. Steve was just the kind of kid who needed to be warned of the dangers it incurred, the kind of kid who ended up dead in the park with his mother pleading he was straight. At times Gerry was so prim about things like that. Warning Steve was surely best.
“You going to be alright?” asked Gerry.
“Yeah. I’d better be going now.” And he was on his feet to leave. Gerry guided him to the hall. Steve paused in the doorway.
“Is it OK if I talk to you again? After I’ve told her, I mean.”
“Sure. Of course. And Steve.”
“Yeah?”
“You’ll be alright?”
“Yeah.” He went. Robert heard the door close and was there in a moment.
“And what was all that about?” Gerry explained as well as he could. Really there was little to say.
“That’s what I thought,” Robert rejoined. Then returning to the kitchen, he proceeded to sing in bursts of falsetto, “I’ve got a crush on you.”
“What’s all this about?” Gerry asked at the door.
“Well, don’t you think he
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