Chris is seating on the curb to the sidewalk attached to White Castle on Harmon and Paradise. It is right across the New Virgin Hotel the former Hard Rock Casino. In about three hours this area will become a hotbed of activity. Seventy-five percent of it gay people. There are three gay bars within walking distance of a block or two. Depending on how you define a block in Las Vegas. Sitting at his feet is a piece of cardboard that say HUNGRY. I pull into the space and park.
He watches me pretend to be busy as I watch him. I am way too old to being doing this but I have no one to stop me. I finally get out of my car and go inside to order. I come out five minutes or less and he is there noticing my exit. I approach and say I have food and beverage but we eat in my car and we have to talk while we eat. I go get in my car, he sits and watches and finally shows up at the passenger door. which I unlock and he climbs in.
His tells me his name is Chris and says thanks for getting this. He digs in and then apologizes for a mouth full of food. He finally swallows takes a drink. Explains it the first time he has eaten today and those first food bites of food just taste too good. What do you want to talk about? Are you going to ask me to pray with you, or have sex?
I tell him my name is Brian and asked if he had a preference of prayer or sex.
He said Prayer gets him food, Sex gets him money, and he needs both food and money all the time. It is how he survives.
I lived here forty years and Nevada was built on the trafficking people. People surviving by slave labor. You can live here if you bla bla bla and bla this too. As a bartender I have helped many older men get guys like Chris drunk enough. It is easier to pretend you are fine with the groping after a few cocktails. Everyone wants the same outcome. Let's do this just to get it over with and move on. They like the old guys drunk too.
Months later they show back up as out of the closet gay boys with a daddy, they call husband. They were made to be gay literally and milking it for all it was worth. Mind you in some cases it was substantial. As bartenders we knew the sicko's from the boys that get away and tell stories. They start to add up and you get the picture of what people are into.
You personally add to the rumores just by warning people. I hear he is into this, are you cool with that? I would ask.
Most young men have some daddy issue, screwed up and got caught, and are looking for a way out. From tiny little towns in a five state radias. They come to Las Vegas. Then occasionally you meet someone like Chris. He was a Vegas baby born at Sunrise Hospital. At the age of seventeen and nine months he is hoping to turn eighteen and move on with his life. He is listed as a juvenile run away six months ago but no one is looking for him. He can't get a job, or go to a shelter they will send him back to his dad.
Chris has a learning disability and was on an IEP Individualized educational plan at school. His father was an alcoholic and verbally abusive. His father was telling him gay was his only option due to his disability and sadly if he wants his father to support him. Chris was more than willing to excuse his dad's behavior due to the alcohol. He did not talk that way when he was sober. He also seemed to think his age was the only thing stopping his dad sometimes. Then he drops the bombshell. His father did two years in California at the age of twenty and was made to do gay stuff. He got out, came to Las Vegas because back then it could help get you a job, and help starting over. His dad met and married his mom and he was born a year later. She ran away when he was ten. He tried dating but he was legally still married and needed a mother for a ten year old that just lost his real mom. Chris said it is everyone out for themselves. Then he asks...So, what do you want old man, more than just my story.
I ask. Can you tell me if you are gay for pay because your dad said this is your only choice, or is this where you see your life going.
He smiles and says my questions are too hard or he doesn't like the answer. People do what they have to survive. I need three more months and I can make my own choices. It is twisted that I am running away from my dads threats to doing gay stuff with strangers. He gets a bit emotional, and makes himself stop. I should go Thanks for the conversation.
I flash a fifty and ask him to go for a ride, no sex. I want one more hour please.
He seems a bit relieved but his mind racing over all his choices.
I ask if you have your stuff stashed we should get it. It is going be crazy here. He smiles, You done this before that is kind of creepy. He points to the dumpster area, If you pull up I can grab it. I do as requested and he exits to return with a full camping gear backpack , foldable, chair and tent. I had to pop the trunk. He explained he got it on Amazon over a year ago, and when his dad got the credit card bill he paid it. He had been preparing for this for over a year. He has been live in various places all over Las Vegas out of that tent.
I am old and try to do things as cheap as possible. Thirty minutes ago I was thinking a room for a week is about two-fifty, not sure I was prepared for three months. I drive to my house and suggest he can leave his stuff in the car. He was extremely nervous and I said I don't want to have sex with you. Promised no sex please relax.
Of course he played the hurt young man part. You say that now, but you have not seen me naked yet. He meets my three dogs and they fall in love. He was slightly overwhelmed with the attention. We get them outside to the back yard. I got a small pool grill, and bar area including an outside bathroom and shower. A large fenced in real grass area for the dogs surround in shade from flowering trees. It's Las Vegas and I have a husky.
I could see his head was spinning, and before he got too carried away I suggest he can pitch his tent in my backyard. In exchange for play time (he cringes) with my dogs. I point to Your bathroom and shower and you can only come inside my house when invited. He cannot invite anyone over. He can leave when it is daylight and back before ten pm because either way the dogs will go crazy.
I ask. Do you want a ride back to White Castle or to grab your stuff from the car.
He puts out his fist for a bump. I comply and seconds later I get his arms around my neck a hug. Thanks Brian three months and I will be out of your hair. He had that tent set up in twenty minutes, and was running across the yard in a towel to take a shower. He was in there thirty minutes. I ordered a pizza and we sit outside with the dogs and start a friendship. He looks like a different person with the stress and sadness gone from his face.
He is looking up at the sky and tells me ....Everyone one comes to Las Vegas to get lucky. I was born here. I am a Vegas baby. A native, a local. I have had the worse luck. My parents hook up and produce offspring - Me. (Lucky?) They freak, can handle the responsibility oh well. After ten years it's a curse and I am seventeen. Passed down to me by my unlucky parents.
He sits up and looks at me. Today I hit a jackpot. A chance to chance for me to live my life. You have no idea what this means to me. I swear I will make you so proud of the kindness you have showed me today. He seems to think if he could emails his teachers he could still pass and get credit for this year. He said because it is special ed he can request more time.
He is all kinds of hyper and shows me all his stuff. I give him the wifi password and he connects a tablet. We spent twenty minutes getting electricity to the tent safely so he could charge it. I went to bed at midnight and realized he set the tent up that he can see into the kitchen window as I can see into his tent. He waves and blows me a kiss good night. He reaches over and turns off the light in the tent. My husky wants to spend the night outside with him. A breezy seventy degrees tonight, and that's just Vegas, baby.
Vegas Baby - Story Time Blog
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