Read Online Chase of a Lifetime by Ryan Field - Free Book Online

there.”
    Jim thought it awfully presumptuous of the
desk clerk to assume he was a gay man without even knowing him. But this wasn’t
the first time it had happened. Even though Jim wasn’t effeminate or outwardly
flamboyant, most gay men could spot him right away. Straight people weren’t
sure. But he couldn’t hide anything from gay men, and this desk clerk was
definitely gay. Jim rubbed his chin and smiled. “Yes, I’m here for the weekend
event.” He had trouble saying the word gay aloud.
    As he turned to head into the Wilson room, where he saw
men of all ages gathered together through the wide doorway, he thanked the desk
clerk one more time and didn’t turn around again. He could feel the clerk’s
eyes penetrate his back with each step he took. He knew the clerk was wondering
why he was there and what he was up to.
    The last thing Jim wanted to do was walk
into a room filled with gay men he didn’t know. He was ready to puke at the
thought of getting together with one gay man that night, let alone a roomful.
He entered and an older man with salt and pepper hair and a wide waist reached
for his arm. “Welcome,” he said. “You must be from the younger chapter in
Bakersfield, California.”
    Jim smiled and said, “Ah well, I’m not
really from any chapter. I’m just here.”
    The older man started to laugh. He poked
another older man standing beside him in the ribs and said, “He’s so adorable.
I’m so glad we have younger guys coming to these events. I was worried we would
wind up with no one under fifty.”
    Jim smiled and glanced at the room. There
were, indeed, more older gay men gathered together than there were straight
people in the main lobby. It looked more like and all male AARP convention. “I’m
supposed to meet someone,” Jim said. He wasn’t going to go into detail. But he had
to say something.
    The man said, “I’m sure we have your name
here somewhere. Let me take a look.” He glanced down at a table where there was
a box filled with files. Without looking up, he asked, “What was your name
again?”
    Jim didn’t want to give his real name.
“Albert Rhys-Jones,” he said. It was the second name that popped into his head.
The first was Lady Gaga.
    The man smiled and continued poking through
the files. “I’m sure it’s in here somewhere. Just be patient, Albert. I’ll find
you.”
    This was getting out of hand. He couldn’t
stand there while the man looked for a name that didn’t exist. He thought fast
and said, “Well, I think I see my friend now.” He turned fast. “I’ll see you
later. I’ll definitely be back.” Then he left the Wilson room before the man had a chance to
say another word.
    The main lobby was virtually empty that
night. It was a holiday weekend and most people were either on vacation or at
home waiting to see fireworks. When he walked back toward the front door, he
noticed the desk clerk glance at him. The clerk’s expression suggested
curiosity, as if he were still wondering what Jim was up to at the hotel. And
this only made Jim even more nervous. He shoved his hands deep into his
pockets, started walking faster, and almost tripped over his own feet as he
passed the main desk.
    He wasn’t even sure where he was going. When
he noticed a room with tall double doors, he headed in that direction…anything
to get away from the curious clerk. It seemed to be a lounge, with a bar and a
small crowd listening to a pianist while he played quiet torch songs. Jim
stepped inside without glancing back at the desk clerk and crossed to the bar.
He ordered double vodka on the rocks, left a twenty dollar bill for the
bartender, and went over to a small table on the other side of the room.
    In less than fifteen minutes, while Jim was
staring down into his drink, a deep voice said, “Hello. I hope you weren’t
waiting too long. I got stuck behind a slow truck on the way over.”
    Jim glanced up and saw Len standing over
him. The alcohol had kicked in and his