The Love of My Life - Part 3

Continuing my ongoing Eighties drama where I met this gorgeous, sexy, homeless guy named Brad.

Brad moved into my center city Philadelphia Spruce Street fourth floor walk up apartment.  We lived together in that little fourth floor apartment during the week.  Bill lived at our uncompleted house thirty-seven miles away in Chester County, Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

I soon discovered that Brad was addicted to pills, both uppers and downers.  He also smoked pot regularly.  He asked me to join him in toking a joint.  I demurred because I was so afraid that I would start smoking cigarettes again.  Besides the only high I needed was being with Brad, in spite of all his demons.

I asked Brad to go with me on my annual trek to that gay Mecca, Provincetown, Massachusetts.  I had been going to Provincetown every summer since 1974.  I always went by myself save one time that Bill went with me.  He didn't like "P-town" and stayed in his room at the Best Western our whole week.  I was looking forward to Brad going with me.  Also, my best friend (at that time) Bob would also be in Provincetown the same week with his current boyfriend Nino.  We would meet them there.

July rolled around and Brad and I were off to Provincetown in a plane out of Philadelphia International.  In Boston we switched over to the commuter plane to Provincetown.  We landed at P-town airport in gorgeous weather which continued our whole week.

The video I posted is of part of our stay.  The first day, I rented a couple of bikes and Brad and I were off to the National Seashore Bike Trail.  I always biked by myself before, it was nice to have compnay.

On Day Two, we took a cruise out on the bay.  I brought wine and cheese with me.  We imbibed.  Bob had a little too much vino and threw my cooler in the bay.  He said "What the fuck is this? A gay picnic?"  Joking of course.  Old Butch Bob.  Once we touched land, Bob stripped off his shirt and retrieved my styrofoam $1.99 cooler.  Of course it wasn't a problem because the bay is only a foot deep about 500 yards out.  Lots of laughs, which is what vacation is all about.

By the way, the music that accompanies this video "It Feels Like Love" by Kelly Marie I will ALWAYS associate with those gay, happy, carefree summer days in P-Town.  Listening to this song warms my heart and brings a smile to my face, evoking memories of a long time ago that will never go away.  Enjoy!

To be continued:

The Love of My Life

Brad and my landladies pussy during our trip to Provincetown, Mass July 1980

How many of you can claim to have had a "love of your life?"  I am one of those fortunate few.  

For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, the love of my life isn't who you think he is.  Then again, maybe I'm confusing the "lust of my life" with the "love of my life."  Bill and I have been together forty-eight years.  Our first meeting wasn't one of hot and passionate sex, on my part anyway.  Sure, I liked Bill but I wasn't "in love" with Bill.  I grew to love Bill.  When I first moved in with Bill, when I was 22 years old (to his 35 years old), it was with the understanding that I had my "freedom" or else we wouldn't have set up house together.  Turns out lo these many years later that was the best decision I ever made in my life.  I grew to love Bill and would never leave him (nor he me) under any circumstances. They only time our love will stop is when one of us dies, which at our age (71 and 84 respectively now), shouldn't be too far off.

No folks, the "love of my life" was a man named "Brad."  No last names here to protect the guilty (he's still alive and not so well in Cincinnati).  

Oh I could write so much about that hot and passionate summer in 1980 that I met Brad but I will try to keep this short and interesting.  One thing I do know now, that I never loved/lusted after anyone any more in all my years on this planet. 

So how did I meet Brad?  Ironically I met him in a bar that I never frequented.  The bar was called The Drury Lane in Drury Lane (what are the odds?) in Philadelphia.  The bar I used to always go to was the "247 Bar" on 247 South Seventeenth Street (again, what ARE the odds?) in Philadelphia.  I don't remember why I decided to go to the Drury Lane that one spring night in 1980 but I did. Fate.

After a few drinks I saw this drop dead gorgeous looking man eyeing me from across the bar.  My knees went weak. 

The 80's were my heyday and I usually got my fair amount of attention when I frequented the gay bars but rarely from a looker like this guy.  Most of the guys who cruised me I wasn't interested in.  I usually went home alone.  Bill?  Remember, we had an "open" relationship (still do by the way but it is "inactive").

I don't remember who said the first words but I do remember that we knew we connected right away from that universe exploding eye contact.  

I also have no recollection what we talked about but I do remember that we went back to the place where he was staying near 10th and Spruce Streets. He didn't live there but was staying with a straight couple.  I found out later that the straight couple were friends of his former lover (that's what we called serious boyfriends back In The Day in the Gay World).  Much later I found out that his former lover had kicked him out and he was staying temporarily with those straight folk.

Well of course we slept together that night.  Need I elaborate?  Babydoll, I found out what LIFE WAS ALL ABOUT THAT NIGHT  I went around the world and back and then around again, and without a hot air balloon.  All of a sudden all the lyrics of all those love songs now made sense.

Too soon the light of dawn swept across us as we lay on his temporarily borrowed straight friend's bed.  Brad needed a place to live.  He was homeless.  Just my luck.  Didn't matter.  I was IN LOVE. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

To be continued (this is a book that I'm trying to condense into a few blog posts).