Soho Pride: A Soho Nights Story

Episode 7

Luke had also followed the parade over to the park, but he'd done it alone. He'd chatted to a couple of people on the way, but only for a few moments. Everybody else was with friends, and probably wouldn't want some random guy tagging along with them. It made him sad thinking back to the time when he had friends too. But fuck those guys. He'd opened up to them, hoping they'd accept him for who he was and they'd rejected him. He didn't need them anymore. He wanted to find what he'd often heard referred to as his 'chosen family'. Those were the people you met on the gay scene who accepted you for who you were. It didn't stop him missing his old friends though, especially on days like this when he could have used some friendly support.

He walked through the stalls, looking at the custom made jewellery and T-shirt stalls. He looked at the different charities and turned down the free pens, badges and flags. He hadn't brought a bag and didn't want to carry any more than he had to. His jeans were perfectly fitted. Even his wallet and his phone in his pockets stuck out of his silhouette.

As we walked, he smiled at groups of guys, hoping to strike up a conversation. But nobody smiled back at him. He wondered if he was coming across as slightly creepy. Or maybe it was the clothes we was wearing. He'd dressed just as we would going for a night down the pub with the lads. These was the clothes he always wore, but he'd never been out on the gay scene before, so didn't know if the way he'd dressed was acceptable or not. Did he look too straight? He'd pretended to be that for so long, that it was difficult to break out of that way of thinking.

He looked around at other guys his age to see how they were dressed. It was a sunny day and he was in a park of other gay men. One trend emerged. Most of them were shirtless.

He knew what he had to do, but wasn't sure if he had the nerves to do it. He knew he had a good body. He spent most his week in the gym or playing rugby (or at least he had, until he'd been kicked of the team). But was he ready to put himself on display in the middle of the park? He took a deep breath, and without thinking, pulled his shirt off over his head. He tucked it into the waistband of his jeans, that with his top off now displayed the top of his boxer shorts. He carried on walking.

'Hi,' said the first guy who passed him.

'Hi,' he replied.

He felt the guys eyes follow him as they passed.

'Hi,' said another guy, a few seconds later.

'Hi,' Luke replied.

He'd done it; he'd broken the ice. All he had to do was remove an item of clothing.

❤🧡💛💚💙💜

After getting to the park, Kai and Ali had gone off on their own to spend some time together. They'd arranged to meet everyone else at the beer tent in an hour's time.

They walked hand in hand, hardly speaking.

'Is everything okay?' Ali asked him.

He'd been too busy thinking about how he'd propose that it took him a couple of seconds to realise she'd spoken.

'Oh, yeah,' he said. 'Why'd you ask?'

'I don't know. You just don't seem yourself today. First you were late, then when you do get here you're really quiet. Have I done something to upset you?'

'No,' he said, 'as if you ever could.'

'Then what is it?'

He considered getting on his knee right now and asking her, but the moment didn't feel right.

'Nothing,' he said, 'I'm fine.'

They key on walking in silence. From in the distance, Ali could hear someone calling Kai's name. He didn't seem to notice at first, but that was of no surprise. He was in a world his own today.