Soho Dreams: a Soho Nights Story

Episode 13

Ocean offered Johnny a permanent job after his first night, meaning he got equal amounts of shifts as Kai and Brett. He worked every Friday and Saturday night and one night in the week after college. He was a popular dancer with the customers right from the start.

He'd got on well with Brett since that first day when he'd shown him around. Throughout the first night, Brett had kept going over to him and checking in, making sure he was doing okay and making sure he was keeping hydrated. Dancing was thirsty weekend it was often easy to forget to get a drink.

Already a week had gone by and he felt like he'd been doing it for years. He'd also made a friendship with Brett that usually took years to develop. They had a similar sense of humour and really seemed to click.

After Johnny's first shift, Brett had asked if he wanted to go to Basement for a few drinks. He felt such a successful night needed celebrated. Johnny accepted the offer and they'd carried on drinking until the early hours of the morning.

All his inhibitions had gone and he didn't even mind dancing in the window. It was dark, so it was unlikely that anyone he knew outside the fay scene would be out on the streets.

Jade and Milo came to see him on his ae ond weekend. He was more comfortable after a week, so didn't mind them coming. He'd thought it .ight be strange having his girlfriend watcj8him.dance on a bar. But it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. He'd bee naked in front of her more time than he could count. It was just a different setting.

After midnight, Jack, Ali, Jade and Milo left him o it and went to Essential.

'You coming to meet us there later?' Jade asked him.

'I'll probably just go home after my shift if you don't mind. I came here straight after a day at work and I'm pretty knackered.'

'Sure, that's fine.'

Jade wanted to kiss her boyfriend as she always did when they left each other, but she knew she couldn't. Johnny had explained the situation to her. she knew that he hadn't 'come out' as being straight to his colleagues yet and she didn't want to put his job at risk.

'I'll call you tomorrow,' he said.

'Okay.'

Jade left with her friends. Johnny hot back on the bar to finish the last hour of his shift.

Tramps stayed busy the rest of the evening. at one Ocean called last orders, but it was after half one before the last person was out. Johnny sat down at the bar and took a long drink of his water.

Brett came out through the doors from the back, fully dressed ready to go out after.

'You coming to Essential?' Brett asked him.

'Nah, I'm knackered,' said Johnny. 'I'm heading home.'

'Come on,' said Brett, 'I want to hang out with you.'

'Maybe next week,' said Johnny.

Brett looked at him. An idea entered his mind.

'You smoke weed?' said Brett.

Do the bears shit in the woods?

'Yeah,' said Johnny.

'I've just got some great new stuff,' said Brett. 'We could go and have a smoke if you wanted?'

As tired as Johnny was, he was never too tired for that.

'Okay sure,' said Johnny.

'Great, get dressed and we'll go.'

'Where are we going?'

'You'll see.'

They walked for about fifteen minutes. The further they got away from Soho, the quieter it got. They walked through a council estate. Johnny had no idea where they were going until they got to a large wire fence. Brett pushed at the door, which easchsined up, but opened enough for them to slip through it.