Medicine of Magic

“Oh? You were.busy?”

“No. I was just.not ready for you to come to my place.yet. Don’t take it badly, Mick. There may well be a.later. Now, do you still want to cruise?

“Yep. I lowered my voice and spoke into her ear as we walked toward the restaurant door. Got cash strapped to my leg, the cards secreted elsewhere, and all set for a night on the tiles.”

“Okay, Mick. Here we go. Get us a taxi, will you?”

I did, Robin gave an address and we sere soon getting out of the cab at the top of a set of steps.

“Bistro? I asked, grinning.

“D’you know what it means in Russian, Mick? No, this is a.dive.but an interesting one. They know me here as Robin, a friendly girl, nothing else. I have several gay friends, Mick. Don’t worry, they will not come on to you. Oh.I occasionally date gays, you know. I’m considered a big, fun girl.”

We stepped carefully down the stairs, down farther than I’d thought, turned right in a little alley and Robin knocked in a certain rythym on the green door. Just like the old speakeasy days, I thought.

Sure enough, a slot opened, an eye peered forth and the door was opened with gusto as the man within exclaimed,

“Robin, It’s been a while. How are you, dear? He pecked her on the cheek as she embraced him.

“Phil.this is Mick, my date for the evening. He’s straight, no competition for the boys.”

“Go right on in. The boys are at the bar swapping lies with Harry, as usual. Go on in. Please t’meet ya, Mick. He shook my shoulder as I passed him, but it was a gentle, friendly shake and I could not resent it, although I hated being touched by people I didn’t know.

Three men in the bar greeted Robin with essentially the same phrases as the doorman.Phil.I’d better remember names.had used, and Robin kissed each of them perfunctorily. Just one of the three was my idea of a gay man. He was rugged looking, brawny, a half smile on his face, and he looked at me with what I thought was lust in his eyes.