Linemen – Hand Up

October 26, 2017November 11, 2017 ~ 7seasonsago ~ Leave a comment

Nick had been stuck in his truck all day. It had taken them three hours to drive to the job site. Upon arrival they had discovered that the materials had not arrived. The work would need to be postponed. The drive back had seemed to take even longer than the drive there adding to his general feeling of being stuck in a rut.

As he was fairly fresh with no real work under his belt, his supervisor had offered him overtime to take care of some routine emergency when he arrived back at the yard. Routine Emergency – this routine emergency was a car hitting a pole and had hit it so hard it was sitting on its back bumper looking like it was trying to climb the pole. In his line of work apparently this was routine he thought with fresh amusement at an old tag line.

The picture was impressive. Nick passed. As a single man working as a lineman he was making too much money to spend as it was. Also, he had plans for the night and it didn’t involve spending it with a bunch guys he had already spent too much time with today.

Nick had been taking a theater class at the local college at night. He was doing it to meet girls. He had always had a thing for the artsy types that were in drama. Tonight his professor was hosting an out of town dance troop. Part of his grade would be about watching this performance. Also, he was hoping to run into Nancy a girl he had been trying to chat up since the first day of class

When he got there, his professor was out of sorts. One of the volunteers to help the dancers change had flaked and they were trying to find a last minute replacement. Apparently this show had some quick costume changes

and a dresser was absolutely necessary. When the professor had asked him, Nick had flat out refused. No way was he going to help some grown dude get dressed.

“I can promise you at least a B in this class even if you cut for the rest of the year”, the professor had pleaded with the reserved dignity of academia.

Nick knew he needed some passing grades if he was going to keep going to this school and work often interfered with that. A solid B in his back pocket would certainly help.

This actually wasn’t that bad thought Nick as he helped the guy dress. Apparently there would be an after show party for the performers and crew and he was now invited. He had run into Nancy right before he headed back stage and they had made plans to do something after the show. Now they had something to do. He was pretty sure she was going to be impressed. Nick was helping the guy stick his foot in the leg of his jeans when he turned slightly to face one of the other dancers also getting help getting dressed.

He was in no way prepared to see a naked dancer’s swinging boobs as she leaned forward to fit them in her bra. The guy he was helping must have noticed because the next thing he heard was “Eyes on me! Focus! Hand up!” Nick looked down to and to his embarrassment found his hand resting on the poor guy’s naked ass. He had a feeling tonight was going to be quite a night.

The Airport – Flight Attendant

October 20, 2017November 11, 2017 ~ 7seasonsago ~ Leave a comment

Marie’s makeup was perfect. Somehow that gave her strength. She was on the last leg of her trip and back to work. The visit with Melanie at the resort had been a disaster. She had cried from Guam to Honolulu. The lady next to her had handed her tissues the whole way there – no questions asked.

The Airport

In addition, a 24 hour layover in San Francisco had almost also been a disaster. Marie had made plans to meet an old friend of hers from dance school, but when she got to the airport, no one was there to greet her. A call to his apartment revealed he had taken a gig with a touring modern dance company and was not in town.

“I’m sorry to do this to you”, she said to his roommate, “but is there any way I can stay with you for the night?”

“Sure”, he said. Then (like an Angel sent from heaven) he proceeded to be the perfect host. He made her a fresh bed, cooked her dinner, and then listened to the whole sordid tale of her break-up with Melanie. When she had arrived in Guam (where Melanie was working as a yoga instructor), Marie confessed to him, Melanie had proceeded to inform her that they would need to pretend to be just friends while she was staying with her. Then to add insult to injury Melanie had introduced her to her boyfriend. “It was the most humiliating and lonely moment of my life”, Marie confided.

“I know it’s a work night, but is there any way you would agree to go out dancing with me? I desperately need a night out.”

“I was actually going out,” replied Ryan. “There is a flamenco competition my friend is in tonight.”

The night out with Ryan in San Francisco to watch flamenco had been just what the doctor ordered she thought as she sat in JFK getting ready for her flight. Marie put on her uniform and applied her makeup putting Guam behind her. She was in the middle of the world with access to everywhere, she comforted herself. She was a flight attendant.

Dancers – Don’t Sickle

October 17, 2017November 11, 2017 ~ 7seasonsago ~ Leave a comment

Thomas sat sewing the elastic straps to his technique shoes on the hard stage of the empty theater. The cold ran right from the floor through the thin fabric of his warm up clothing chilling his underweight body – even more than the morning air. Morning – if you could call 11:30 morning. Let’s face it. This town was just fucking cold he thought with resignation. He wasn’t even sure where he was. He hadn’t used his passport in a while so he assumed they were somewhere in the continental US. Tennessee? Alabama? He vaguely recalled someone calling this the red neck tour.

He hadn’t made any friends so he couldn’t be sure and he really couldn’t be bothered to ask anyone. They were all uptight modern dancers in a touring show funded by some grant or other. Rehearsals had revealed he had the strongest technique of anyone in the company and this hadn’t endeared him to anyone. They were all wondering why he was slumming with them.

The reality was there weren’t a whole lot of offers waiting for him. He had an offer from a small regional ballet, an off Broadway musical, and this. He started dancing to see the world. The touring modern company had been the winner.

He was the first one ready for barre. There was no coffee and his GPS showed the closest café 3 miles away. He sat wondering how he was going to make it through warm up when a fellow dancer (he assumed due to the leotard he was wearing as he couldn’t recall ever seeing him before) sat next to him and handed him a cup. “Black right?”

“Thanks”, said a humbled Thomas. He sat there – adjusted his attitude, put his shoes aside, and walked to the center of the stage. “Any advice?” he asked looking back crouching in the ballet’s signature pose and pointing his foot.

“Don’t Sickle”