So the lesbians left me just before 11:30. That was okay, though, because I do alright by myself. Besides, there were a lot of cute guys in Cherry’s and the music was pretty good. Though I tried to take a break from Cherry’s by going to the Ice Palace, once I found out they were charging ten bucks to get in (a joke, really!), I just went back to where I started.
My friend Michael trying to catch a few more z's before the ferry
Late Night Cherry’s and an Uh Oh Moment
It seems that the men come out late at Cherry’s and though there were still plenty of lesbians in the bar, there were an ample amount of dudes to go around. I saw my friends Michael and Christian, whom I later found out were both really named Michael (They were joking with me the first time we all talked.), and we danced for a bit. All in all, it was a good time, but around ten to one I figured I’d had enough and went to catch the ferry. I was about a minute too late! At least there is a 2:00 ferry on Saturday nights.
I headed back to Cherry’s once again for a little more dancing. I danced with a whole group of cute guys for about a half-hour and then decided to go for some pizza and head for the ferry. I went over to Cherry Grove Pizza and ordered two slices to go. When I got outside the two Michaels were sitting at a table and I asked if I could join them. We chatted and chatted like old friends and before you knew it, one of them asked what time it was. I looked at my watch and answered “quarter to.” I dunno, something told me to check the time on my phone, too, and when I did it said 2:09. Uh oh!
The other Michael checked his and it said 2:12. Big uh-oh’s!!! The three of us booked it outta there and headed over to the dock. There was no line. There was no ferry. At first I didn’t think anything of it, figuring we could just chip in and take a water taxi. None of us panicked, and I looked on my phone for a number for the water taxi. I dialed and asked the question…”how much?’ The answer was not what I was hoping for: $225.
Just as this happened, the workers from the pizza place were walking by towards their own boat for home. A little excitement ensued, but it lasted for just a split second as these two girls hocked their last two spots on the boat even before we could ask. The unthinkable became reality: we were going to have to spend the night. The next ferry would be at 8:30, a mere six hours away!
Docks were not meant for sleeping!
One of the Michael’s picked a spot for us to sleep in. It was towards the beginning of the dock, right next to Cherry’s, and it was covered. The three of us huddled down for a rough night. It was hard to sleep, as you can imagine. The music and revelry was still going on at Cherry’s and did I mention the wood was quite uncomfortable?
Our first shelter
After a little bit one of the Michaels took off, leaving the other one a little pissed. The two of them used to be a couple and now they’re like best friends, so I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. He didn’t say where he was going and so the two of us were left to try and sleep. It was absolutely freezing!
We caught some zzz’s for about two hours before stirring to find Michael still missing. The one I was with tried calling him, but he didn’t answer his cell. We took off in search of him and to waste a little more time, as the sleep did not come easy. As we walked, the missing Michael texted the other Michael to say he was on the beach, which was precisely where we were headed. On the way I finally got to see what goes on after hours in this gayest of gay places, and it’s a little too X-rated for me to explain here. Just use your imagination…Needless to say it wasn’t pretty!
Anyway, after a couple of unpleasant calls between the two Michaels, we never saw him and went back to our spot to get some more sleep. By then it was around 4:30AM. A few stragglers from the bars were mulling about and one in particular knew Michael.
“Hola chica, I haven’t seen you in like forever! How you been?”
They exchanged hugs and this one Hispanic guy was as loud and irritating as one could be. I could see how he might be fun at any other time, but I was in no mood for his loud, queeny plays on words, especially at that moment. After what seemed like forever, he took off into the night and the two of us finally headed back to our spot.
The proverbial tip of the iceberg
Michael and I nuzzled down together once again for warmth and sleep. As I said before it was absolutely freezing and I was shivering the whole time. Here and again, people would walk by towards the water, barely noticing our strewn bodies on the floor, but their voices just added to the restlessness of trying to catch some shut eye. I know now how homeless people in the city must feel all the time. At one point, these two guys walked right near us and were chatting away, not even knowing we were there.
Then the ultimate incident to the whole evening happened. One of the guys decided to dump his drink over his shoulder, right on the floor next to me. My whole body got splashed with vodka and some kind of juice. I couldn’t help but laugh and Michael joined in. We decided to move…
Finally, a nice place to relax
We walked across the boardwalk to the restaurant that’s right against the ferry dock, I forget its name. Its outdoor seating area is semi-protected and so it was already warmer than the other spot. Michael grabbed a tablecloth from one of the tables and we had our blanket. Finally, we could both get some sleep. Every bone in my body ached from the boards beneath me and against my head, but at least I was able to some z’s. Around 5:30, the other Michael returned and joined us. The sun had already risen in the Sunday morning sky.
Our second and final resting place
An empty and quiet Cherry's in the morning
At around seven, I couldn’t take it anymore. I went in search of a cup of coffee and a seating spot in the warm morning sun. The two Michaels eventually joined me, as did these three girls who had also been in the same predicament as us. Before long, the Hispanic guy from earlier came down, still bubbly and loud, but at least he was more pleasant in the morning. The seven of us sat and chatted, actually feeling better that the ferry was almost here. Finally, around 8:20, our moment came. We saw the ferry on the horizon, heading our way.
Our ship coming in
The boat docked and we all boarded, the happy end to our long night. Back in Sayville, the three of us parted ways and once again we forgot to exchange numbers. Oh well, we’ll see each other again, I’m sure, only next time we’re all gonna be more mindful of the clock, that’s for sure. In the meantime, I’m starting to think that I should change the name of this blog to “The Misadventures of John, a Lovable, Strange, and Sometimes Funny Type of Guy.” What do you think?
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