The Beginnings - Part 71: 'I HOPE HE LIKES GIRLS'

She still lingered in his mind.  He wondered what she was doing right now.
-as heard during the 2009 Australian film
MARY AND MAX

Twenty-five years ago Photo: September 12, 1987


PHOTO: Michael Joe Armijo
Self-Portrait of me after a bike ride, wearing my dad’s lambs’ wool jacket, my Donald Duck caricature T-shirt at the Alameda Townhouse

The Beginnings – Part 71: ‘I HOPE HE LIKES GIRLS’

Wednesday, August 17, 1983

George spent the night and it was nice to wake up with him.

I learned that Helen Wong had called and George took a message.
George said, “I just told her you’d gone to work.”
“What else did she say?” I asked.
“I think she was surprised that I answered the phone because she asked what was going on between us.”
“I see.”
I didn’t appreciate her interrogations.
I thought it was interesting when Helen said to me later, “I hope he likes girls.”
I thought that was a pretty tight-ass comment and I didn’t respond to it. What an itch-bay!

There are a few really nice Service Representatives at the San Francisco-Yerba Buena Pacific Telephone office. It’s not so bad working with them during this ‘On-Strike’ period. I hate the commute to the ‘gross’ building though.

Once I returned home I found a note from George. He also returned my BULLOCKS Department Store charge card.
George wrote: ‘Dan, Ken and I drove by to see the Alameda townhouse. It’s looking good.’
It will be fun being ‘roomies’ with George. I just know it. My only issue is when I may meet ‘a certain gal’ that I will want to date. That may be an ‘uh-oh’ passage in time. George wasn’t at home when I tried to telephone him.
George’s mom said, “Oh…George went shopping.”
I thought to myself, “He better quit all of this shopping business and stop spending!”

Frank called from THE WEIGHT ROOM where he works out. I may cruise over there but I’m not so sure.

After a half hour I decided to go to THE WEIGHT ROOM after all. It was no thrill. It’s a dive kind of a place. I didn’t like Frank’s new ‘body wave’ hairdo either. I think it looks so ugly. His friend, Sean, was there and I thought he had nice legs. That was a surprise. It was probably because he just got back from Hawaii. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Tan legs look better than white legs. I didn’t stay at THE WEIGHT ROOM for very long. It looked like such a dumpy place. It’s a good thing they’re remodeling the joint.

Helen called me and asked, “Why didn’t you stop by for dinner?”
“Well, I didn’t want to be the only scab amongst you and your guests. I know Derek, Geneva and you are still on-strike.”
She shrugged, thinking I was silly.
Helen asked, “Why don’t you join Carol and another girlfriend I know to the BLACK ANGUS tonight?”
I somehow got out of it. I wanted to simply stay home.

I watched a bit of DYNASTY tonight and hit the sack. I heard via the National News that AT&T is at the bargaining table and finally reached an agreement today. A possible settlement may be completed by this weekend. This is good news!

I talked to George over the phone about our moving-in together.
George excitedly said, “I may treat you to a movie on Friday night.”
“Do you really want to?”
“Sure!”
I don’t know if I really want to drive all the way down to Sunnyvale though. I may just stick around here and work on packing things into boxes for the big move to the townhouse.

I thought about how George’s father ‘caught us in the act’. George doesn’t mention it anymore but I still can’t forget that moment.

The look on his face will always be with me. First surprise, turning quickly to shock, then the coldest, most angry, knowing look I’ve ever seen. He just stood there staring at us.
-James Kirkwood
GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES, a novel