Pick Up (The Batac Guy - Part 1)

I forgot his name, but in my mind, he will always be the Batac guy.

As I entered the revolving door of Shangri-La Mall after my business meeting that afternoon, my mind wandered to naughty fantasies. Shangri-La Mall, after all, has a gay cruising spot reputation. I must have been exuding fertile pheromones that day because a few meters inside the mall, I caught him looking at me.

He was on the escalator going down – fair, Chinese looking, his hair falls over his eyes, looks very decent with his polo barong. To strangers’ eyes, one would not have thought that he was like me but that three seconds lingering eye contact made the gaydar hit 100%.

I stepped on the escalator moving up. I looked down, pretended not to care, and examined my black shoes. I used my skills in peripheral vision and hyper-sensing as I waited the escalator to move me close to him. I felt he was also doing the same thing. I just stood, and as soon as we passed each other, I counted: One, two, three, four, five…

I turned my head and looked back at him and I saw him turned and stepped on the escalator moving up.

I could hear my heart pounding. Dub-dub. Dub-dub. I was thinking, Oh damn, it is true. Shangrila mall is a gay pick up spot! I found myself stopping in front of a store, pretending to check the colorful beads that they were selling. I checked my back again and knew he was moving towards me. I moved forward, but walking slowly. I had to let him catch my stride.

“Hey,” he said.

“Ey.”

“Saan punta mo?,” he asked.

“Home.”

I actually do not know where I was going at that point. I just allowed myself to walk while I tried to get a clue to where he is going too.

“Taga-saan ka?,” he asked.

“Philcoa.”

“Layo naman. Ano trip mo?”

“Kahit ano,” I paused then realized that a “trip” can only mean one thing in gay language right?

“Saan naman?,” this time I was the one that asked.

“Sa Shang hotel, sa CR dun sa baba.”

“Are you serious?,” I was surprised but not shocked.

“Oo, kaunti lang tao dun.”

I was quiet. Maybe a minute passed. I was thinking - thinking of my naughty fantasies possibly being fulfilled. We turned and passed the bead store again.

“Ano na?,” he asked this time.

“I think that is a crazy idea, dude. Takot ako eh.”

“It will be the exciting part.”

I was quiet again. Thinking, this time of consequences.

“Nah, I don’t have the guts, dude,” partly disappointed of myself for chickening out.

“Gusto mo sa place ko this weekend? Wala girlfriend ko eh. Ano number mo?”

Wooshoo, girlfriend, I skeptically thought.

“I’ll get your number.” I said.

He gave his number and we separated ways as he stepped on the escalator - the same escalator the first time I saw him. I passed the bead store for the third time already as I was allowing my parasympathetic nervous system to work.

Phew.

(To be continued... Meeting)