Eggie became one of the few he called friend
and Raider confided more than he should have to the fun-loving bartender.
“Stop being angry at every...”
“You need to tend to your customers.”
He swiped a cloth across the counter and eyed
Raider. “Be a lot easier to find what you’re looking for.”
“I do okay.”
“Do you even see what looks back at you in the
mirror?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Loneliness, man.”
Between Davis telling him to get laid, and now
Eggie’s bullshit, Raider was ready to snap like a used rubber band. “I got
everything I need.”
“And how warm is that camera at night?”
“Kiss my ass.”
“I’m trying.” The bartender smiled. “Am I white
enough for you?”
“Careful, Eggie.” The man had opened a raw
nerve. Coming from nothing, Raider possessed two things: an eye for color and
the love of photography. He’d scraped and clawed his way up the ladder in a
field overflowing with mediocrity. He had been kicked aside, stepped on, and
kissed a lot of white ass on his way to the top. Now the industry kissed his.
Yet there was still a bad taste in his mouth.
Raider Ridgeway had worked hard to build his
reputation, he earned every penny he made, and he didn’t give it away freely. Young
studs, especially those who knew his worth, were greedy bastards. His
preference for a fling would be a man at least in the neighborhood of his age
and one who had more than change in his pockets. Tonight, not only did the
early side of thirty seem to be the theme; the jangling sound of coins filled
the air. About ready to give up and head home, he cursorily glanced at the door
when it squeaked open admitting three men. Two quickly found a table and the
third stood nonchalantly in the lit entranceway surveying the clientele.
“Damn, I see a light in your eyes.”
Raider continued to watch the man in the
doorway. “Who’s the new guy?”
“Never seen him in here.” Turning his attention
to Raider, Eggie added. “A cruiser. Back to me kissing your ass…”
“Fuck off, that’s never gonna happen.”
“A man can dream.” He glided down the counter
unaffected by Raider’s harsh words.
Eggie was a delightful and engaging man who was larger than life. Funny, down-to-earth, honest, and unapologetically truthful. If you didn't want to hear the nitty gritty about yourself, what you did, or planned to do--he was not one to talk with or discuss how you might say or do something. You'd end up being read like a book but he'd make you laugh at yourself. Not a mean bone in his body, he just knew what to say at the right time to get you thinking about other ways to achieve what you wanted to accomplish.
A proud and beautiful man who loved his family and friends unconditionally, a wonderful person I'm glad I met.
Eggie, who wanted to be a character, loved how I portrayed him. I kept him real. Even better--he became my friend.
Miss you already man, light the big sky up as only you can.
Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out. - J. Hali Steele
