Beerpong Tournament

Playing beer pong

 I was woken up at around 9 AM by the sound of the Tall South African opening my door, returning from the night out before.  He'd called me at the club last night to say he wouldn't be coming home, that he was very drunk and with a (female) friend who had missed the train, and so was just going to get a hotel room with her.  At the time, I hadn't believed his insistence that he was going to behave, and simply told him that I would see him in the morning.  Yet when I saw his bedraggled and exhausted appearance, I had no doubt that he'd simply had a very rough night.  

I laughed, smiled at him and patted the space beside me in bed, and he shucked off his shirt and crawled into bed with me with a groan of relief.  We tried to sleep some more, but mostly ended up just chatting about this and that.  It's always actually one of my favourite things with him, just lying in bed and talking.  It's so funny, as if you had asked me a year ago if we would be in bed together and sleeping with him was the last thing on my mind, I never would have believed it.  Yet it's strange, I really just can't imagine sleeping with him now, even as he was half-naked in my bed.  It's just more of a comfort thing, where we enjoy just being there and talking.

Finally at around 11 AM we got up and got our acts together.  I made breakfast, we got dressed, and made our way out to Bermondsy for the beer pong tournament.  I'd invited Joel to come along so we could catch up, and so once we arrived at the station, the Tall South African and I waited a bit for him.

Joel arrived quite nearly on time, and told me what I already knew, that he and his girlfriend had officially broken up, although I didn't realise it had only been the night before.  Gosh, that one really dragged on for way too long.

He was a bit hungover and obviously just wanting to talk, so we found a quiet spot on the couch to curl up and chat, just the two of us.  Apparently he'd hooked up with a girl the night before, and was wondering what to do about it.  I laughed when he explained that she was our age and claimed to have slept with only two people, pointing out to him that this was mathematically impossible (assuming she wasn't divorced or had weird religious issues).

With Joel and my beerpong partner, Maddie

Joel then got up to have a wee (he has the world's smallest bladder!) and told me to save our spot on the couch.  It was then when he walked away, that was when Roofie's Brother spotted me from across the room.  I was so delighted to see him, I patted the spot next to me on the couch, and he came over to join me.  Talked to him about our knees and this and that for a bit, but too quickly Joel returned, and I felt obligated to stand and involve Joel in the conversation.  I love talking to Joel, but I really do wish I could have talked to Roofie's Brother a bit more.

Too quickly anyway, it was time for the tournament to start.  Roofie and his brother came out in these funny Grecian costumes, and did this absolutely hilarious dance that had me nearly wetting my pants with laughter.  

Roofie and his brother doing their dance

We then got into the tournament, which was just general rounds of ongoing madness, as everyone tried to figure out which games they were playing in, and constantly chasing down ping pong balls bouncing all over the flat.  I discovered I'm absolutely rubbish at the game, and outside of our assigned games, generally just wandered around and checked in on the scores, chatted with people like Matt and Mo, and tried to talk to Joel.  Although let's face it, this was quite possibly the worst place to try and have a serious catch-up with someone, in a tiny flat filled with at least 60 people in the middle of a beer pong tournament.

I did manage to chat to The Blonde a little bit about her break-up with the Tall South African, although she told me absolutely nothing new.  Everything she told me I'd already heard from the Tall South African, so it was nice to know they were on the same page, even if it wasn't very interesting.

Roofie's Brother then came in and found me, as his costume was coming apart, and he wanted me to help fix it.  It was just a matter of refastening the velcro closure around the little thin robe he was wearing, but as I ran my hands around his waist, I couldn't help but notice how fit he was, how hard and solid his body was.  Kind of flirtatious, but we were all just having fun at this event, and so I gave him a pat once he was all fixed up, and sent him on his way.

The competition started to wind down, as we were running out of beer and people were just tired of playing.  I don't think my partner and I ever played our final game.  So they started to move tables aside and announce the quarter-final games.  And suddenly in the middle of the room, being the loud, obnoxious, larger-than-life character he always is, was the Giant Australian!

Playing the tournament

I'd had no idea he was coming, and think it has been at least over a year since I've seen him last.  We haven't spoken in ages, and I had no idea what was going on with him, or us, or anything right then.  I thought about being shy or hesitant, but then decided to just go for it, and so bounded down the steps I was standing on to go greet him.  As soon as he saw me, his face lit up and he wrapped me up in a giant hug, as I did the same to him.  Regardless of what is in our pasts, it was just so good to see him.  On a fundamental level, we just like each other, you know?

The teams in fancy dress

From that moment on, the Giant Australian never let go of me.  In every conversation we had with anyone, he stood there with an arm wrapped around me, and I around him.  And he just felt so....comfortable.  He's absolutely massive (hence the name), but his hard body has a little bit of give to it, the soft feel of a belly that is no longer quite rock-hard abs.  Yet lest you think that's some sort of critique, I really like that feel about him, as it makes him that much more huggable.  Solid, yet comforting.  I will confess, it might have been the alcohol, but if we had been alone, I would have happily climbed into bed with him, stripped naked and just snuggled up to him.  I had never really thought about quite how much I like his body, but he just seemed to fit perfectly.

Now of course I realise that the entire world must have wondered what was going on there, as the two of us were seeming very close.  Yet I rather hope that everyone was too tipsy to really notice, even as I sat on a couch with him and he kept casually stroking the inside of my thigh.  I mean, on the surface it was all very innocent (I still don't know the current state of his relationship), and we could argue that it was all just being very friendly.  But c'mon, we all know better...

Still, I was quite surprised at one point when this drunk girl I didn't know came up to me in a moment where I was standing away from the Giant Australian and said to me, "You're much prettier than your man, you know."

Okay, she was drunk, but what a random thing to say.  Glad to know I was looking pretty, but a very unusual thing to comment on.  Particularly as she didn't actually know that we weren't dating.  Who would say that to someone about their boyfriend?  Still, I just went back to the Giant Australian and snuggled into him.  Sure, he's got a bit of a receding hairline and is still loud and arrogant at times, but as he pulled me in tighter, I couldn't deny that I loved being close to him.  Buried my face in his chest and just breathed him in a bit as he held on tight to me.  Just sort of wish I could have stayed there forever.

Yet the final game was played and it was time to pack up and go.  Everyone seemed to get a bit scrambled as we tried to figure out what we were doing next, with some people wanting to head home to catch the last Tube, and some heading off to another pub.  I found Roofie's Brother in his room, changing out of his silly costume, and upon being assured that he would join us at the pub, headed off with Joel.

The teams discussing strategy

We walked along looking for this place, and at the critical moment, Joel decided to head home to catch the last train, but assuring me that he'd had a most wonderful time.  I then headed on to the nearby pub, where I joined the Ginger Lawyer and a few others, and found Devo's wife buying me another drink (which to be honest, I really didn't need).

I stayed on a bit, but after realising that Matt, Joel, and the Giant Australian had failed to join, I figured I'd really had enough to drink, and it was time to go home.  So I booked a mini cab, and Sweetheart said he would come back with me.

When I got the text that the cab was there, I wanted to say my good-byes, but with so little time before the cab went, I had to make them quick.  So there was really only one person I wanted to say goodbye to, and that was Roofie's Brother.

So I went and found him, tapped him on the shoulder, and expected we'd have our usual two kisses on each cheek.  Except then he kissed me full on the mouth!  And at first it seemed somewhat like the kisses I have with Sweetheart or Princess, just a quick peck on the lips, almost a sweet and friendly gesture.

But somehow this was different.  It was like electricity that zinged all of the way through my body.  Nothing friendly about this, I can't remember ever having a kiss before that made me feel like that.  I'd been so surprised by the first kiss I couldn't properly react, but instead of just leaving it, I went back for another.  And another.  Almost like I wanted to reinforce to him after my initial shock how much I loved kissing him.  It was like a drug or some magnetic pull. I'd never known simple kisses could be like that.  It's so hard to describe, because there was no tongue or anything crazy, but it was a stunning revelation for me, what it was like to kiss him.  I don't know if anybody even noticed, it all seemed to happen so quickly, and then people were pulling him in one direction and I was being pulled away by Sweetheart to go grab the cab.  Our hands lingered, holding on to each other as long as we could, and then he was gone, and I was being pulled outside.

In truth, I was reeling.  Did that just happen?  Did I seriously just kiss Roofie's Brother?  I'd seriously never gotten an indication from him that he liked me as anything more than a friend, I'd never imagined that a guy like that would go for me.

But beyond that, it was that kiss.  So different from any kiss I've known before.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.  We were all very drunk, maybe the secret of it was just a lot of alcohol.  Maybe we'll never even speak of it again.  But all of a sudden I can't stop thinking about it.  And hoping he kisses me like that again.

Mid-game play

When I got into the cab with Sweetheart, my head was spinning.  I couldn't even think of what to say when he was asking me about seeing the Giant Australian that evening.  I babbled on something about how it was really good to see him, that we hadn't really talked about his relationship or mine, but had just enjoyed each other's company.  But in truth, after spending so much time in the Giant Australian's arms all night, he was definitely not the person I was thinking about.  What the hell had just happened back there with Roofie's Brother?

When we arrived at my place, I gave Sweetheart the usual kiss on the lips that I always do, but I would honestly have avoided it if I could without raising suspicion, as I rather would have preferred to keep my lips as they were, with the soft tingle of Roofie's Brother's kiss on them.  At least however, as my nose slightly bumped his, it reinforced to me how different that kiss had been.  How charged with electricity and excitement.

When I got into my flat, I found the Tall South African tucked up in bed on my floor.  I tried talking to him for a bit, but my head was too jumbled to really make sense of my thoughts.  All I could say to him was, "I think I flirt with too many men."  Because all of a sudden, with all of those boys this evening, I realised the one I wanted to focus my attention on probably had no clue, as I'd kissed him just like I do so many other boys, and had then in response to his kiss immediately run away and gone home.  God, I'd probably totally screwed it up.  Maybe it was just a drunken kiss and we'll never talk about it again.  But what a night...and what a kiss to remember!