“I’ve already got a couple of seats.”
Ryan was unimpressed. “Ah, dude, you could’ve texted me to let me know …”
“It’s OK, the game isn’t sold out yet. Just get tickets for Hunter and yourself, and we can catch up for a beer before kickoff.”
Ryan drained his glass. “Been a hectic week at the golf course doing as little as possible. Thirsty work. Gonna get another beer. Want one?”
The mechanic finished what was left of his own. “Sure.”
As Ryan walked towards the bar, Mack wondered how brave he felt. He watched his mate carry two fresh beers back towards their table. He’d known Ryan since their late teens. They played on the same rugby team; they’d shared the highs and lows of amateur sport. “Thanks, buddy,” he said, taking a slug.
Ryan sat down. “How’s Abby?”
“She’s good.”
Ryan sipped his beer. “So I heard you two split up.”
Mack glanced at the wall. “Yeah, we did. Fuck, mate, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I didn’t want you to find out second-hand. It’s been tough, so please don’t make this tougher than it already is.”
“I’m sure it’s not easy,” opined Ryan, “but it’s sad, too. I mean, you two have known each other since high school, and …”
“Yeah,” interrupted the mechanic, still staring at the wall, unable to make eye contact. “I agree. It’s sad.”
“You two still friends?” asked Ryan. Mack knew the question came from a place of genuine concern.
“Yeah, guess so,” Mack sighed, refocusing on his friend, “but it’s definitely over between us, and we won’t be getting back together. We’re gonna get a divorce and I guess we’ll eventually put the house on the market. Good thing the girls are old enough to understand.”
“You miss Abby?”
The mechanic glanced at the wall again. “Yeah, course I do. Sometimes. Actually, quite a lot. We’ve known each other for what feels like forever. Like I said, this hasn’t been easy.”
Ryan remained respectfully silent. The mechanic sipped his beer before continuing. “I don’t want to get too deep into this, buddy, but I guess she and I just grew apart over the years. We had some good times together and we’ve brought up two beautiful girls, and by the way I miss them too, just as much as Abby. But if there’s a secret to staying happy forever, nobody told me what it was. Like I said, I think we just drifted apart.”
They talked a while longer. It was raining hard outside now, and Ryan already suspected there’d be no point rocking up at work tomorrow. If this torrential downpour kept up, the golf course could be under water.
Three beers later, Ryan’s mind returned to the upcoming rugby game. “So, you said you bought two tickets to the rugby. Are you taking Abby, just as a friend?”
The mechanic coughed nervously. “Nah.”
“Have you found someone new?”
“Kind of, I guess.”
“You sneaky fuckin’ dog! Knew you wouldn’t be single for long.” Ryan smiled as he began to wind up. “So, where’d you meet her? What’s she look like? You fuck her yet? What’s her head game like? She take it up the arse?”
Mack immediately felt uncomfortable. He drained the rest of his beer in a single gulp. “Back in a sec. Going for a piss, then I’ll get you another beer when I’m done.”
“No worries,” said Ryan. “Remember the rule, any more than four shakes after a piss is a wank.”
The mechanic stood over the urinal, holding his thick cock in his hand as he listened to the heavy rain smashing onto the corrugated iron roof. He didn’t need to take a leak, he just wanted a moment of solitude to decide whether he wanted to have this conversation. He considered making up a lame excuse and leaving, but he knew it’d look strange, and besides, he knew he couldn’t postpone this conversation for ever. He ran his fingers nervously through his hair, wondering just how strong he really was. It’s easy to be a tough guy on the rugby field, but …
He squeezed out a few drops of piss, shook the head of his dick dry, zipped up, washed his hands and walked to the bar. He swiped his card over the electronic chip reader and carried two fresh beers back to the table.
“Cheers,” said Ryan, holding his glass aloft in thanks.
Mack changed the subject, and they talked about how shit the government was for a few minutes before Ryan returned to his original line of inquiry. “So, anyway, tell me about this new chick you’re banging. When do we get to meet her?” He reached for his glass and took a sip.
“It’s not a woman.” The words were out of his mouth before he could catch himself. The mechanic looked nervously down at the table, feeling blood draining away from his hands. He coughed. The admission was out there now, and he couldn’t reel it back in.
Ryan gasped, nearly choking on his mouthful of beer. This was completely unexpected. He returned his glass to the table. “Wait a second, mate … did you just say you reckon you’ve met someone new, but she’s not … like … hang on, is she trans?”
“No.” Mack’s mouth was dry. He sipped his beer, suddenly feeling unbelievably thirsty.
“So he’s … it’s … he’s a guy?”
“Yeah,” said the mechanic.
Ryan frowned in confusion. “So … are you telling me you’re gay?”
“No. I’m not gay. And keep your voice down a bit.” He took a deep slug of beer.
“Wait. Let me quickly double-check. You’ve met a guy?”
“Yeah.”
“But … you’re not gay.”
“That’s right,” said Mack. “I’m not. And keep a fucking lid on the volume, for fuck’s sake.”
Ryan’s head was spinning. “Look, dude, we’ve known each other for ages, and I’ve never seen you even glance sideways at another guy before, unless you were lining him up to knock his head off in a rugby tackle. This is completely unexpected. I can’t recall you ever sneaking a peek at someone else’s junk in the showers after a game. But hey, I guess that’s why we called you Big Mack, right? I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of peen in the showers, but you probably haven’t seen many bigger than your own.”
Mack didn’t respond. He wasn’t really in the mood for jokes about the size of his appendage.
“I don’t want to pry, mate,” Ryan continued, “so tell me if I’m getting too close to the bone, but … is this why you and Abby split up? You wanted to see what life was like on the other side of the fence?”
The mechanic was way past the point of no return. “It’s part of it.” He sighed, knowing he was committed to the conversation now. “I’ll try to explain. You’re not to tell anyone this, because Abby would be mortified, so if I ever hear this repeated to me, I’ll come after you with a cricket bat and leave you bleeding to death on the front steps of the nearest emergency room. Agreed?”
Ryan nodded.
Mack took another slug of beer before continuing. “Abby and I stopped having regular sex soon after she gave birth to our second daughter. We used to have sex all the time until then, and part of the reason we didn’t do so good at school was because we couldn’t keep out of each other’s pants, but suddenly, everything just dried up. For a long time, I wondered if I was the reason, but looking back, I reckon something hormonal must’ve snapped inside her that killed her sex drive. We never talked about it, probably because our household was harmonious in just about every other respect and because we were focused on creating a good family environment for our kids. We still had sex from time to time, but it was always at my instigation, and I had to most of the work because she just wasn’t into it anymore.”