Disclaimers: This work is a work of fiction and is my property.
The story and characters are fictitious and any resemblance to anyone or any actual event is coincidental. There are three distinctly different main characters that will appear as the story progresses.
You should be legally allowed to read this type of material before continuing.
As it is based on an actual book, I had published a few years ago – free for your enjoyment – the story will not contain explicit material in all the chapters BUT don't fret, as it is more the exception than the rule.
Note that there will be a violent scenario. If this will trigger any trauma for you, please be aware of it before you start reading.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Daniel
The fact that James told me he loved me was a shock to my system. Why would he do that? He's going back to the US soon and where will that leave me. I think he's just being mean really but then, he isn't a mean kind of guy. Not by what he's done for me since I've met him.
Telling me earlier that he's going out on his own, shows me that he's starting to pull away from me. Probably because he knows he'll be leaving soon and wants to put some space between us. We've been staying for a week, just about, in each other's company and the sex, when it's happened, has been fucking mind-blowing.
Especially yesterday. That was the ultimate. I didn't know it could be that good.
But, today's another day and I have to also start making decisions about what I'm going to do next. I have no job and no place to stay. But what can I do with an unfinished qualification and a year's experience at a wine estate. I know my wines though and maybe can do something with that knowledge, at least.
I haven't gone up to my room, since James left, and so I walk up to the receptionist and ask her if they have a business center. She points me to a tiny room next to the public toilets and inside there, I find a PC and sit down. Taking the complimentary notepad and pen in hand, I go online.
First, I search for any jobs that have the word wine in it. Unfortunately, most jobs are positions in sales or on estates. The estate jobs require formal qualifications and the sales jobs are simply not my cup of tea. I can't live on commission alone and selling wine is in itself not an easy job. Those guys who supply bottle stores usually have large networks, and have been doing it for a while.
That's maybe an option, working in a bottle store. I go on Google again and type the phrase bottle store jobs in the search area. When it comes up with weird nonsense, I try liquor store jobs and get a better response. There's a few available around the Western Cape but the pay's largely inadequate.
I search further afield and eventually find a few in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Jotting down the job titles, where they're located and the relevant contact details, I make a note of the salary and benefits being offered next to each one. The ones that say market related, I ignore. That's just another phrase for too little, as Collin once told me.
Going onto my bank site, I buy airtime for my phone. Taking note that my bank balance has about three months' worth of my old salary left. I better act sparingly with what I have, because I'll need to still travel to wherever the work is, and organize somewhere to stay.
Luckily, James hasn't asked me for anything for my stay here, yet. Even though, when I offered, he became irritated and told me to drop it.
So, I did.
I go up to my room and dial the first number on my list. It's in Johannesburg and rings for a long time, before an out-of-breath woman answers it.
"Good morning Ma'am. My name is Daniel Matthews and I saw your advert online for an Assistant Manager, who has strong knowledge of different types of wine. Am I speaking to the right person?"
"Yes. Do you have any experience?"
"Yes, I worked for the last year on a wine estate in Stellenbosch ..."
"Not interested." And she puts down the phone in my ear.
How fucking rude!
And so, I try a few places and after being given the run-around, being laughed at and being told I should call back when I have at least five years' experience, my list is done and I don't have a single lead.
I sit back despondent on the arm chair and stare at the mountain behind the hotel.
This isn't going to be as easy as I thought.
Get yourself together!
Again, I go downstairs to the business center and get some more jobs listed under Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and even Kimberley. Sticking to the large cities for now.
Relatively the same outcome an hour later.
How the fuck am I to get experience if no one wants to give me an opportunity? Maybe I should try jobs on a livestock farm? I grew up on one and no one can tell me anything about raising them. But it's not what I really want to do.
That's it. I'll leave this for another day because my mood is depressing, as it is, and so, I change into my speedo and grab a large towel.
The hotel pool ought to relax me and take my mind of it all. Maybe I may come up with an idea of how I can earn money without having a job.
I must've dozed off because suddenly, I wake up to James standing in front of me calling me.
"Daniel!"
"Yes." I reply irritated. Couldn't he see I was napping.
"Let me take you out. I think you need to get out of the hotel for a bit." He has his phone in his hand and is waving in the direction of the city to emphasize his point.
I manage a smile. "That'd be great. Let me get dressed into something decent and I'll meet you in front of the hotel.
"Ok." He holds out his hand to help me up and I grab it.
Once dressed, I meet up with him and we take James' usual taxi to who-knows-where.
"Where're we going?" I ask him
"I want to see this Canal Walk mall. I saw it advertised in one of my travel brochures."
"It's ok and there's a lot to do. Maybe we can go watch a movie if you feel like it?" I suggest.
"Let's see how we feel when we get there, ok?"
"Sure thing." I let it go.
Traffic's heavy, since it's after 5:00 pm, and people are heading home to the northern suburbs, from the city's side. Over an hour later, we drive into the large complex and park on the roof in the open-air, adjacent to the second level of the mall.
James and I get out of the taxi and James turns to the driver. "What is your name?"
"Paul."
"I am James and this is Daniel." He introduces us. "Join us, Paul."
"Don't mind if I do." Paul smiles and switches off the engine and gets out, locking the car with his remote.
We enter the mall and pass the endless boutiques, designer clothing and homeware shops, jewellery stores and novelty shops, until we get to the food court and cinemas.
It's not very busy yet but I know it will get more so after seven-thirty. That's when the people, who have decided to go out for the evening, start flocking to the mall. In any case, most of the movies start at around eight or nine o'clock.
Getting out, is pretty much the same reason we're here.
James takes us to the same steakhouse chain, as the one we ate at in Cape Gate, and all three of us order steak. James and Paul have theirs with fries and I have mine with baked potato and sour cream.
Except for polite conversation, we don't really speak about anything important and I know it's because he said he loved me and I haven't said it back.
But, how can I? I'm not even sure if I feel the same way, or if I'm just afraid I'll get hurt.
This is fucking madness and again, but in a different way, I feel trapped.
After dinner, we end up going to the movies and watch some arty movie James picked out. It's boring and I fall asleep half-way through it. Not that I'm culturally deficient, but I miss just hanging out and having a good time. I think I need to go clubbing.
And so, as we walk out of the mall, I turn to James. "Can we go to a club please. I need to dance."
His eye flash disappointment but grins instead. "Where would you like to go?"
"I don't know. Let's go to Sea Point and see what's open. It's on the way to the hotel, and we can drive straight on if nothing grabs our fancy."
"Agreed." And he glances at Paul to make sure he heard.
Paul nods.
We get in and my mood's better already. I need to get some endorphins pumping, so I can feel my good self again. For-fucks-sake, I'm still a young guy.
We find a club in Sea Pint and it looks a bit suspect, to say the least. Nonetheless, we go inside and James pays the door charges for us. Paul isn't joining us because he's not really dressed for a night out and I think he's in his fifties. Probably not his scene.
Inside, the music blares and James heads to the bar to get us each a beer. I stay with my back resting against one of the large round pillars. God, I haven't had a beer since my little breakdown two weeks ago. Man, but time flies, yet, it feels like a lifetime ago.
"Stop thinking Daniel", I softly scold myself.
He returns with the beers and we stand there, each one with his back against the same pillar, slowly sipping our beers.
I suddenly down mine and head straight for the middle of the dance floor.
Dancing by myself, I'm soon joined by a hot girl in a tight-fitting top and jeans. She's around my age.
We bump and grind away at the sexy R&B music and she sashays her hips, letting me know she's into me with her bright blue eyes.
I lean in to get close to her. Expecting me to kiss her she also leans in but I side-step her lips and whisper into her ear. "I'm gay."
She steps back and looks at me, slightly disillusioned, and then smiles brightly and blows me a kiss. The fact that I'm gay changes her and her dancing becomes even more provocative. She has no inhibitions now and releases her inner sexual goddess.
I notice the guys around us staring at her body move and, in a way, I'm glad she's with me.
My own dancing becomes macho-sexy and I grind into her, as if we fuck all the time.
Such awesome fun.
At some point, I look out for James and find him in exactly the same spot with, what must be his second or third beer, by now. He's just staring at me and not doing anything. Still resting his back against that pillar.
Who knew he'd be this boring.