San Diego Stories

Edition 1

Tommy stepped onto the tarmac and took a deep breath of that beautiful San Diego air. Warm and cool at the same time with a hint of ocean moisture. This marked his second time in the coastal city, the first being two years earlier as a member of the US Navy. Even back then, he knew he’d want to leave his home in Montana and move to San Diego some day.

“Where to my good man?” The ebony colored taxi driver had a British accent.

Tommy had only one possible address.

“1250 6^th Avenue,” Tommy said as the driver picked up his bags and put them in the cab.

“The Parkside Hotel? A sweet spot then. You’ll like it. If you’re gay. It’s a very gay hotel, y’know. And at 5 pm on Fridays a big gay cocktail party on the roof, every week.”

And so the driver confirmed information that had been available in the Damron guide for San Diego. Tommy shuddered a little as he realized he’d been identified as a gay man so quickly after arriving, but he’d better get used to it. It was clear he wasn’t in Missoula anymore.

They drove past the bay and up a steep hill. “Are there any affordable apartments in this city? Everything online was sky high.”

“Jeez mate, affordable and apartment are not two words that go together in this town. There are copies of the Gay and Lesbian Times in the hotel, check that. Ask for Oscar at the front desk, he’ll have a handle on any special deals, if they exist.” And with that bit of advice the cabbie pulled up at the canopied entrance to a grand but somewhat worn hotel.

The lobby was clean and spacious, and his check-in was facilitated by a fresh faced, exceedingly tall young man. Tommy Tune came to mind. “Do you know if Oscar is working?”

“I’m Oscar,” said the tall one.

“The cabbie who brought me from the airport said I should ask you about any affordable apartments. I’ve just moved from Montana, and San Diego rents are a shock to the system.”

Oscar looked him over. “You military?”

“I just got out of the Navy.”

“You gay?”

Tommy figured he’d better get used to these direct inquiries into his personal business. “Yes I’m gay and I’m willing to share a house or apartment if necessary.”

“Wait here.”

Oscar walked his long limbs to a phone at the other end of the registration counter. Tommy could overhear just parts of half a conversation. “…yeah, he’s darling, bout 5’9”, green eyes, button nose…uh huh, sure…I’ll send him over. You home for a while? Okey dokey.”

He handed Tommy a slip of paper. “ Go here sometime today, ask for Louis. And don’t be put off by how he looks, he’s a sweetheart and he’s got a good deal for you.”

Two hours later, Tommy stood at the door of unit #1, 2300 Longberry Way. The apartment building was tucked into one of the many canyons that separated neighborhoods in San Diego. The canyon was overgrown with vines and Palos Verde trees, and filled with bird song. The building, a stucco structure that had seen better days, had once been painted green.

“And what can I do for you.”

The door was suddenly opened to reveal a rotund gent who could have subbed for Santa in December.

“I’m looking for an apartment, Oscar sent me here, are you Louis?” Billy thought he’d better have his say quickly or Louis would be swept away by reindeer at any moment.

“Well aren’t you delectable. Billy said you were cute but he didn’t do you justice sweetheart, that little shirt shows your pecs off divinely. What is it? International Male? And you must have been doing pushups till the cows came home.” As he talked he placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder and ushered him into the living room. Louis was a very large man wearing a caftan or muumuu or some such tent-like apparatus. He had white hair and a white goatee, and a gold ring in his left ear.

“Sit, sit there on that sofa. I’ll just go and get a key.” As soon as Louis left the room a little dog bounded in, with black and white patches but moving so quickly it was hard to see where they were. The dog jumped onto the sofa with ease then scurried to the top of the sofa back, from whence it licked Billy’s ears and the back of his head.

“Rex, get down. Sit.” Rex immediately got down from the sofa and sat on the floor next to Louis’ left foot.

“Sorry about that, Rex is the rightful owner of this estate and hastens to establish that fact to newcomers. …I have just one caveat about the apartment I’m going to show you.”

“I’m from Montana, I can put up with drafty apartments.”

“Oh it’s not that,” Louis said “It’s just that the previous tenant had some pretty homophobic friends. They would pass out leaflets on the corners downtown on Saturday nights. ‘Repent from your evil ways or be damned forever, Sodomy is the way of the devil.’” Louis quoted the leaflets with a dramatic, tent-revivalist voice. “And they always left one on my doorstep. Just a little creepy if you know what I mean, sweetie.”

Tommy nodded with understanding; he’d encountered similar beliefs in Montana. “What happened to the tenant?”

“Oh right, that was the point of this whole story, wasn’t it. Well, one morning, about a month ago, I was watering the grounds and noticed his door standing open. So I poked my head in and called out to him, but the place was empty, all his furniture and clothes…gone. I never heard from him to collect his security deposit. It was as if aliens had sucked him up in the night, but neither Rex nor I heard anything.” Louis stood still, staring at the floor as if it might hold some clue as to the tenant’s disappearance.

“Well, let’s show you that apartment.”

They exited Louis’ apartment just in time to walk by a gorgeous, shirtless man coming down the stairs. “Good morning Jorge, come meet Tommy, he might be joining us here on Longberry Way.”

Jorge walked over to them and shook Tommy’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, I hope to see more of you around here. I’ve gotta run now, sorry.”

Tommy and Louis turned to watch appreciatively as Jorge continued down the path toward the garage.