Pokies With Anders And Meeting Johnnie (Part 6)

Five Dollars In The Pokies

Both Anders and I went searching for Johnnie, well, that was our initial objective. Checking around the poky machines we stumbled across a couple of good looking girls on our journey around. Both of them were blonde and one of them was wearing a white partially see through top with a knitted design. Looking divine, she did walk past the both of us as Anders decided to put some money in the one dollar machines. Sounding like a stupid idea, I figured that five dollars in the one dollar machine would be over as quick as he put it in.

Firstly placing ten dollars in the machine the money spurted back out as Anders yelled out “Instant winner”. Needing some change, he decided to press the collect button in which we had to wait for some guy to head over so he could restart the machine. Somehow, Anders seemed to regain eleven dollars instead of the ten he placed in the machine, weird. Placing a further five dollars from his change into the machine, he played the one line on the one dollar machines and on his first game, he received three jacks which meant two dollars extra.

Being up a couple of dollars I enticed him to keep playing. “I’ll take out the money when I get down to five dollars again” he noted but I coaxed him into betting it down to his last dollar and what do you know, he lost it all in a minute. “Thanks a lot” he murmured, not really blaming me but finding something to joke about, “I could have been two dollars richer, now I’m five dollars poorer”.

Travis Shows Me The Way

From this short lived spectacle of probability, we headed again to circle the area for Johnnie. Unable to be sidetracked again, we made our way past every row of pokies and reaching the middle of the floor I noticed Anders saying hello to some guy. Taking a closer look at him as he passed I couldn’t believe that it was Travis. “Travis” I shouted out, twice before he ended up turning around with a huge expression of surprise on his face. “Tony, how are you going” he cheered and before he could say anything else he remarked “I’ll show you where Johnnie is”.

As if someone had spoken to him beforehand, I figured that Anders had just asked him if he had seen Johnnie. Taking a brisk stroll up two rows of pokies we walked to the middle portion where I noticed Johnnie, steadily playing the pokies with two or three people around him. Johnnie seemed to look like the man as he sat, smoke in one hand and pressing the pokies buttons in the other. He was the modern day equivalent of Rory in his prime whereas I think the both of them put on the same domineering attitude but Johnnie sells it better.

Looking at Rory you would be inclined to think, try-hard, fake Leb whereas with Johnnie, you would think his Fonzie type attitude seems to be genuine. Having the charisma and favor of his friends, he greeted me with open arms whilst a girl gave him a smoke and helped him light it. The normal questions started to sprout again as per the week before. Believably, it was smiles all around as Travis, Johnnie and their new friend Yannis seemed to hold much favorable respect for me.

Meeting Travis’s Girlfriend

The same applied for me, I thought they were all praiseworthy in their own way. Travis introduced me to his woman while we were standing there who was fairly good looking and a touch older than Travis. The twinkling smile and sparkling eyes told me the story and thinking that she was struck by my sight, it seemed that electrified was more the word.

Travis introduced me to his girlfriend Gemma and as bad as my memory is with names, I feel bad for forgetting her name three times. It seemed that she was absorbed by my appearance and I, not even able to remember her name felt stupid. Right now, I feel repentant for feasibly making her feel bad. As if my being respectful enough to Travis not to oblige to her probable desires had placed a shadow on her confidence. Inviting them all down to the quiet room where the rest of us sat, we embarked on our little journey, eager for more conversation.

The Hand I Did Not Hold

However, as Travis told me that he was heading to get a drink from the bar and held out Gemma’s hand towards me as if it was some planned move, I felt bad for being confused as to what was right and wrong. In one hand, I held Travis too endeared to oblige to his fanciful attempts to get me to hold her hand. It was almost as if she asked him “Who’s that guy, he’s good looking” and respecting me, he made her desires partially come to life as well as pleasing me with his homage.

Just smiling at her and deciding not to grab her hand I thought of how she would feel rejected and as if she wasn’t good enough for me. This made me feel bad but as I thought of the consequences had I held he hand, it could have been worse. Depending on Travis himself, it depends on how attached to this girl he is and what kind of a relationship they have. I didn’t want to hold her hand and then have her thoughts surpassing her involvement with Travis all night.

I didn’t want her ogling over me and nor did I want her to think that she was some sort of defect at birth for me not to hold her hand. These actions through the night that repelled me from any outward casting of Gemma do condemn me now. I feel the need to call up Johnnie and just ask him to explain my actions properly to Travis and that I never meant any disrespect…

Glasses Go Round The Table

Taking a seat amongst out table, Binh and Tyler were playing pool together and Chí was sitting down with his friend and two other guys who decided to sit down with Chí. Sitting myself down next to Chí and having Johnnie, Gemma, Travis and Yannis sit across the tables, I introduced the two groups together and began some more confident conversation with Johnnie. Last night I even impressed myself with the velocity of smart conversation that was coming out of my mouth.

It wasn’t just smart conversation but my decent and cocky attitude coupled with my sarcasm. My beaming smile also helped my candid conversations seem all the more interesting, beaming my confidence throughout the quiet room. Johnnie and everyone else on the table at one stage or another seemed to enjoy and adore the glasses and DKNY hat that I brought along. This fashion craze seemed to have everyone trying on my glasses, letting loose a smile once the beaming yellows of the glasses protruded into their souls.

Even at Chevy’s, everyone wanted a piece of action when it came to my glasses and I’m not sure how I got them back at the end of the night but they certainly made the rounds. All in all, at least ten pairs of hands seemed to grasp my glasses and the same amount of eyes glared with my colored lenses throughout the night. The fashion was an instant hit at Chevy’s and I seemed to be the only friendly and open person trustful and happy enough to disperse them to the crowd.

Charisma On Show

That I guess is what separates me from those guys that looked good dressing in City clothing and having their hair all like Ricky Martin. They have a shadow character, in which you can look at them and see no real entity. However, I feel that when people look at me, they don’t just see the image but they see the character and personality inside. They see my inner glow, they see something different in me.

They might not be able to determine the many facets that make my life tick but they can distinguish that I am unique and I gather they want a piece of such unique charisma. That’s what they can see, the charisma inside of me and now that I have my confidence back, it blooms all the more.

Forgetting Gemma’s Name Again

During my conversation with Johnnie, whilst I was introducing them all to Chí and the other group, I forgot Gemma’s name. Introducing Johnnie and Travis as Yannis was in the toilet, I feel that I made Gemma uneasy and self-conscious, as if I thought she was the outcast on the table. Maybe I’m just stretching possibilities here but as I didn’t think to introduce her because I forgot her name, I let Travis pick up my pieces, introducing her for me.

How embarrassing is that for the all of us. For me, not remembering her name yet again, for Gemma thinking that she wasn’t salient enough in my mind to be noted and for Travis, feeling for Gemma and probably thinking that I was inadvertently making these lapses of judgment. When Tyler and Binh joined the table after their game was concluded he shook hands with Travis and Johnnie as he knew them.

Tyler Wants To Leave

I’m pretty sure that Anders went for a little walk somewhere to chat to some friends but he agreeably was heading to Chevy’s. “Are you going to Chevy’s tonight” I asked of Johnnie and as the reply came back from the desk, only Gemma and Travis were eager to head off. Johnnie had to work for the next day in which he had to resign his decision to stay out but despite that, him and Yannis were persuaded by Travis to head down anyway.

In this conversation with Johnnie and as Tyler was intoxicated furthermore, he kept belching his will to head home. The time was nearing 11:00 p.m. as Tyler remarked “Come on, let’s go to my house so I can get changed for Chevy’s”. Wearing his puff jacket, back shirt and some chord pants, it didn’t really suit him for the night and he could see that. I think that Tyler wanted to dress up a little more so that the both of us could dance the night away and that we did, that we did…

Tyler, in his disorderly persistence and snappy tunes to departure between silences in conversation, he was like a mouse that kept nibbling at the cheese but never got caught by the trap. Cunning, deceptive and a bothersome little twit you would rather have his head caught in the steel jaws of such a heinous trap. Binh left minutes before Tyler put the word out that he was eager to head off Nevertheless, each time we were looking like getting up conversation would pick up between me and Johnnie.

Feeling Like Mikaere

Either that or I jumped up to speak to someone I knew that was passing by. I love being local and feeling popular resultant from all the people that pass and say hello. Each time I talked with someone at the Catholic Club I felt well-pleased, hoping that my popularity would stand out as a stance of my position in esteem. When I was at Chevy’s, having people tap me on the shoulder and reach out to shake my hand in recognition probably made me feel like Mikaere in his last months before imprisonment.

Mikaere knew everyone when he headed to Chevy’s, got all the handshakes and bow-downs. Last night I felt richly the same to some extent and people who didn’t even know me came up to shake my hand. People just found me easy to talk to and get along with last night and again, I feel it is the charisma beginning to flow from these veins that says to people “Hey he’s an alright person to know and have as a friend”.

Making Plans With Johnnie

Anyway, after all the royalties and accustoming ties, Tyler and I finally jumped up to head for his house. Farewelling everyone on the table I told Travis and Gemma I would see them at Chevy’s and everyone else, I would see them next week. You see, my main purpose to hook up with Johnnie was because we had many things in common and clubbing was now an accessory.

Whilst we were seated I ran the idea of our heading to the City next weekend on Saturday so we could visit a club, maybe Rogues. This idea passed well with Johnnie and the rest of them as they gleamed their smiles upon me. “Call me” Johnnie willfully asked and as I asked him for his mobile number I was surprised as to how it is his exact home number just with the four compulsory mobile phone digits. Johnnie’s number off by heart is very simple, not much to memorize.

Tea And A Sore Throat

Unfortunately, sleep beckons me so and that is what I aspire to do forthwith. The time is only 12:24 a.m. but these past couple of hours have flown by rather in a slight hurry. Before I get to sleep however, I must get myself a drink of tea as a slight airiness in my lungs on Friday has turned out to be a whooping cough today. Fortunately, it doesn’t stem to a blocked nose or anything in relation to my sinuses. Only a sore throat do I have, as if it was breaking, unable to speak without a lower hum and breaking up uncontrollably when I try to sing.

Apart from that little nightmare, I have to get my bed sheets washed as it has been a fair while now and I sweat every night upon my warm waterbed. Speaking of waterbeds, Johnnie asked how the waterbed was going and as I said it was going strong he noted that he sold his double bed to Travis and he received his parents waterbed. Great, a little love pad for good old Johnnie, no wonder he got to shag that 28 year old chick.

Anyway, I’m going to have that tea now and before you know it, I’ll be stuck to these pages again tomorrow morning, bright and early. As usual, I’ll probably stop to have breaks every hour, watch the Football and relax with some music for a while. All in all, betting on me to complete chronology is like betting against the odds in horse racing, practically no chance. Regardless, I’ll see you bright and early…