He stood there leaning by the door, propped up in a suave, arrogant manner. You could tell he had practised the pose, it smacked of hours spent in front of the mirror. He lounged about with exquisite precision. Collar wide open, the obligatory medallion, less buttons fastened than Simon Cowell on a forgetful day. Grey curly chest hair on the attack, a health and safety risk if you ask me. Man dies strangled by chest hair, the headlines would read.
An ageing swinger, 60s I'd guess, dressed like only an ageing swinger would. Dressed like no ageing swinger should. Casanova, to give him a name, was notably overweight. A blue frilly shirt was taut over his tub and tucked into smart tight jeans with a huge-buckled belt. The buckle sat there silently in iridescent glory, glinting wickedly, aggressively pursuing world domination. I feared for my life. Suede jacket and oh-so-pointy brown leather shoes completed the look.
Lingering, lounging, languishing I mean, he scoured the carriage, scoping I suspect, eyeing up potential conquests, a man who thought he was eternally young. I noticed he was flying low, low and wide I might add, his flies a redoubtable gaping hole. Did I indicate this to him?
Don't be silly, of course I didn't.
The "sequel" to Perdido Street Station, one of my absolute favourites, and I'm enjoying it just as much, if not more so.
The worlds and races Mieville creates are simply superb. If you've not read this series and you like "weird fiction" then please crack on and get reading.
Comments
You sure do know how to spin a story, Mo.
Swingers are weird. People that wear medallions are booty terrorists.
Why do men think it is OK to wear a button down shirt open for all the world to see? It's scary really....plan old scary.
Well actually, death by chest hair is scary...and disgusting to picture in ones head.
Freind of yours, Mo? Hahahaha! I am just hoping you managed to avoid the catastrophic viewing of the male camel toe...
Can you still buy clothes like that? I'm thinking I need a new wardrobe.
What a picture (giggle)!. Some people are totally clueless. Ah cruelty, thy name is dementia.
There's that thing isn't there about a picture being worth a thousand words. You give it a new twist - your 250 words have the ability to transform me to a place much better than a picture. Class offering, as always.
You painted it like a portrait and I can picture him so well. (and that does not make me happy.)
I'm always tempted to say something to people that...wrong.
Like, "Hello, Sir. You look like a complete and total douche bag and everyone hates you. Stop now."
And gaping flies never looked so good on anyone! Don't you just love when that happens. Thanks for a Monday morning laugh.
These 'swingas' abound in SW Florida.
An aging swinger with a gaping fly? I think I just puked a little.
You are very good at creating an image with words, sir.
Oh no he didn't
Heehee! Excellent!
Bet he's not even wondering why everyone is staring at his crotch either...
I would never have been able to keep a straight face. Oh "yay!" that you did not tell him. Probably made his day to see so many glance at his crotch and grin.
Sounds like somene who would hit on my friends and I on those rare occasions we get a ladies' night out.
Oh, my! He sounds perfectly charming, Mo.
Add Hawaiian shirt and cowboy boots and you've got the perfect Florida redneck. Pickup or Corvette. Gold chain with gold sand dollar medallion. Yeah buddy, the wimmin' can't resist.
Oh yeah, this is the kind of dude that sits next to me and strikes up a conversation that glides inevitably towards "What's your name / phone number etc"
Eeeeeuuuucccchhhh.
I need his phone number please! :)
Actually, I'm pretty sure I've been chatted up by a guy not dissimilar to this. If it's overripe, cheesy and swings, usually with a fake tan and medallion, chances are it's attacked me at sometime. I'm like a giant magnet for dismaying misfits.
I think, in the future, you should try and sneak pictures of said people.
It would add to the story. And help make us laugh, even harder.
LOL Did he sit opposite you?
Mo,
Are you in Italy too this week? (I don't mean I fit that description of course, but I've noticed a few that are a close match).
I saw the most perfectly formed ticket-checking police woman ever on the Rome 64 two days ago. The group of them caught some yanks without tickets, so I didn't even get a chance to talk with her and show my considerably well stamped stub. Damn.
Perhaps he was a stand-up comedian, in every sense of the word(s)?
Reminds me of some Italian wanna-be loser from a 70's nightclub scene....or else some ol' ass Texan "john" who musta inhaled a tad too much horse dung in his heyday.
Good reminder as to why I stay married. ;->
This is totally in the "all men are bastards" category....
All men are bastards.
You make everything sound so pretty.
:-)
Sounds like a man dumped by his wife after the kids have flown the nest!! He is out trolling for a new squeeze stuck in another era of dating. If the UK is like America, he will be snapped up by some fool.
Are you back on the train gang again?
Sounds like a character from Vegas.
:)
Ha ha ha ha!! You are priceless!!! You have a great eye for the absurdly human. I am almost embarrassed for this guy, your stiletto was so sharp!
Thank you!
GREAT MO! Now I have a mental picture I'll never get out of my head. And, strangely enough, a Barry white song in my head.
Whatta hunk.
- sidenote
yes, all men are bastards.
And you say you've never seen me in my work clothes? Then how have you described them so perfectly? Even down to the pot belly.
I love how you can make any little interaction interesting. Love it. It inspires me to try harder, to really work at my writing.
Also this reminds me of the old guy I saw dancing at the skanky club. He lifted up his shirt and rubbed his tummy.
Deliciously written with mock contempt, a top trump amongst a stacked deck of humour.
This is where we cheers our glasses (you a beer, me a Cosmo Martini) and snicker at the other world some live on.
We are in a bar right? Watching this hunk of a man? Telling you that I can't believe someone else is wearing what your wearing...I kid, I kid...
xoxo
You should have asked him for his phone number, if only to see his reaction.
Wow for a second there, my imagination conjured up Hasselhoff, until my eyes got wide enough to pop the idea out of my head again.....
medallions....egads.
button up those shirts crazy people.
but all the more for our blogging pleasure.
Was he a method actor?
So, this happened when? In the 70s you say? I didn't think you were old enough to recall the aging swingers who didn't look so hot even back when it was supposedly fashionable! ;-)
He sounds just like my type!
What did one fly say to the other fly?
Your man is down.
I've known some swingers. Evidently you do too. Very descriptive post there.
oh so all my old dates are now living over by you are they?
I have said, for 8 years now, that the guy across the street from me is a swinger, and wears a medallion.
I don't know this to be true.
I do know he gets drunk and urinates in his driveway a lot.
But I have not verified the medallion.
Hi, Mo
I do hope you find "The Risk Pool" a good read. It's very much a depiction of a certain kind of Americana. And the character of Sam Hall is pretty amazing. Let me know what you think of it after you read it.
I had a client once that was a swinger. Yeah, that was a super uncomfortable moment when that came up in conversation over lunch with wine. Needless to say, new rep on that account shorty thereafter....
Oh gosh, I love this... "Man dies strangled by chest hair." Hilarious.
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