When on tour we don't really work office hours, we are on duty practically all the time, we don't get weekends off or a free day, so we have to take time-outs whenever it is possible in between.

I prefer the early morning hours just after the buses arrive on the site for the day and the drivers go to sleep while everybody else isn't up yet. Not many of the managers actually travel with the tour, most of the staff is sourced from outside and only stays with us for one or two dates. That means a lot of new faces almost every day. The first ones to start working are the catering companies providing breakfast.

So I like to walk the venue in the morning and get to know the new people, okay that doesn't sound too much like free time but more like work, anyway I enjoy it. Everything is still quiet. When you listen to so much loud music every day you learn to appreciate the stillness.

And you meet likeminded people.
Today I ran into Tony who was riding his small push bike around the still empty area in front of the stages.

"Hey, Gi, I didn't know you were up that early" he said when he noticed me and came over to where I was sitting on the barricades.

"Yeah, I like this time of the day." I tell him, dangling my feet in the air.

He nods in understanding. "Me too, it's so quiet and there are no people around." See I told you, you learn to love the quiet moments and I can understand that a shy person like Tony isn't fond of constantly being with so many people in so little space.

He hopped up to sit beside me on the barricades and we just enjoyed the comfortable silence between us. The past days the heat had been crazy but now the air was still cool and it felt good to sit in the sun that was still low in the sky.

Our shoulders were touching and I just let my head fall to his side and he put his arm around me. It just felt nice and I closed my eyes for a moment.
"Gi, can I ask you something?" He nearly whispers after a while.

"Mhm?" I hum not opening my eyes but showing him to go on.

"Why are you so.." He seems to look for the right word here. "... so exuberant with all the guys?"

I look up at him and giggle. "Exuberant! Really Tony? You mean why do I hug and kiss and cuddle so much?" He nods and a slight blush rises to his cheeks.

"Well firstly I like guys, that's why I don't cuddle with girls. And secondly that's who I am. I don't think a lot to it. Of course some guys might get the wrong impression but most of them get that I don't want to lead them on, it's my way of being friends." I try to look in his eyes when I ask him. "Do you think that makes me a bad person? Do you think that's slutty?"

He shakes his head vigorously. "I just wondered, why you don't - uhm, don't do it with me?" He blushes even more and looks away embarrassed.

I hold back a laugh. "Because Tony, I figured you wouldn't feel comfortable. Would you?"

"I don't know." He looks in his lap.

I smile and lean in closer as he turns his face towards me and I put my hand behind his neck to pull myself in. I slowly kiss his lips and he kisses back, sweet and soft and his lips are warm and I can feel his hand holding my cheek. It only lasts a few moments and then he brakes the kiss and smiles shyly at me.

I raise my brows in an unspoken question and he just gives me another small peck and hops off to the ground.

"See you around, Gi." He waves at me with a big grin on his face and gets back on his bike and leaves.

I sit there wondering, were we having a moment there? What should I make of his behaviour?

Notes

Mhm, new character enters the stage. Thank you all for staying with me and for commenting and....
*rambles on and on* ;)))