‘Well,’ he started as he lit a cigarette. ‘I can tell you this ‘cos you’re queer… gay. And I’ll probably never see you again so what the fuck. I kind of remember Trevor giving me a blow job last night.’
Matt nearly stumbled at the news.
‘Your straight friend?’ he said incredulously. ‘How come?’
‘Ah, we was pissed and stoned on whatever that tab was. Went for a piss and Trev just started looking, then feeling…’ Kevin paused, he had gone red again.
‘Go on,’ Matt encouraged.
‘Then next thing I know he’s sucking me off. I tried to stop him but…’
‘But you enjoyed it?’
‘But I came in his mouth and he didn’t like that much.’
They two men looked at each other and a short silence followed. Then Matt burst into laughter and soon Kevin was doing the same.
‘What?’ the straight guy asked through his laughing. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Just the way you said it, like it happens every day.’ Matt wiped his eyes and controlled himself a little. ‘Sorry.’
‘Told you, it was the drugs,’ Kevin was still chuckling at the vague memory of Trevor’s face, twisted up in horror after swallowing Kevin’s spunk.
‘Did you like it?’ Matt said, still beaming at his new acquaintance.
‘Yeah,’ said Kevin and all laughter stopped.
Another silence.
‘No,’ Kevin was serious now. ‘No I didn’t, that stuff’s for queers.’
‘And drunk straights by the sound of it.’
‘We was wankered.’
‘You were horny.’
‘I guess.’
‘You tried to stop him?’ Matt wanted to keep this conversation going. He knew he was getting close to discovering something, or at least to getting Kevin to confess something.
‘Yeah, but Trevor’s stronger than me. Besides, when someone’s got your dick in their mouth you’re a bit vulnerable aint you.’
‘It’s a good idea to trust them first,’ Matt agreed. ‘And after this incident? Then what?’
‘Don’t remember getting home, but I woke up…’ Kevin stopped in his tracks as he remembered the morning just gone.
‘Go on.’
‘Nah, it’s alright.’
‘Please.’
‘Nah. Forget it.’
Matt took hold of Kevin’s arm and sat him down. They were on the top of a dune overlooking the weird, lunar landscape around them. Far away was the sea, behind them the island of Gran Canaria shimmered in a heat haze. Matt took some sun block from his pocket and started rubbing it across his exposed flesh while Kevin finished his cigarette. As he covered himself Matt asked, ‘do you want to tell me?’
‘No,’ Kevin replied flatly.
‘Are you sure?’
‘No, actually.’
‘There you go again!’
‘What?’
Matt laughed some more and shook his head. But Kevin didn’t seem to appreciate this and so Matt turned to face him and became serious.
‘There you go again being contradictory. You’re not gay but you didn’t want to let go of my hand and you just came in your best mate’s mouth. You don’t want to tell me what’s troubling you but you start and then stop. Just get it out in the open, it’ll make you feel better. As you say, you’ll probably never see me again. And, if you want, once you’ve told me what’s on your mind I’ll bugger off and that’ll be the end of it.’
Kevin looked at him with a strange expression, like he didn’t believe what had just been said to him.
‘Are you a school teacher by any chance?’ he said mockingly.
‘No, why?’
‘Cos you sound like one.’
‘Sorry,’ said Matt and smiled, this guy must have known some pretty broad minded teachers. ‘Tell you what, I’ve got a secret too. You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine.’ Feeling like a school kid rather than a school teacher he offered his sun lotion.

Kevin took it, examined his arms that were turning pink, and started applying it. After a few strokes he stopped, looked at Matt then back at his task and sighed heavily; resigned.