Chapter 41: San Francisco — 1983 The Short Happy Night of Bruce Riley

Bruce Riley is twenty-one. He is new to the city and the Castro. He has just arrived from Indiana. He is beside himself with anticipation. He is ready for sex. He is hoping for love. He is dreaming of romance. He is ready to open himself to the universe.

His whole life might have been a dress rehearsal for tonight. Tonight, he is dressed to kill. He wears a black leather vest with no shirt; his chest hair has been waxed into a neat triangle below his nipples, which are pierced with silver rings. His wrists are encircled by wide black leather bands, studded with silver. His black leather chaps expose cheeks as white and firm as skinned apples. The ensemble is topped by a sleek leather cap. Actually, the look is slightly passé, Indiana is not San Francisco, but he has the youth, beauty and exuberance to pull it off.