That Summer

"But what about my Equity card?" I sort of knew what was coming but I had to make sure.

"Bit of a problem on that front. The gig I had in mind for you fell through so you'll have to wait a bit. Never mind, eh, I'm sure I can get you on the next one. Now, about..."

"Sorry, Mr Ferguson," I cut across as I squirmed out from under his arm and turned to face him "Sandy told me all about who you are and what you do. There never was an Equity card and there never will be one. I want to be an actor and all you're offering is... this sort of thing."

"It's good money and, well, did you really have a bad time?"

"It's not what I want to do."

There was a pause while we both just stood there.

"OK, kid, fair enough. If you change your mind you know where to find me," and with that I was dismissed.

And that, I thought, was that.

However, over the next day or so, I just couldn't get Sandy out of my mind. No one else had ever made me feel the way he had. It wasn't just the sex, although, heaven knows, I wanted to feel his prick in my arse again. It also wasn't the way he had looked after me, although I could get used to that feeling of being cared for and protected. More than either of those it was the way we just clicked together. The sex had been good, the sex had been fantastic, but so had been the aftermath, so had been just lying there, huddled together, under the trees.

But there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't even know his proper name. All I knew was that he was called Sandy and that he worked backstage in the film industry. That wasn't much to go on. What's more, a relative nobody like myself couldn't just ring around the various film companies asking if they had a 'Sandy' working for them.

And what if I did track him down. I could just imagine the heartache when he told me it had been fun but, in the end, I had been just another one night stand. After all, what could he possibly want with me.

My only option was to try to put him in the past. The one perfect night, the night I lost my cherry.

"John! John! Phone for you!"

I opened the door to my room to see one of my hall mates holding the receiver of the payphone down the hall.

"Hello?"

"Good morning. Is that John Watkins?"

"Speaking."

"Hi, this is Julie from the Acme Agency. Your name has come up and might just have some work for you."

"Really! Wow! I... err... I ought to warn you that I don't have an Equity card."

"We know but, don't worry, this isn't actually an acting job. It's with a film company but it's more on the logistics side. Are you interested?"

"Yes, please!"

"OK, then. Do you know Kingston Films?"

She gave me the details and told me to make sure I was there for nine the next morning. I spent the rest of the day checking and rechecking the best route to Ealing, sponging down my best suit, polishing my shoes. I even went out and got a haircut. OK, so it wasn't acting, but it was working in the film industry. This was my chance to get my foot in the door.

The receptionist at Kingston Films kept me waiting for ages, drumming my heels waiting. I must have read Empire cover to cover before, at last, she told me to take the lift to the third floor and then look for Mr Archibold's office which would be the second door on the left. I followed these instructions and, feeling nervous, knocked on the door marked Mr A. Archibold. A voice called out for me to enter so that is what I did.

"Sandy!"

"Hello Johnnie boy. Still want to work in the movies?"

He stood up, came out from behind his desk, put his arms around my waist and kissed me. Then he broke from the kiss, went over and shut the office door and we kissed some more. It wasn't long before we either had to stop or do it, right there on his office floor.

"You're a naughty boy, sneaking off in the night like that. How do you think I felt waking up all alone?"

"I had to get back. The coach was leaving."

"You didn't think that I would look after you?"

"I didn't want to presume."

"At least you told Andy Ferguson where to get off. He was most rude when I contacted him. He told me that I had poisoned you against him and that if I wanted your phone number I could... Well, you get the gist. Thank heavens Acme still had your details on file. I thought I'd lost you forever."

We spent some more time kissing

"So, the job, that was just a ruse to get me down here, was it?"

"Not entirely. Archie Jamieson down in publicity needs a keen young man who will work for bugger all just because it's in film and... well, do you fancy it?"

"Yes, please."

Sandy took me down to meet Archie and, long story short, that's how I got started in the publicity department. What's more, when five o'clock came around, Sandy phoned down and asked if I wanted to go out for a meal to celebrate my first day of work.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

So farewell Sandy, wherever you are. As Barry White sang, you were my first, my last and my everything.

And my heart aches without you.

"Sandy"

1953 - 2014

In Loving Memory