New Rules NYC (#Wattys2015 Winner)

JAPANESE ILLEGAL PARTIES

CHAPTER 47: MASON

As we walked down the industrial Bushwick block I remembered the last time, almost two years ago when I had been here. We had gone in when it was just getting light and left when it was dark. These guys really knew how to throw a party and I was amazed they were still at it. Anyone that can throw those types of house parties on a semi regular basis and keep it going for years had to have some special secret, we were talking about the Japanese, fuck do they know how to party.

Lara skipped along, excited to finally check this place out. When I got the message that it was on she went nuts jumping around the place. Jay ended up taking off back into the city with Charlotte, Emma had to go meet up with Vince for some East & Low thing. I joined back up with the crew to charge on.

It all looked quiet as we rolled up. It always did. You could hear the dull thud of music but there was no one out front and barely any lights. We stepped through a gate and walked up to the main building. A crew of Japanese DJs lived in the warehouse, converting it into a club every couple of weeks. The place wasn't huge but with one main big room and lots of little zones it was perfect. We came around a corner, a guy and a girl sat on a small couch by the door. I gave them Kenny's name and they welcomed us in, opening a heavy door to release a wall of dark minimal techno. Lara eyes lit up and I had a feeling she would end up best friends with these guys.

Fuck Emma, I say to myself, moving towards the music, passing a group spread around a curved corner seat, wide eyed, and was she even that hot? Was it just because she worked at East & Low that I wanted her. It was all stupid, I shouldn't even be messing with her anyway. Fuck that. Look where I was. It was time for shots.

In contrast to the music, the overall vibe was pretty chilled. Not too packed. It was an anything goes vibe with a crowd that loved to dance and hang out for whole weekends at a time. The place was setup with a cash bar, serving everything from beers to bong hits. The girls went straight for the dance floor. Zack and I went to the makeshift bar, basically a cooler full of beers and a couple of bottles on a self. We put some money in the jar, grabbed two PBRs and the bar tender joined us for whiskey shots. The party had been going since Saturday night and there were a few people looking a bit ragged, all in all though, everyone was in good shape.

Outside we sunk into an old couch as two girls perched next to us on the edge of it, afraid that it could swallow them up. They were younger, but cute.

"So ya looked pretty taken with your girl Emma today?"

"Whatever."

"Just a lot more eager than usual."

"A bit obvious was it?" I asked, "Coke & Gin will have that effect I guess."

"Yeah, whatever. She's cool man. Jay up to his old tricks with her friend? Got any of that bag left?"

"I think Sally does. I've only hung out with her a couple times. Not really even hung out, she works at the label, so more of a work buzz. Only just found out today about the boyfriend. It's not like I've been after her or anything. She just seemed cool."

"She is at Tiki Disco solo. Most relationships are either on their way up or way out right?"

"No biggie man. Best to leave it anyway, don't want to mess with things. That's if they ever give me any more work anyway."

"Well, you're speaking to the right man about workplace relationships."

"That's right! How did it play out?" I asked.

"Pretty good dude. We have been out a couple times, keeping it on the low down from the office at the moment. We almost slept together the other night, but get this: she has this latex allergy. I went to use a condom and she said it had to be latex free, or she would get a crazy reaction, said she would be 'pretty rough for a couple of days'."

"Out of it. You know I once dated a chick who had a sperm allergy."

"Bullshit. That's not a thing."

"Truth. She would tell me not to blow in her, so I would pull out, but even getting some on her leg or stomach would cause her skin to go red."

Zack was weirdly amazed and proceeded to Google it for more details. "I wonder if there were guys who were allergic to pussy?" He said, "There must be right?"

I laughed at his face as he pondered it, "I know plenty of dudes that get crazy reactions to pussy – countless deaths every year must have been pussy related."

Back inside at the end of the main room was a wall of vinyl, in front of it a long raised wooden DJ booth. I thought I recognized the long haired Japanese dude jamming the decks but I couldn't think from where. I noticed Sally & Laura dancing off to the side, Sally had always looked good dancing. Like she was straight out of a movie, she had done some form of dance at college I think. It was never the same after you had slept with a friend - there was always another element present, as much as we loved to deny it.

Before hooked up I'd wondered on occasions what it would be like to sleep with her, if she bent over a certain way, was it for me? But now the thinking was more along the lines of 'Does she still want me', 'Was I some of her best sex' all that kind of crap. I gave them both a hug and the thought of a throwback crossed my mind, wondering how I would compare to this new guy she is seeing, that bullshit narrative sneaking in. That's why the 'don't screw the crew' principle stands, you spend too much time together in various states of suspended logic, once you open the door, it's asking too much form the human resolve for it not to get weird.

Seeing half the dance floor full with Japanese going nuts made me think back to Goa. I'd spent three months there on a five month trip around India. The Japanese in Goa threw the best parties. They were dedicated. The locations were amazing, you would go by boat and the parties would be on the beach and go for a couple days. They would have these hidden zones in the bush or up on cliffs. They really knew how to design an experience. Other people would try and do the same but they would be shut down by the police or the speakers would be crap. The Japanese knew how to pay off the cops to keep them away, leaving everyone free to get crazy in the middle of nowhere. We once went by boat to a remote beach, but a huge group of us spent two days without any music, then when the system finally showed up everyone went nuts.

Nava was around thirty, I was only twenty one at the time. She was nothing like American girls my age. Over three weeks she taught me about sex. We did it every way imaginable, she had this thirst that I hadn't experienced. I would jerk off to those memories now and then. Hot, sweaty beach huts with the fan clanking away overhead, daybeds looking over rice patties, all kinds of outdoor spots, high from smoking chillums with other Israelis. Another world, free from the vanilla drunken fucking I was used to. You always keep a special place for those that open you up to new experiences. Yoga pants was all she ever wore. I would get these crazy hard-ons just watching her walk around. I only have one or two pictures of her. Sometimes I try and find photos online but I can't remember her last name. I used to have her email but I lost it. I wondered how the last seven years had been to her.

I liked the techno these guys threw down. It had gotten a bit darker over the last few years, definitely for the better. Hours passed. Zack had shared a cab back with Sally, but not before telling us he was offered five million for his app ShowUp, turning it down as they were still growing and the investors thought they could get more in the future. I had made a lame pass at Sally and she had called me a dork, putting me in my place. Lana, never one to leave a party, raged on. My phone burned my eyes when I tried to check it, I gave up. It was 5am, if I moved fast I could be home before it was too light, these were still semi respectable morning hours to be on the street - anything after eight on a Monday morning got pretty grim.