Dear Marilyn (BoyxBoy)

Down By The Sea

One thing that kept me sane during these moments of teenage despair, was my lovely little weekend job at the Quayside Cafe, where I worked as a pot washer at first and then later, as a cheeky waiter (this is me we're talking about OK :)!). 

This gorgeous establishment, which will always hold a very dear place in my heart, was located along the Burnham - on - Crouch seafront in Essex, right near the bottom of what can only be described as, a teeny tiny seaside town straight out of a 1950's film. It had character, charm and when you breathed deeply, that sea air just worked it's magic on you. Some people wouldn't like it, but I loved everything about it and we'd work like the clappers all day from 8 till 6, yet still come home with a smile on our faces and a skip in our step.

In the years I worked there, it was owned by the husband and wife team of Simon and Lorraine (R.I.P Lorraine) and I worked alongside Heathernino (real name Heather) and my very own sisters, the one, the only, CeCe and Nicola. It was actually CeCe who introduced me to the Quayside and got me a job there, after one night when she went in to waitress, they were so short staffed and desperate for a pot washer, that we on the spot, lied about my age (14 instead of 12) and as I was in the car with Dad at the time anyway, I just hopped out and instantly became the new employee. It was definitely a right place, right time moment for me and for all of us it worked well.

You probably wouldn't get away with that these days, but back then I wanted to work and if they were willing to take me on, then I was willing to wash up for them and make those pots shine brighter then you'd ever seen in your life! 

Nicola (my big sister) came to work there a few years later too and although other staff were employed alongside us, they came and went just as the tide did, yet we 3 remained running that place like our own family cafe. Those were the golden years of the Quayside and it stayed that way for as long as we were there.

It was also a place where I felt safe and that I could be myself. I'd banter back and forth with Simon each shift, I'd schmooze Lorraine when she came into work and I would turn the dial up on my cheeky charm, to secure those tips as best as I could. So much fun was had and those tips helped to kit me out with new trainers if I fancied them, treat Polly to a day out in Southend on Sea or would pay for the 31x bus to Chelmsford for a Burger King. 

The world really was my oyster and as 2003 began, after a very rocky 2002, it was this little piece of joy that gave me a boost when I really needed it. The fact we got a new member of staff might of helped too. 

It was a Friday night, the first one of January infact and as I arrived at work, it was absolutely pelting it down with rain. Thank god I was working out the back, because in the time it had taken for me to walk from Dad's car to the restaurant, which was just a five minute walk, I was soaked right through to the bone and in desperate need of the spare clothes I'd packed just in case. I banged through the back door and hung my coat up on the hooks provided to dry. I always loved those hooks, which were sea themed and shaped like sea horses. They never failed to make me smile. There were a few more coats there than normal, which I thought for a second was strange, but then also thought maybe Lorraine had come in early as she sometimes did, so it flew right over my head and I walked towards the staff toilets. 

Of course I wasn't expecting anyone to be there, so I flung the door wide open, only to find a completely stark naked man, bent over with hairy arse in air, grappling for his underwear which was currently stuck round his ankles. He jumped up and turned so quickly, with his cock proudly on show for what could of only been milliseconds, before being restrained once more under the Calvin Klein's he'd now managed to pull up. My insides back flipped.

'Uh, Uh, I'm so sssorry!' he stuttered as I stood there gorping. 'I got soaked coming in, so was just changing quickly before my shift starts.'

'Malek! What the hell are you doing here? and don't worry I've seen your little worm before,' I clapped back, when secretly I was so turned on right then, that I could feel my own boner appearing through my wet clothes. He noticed. Brilliant. 

'Well it looks like your pleased to see me anyway Bailey old boy, you need a hand with that?' He looked again, taking all of me in this time.

'With what?' My cheeks burned as my skin prickled all over.

'Your wet stuff stupid! I'm hardly gonna nosh you off now am I?'

'Well you've got a big enough mouth for it,' I replied straight faced.

We both paused. He looked me straight in the eye and held my gaze as seriously as he could, before the grin started creeping in.

'Bailey, you are a crazy mofo! You had me going for a second then!' 

I laughed and before long we both were, hysterically, as once more normality was restored in time for us to start work. 

It was a 4 hour shift we worked that night but it honestly felt like a 5 minute one. I really didn't want it to end. I took every opportunity I could to speak to Malek and it amazed me how much we had in common and how easy it was to be in his company. It just felt like there was a spark between us, one that would burn you if you tried to grab hold of it and as we parted ways at the end of the shift and the night came to a close, I was genuinely sad to say goodbye to him. 

'See you Monday, Bailey!' he called out as he got in his Mum's car, who was waving like a mad woman.

'You wish!' I chuckled. 

I actually smiled all the way home that night and fell asleep with a much lighter heart. Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be OK after-all.