Sex Tourist Ch. 30-31

...The bars have been getting bigger, better and more expensive ever since. The big spenders today are the South East Asians, the Japanese, Koreans and Malaysians. They buy the bars and angle them to cater to their tastes. Very orderly, very refined, not much fun. There'll soon be no place for 'wild girls' anymore. They'll all be replaced by 3000p 'models.'"

"Then, I'd better find mine before they become extinct," said Trevor.

When, immediately on his return, Trevor reserved leave on the holiday planner for the first three weeks in August, it was quickly noticed. By unspoken agreement, staff with children, were given priority in August, the school holiday.

"You've booked your summer holiday very early," queried his line manager. "Will you have any flexibility?"

"A day here and there, but it's for a fixed event, the annual concourse," said Trevor.

"Only, we like to give as many parents as possible some leave in August ... we're always short staffed, and to lose the team leader as well ..."

"You'll be losing me for good, soon enough. It'll be an opportunity to try out a replacement."

By the end of the day, a memo had been circulated specifying minimum staffing levels for the summer holiday period, two more being required in the first three weeks of August than at other times. Dierdre had been approached and asked to ensure she would be available to fill Trevor's shoes.

"It's a charity event. I'm part of the set-up now, I've agreed to help out and I don't want to let people down. It's for the street-children after all," explained Trevor.

"Will you be doing it every year?" asked Dierdre.

"Yes. I'm thinking about retiring there, so I'm putting down roots and building up a network."

"Gosh! Retiring there. That's brave."

In no time the news had spread through the office and Trevor had answered the questions of his intrigued colleagues.

A few days later Adrian, a lad of about nineteen, approached him. "I saw something about that place you're retiring to. It seems really sleazy. It said there are 100,000 prostitutes working there."

"100,000! There WERE a great many when the Americans had a big airbase there, but I doubt, even then, it was that many. The base has closed; there're just a few go-go bars left, near the old airbase."

"Is that where you fly? At the airbase?"

"No. That's for military jets and airliners. I fly from a small, grass airfield a few miles outside the city; we have to stay clear of the air base for obvious reasons."

"So you don't get to go to the go-go bars?"

"I've been in a few. It's not like you see in the movies; only some girls shuffling on a stage. Go-slow, rather than, go-go."

"Have you ever...? You know ...?"

"I know ... and I haven't."

The 100,000 prostitute story circulated in the office, and resulted in further internet searches. Soon, Trevor was being asked questions about sex-tourists and paedophiles.

"There are prostitutes and there are paedophiles. Probably no more common than in London, but the prostitution is less discrete, and the paedophiles are equally as secretive; so you notice the prostitutes, but not the paedophiles."

"It doesn't seem that nice a place, there's no seaside or anything," said Deirdre.

"Isn't there a better place where you could retire, and still do your flying."

"I've friends there now; we have a common interest. There's quite an ex-pat community and I enjoy their company. I'll need something to occupy my time, and someone to do things with. It's where I've, sort of landed, for better or worse."

"Do you have a lady friend there?"

"Not yet. But most of the ex-pats marry local girls, so there's still hope for me."

"Well, just make sure you stay away from those bar-girls; they'll just take your money and run."

"You make them sound like the government," joked Trevor.

Nevertheless, he was uncomfortably aware that some of his colleagues had associated the availability of bar-girls with his frequent trips to the Philippines.