“I haven’t done a thing. Lori dropped this mess off over lunch, and I’ve got four days to get it done.”
Caleb’s jaw dropped and then he asked, “Four days? Is that even possible?”
“Exactly. Why the hell do I even bother, Caleb?”
Leaning against the bookcase closest to the door, Caleb said, “Well, you and I both knew this wasn’t paradise when we signed on. It was good money, for sure, but it wasn’t fun money. I remember when you got that fancy apartment downtown, you said something like, ‘I can put up with almost anything for a view like this.’”
Jamie looked up with a pained expression on his face. “Did I really say something as stupid as that?”
Caleb nodded. “You did, bud. That was my kick-ass bud taking on the world. I hate to say it, but now it feels like you’re getting a little soft around the edges.”
Jamie shook his head. “I’m nothing different from what I’ve ever been, and if it was just up to me, I might actually grit my teeth, suck it all up, and be the sad-eyed team player.”
“Well, why don’t you just do that?” asked Caleb. “Meanwhile, you’ve got the resume now. You could start looking for that kinder, gentler boss man.”
“You know what the difference is,” said Jamie.
Caleb shrugged. “You don’t seem to have changed too much to me, other than those dark circles under your eyes. You really should get back on the straight and narrow so you can get your beauty sleep.”
Jamie pounded both hands on his desk hard enough that it made Caleb jump. He raised his voice and said, “You know exactly what the difference is now. I’m in love now. I’ve got Aaron. He’s going to move up here to get married, Caleb. What the fuck is good about being married if you can never see each other and you can’t be proud about who you are at work?”
Caleb smirked. “I think you’re stretching this little snit fit from the boss guys a little far into the future. They’ll get bored. One of them will run into you in the break room and see how you’re dragging around with those bags under your eyes screwing with that pretty face, and they’l be satisfied. They’ll laugh about it in the conference room, and then everything will be back to normal. They know the quality of work you do. Take it for what it is. The playground bully is stealing your lunch to teach you a lesson.”
“But I want to beat the shit out of the bully, Caleb.”
Caleb shrugged. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you with that one. I’ve got rent to pay, and I’m going to Cancun next month.” Caleb reached a hand out and motioned downward with the palm. “Head down, Jamie, and let’s take a rain check on the movie. Maybe next week. There’s always a good flick to see.”
Jamie sighed heavily. “Thanks for the attempt at a pep talk, Caleb.” He dug his fingers into the lunch box and held out a paper-wrapped disc. “Do you want my cookie? Suddenly, I’m really not very hungry anymore.”
19
Aaron
Thomas said, “Hey, do we even know who this guy is?”
Yale leaned across the table to take a closer look at Aaron and said, “I think he looks vaguely familiar.”
Derek stood up and clapped Aaron on the back. He said, “Don’t listen to these assholes. We’re all really happy to have you back for a Friday night at the Goose. And for not being an asshole, I get to be best man at the wedding, right?”
Aaron laughed and pulled up a chair to the table. He said, “Maybe you’ll move to the top of the list if you go grab me a beer.” He pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and slapped them into Derek’s hand.
Aaron experienced radio silence from his friends for a week after the gathering at his apartment ended in such an ugly fashion. Derek was the first to call and apologize. Then they all called and left messages one by one. They were all his very best friends, and it wasn’t possible to stay enemies for long.
Emma asked, “Do you have any of the wedding plans yet? Jane and I would love to handle flowers and centerpieces at the reception, unless you are planning some high-priced deal.”
Aaron smiled and said, “Thank you, and no, we haven’t had time to even hash out a date. It could be two years from now for all that I know. I’m not in a rush.”
He could hear a collective sigh of relief spread around the table. Thomas said, “That sounds like good thinking to me.”
Derek returned and pressed a cold, frosty pint of beer into his hand. He said, “I’ve got some news to share with the group. Nothing major, but I won’t make it to next Friday’s get-together.”
“You’re playing hookie?” asked Jane.
Yale said, “He’s being modest. It’s a bigger deal than he says it is.”
“Spill the news, Derek,” said Thomas. “What’s up?”
Derek said, “I’m heading up to the city next Friday for a writers’ conference. I signed up for it a long-time ago, and then they just called me yesterday to ask if I could fill in last minute for one of their panelists. Apparently, he has a sick family member and can’t make it.”
“You’ll be talking about your books?” asked Thomas.
Yale said, “He will be.”
Thomas held up a hand for a high five. “Damn, buddy, that’s big stuff. Soon you’ll be heading out on one of those bookstore tours signing copies all across the country.”
“November,” said Derek.
“Really? Wow, that’s not quite four months away,” said Emma. “We really need to celebrate. Jane and I will buy the next round.”
Aaron piped up. “Hey, Derek, can I hitch a ride with you? Or I can drive, but it would be great to go up and surprise Jamie when he gets off of work.”
Derek shrugged. “I don’t know why not. I could use the company.”
Aaron turned to Yale. “Aren’t you going up, too?”
Yale said, “No, I’m staying at home to hawk the famous writer’s books. His agent said she wouldn’t be surprised if a few people head down to the Cove to check out our little town once they put two and two together and realize the place where Derek’s books take place is only ninety minutes away.”
* * *
Derek and Aaron got to the city early so they could go out to lunch together and give Derek a chance to relax before he had to take the stage at 4:00 p.m. with other authors.
Aaron asked, “Hey, would you like to go up and take a look at Jamie’s apartment? The view is amazing, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. He keeps it immaculate. Then we can go out to have lunch at our favorite little cafe.”
“You’re really getting into this reverse Green Acres luxury lifestyle, aren’t you Aaron?”
Aaron led the way across the apartment building lobby and nodded at the doorman. As he punched the elevator button, he asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Derek said, “You know the show Green Acres. This is like the opposite. The small-town guy gets pulled into the posh city when he falls in love. Except it looks like you might be settling right in.”
The elevator rose quickly while Aaron said, “I’m not so sure about that.”
Derek said, “The view is really beautiful up here.” He glanced around the living room and added, “Great furniture, too. This living room almost looks like a museum. Is it safe to sit on things?”
Aaron laughed and said, “Of course it is. Sit anywhere you want.
“It’s a long way from that old rough fabric couch your parents had in the living room when we were in high school. I was over at your house and spilled soda on it. We were both panicking, and then your mom walked in and said, ‘We’ll just rent the steam cleaner. I think the residue of spilled stuff is the only thing holding that couch together.’”
Aaron said, “That was funny. We had a lot of fun when you stayed over. Mom and Dad still ask about you all the time, Derek.”
Aaron and Derek sat on opposite ends of the pristine leather-upholstered sofa. Derek asked, “So what are the big plans for life in the big city, Aaron? You said at the Blue Goose there were lots of opportunities here.”
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sp; Aaron said, “Well, just look out the window. You could fit Catlett’s Cove down there and then there would just be fields and woods. All there is out the window is city almost as far as the eye can see. There’s neighborhoods and shopping and stuff.”
Both sat in silence until Derek said, “Come on, Aaron, you aren’t fooling anyone.”
Aaron raised an eyebrow and asked, “Fooling?”
“All that stuff about opportunity here. You’re just making that up to justify moving in with Jamie. He’s a great guy but you’re like a goldfish in a bowl of piranhas up here.”
Aaron stood up from the couch and started to pace back and forth. He said, “Sometimes I feel like the real piranhas are the ones trying to drag me back to the Cove and can’t handle that I’ve found a great guy.”
Derek sighed and said, “We care about you, and we like Jamie, too, or at least I do. I guess I shouldn’t speak for anybody else, but all that I’ve heard of what he likes up here is about money and the stuff that he can buy with money. Your app sales show that you don’t have to live up here to make money.”
Aaron’s voice started to crack. “He’s…happy here…Derek. He says he is.”
Derek stood up from the crouch and reached out for Aaron. He felt Aaron’s shoulders shaking in his arms. “Remember, buddy, you have the best friends a guy could want in the Cove. We’ll always have your back no matter where you live.”
Aaron choked on the words as he said, “Then…let me…try having Jamie…and having this.”
Derek said, “Then just remember great relationships are about both people getting to pursue their own dreams. It’s amazing when they end up working together and feeding off of each other, but you have to be support for each other. If one person is left just being the support guy for the other, it’s gonna fall apart eventually.”
Aaron protested and said, “Jamie supports my dreams. He sends me job notices, and he talks about how I can have plenty of time to work on my games.”
Then Derek threw the curve ball that Aaron feared most. He asked, “What are Jamie’s dreams? Is this really it? Is his job what he wants to do forever? Do you even know?”
Aaron turned to face Derek and buried his face in Derek’s shoulder. His voice was muffled but the words were still clear. He said, “I know he’s the right guy, Derek, but we’ve got so much to figure out. It took you and Yale years to get there. Please let us try. Don’t just be there for me. Be there for both of us. Tell the other guys that, too.”
Derek said, “We’re always here, buddy, and we brought Hadley into the circle when Thomas fell for him. We’ll be here for Jamie, too. Why don’t we go get some lunch?”
“Okay. Why’s it have to be so fucking hard?”
Aaron said, “Because what you win when you play the game right is the most valuable stuff in the world.”
20
Jamie
Rupert Sheaves stared at Jamie as he leaned back in his desk chair. All that Jamie could think about was the perfectly tailored suit that his boss was wearing. It was a perfect charcoal grey. The shirt underneath was blue like a robin’s egg, but it had a smoky undertone that blended with the jacket and pants for an amazing match. Finally, the deep maroon tie with tiny black designs meant Rupert Sheaves was the best-dressed man Jamie had seen in a long time.
Unfortunately, his face ruined the entire picture. The lines around Jamie’s boss’s mouth seemed to tie his face up into a permanent sneer. His skin looked leathery like it had been battered year in and year out by constant stormy weather, and his eyes were a cold, hard grey that stood out in marked contrast to the warmth of the charcoal suit.
Rupert Sheaves’ attempts to praise Jamie’s work while appearing friendly and calm were the most jarring part of the entire picture. He opened with, “You have done a commendable job with this verification work, Jamie.”
Jamie wanted to cringe and spit, but instead he worked up a half-smile and said, “Thank you, Sir. I always try and turn in my best work.”
“Fortunately, we are moving you back to your normal responsibilities as soon as we clear up and adjust a few portions of the documents that you’ve reviewed.”
Jamie looked into the cold, grey eyes and asked, “Did I make a mistake? What are we needing to adjust?”
“Oh, you didn’t make any mistakes. We just need the permanent record to reflect a bit more…” He paused as he searched for a word, “Kindly…on the company’s efforts.”
Raising an eyebrow, Jamie asked, “Do you mean that you want to include false information in the permanent record? I thought I was verifying everything to make sure that it wasn’t false. I was making sure it was a true and accurate representation of everything that we do.”
Rupert Sheaves waved a hand. Jamie stared at the gold wedding band. It fit loosely on the man’s ring finger. Almost every time Jamie looked at a wedding band on the hand of an older man, the fit was snug, almost as if he could not easily slip it off if he tried. Rupert Sheaves’ wedding ring was different. He could slip it on and off with ease.
Jamie looked back up at the pinched face as his boss said, “These aren’t untruthful. They are just augmentations, Jamie, and I want you to word them clearly and succinctly for us. I’ve made notes to point out where we need your adjustments. You have an outstanding way with words. We’ve decided you’re the perfect man for the job. I’ll send the notations to you in e-mail.”
A hard lump formed instantly in the pit of Jamie’s stomach. Regardless of the words that Rupert Sheaves was using, he knew that he was being ordered to lie in print. He asked, “What if I decide not to do it? Or what if I can’t do it?”
The boss clicked his tongue and responded, “Like I said, Jamie, you will do a great job, and soon, with a promotion, you will do even better work. You’re a company man, Jamie, with a great future ahead.” He gestured, sweeping his gnarled and wrinkled hand around the room. “You have all of this already. After the next few steps, there is even more on the way.” Rupert Sheaves paused once more, and then he said, “I’ll send you the e-mail.”
Jamie felt sick to his stomach when he saw the smile, and then his boss turned to exit his office without saying another word. Jamie was convinced that a gust of cold air followed him out the door.
* * *
Jamie was lost in the deeply sickening feeling in his gut as he drove home. It felt like some kind of black sludge was slowly seeping through his body and gradually taking over. He knew that he couldn’t do what was being asked of him, but he was so sickened by being asked that his thoughts couldn’t sort out a real exit plan. He had high rent, expensive car payments, and he didn’t really know how to do the basics of cooking, laundry, and otherwise taking care of himself. He paid experts to do all of that.
Jamie carried a load of junk mail from the box in the lobby in one hand with his computer bag slung over the opposite shoulder. Jamie felt like he was shaking as he unlocked the door to his apartment. He didn’t know if he really wanted to see everything that he could lose by walking out on his job.
“Jamie!’ shouted Aaron from the living room.
On any other day it would have been the most awesome surprise that Jamie could imagine. Instead, the immediate impact was an addition to the burdens that he felt he was already bearing on his shoulders. He mustered a weak smile as he kicked the door shut and asked, “When did you get here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
Aaron’s smile looked like it was a mile wide. He pushed his glasses up his nose in a familiar gesture and reached out a hand to relieve Jamie of the stack of mail. Aaron said, “Derek had a writers’ conference up here, and I decided to take the day off from work so I could come up and surprise the best guy in the world.”
Jamie could feel the waterworks begin to well up in his eyes. He knew that he wasn’t the best guy in the world. That honor belonged to Aaron. Jamie dropped the bag on the floor and threw his arms around the man that he loved, and he began to sob.
Aaron held on tight and asked
, “Is something wrong? I know it’s emotional to see me, but this is more than I expected.” Aaron kissed Jamie’s lips and then wiped at the tears on the side of his face with gentle fingers.
Jamie said, “Work was hell. I need a drink. I need a beer. Aaron, I need something.”
Aaron held on tight and slowly led Jamie into the living room. He said, “Here, sit on the sofa, and I’ll get you a beer.”
Jamie hoped that Aaron couldn’t feel him shaking. He was overwhelmed by the entire day, and he couldn’t figure out any way that he could really explain. As he sat on the sofa, he kicked off his black leather wingtip shoes and pulled his feet up on to the sofa curling up in as tight of a ball as possible.
Aaron returned from the kitchen with a cold beer bottle and set it on the coffee table. Sitting close to Jamie, he asked, “Are you sick or something?” He reached out a long arm to feel Jamie’s forehead with the back of his hand. Then he laughed softly and said, “I’m not sure I really know exactly what I’m feeling for. This is just what my mom always did when I didn’t feel good.”
Jamie sighed and said, “No, I’m not sick. At least not in the way you are thinking. It was just really really bad at work today.”
“You didn’t get fired, did you?” asked Aaron. “I mean, if you did, that’s okay and everything, and it would explain being so stressed, and we can figure things out.”
Jamie could see that Aaron was starting to talk just to fill up the silence. He knew Aaron well enough now to know that was a habitual response to stress. Aaron didn’t like silence, so he would use his own voice to combat it by talking about anything. Jamie said, “I got asked to do something I don’t want to do. It got a little ugly.”
Aaron leaned in close and slipped an arm around Jamie’s back. He said, “Yeah, that’s crappy when they expect so much of you. Can you just put it off a little bit? Is it really something that needs to be done right away?”
The Experiment Page 12
