Damaged Souls (Broken Man)

by Scott, Christopher

  “Trust me, I tried all week,” he remembered their conversation from the weekend before. “The moment hasn’t been right, but I am going to do it tonight.”

  “Well you better before some other guy snatches her up,” Sheila reminded him of the competition and ratcheted up the pressure. “Will you do me a favor and hand me that jar of olives.”

  “Sure,” he replied as he retrieved the olives from the waitress station. “Sheila, can I ask you something.”

  “Of course you can, Greg.”

  “What do you really think of me,” Greg tried to put his finger on his confusion. “I mean, what would you think if I showed up at your door to take one of your daughters out.”

  “I would be very happy, Greg,” she looked confused at the question. “Why wouldn’t I be. You are kind, polite, and if I was eighteen, I would jump your bones,” she smiled and teased him.

  “That’s not what I mean,” he was serious as he thought of his conversation with Jack. “I mean, you know, I don’t have much. I don’t come from a good family, I’m not smooth and polished, and my truck is about to fall apart. Maybe Jack and Amanda just want me to ask Delaney to the prom because I’m safe.”

  “Greg,” Sheila paused for emphasis and looked him in the eye. “Stop thinking that way. None of that stuff means anything, and Jack and Amanda want you to ask Delaney because they like you and they trust you with her. What matters is how you feel about each other, and one day, both of you are going to realize how special that feeling is.”

  “Thanks, Sheila,” he was reassured. “Now I know why you are such a good bartender.”

  “No problem, just promise me you are going to ask her.”

  “I promise,” Greg committed himself and went back to editing his mental proposal.

  * * *

  Maybe I shouldn’t talk to him about it tonight, Delaney thought to herself as Greg drove her home from work. He has been acting kind of strange all day, really all week for that matter, and he has been so quiet on the way home. Something must be bothering him.

  I hope everything is okay at home, she figured that might be the problem even though Greg had told Jack everything was fine. I just wish he would talk to me about it, Delaney knew she was going to have to drag it out of him as they turned into her development. He needs to get it out of his system and I need to tell him what happened today. He really should be the first to know.

  “What do you have planned for the weekend,” she opened the conversation with an easy one.

  “I’ve got to catch up on a bunch of mowing tomorrow and we both work that event tomorrow night,” Greg went over his schedule as he pulled into her driveway. “Going to try to get everything done tomorrow so I can take it easy on Sunday. How about you.”

  “Work tomorrow night, wide open on Sunday. Maybe we can do something then,” she looked at him hopefully as he unlatched his seatbelt and she thought for a second he might lean over and kiss her.

  “That sounds good,” he replied as he opened his door and she realized they weren’t going to kiss or even talk for that matter.

  I am such an idiot, Delaney had no idea how she got into these situations as Greg walked around to open her door. When am I going to learn, she wondered as she stepped out of his truck and he walked her to the door. Probably never, Delaney concluded as she fumbled for her keys and the right thing to say as they arrived at her door.

  * * *

  This is it, Greg thought to himself as they reached the moment of truth.

  “Thanks for driving me home, Greg,” Delaney said as she turned to give him a hug. “Call me tomorrow,” she whispered in his ear as he held her for just a second.

  Don’t blow it now, he thought as he awkwardly let go of her embrace and she started to unlock the door. “One second, Delaney, I’ve got to tell you something.”

  “I’ve got to tell you something too,” she seemed pleased as she turned back towards him. “You go first.”

  “Umm, I’m not quite sure what I want to say,” Greg immediately stumbled, so much for smooth. “Why don’t you go.”

  “Okay, Greg,” she paused and looked at him strangely before continuing. “I just wanted you to be the first to know that Mitch asked me to the prom today.”

  Greg immediately knew what it felt like to be shot and it took him a second to recover. “Mitch Caldwell,” he somehow sounded out the name of his assassin. “The quarterback on the football team.”

  “Of course Mitch Caldwell, what other Mitch do we know.”

  His worst fears realized, Greg was stunned speechless.

  “Greg, whats wrong,” Delaney expressed concern as she reached for his arm.

  “Mitch Caldwell is a jerk,” he avoided her contact and said the first thing that came to mind. “You shouldn’t go with him, you can do better.”

  “What’s your problem, Greg,” she asked as he could tell she was hurt by his reaction. “Mitch is okay, I thought you were friends.”

  “We were friends in elementary school, but now he is an asshole. Tell him you can’t go with him, I’ll take you to the prom for god sake,” he replied abruptly and realized his invitation hadn’t gone as planned.

  “Stop swearing, Greg. What has gotten into you,” Delaney nearly cried. “I already told him I would go, and the way you are acting, there is no way I would ever go with you.”

  “Fine,” he said as he turned to walk away. “I don’t want to go with you anyway. Have fun with Mitch.”

  * * *

  Delaney entered the house crying. What is wrong with him, she asked herself as she tried to regain control and act like nothing happened, knowing Amanda would be waiting up for her.

  “Hey, I’m home,” Delaney tried to be brief as she checked in with Amanda in her bedroom.

  “Delaney, come here,” she knew her act hadn’t worked as Amanda looked up from her book. “What’s wrong, honey.”

  “Greg and I just had a big fight,” she couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. “He acted like such a jerk. I’ve never seen him act that way.”

  “Come over here,” Amanda made space for her in bed. “Now, tell me exactly what happened.”

  “I don’t know,” Delaney cried. “He’s been acting strangely all week and then tonight he was acting really strange. He barely talked to me all night, but everything was still okay. I figured that is just Greg sometimes.”

  “Then what happened,” Amanda asked, already in full psychologist mode.

  “We got home, and he walked me to the door, and everything was still fine,” Delaney tried to figure out what went wrong as she relived the last few minutes. “And he said he had something to tell me, and I said I had something to tell him too.”

  “So, what did he say,” Amanda asked as she took her hand.

  “He didn’t say anything, I went first and told him Mitch had asked me to the prom, and Greg basically went nuts. He called him an asshole and told me I shouldn’t go with him. He was such a jerk,” Delaney started to cry again.

  “I’m so sorry, honey,” Amanda took her into her arms. “But, don’t be too hard on him. It’s really my fault, I wish you had told me about Mitch.”

  “What do you mean. Mitch didn’t ask me until today after school. I was going to tell you, but wanted to tell Greg first so he wouldn’t think he was obligated to take me as a friend.”

  “I should of told you, Delaney,” Amanda considered what to say. “I think Greg really wanted to take you to the prom and I think he was going to ask you tonight.”

  Everything immediately fell into place for Delaney. “That’s why he was so upset.”

  “I think so. I should have never gotten involved. You and I had talked about the prom, and I made Jack talk to Greg about asking you. I thought it would make the two of you happy, even if it was just as friends, and maybe he got his hopes up. This is all my fault, I should have never interfered.”

  “That’s okay,” Delaney felt better now that she understood why Greg had acted as he did. “It�
��s not your fault, you were just trying to look out for me.”

  “I have to stop doing that,” Amanda wouldn’t let herself off the hook that easily. “You’re eighteen now, I have to let you figure some things out on your own. But, I do know one thing. I know Greg cares about you very much. Please don’t let this ruin what the two of you have. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if it did.”

  “Don’t worry Amanda, I won’t,” she replied and considered what to say next. “Can I ask you something.”

  “Of course you can.”

  “Do you think Greg likes me,” Delaney looked at Amanda closely to confirm she understood what she was asking. “I mean do you think he really likes me.”

  “I know he does, Delaney. He always has.”

  “I like him too,” Delaney finally admitted her feelings for him. “But, it’s hard with Greg. He has so much on his mind, and he can be hard to talk to sometimes. I wish it was easy like it is with you and Jack.”

  “It wasn’t always that easy you know. When I first met Jack, he was still trying to get over your mother and it was difficult. It took a lot of time before he even noticed me and even more time to break through the depression he was suffering through. There were many times I thought it was over and I would never see him again.”

  “You never told me that,” Delaney had always just assumed it had been love at first sight. “That must have been hard. What did you do.”

  “I just never gave up. I somehow knew he was what I wanted and that I needed to spend the rest of my life with him.”

  “How did you know, Amanda,” Delaney tried to understand what she was saying.

  “You just know, it’s hard to describe,” Amanda attempted to find the proper words. “I just couldn’t stop thinking about him and couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.”

  “I feel that way about Greg sometimes,” Delaney wasn’t sure how much she could share. “Sometimes at night, I can’t stop thinking about him.”

  “And that is natural,” Amanda reassured her. “I felt that way several times, even before Jack. Don’t worry, honey, it is normal, and you will know when it’s time.”

  I hope so, Delaney wondered if she would know as she thought about him. “I better call Greg,” she shared her thoughts with Amanda. “What am I going to do about the prom.”

  “What do you think you should do,” Amanda wasn’t about to interfere again.

  “I think I should go with Mitch,” Delaney realized she was stuck. “It wouldn’t be polite not to go after telling him I would. I wouldn’t want someone doing that to me.”

  “That’s the right decision Delaney, although I know you wish it wasn’t,” Amanda looked at her as if to apologize again. “But, don’t worry, it’s only one night, and I think you and Greg will have plenty of time to make up for it.”

  “I think we will too,” Delaney was reassured as she thought about the future with Greg.

  Chapter Five

  Greg saw Delaney’s name flash up on the screen and let her call go to voice mail for the second time. I can’t talk to her yet, he tried to gather his thoughts as he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. I acted like such a jerk. I won’t let that happen again.

  “Mitch Caldwell,” he muttered his name out loud and again felt the shot to his heart. “Why would she go out with him,” he questioned the room and remembered his long history with Mitch, one he had never shared with Delaney.

  They met even before they started school. Their fathers had business together, and as is usually the case, business spilled over into their personal lives as their wives became friends and their sons started to play together. Pretty soon, the clans were inseparable, and Greg and Mitch promised to stay best friends forever as little boys will do.

  They remained best friends all through elementary school. They did every thing together, and could almost complete each other’s sentences. They competed in basketball, tennis, golf, video games, even girls at that young age. Greg was also Mitch’s favorite target on the football field, catching both his passes and his insults with equal aplomb.

  “You run like a girl, I have no idea why I ever throw it to you,” Greg’s mind flashed back to grade school as he remembered Mitch trying to bring him down with another of his insults.

  “Probably because I am the only one who can catch that shitty half spiral you call a pass,” Greg always came right back at him. “If you could throw it half decent, we might be able to win a game.”

  “You’re an asshole,” Mitch came up with his best response, knowing he wasn’t going to win this war of words. “You ready for Saturday.”

  “Of course I’m ready,” Greg responded and thought of their next game. “Just get me the ball, we’ll get it done.”

  They made a great team as kids, and they both could really play football. Mitch had a cannon for an arm, and Greg possessed great speed and even better hands despite his small size. They loved the game and plotted their future together as they approached middle school.

  “What do you think of Peyton Manning,” Greg’s mind again flashed back to another one of their conversations as he heard Mitch’s voice clear as a bell.

  “I think he’s pretty good,” Greg remembered how he responded. “But, he wouldn’t be shit if he didn’t have Reggie Wayne to throw it to.”

  “I think he would be great throwing to anyone,” Mitch shot back as Greg tried to figure out if he was insulting him or Reggie Wayne. “I’m going to be that good one day.”

  “Sure you are,” Greg remembered laughing. “I just hope you can start for the middle school team.”

  “Go screw yourself,” Mitch replied as Greg recalled the obscenity laced banter of their youth, two fifth graders trying to appear older, tougher, and better than they were.

  But, Mitch was good, and both of them knew it. Even at that young age, Coaches from all around town in football crazy South Florida were coming to watch practices and the young phenom destined to be the next Dan Marino. Nearly six foot tall before the age of twelve with the arm and stats to back up his size, Mitch received the kind of adulation usually reserved for stars, and Greg caught the leftover attention and any ball thrown his way.

  They were going somewhere, and as the school year approached, Mitch and Greg looked forward to football camp, the only two sixth graders invited to try out for the middle school varsity. Their future looked bright, but on a hot summer day, everything changed, at least for Greg.

  * * *

  Greg gave up trying to sleep, abandoning his bed and walking to the kitchen thinking of his dad. Everything would be different now, he thought to himself as he opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. I don’t even think I would be the same person, Greg understood the consequences of his father’s death as he sat down at the table and revisited the past.

  Life couldn’t have been any better than when he was growing up. His mother and father were happy and they lived comfortably if not luxuriously as the real estate market boomed and his father’s law practice reaped the rewards. They spent their time going to parties, swimming and golfing at the country club, and living the care free life of wealth and success. Yes, they were the perfect picture of family happiness, the charismatic attorney armed with beautiful wife and athletic son, destined for greatness in the courtroom and on the gridiron.

  His father’s biggest client was J. Mitchell Caldwell, third generation owner of Caldwell Development, one of the largest developers of luxury real estate in South Florida and Greg’s best friend’s father. They did everything with the Caldwell’s, Father/Son golf tournaments, deep sea fishing in the keys, even film study for football. It seemed Greg’s family had earned their ticket and was destined for the upper echelons of South Florida society.

  It all changed on that hot summer day in August. Greg remembered coming home from football practice and being surprised to find an empty house. Concerned but not too worried, he called his Mom to find out what was going on.

  “Greg, is that you, honey,” h
is mother answered and Greg knew immediately something was wrong.

  “Mom, what’s wrong.”

  “Your father has been taken to the hospital. I’m on my way there now. I will call you when I find out anything more.”

  “Mom, what happened,” Greg immediately had panicked.

  “I don’t know yet honey, but I promise to call you as soon as I find out. Greg, I have to go, but I’ll talk to you soon. I love you okay, and try not to worry, he’s going to be fine.”

  “Okay, Mom,” Greg remembered the feeling of shock. “I love you too.”

  Greg took a sip of beer as he returned to the present and cooly remembered his father’s premature death. The funeral, his mother’s breakdown, their abandonment by their so called friends once the body was buried. The feeling of emotional detachment he had never shaken.

  He had never been allowed to react or show weakness, his mother took care of that for both of them. No, Jack immediately became the man of the house, forgetting about trivial pursuits like football and golf and instead focusing on making sure his mother survived. Fortunately, the life insurance paid off their mortgage and living expenses, at least for a couple years, because his mom was in no shape to help.

  No, his mom absolutely fell apart. Greg remembered the many dark days and darker nights of his mother alternating drinking with crying, no real friends to help her through the tragedy. Where had they all disappeared to, Greg wondered, once the status and money were gone.

  So, it was left to him, and he did the best he could, hoping to find help as he didn’t really know what to do. But, he made his way through it, and on a cloudy December day as Christmas approached, Greg thought he finally found the help he had been seeking.

  Greg left school early that day, having written a fake note from his mother excusing him from the last two periods. As he arrived home, he saw a Mercedes in the driveway and was hopeful that help had finally arrived. He recognized that car, it belonged to Mitch’s father.

  He called out to his mom as he opened the door and was surprised not to see her. He checked the screen room, still no Mom. Maybe they went out, Greg remembered being pleased with the thought that his mother had finally left the house.