by W. S. Greer
“Oh, I definitely remember, I’m just surprised to hear from you. I was starting to think you’d never call. How are you?” he asks, now disregarding the time.
“I’m okay. Umm, I remembered what you said about calling you if I was having one of those nights that I couldn’t sleep. Umm, tonight is kind of one of those nights, and I was just wondering if maybe you’d like to come take a walk with me. I know it’s late and I totally understand if you’re asleep or busy or whatever, and I’m sorry for calling so late. I know this is a little weird.”
“I’ll be there in less than ten minutes,” he says like he’s already getting up, after which he hangs up. I guess he’s coming.
Ten minutes goes by fast, and Austin pulls into my parking lot at four fifteen. His dark gray Camaro is clean and shiny even in the dark, and I love the way the engine rumbles as he pulls in and puts it in park. When he gets out, he smiles at me and I smile back. He’s wearing blue sweats and a blue Seahawks hoodie, and his hands are shoved inside the pockets.
“Hi,” I greet him as he approaches, still holding that adorable smile. “Thanks for coming. I know it’s a little strange.”
“It’s not strange,” he replies. “Doesn’t bother me at all. I was up anyway. Like I said, I’m a night owl. So, lead the way.”
I don’t really know where we’re walking to, but when I take my first step, I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just walking. I walk out of the parking lot with Austin by my side, and it’s silent at first. Now that he’s here, I’m not really sure what to say, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“So, how was your day?” he finally asks, breaking the ice.
“Umm, well I just got off work. My life is work,” I reply, but I’m careful not to say too much. I’m not in the mood for being judged or for saying the thing that seems to bring out the worst in men. So, I continue to keep my real job a secret.
“I understand that. It sucks being an adult, doesn’t it?”
“Hell yeah it does.”
“Remember when you were a kid, and you wanted nothing more than to be a grownup because you thought it was gonna be cool? I remember thinking how awesome it was gonna be to be able to stay up as late as I wanted, and to be able to go out without asking anybody for permission. I wanted to drive, and I wanted to make money. I can’t tell you how much of a letdown real life is.”
“I know what you mean,” I say as I stick my own hands in the pockets of my pants. “When I ran . . . moved out of my dad’s house, I couldn’t wait to get my life started. I was out, and I was free to make my own decisions and do what I wanted. I didn’t realize all that meant was that I didn’t have anybody to tell me I was about to do something stupid. Being a grownup isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“You got that right, BFF,” he says with a smile.
“Oh gosh, here we go,” I reply with a giggle. “We’re back on the BFF talk again. We were having a nice conversation reminiscing about being young and dumb, and here you go with the BFF stuff.”
“What? I don’t see anything wrong with us being BFF’s. Do you have some sort of a BFF phobia or something? Are you a BFF-ophobe?”
“Oh my gosh, that’s not even a word,” I say as I laugh out loud. “You’re so goofy. I bet you were a class clown in school, weren’t you? You were that kid who was always disrupting class with your jokes and remarks. I bet you used to piss your teachers off.”
“Absolutely not. I was an angel in school, just like I am now. My teachers in Seattle loved me. Who doesn’t love an angel? Who doesn’t want to be BFF’s with an angel? I’m actually a guardian angel. How do you think I keep popping up wherever you are? I’m your guardian angel, Layla.”
“Well, you’ve done a shitty job, sir. There’s been plenty of times where you could’ve stepped in and I would’ve been very appreciative,” I reply, a little too honestly. I can tell he’s wondering what I’m talking about, and I don’t want to get into anything heavy right now, so I blow past it. “Anyway, guardian angel, you never told me about your day.”
“Well, technically, you didn’t really tell me about yours either. All you said was that you went to work. I mean, I could’ve guessed that. So, I think you have to answer me first, then I’ll tell you about my awesome, excitement-filled day.”
“Your day was full of excitement?”
“Oh hell yeah it was!” he exclaims. “It was unbelievable, so you better hurry up and tell me about your day before I forget what happened in mine and you’re left all disappointed.”
“Okay,” I giggle, but I have to pause for a minute, because I’m not sure how to describe my day without getting into the details of what I do. “Umm, my day was quiet. There was almost no business in the club, so it was pretty boring.”
“You seem to enjoy it when it’s quiet at work. It’s written all over your face when you say it. I’m guessing you don’t like having a packed house in the nightclub you work at, huh?”
“You’re right about that,” I say honestly. “I like it better when it’s quiet and I don’t have to deal with a lot of people.”
“Then why do you even keep doing your job? Why not quit and do something else? Something you enjoy.”
“To be honest, I’ve never even thought about it before. I’ve been doing it for a few years now, and I’ve never been to college, so I don’t even know what else I’d want to do. I don’t know what I’d be able to do.”
“Well, you won’t know until you actually look into it. It beats doing something you hate every day of your life.”
“You’ve got a point,” I admit.
I’ve never thought about quitting Red Pony. There are honestly a lot of reasons why, but Damien is probably the biggest one. In the years I’ve been working there, I’ve never seen any of the girls quit. I’ve seen them be beaten up and fired, but they never quit. That’s just not something you try to do when you work for Damien.
“So, now tell me about your fun-filled, awesome day,” I continue.
“Oh, okay,” Austin says, rubbing his hands together like he really has something juicy to tell me. I find myself perking up to hear what he’s about to say. “Well, first I woke up and talked to my mother on the phone. Boom. How’s that for a hot start? Then, I talked to one of my closest friends from back in Seattle who’s gonna be coming here for a work in a couple of days. After that thrill ride, I ended up taking a nap because I couldn’t fall asleep last night either, and my sleepiness carried over into the daytime. Then, I ordered Pizza Hut and watched three whole seasons of Friends on Netflix. Now, I know what you’re thinking; how could I possibly handle any more excitement? Well, it’s tough, but my night was totally capped off when you called and told me you wanted me to come walk with you. Now, here I am, my nerves wrecked from all the fun. I’m barely able to stand now, but it was totally worth it. Now, how’s that for an exciting day?”
I can’t even respond to Austin’s craziness. I don’t know where a person could possibly find the energy to make up that amount of enthusiasm at four-thirty in the morning, but when it’s all said and done, I have no choice but to laugh. I actually have to stop walking so I can laugh. I laugh so hard it hurts my stomach where I was punched just over an hour ago. When I clutch my stomach, Austin straightens up and gets serious.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, bending over so that our eyes are level.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answer quickly so he doesn’t press the issue. “I just can’t believe you came up with all that off the top of your head like that.”
“Well, I didn’t really. I actually did all that stuff today. Is that not exciting to you?”
I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing again. “It is, it is. Yeah, that sounds like a blast. I’m jealous.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” he jokes again. Then, his smile fades and he asks me a serious question. “Nah, but for real, if you weren’t bartending, what other job would you like to have?”
“Oh, a serious question now, huh?�
� I joke. “Okay, well, I haven’t given this much thought, to be honest. I like kids, and I’ve always wanted to be a teacher of some sort. Even a teacher’s aide would be nice. I don’t know. What about you, Mr. Air Force Pilot? Do you love what you do?”
He hesitates for a second, then clears his throat and answers. “I’m still fairly new to the Air Force, but I like it so far. I can’t complain. It brought me here, and I love Vegas. So, it has its perks.”
“I bet.”
We make our way around the corner, finally completing our circle around my large block, and I see my parking lot up ahead. I’m almost disappointed when I see my apartment complex staring back at me from down the street, so I slow my pace just to prolong the experience, which makes me confused. But slowing down doesn’t keep us from getting there, and the next thing I know, we’re standing in front of Austin’s car again.
“Well, I really appreciate you coming out and talking to me, Austin,” I say as he pushes a button on his key that starts the car without him having to get in.
“It’s always my pleasure, Layla. Thanks for the invite. It was a pleasant surprise.”
“Well, I have to admit you’re pretty easy to talk to. You don’t get on my nerves, and I can’t say that about very many people, especially men.”
“Ah, so that’s it. You’ve had some bad experiences with men. Is that why you’re so guarded?”
The image of my father’s face flashes in my head, followed by Damien’s scowl.
“Yeah, you could say that. I’ll be honest with you. You’re very sweet, and I like talking to you, but I have a hard time trusting people, men in particular. So, as much as I appreciate you always trying to make me smile, even against my will, it takes a while before I trust anyone. So, don’t take it too personal.”
“I’ll try not to,” he replies with a nod of his head. “And I don’t mind putting in however much time it takes for you to feel like you can let those walls down with me. It’s obvious you’ve got some internal stuff going on when it comes to men and trust, but we all have our issues we have to deal with. I’m dealing with my own personal shit, and that’s okay too. Once we make it through our shit, we’ll be stronger than the rest of the people out there who’ve had it easy their whole lives. So, I’ll be here whenever you need me. If you wanna talk, or take a walk, or have dinner, or breakfast, or lunch, or brunch, or snack time, or dessert, or appetizers, or a post-midnight bowl of cereal, or any other form of eating you can think of. I like kicking it with you, too, so just give me a call, okay?”
I look Austin in those big blue eyes of his, and there’s something about him that’s so mesmerizing. His eyes draw me in and I feel like we’re having a staring contest for a second. He truly is beautiful, and I’ll admit he’s different from any other guy I’ve met, but I’ve run into too many assholes to let my guard down so fast. So, I have to brush off the extra-long eye contact.
“Thanks for being so cool, Austin. Have a good night,” I say, then I reach my hand out for him to shake.
Austin looks down at my hand and smiles at it, shaking his head.
“You have a good night, too, Layla,” he replies as he pushes my hand to the side and moves in to hug me. It’s a short hug, and I’m hesitant at first, but once it happens, I’m glad he didn’t shake my hand. This is better for sure. He smells like a sexy version of heaven that only women get to go to, and the hug ends much too quickly.
Once we let go, Austin turns on his heel and climbs into his car. I watch him as he backs out of the parking space and drives away, into the direction of the sunrise.
My watch now reads just after five in the morning, and as I head upstairs, I feel strange as questions start to bounce around in my head. Maybe Austin isn’t like every other guy. Maybe every man isn’t a complete asshole. I don’t know. I guess only time will tell. But I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t off to a good start.
Austin
“Well, I’ll be damned! Look what the cat drug the fuck in.”
“Wow, it’s been a minute, Jason. It’s about time you came down here to see me, you bastard.”
Jason Adrien—one of my closest friends when I was in school, all the way up until we split and went to different colleges. Jason and I were pretty much inseparable because we were always in the same school from elementary through high school. Although Jason is three years older than me, he was two years ahead of me in grade—something about how his birthday came right after the school year started. So, when Jason was a senior in high school, I was a sophomore and we still hung out.
Jason’s father was a big time lawyer while my dad was a pilot for the Air Force. I spent all those years in Seattle with my mother, who didn’t want to do all the moving around that my dad did, because she wanted to stay close to her family. She wanted me to have a settled down kind of life, especially when I started to get older and closer to graduation. When I joined the Air Force, my dad retired and finally came back home to my mother. It was a bit unorthodox growing up that way, but my mom made it work for us.
“Look at you, all dressed up, looking like you’re somebody now,” I joke. “You look like you’re about to head to court right after we leave here.”
“Ah shut up, man. I just checked in and I didn’t feel like changing clothes because I was trying to come see your crazy ass.” Jason and I embrace in a hug and the people in the restaurant look at us like they’ve never see two men hug before. “It’s good to see you, man. I see you’ve got your little beard growing in and shit. Enjoying that time off?”
“Hell yeah. It’s only been a few days, but I need this time. I’m glad you’re here, bro, I really am.”
“Me too.”
Jason and I walk over to the counter and place our orders. Jason goes for two Double Doubles and so do I, but I get mine plain. In-N-Out Burger has the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ll probably end up getting two more before we leave. Once we have our food in hand, we grab a seat at one of the red and white tables and take some time to eat and catch up.
“So,” I begin. “I thought your partner was coming with you.”
“Yeah, he is. He had to finish up some stuff at the firm first though. We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries since we opened the new firm.”
“Oh, that’s right. I heard you started your own firm, just like your dad.”
“Yep, Harper/Adrien,” he replies with a proud smile. “I can’t believe we did it, but we did. It was a long time coming though, bro, let me tell you.”
“Dude, my mom told me all about it. So, your last case got a little hot, huh? Hooking up with your clients now, man?” I chuckle as I take a bite of the most delicious cheeseburger in the world.
“That shit wasn’t funny. That went from zero to one hundred real quick. Real fucking quick. One minute, I’m laid up with this chick thinking she might be the one, the next thing I know, I’m defending her in court for the murder of her husband! I mean, can you believe that shit?”
“Nah, I couldn’t believe it when my mom told me then, and I still can’t now. That’s insane. Especially the way it turned out in the end. That was quite the twist you put on it.”
“Hey, I did what I had to do, bro. But anyway, enough about all that craziness. I learned from that mistake.”
“Shit, I couldn’t tell judging from that fancy suit. You’ve gone all pretty on me, man. Look at you, trying to attract all the ladies in Vegas.”
Jason was always the ladies’ man growing up. He had the lightest blue eyes I think I’ve ever seen, and girls would just eat that shit up. Then, he added a little prickly beard and some wavy hair, and they just wouldn’t leave him alone, which is probably how he ended up in trouble out in Seattle.
“Damn, you’re hating hard today! Don’t worry about me and my suit. I’m gonna change once I leave here and I have to go pick up Jordan in a couple of hours. So anyway, how have things been going out here with you? The Air Force treating you alright?”
“We’ll get
back to that suit later,” I chuckle as I chew. “Yeah, it’s good. It’s good to be home.”
“How was it?”
I try not to let images of Lieutenant Weston come flooding into my mind.
“It was . . . this one was tougher than the others. I can’t lie, man, this one was hard on me.”
Jason squints his eyes as he stares at me. He has a playful expression on his face like he thinks I’m kidding, but after a while, he can tell I’m not joking around.
“Wow. You okay?” he asks, his voice now an octave lower than it was a second ago.
“I’m okay,” I reply. “But it’s been tough. I’m working on it.”
“Damn. Do you mind if I ask what happened?”
I break eye contact with Jason and look down at the table. Images of the blood underneath Weston’s body rush to my head and I feel like I’m right back in the chopper in the middle of the night. I feel like I’m watching him die all over again, and there’s a lump in my throat that seems to have come out of nowhere.
“My co-pilot was shot and killed right in front of me,” I answer more honestly than I thought I was going to. “He’d only been there a couple of weeks, and he was with me on my last extraction of the tour. He died two weeks before I left.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah. The Air Force has me going to mental health once a week now so I can see a therapist about it. They tell me I have PTSD.”
“Wow. That’s crazy, man. I’m so sorry to hear that.”
I finally look back up at Jason and I can see the sincerity in his eyes. Even though we haven’t really hung out since high school, he’s still a good friend. A great friend, actually.
“I appreciate it, but I’m okay, really. I’m working on it, and I know I’ll be alright.”
“Well, this case I’m working on will keep me here for a while. Actually, I’ll be bouncing back and forth between here and home, but I’m here for you, man. Whenever you need me, you just let me know, Austin. You hear me? Anything you need, bro, I got you.”
