by A. E. Wasp
“Five minutes. Both of you.” Mikey crossed his arms across his chest at glared, but Benny could see the wicked glint in his eyes meant just for Benny. He smiled brightly up at Mikey.
The woman in khaki shorts and a brew pub t-shirt standing next to them snorted a laugh. “They’re as bad as the kids,” she muttered to Mikey conspiratorially.
“You got that right,” he agreed.
People had been mistaking them for a family all day. He wasn’t sure if Mikey had noticed, but they’d been getting the knowing nod from more than one woman and even a bunch of the single dads. At first, Benny had been surprised. Couldn’t they tell there was no way he was responsible enough to be a dad? But as the day wore on, he started to love it. It felt like he had been let into a secret club he hadn’t even known existed. He could totally do this.
“How old is she?” the woman asked.
“Four and a half.”
She pointed at the twin boys sitting across from her. “Mine are five. She looks tired.”
How did they know? Benny stared at Jasmine, trying to read exhaustion on her face but she looked the same as she had this morning. Pink dress with a skirt that twirled. Twirling was a very important component of skirts, Benny had been told. She also had pink cowboy boots and a rainbow of beads in her hair. Adorable.
Mikey nodded. “She is. I’d better get some food into her.”
Benny handed up Mikey the heart he had made. Black construction paper with a white doily background with the words ‘bite me’ in white on the inside, Benny was very proud of it.
Mikey opened it and shook his head. “You need food, too. Come on, kids. Lunch time.”
Benny unfolded himself from the tiny seat. Jasmine kept coloring.
“Jasmine.” Mikey looked down at her.
She ignored him and kept coloring.
“Jasmine. Enough. You can color at home.”
Benny put his hand on Mikey’s arm; tension thrummed through his muscles.
“One,” Mikey said sternly starting what Benny recognized as a very quiet power struggle.
“Two.”
Jasmine colored more slowly and risked a glance at her dad through the hair hanging in front of her eyes.
It was like the showdown at the OK Corral. Benny couldn’t take the tension.
“Thr –”
Benny broke. “Hey, Jasmine,” he blurted out over Mikey. “Let’s go get some food and I’ll color with you at home. Okay?”
She looked up at him, then over to her dad. “Fine.” She stood up slowly, shaking the glitter off her dress and carefully gathering her newest creation. Walking regally over to them, she handed Benny the blue construction paper heart. Silver glitter was scattered across a streak of white Elmer’s glue. “This is for him,” she said to her dad, looking him right in the eye.
“Thank you,” Benny said, taking it gently. “It’s very nice. I like the colors.”
“Let’s go.” Mikey walked away, back ramrod straight.
Benny and Jasmine followed a few feet behind.
Mikey opened the all the car doors to let the hot air out and the marginally cooler air in. “Hop in.”
Jasmine clambered into her seat, and Mikey made quick work of the complicated-looking tangle straps that kept her safe.
The slam of the door echoed across the parking lot. Reflections of the bright mid-day bounced off the hot metal of the cars, stabbing into Benny’s eyes. “Hey,” he said quietly as Mikey walked past him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“It’s okay.” Mikey sounded less than sincere.
“No. It’s not.” Benny shook his head. “I’m beginning to see what you mean about not being able to make them do anything.”
Mikey shook his head and looked around the parking lot to see if anyone else was nearby. He stepped closer to Benny. “It’s just so tricky out in public, you know?” he whispered. “I’m so much younger than all the other parents. And -” he gestured down his body.
“And a big scary black man,” Benny filled in.
“Exactly. I know they’re all watching, judging me. Waiting to see how both of us will react.”
“Daddy! Let’s go!” Jasmine called from the backseat.
Mikey rolled his eyes. “Yes, your majesty.”
“She’s such a Vanessa,” Benny commented.
“Yeah. Get in. Want to go to Vincent’s for lunch? They have a back patio with a treehouse. Jasmine loves it.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Hey, Mikey,” Angel greeted them as she hurried past the door. “Be right back.”
Vincent’s was packed. Every table was filled on the inside of the building. Mikey hoped there was space outside.
“Mikey,” Troy called from behind the bar. When he saw them looking, he waved them over.
Troy was cool. Since Kevin took the whole office out for lunch at least once a week, Mikey had met the dark-haired Army vet a couple of time. If he remembered correctly, Troy was going to school at the University, heading for a degree in Psychology. He liked the quiet man with the slow smile. And if he was completely honest, he found Troy easy on the eyes. His arms and collarbones were covered with tattoos. Mikey assumed they continued under the black work shirt, but since he’d never seen Troy shirtless, he had to fill it in with his imagination.
He couldn’t remember if he’d seen a tattoo on Benny’s shoulder that night at the club. His memories of that night were a little fuzzy, and he hadn’t seen Benny without his shirt since then. They really needed to rectify that situation as soon as possible.
“Hey, Troy. How’s it going?” Mikey shook Troy’s hand.
“We’re so busy, man. I think we have some kind of day camp taking up the patio. I’ve never seen so many little kids in one place.”
Benny laughed. “You should have been at the kids’ museum with us, then.”
Troy reached out a hand. “Benny, right? Mikey mentioned you.”
Benny raised an eyebrow.
“All good things,” Troy assured him. “Said you two were old friends who had reconnected recently.”
And that was all Mikey had told anyone except for Kevin. He wasn’t hiding exactly, just not broadcasting it to the world.
“Why don’t you guys sit here at the bar for a minute? I think the back patio is clearing out.” One of the waiters Mikey didn’t know dropped a drink order in front of Troy. “Be right back.”
Mikey helped Jasmine up on the high bar chair. Benny slid into the one other empty chair.
Angel stopped behind them, a bar tray tucked up under her arm. “Sorry. It looks like the children’s army will be getting dessert. Do you guys want to eat here at the bar or wait for a table?”
“I want to eat on the big chairs,” Jasmine said, feet drumming against the side of the bar.
Angel smiled at her and gave Benny a chin nod. “Benny, right? And who’s this young lady?”
Mikey put a hand on the back of her chair. “This is my daughter, Jasmine.”
“Hi, Jasmine. That’s a pretty name.”
“Thank you. It’s a flower. I like your hair. What’s your name?”
“Angel.”
“Angel? Like on a Christmas tree?”
“Just like that.”
Angel pulled two menus from the holder at the end of the bar and handed them to Mikey and Benny. “Hold on,” she said to Jasmine. She pulled a paper kids’ menu and a basket of crayons from a low shelf. “Here you go.”
Jasmine dug immediately into the crayon basket.
Mikey poked her gently. “Hey, what do we say?”
Jasmine smiled up at Angel. “Thank you, Miss Angel.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Mikey saw Benny tip the crayon basket towards him. He tapped Angel on the shoulder. “Can I get another kid’s’ menu?” he asked quietly.
“Sure. Have two.” She handed them to him then hurried away.
Mikey slid the menu to Benny, and his eyes lit up.
“What should we co
lor first?” Benny asked Jasmine.
“I like the kitties.” She held up the menu to show Benny the picture on the back.
“Kitties it is.”
The chair on the other side of Benny opened up, and Mikey slid into it. “You okay with her?” he asked Benny. “I can switch if you want.”
“We’re fine. Right, Jasmine? Is it okay if I sit next to you?”
“Yep.”
They colored quietly, Benny asking Jasmine for specific colors every now and then, while Mikey studied the menu. Troy rushed back and forth with iced teas for Benny and Mikey and lemonade for Jasmine.
Mikey leaned over Benny to check out Jasmine’s picture, intentionally putting an arm on the back of Benny’s chair and resting his hand on Benny’s thigh. Benny pressed his leg against Mikey’s and leaned back into his arm. Mikey rubbed Benny’s back with his thumb.
To his surprise, the cats on Benny’s menu were colored in with an impressive amount of detail. Somehow, Benny had given them a three-dimensional look and individual personalities. “Wow,” Mikey said, reaching over and picking up the paper. “This is good.”
“Nice cats,” a voice said from behind them. Mikey yanked his hand off the back of Benny’s hair. A tall blonde man walked up and leaned against the bar next to Jasmine.
Troy looked over from the other end of the bar, a smile breaking out on his face. “Hey, babe, I didn’t expect to see you.” Troy walked down and leaned over the bar to kiss the man hello.
Mikey saw Jasmine watching with rapt attention.
Troy turned to Mikey and Benny. “Do you guys know each other?”
Mikey shook his head.
“This is my husband, Dmitri.” He pointed at Mikey. “Mikey works with Kevin.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dmitri said.
“And this is Benny, Mikey’s friend. Benny said you’re an artist, right?”
“I thought you looked familiar,” Dmitri said. “You had a booth at Pride, right? Those great bronzes. If I remember correctly, you had no shirt on and a cowboy hat.” He slouched against the bar, smiling flirtatiously.
Troy smacked him on the chest with the bar rag. “No wonder you remembered him.”
Dmitri shrugged. “So I have a type. Sue me.”
Benny smiled wide. “Yeah. But those are my boss’ sculptures. I just work there. Now I know why you both looked so familiar. I think I remember you. You were looking at the winged Mercury, right?”
Dmitri and Troy nodded in unison. “It was gorgeous. Just a little out of reach.”
Benny leaned forward and pulled out his wallet. “Tell you what,” he pulled out a card and handed it to Dmitri. “We’re local, just at the south end of town. Why don’t you come to the studio and I’ll see what I can do? I happen to know Jay-Cee needs to make room for some new stuff.”
“I’ll come see your etchings any day.” Dmitri smiled and slid the card in his wallet.
Troy caught Mikey’s gaze and rolled his eyes with a small smile. “Are you here for any particular reason or just to flirt with the customers in front of me?”
“I’m taking Moby to the dog park. Do you want me to bring Sweetie? Can you spare her?”
“I think so.” Troy looked down at the floor behind the bar. “Want to go to the park, Sweetie?’
There was scrabble of motion, and an old golden retriever wearing a red service vest ambled out from behind the bar. She leaned against Dmitri’s leg and panted. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Doggie!” Jasmine slid down off the bar stool.
“Jasmine,” Mikey called. He jumped off his stool as Jasmine reached out to hug the dog.
“Service dog?” Benny asked Troy.
“Yeah. She’s the best. Saved my life.” He checked to make sure no one was waiting for an order. “Angel said you were a Marine?”
Mikey wanted to hear what Troy and Benny were saying, but he had to keep an eye on Jasmine. “Sorry,” he said to Dmitri as he unwound Jasmine’s arms from the gray-muzzled, very patient dog. “Jasmine, you always have to ask before you touch someone’s dog.”
“It’s okay.” Dmitri kneeled down to be at eye-level. “Sweetie is a working dog. See this vest?”
Jasmine nodded.
“That means she’s at work. She helps Troy out. So when a dog is working, it’s not good to pet them. It stops them from doing their job.”
Jasmine looked stricken, and she looked up at Mikey, eyes wide and watery. “I’m sorry!”
It was way past nap time, and they hadn’t eaten in hours. They were dead smack in the middle of the child danger zone now. Mikey got ready to intervene, but Dmitri handled it like a pro.
“Hey, it’s fine,” he reassured her. “Really. Sweetie is a good dog. And I happen to know that when she’s not working, she loves little girls. Watch.”
He unhooked the vest from Sweetie’s back, and pulling a leash out from his back pocket, attached it to her collar. “Okay, Sweetie,” he said.
Sweetie got slowly to her feet and butted her head against Jasmine. When Jasmine leaned down to give her another hug, Sweetie licked her face, tail wagging rapidly.
“See?” Dmitri smiled at Mikey. While Jasmine and Sweetie got acquainted, Dmitri leaned closer to Mikey. “So your guy is a vet?”
“Yeah,” he answered slowly. Mikey hadn’t really thought about Benny that way. Either as ‘his guy’ or a vet. They’d been so focused on the present and the near future, with the occasional detour down memory lane, that they had barely touched on the really rather important things that had happened to both of them during their years apart. Mikey had the feeling they had both been deliberately avoiding talking about it. He knew he had.
“Marines, I think Angel said?” Dmitri continued.
“Yeah.” Suddenly Mikey was overcome with curiosity about the things Benny must have seen. He’d know, obviously, that there was still a war on in Afghanistan and Iraq. And Pakistan, maybe? Were we still fighting there? Was war even the right term for what was going on?
How had it not occurred to him that there was a very good chance Benny had fought in those wars. He felt a little nauseous when he realized he had no idea at all what Benny had done in the Marines. Had he watched people die? Had he killed anyone? Mikey couldn’t help looking over as if Benny had suddenly become a stranger.
“Let me guess, he doesn’t really talk about it.” Dmitri’s eyes were understanding.
“He doesn’t talk about it at all,” Mikey confessed.
“He doesn’t talk to you,” Dmitri said, pointing his chin at where Troy and Mikey were deep in conversation in between Troy filling drinks. “I’ve been there. And I know this is none of my business, but getting involved with a vet has some long-term issues. The war doesn’t go away that quickly. Especially if you don’t talk about it.”
Mikey’s mouth went dry, and he took a long swallow of his iced tea.
“I have to go,” Dmitri said. “But if - when - you need someone to talk to about it, give me a call.” Now it was Dmitri’s turn to pull a card out of his wallet and write a number on the back of it. “This is my cell phone. Call anytime.”
“Thanks.” Mikey noted Dmitri was a veterinarian before he slipped the card into his pocket.
“Sorry, Jasmine. I have to take Sweetie out now. Our other dog Moby is waiting in the car, and he’s crazy. I can’t leave him too long, or he’ll eat the seat.”
“I want to meet Moby, too.”
Dmitri smiled at Mikey. “I’m sure we can arrange that one day. It was lovely to meeting you.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Meetri.”
“You can call me Tree if it’s easier. It’s what my little sister used to call me.” He shook Jasmine’s hand formally, then called down the bar. “Troy! Come give me some sugar.”
Troy obeyed, leaning over to kiss Dmitri goodbye. “Poker tonight?”
Benny’s ears perked up. “Poker night?”
“Every now and then we have a game on Saturday night. You want in
?”
Benny’s eyes flicked over to Mikey and Jasmine. “I can’t tonight. But next time?”
“Give Troy your number, and I’ll give you a call. Later!” He left, Sweetie walking slowly behind him, tail wagging.
Jasmine was sound asleep in her car seat by the time Mikey pulled up in front of Benny’s house. The little cabin nestled in the trees looked even better now than it had when he’d picked Benny up that morning. “Sure you don’t want to come to my house?”
“I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t want to see you, but my head is killing me, and I think it’s past my nap time.”
Mikey checked in the mirror to make sure Jasmine hadn’t woken up when the car stopped. Risking it, he leaned across the seat and kissed Benny quickly. “I’m sorry you don’t feel good.”
Benny shrugged off the sympathy, but there was a tightness around his eyes and mouth that said he was in some actual pain. It must be bad.
“Call me later?” Mikey asked.
“I will.” Benny kissed Mikey, pulling away quickly. Mikey missed him as soon as he did. “I had fun today.”
“Me, too. Next date is your pick. Have any ideas?”
“I have a few. I’ll let you know. Tell Jasmine, I had fun, too. She’s great.”
Mikey looked at his daughter in the rearview mirror. Asleep, she looked even younger and so small. As he did every day, he prayed to who or whatever might be listening that he was up to the job of raising her.
“Bye.” Benny slid out of the car. Mikey watched him as he walked slowly up the drive, shoulders slumped and rubbing his head. He wondered if Benny was getting sick.
He backed down the gravel drive, hoping that this time Jasmine would stay asleep long enough for him to catch up on some paperwork.
chapter nine
The next weekend, Benny had planned on taking Mikey and Jasmine paddle boarding on the reservoir. He’d been looking forward to seeing Mikey under the blue sky, wet and as close to naked as you could legally be, but Jasmine had caught some stomach bug, and they’d ended up in Mikey’s living room watching all the Toy Story movies.
Jasmine lay asleep between them on the couch as the anthropomorphic toys on the screen held hands as they slid towards certain fiery death.
