The Art of Being Gay - 6. Company's Coming

Company’s Coming

Roy heard a tentative knock on his office door. He took off his reading glasses. “Come in. It’s open.”

Chad poked his head inside the door. Roy noticed his employee had a sheepish grin on his face. “Do you have a minute?” he asked the store manager.

“I do. Come in,” Roy said leaning away from his computer screen. “What’s up?”

Chad came in and sat down. He looked up expectantly at the other man. “Do you know of a motel closer than Shakopee?”

Roy laid his glasses on the desktop. “Mystic Lake is the closest I think. Why?”

“My son and his girlfriend are coming for a visit. I don’t exactly have room for them to stay with me,” Chad said nervously. “The rooming house doesn’t have any open spots.”

“No, I’m sure not. You aren’t thinking of having Justin stay at the Indian casino. He is a teenager.”

“That wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do. I want him close by though. If he’s coming all this way, I’ll want to see him as much as possible,” Chad explained.

Roy closed his eyes and thought. The shitholes around that area were no better than staying at a casino/hotel complex ten miles away. He could see Chad’s dilemma. There was a simple solution, though Roy doubted his warehouse worker would even consider it.

“I’ve got a proposal for you,” Roy began. “But promise me you’ll listen to it first before you reject the idea.”

“What?” Chad said slowly.

“My house is only a few blocks away. I’ve got two empty bedrooms. If you want, the three of you can stay with me for the weekend. I’ll be working most of the time anyway. It’s the best option and won’t cost you a penny,” Roy said. He watched as Chad struggled with the idea. The proud part of the man was competing with his practical side.

“I can’t ask you to do that, Roy,” Chad said after a short silence.

“You didn’t ask. I offered.” Roy watched him closely.

“I can’t put you out like that. Justin and Candy are teenagers and…”

“I’ve got several part time stockers and cashiers who are in high school. I can handle teens. Chad, just accept the offer. We’re friends and this is the kind of thing friends do for one another,” Roy said, standing up. “Okay?”

“It’s asking too much of a friend,” Chad stammered.

“I cleaned up your puke. Trust me, having a couple of horny high school kids in my house is nothing compared to your drunk ass,” Roy chuckled.

Chad turned pink but nodded his head. It would save him a bundle and they’d be together the whole time. Peterson had already given him most of the weekend off. He had to work Saturday, which was fine. Justin planned on going to the Mall of America that day anyway. It gave Chad a chance to avoid cliché teen mall behavior. That he wouldn’t miss.

“If you’re sure,” Chad said reaching out to shake Roy’s hand.

“No problem,” Roy said pushing his hand aside and giving him a hug. Chad was stiff at first, but after a moment he squeezed back and Roy smiled. This guy was too great. Helping him was a joy.

“I better get back to the warehouse,” Chad said pulling away. He was a bit flushed. “Peterson’s riding my tail again today.”

“That’s so weird,” Roy said. “I wonder what his issue with you could be.”

Chad chewed the inside of his cheek pensively. “I think it might be you.”

“Me?” Roy laughed. “Why would he treat you like shit because of me?”

Chad didn’t answer. He looked around the room uncomfortably. “Do you think Peterson’s gay?” he finally asked.

Roy shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Are you sure? He’s so nervous around you,” Chad ventured.

“I asked Tyrell. He assured me Peterson is straight and narrow,” Roy said. “I’m sure he’s just uptight. We make him anxious, but he can’t do anything to me like he can to you. Ignore him. Underneath it all, he’s a good guy.”

“If you say so,” Chad sighed. “See you later. Oh, and Roy, thanks for the offer.”

“My pleasure,” Roy said. He turned and walked back behind his desk.

Chad paused at the doorway. He wondered why Roy asked Tyrell about Peterson. It was a strange question unless…naw. That was too far-fetched to consider.

As Chad walked back into the warehouse, he remembered the phone call he’d gotten from Justin earlier. There were a couple of points that bothered him. He hadn’t figured out what was making his brain tickle with questions. The excitement over Justin’s announced visit was overwhelming his otherwise cautious nature. He’d have to analyze the conversation more closely to ease his mind.

Chad grabbed the inventory tablet and headed down to start scanning and reconciling the counts. This was mindless work and after the third scan, he began replaying the conversation in his head.

“Hey Dad. I’ve got a surprise for you,” Justin gushed through the phone line.

“What? I don’t know if I need any more nasty surprises this year,” Chad joked.

“This is a good one. Mom’s letting me drive up for a long weekend visit,” Justin said. “Next weekend is the teacher’s meetings on Thursday and Friday so Candy and I are coming to see you.”

Chad wasn’t sure he heard his son correctly. This was better than good news. This was great news. The fact his ex would allow their seventeen-year-old son to come see him was a marked improvement.

“That’s great. I can’t wait to see you,” Chad said in a rush. “Candy’s coming with you?”

“Yep! Actually that was mom’s idea. She didn’t want me driving alone the whole way.” Justin said happily.

“That makes my day, hell my week,” Chad said. “I’ll get you a place to stay.”

“We can sleep at your house, Dad,” Justin said. “Do you have a couch?”

“I don’t, son,” Chad said as the cold breeze of reality chilled his enthusiasm. “I have one room in a boarding house.”

“Oh!” Justin said. “We’ll get a motel room then.”

“I’ll take care of that. Don’t worry. Knowing I’m getting to see you soon is such a relief,” Chad said, putting aside his concerns. “Wait!”

“What? Do you have to work or something?” Justin asked.

“What about football? I know the coach isn’t going to give you four days away without practice,” Chad said, his heart sinking.

“I quit,” Justin said. “I’ve got a better gig.”

“Why did you quit? Justin, you love football. This is your senior year. You can’t give that away,” Chad said. Suddenly, the image of high school football thugs surrounding and harassing his son filled his head. Was he forced out? Did Chad’s outing finally drive his son from the sport he loved? A sweeping sense of guilt washed over him. This was another instance where his son was paying for his sins.

“Justin, listen to me. If they are still bothering you about…”

“Dad, give it a rest. Hardly anyone even talks about you anymore. There’s a new scandal everyone’s yakking about. The middle school vice principal was caught in bed with the wife of the Hardware Hank guy. That’s the news everybody’s talking about. No one’s said squat to me about you in weeks,” Justin said with a snort. “Trust me, you’re old news.”

Chad felt the tension in his back ease. He breathed in and out forcefully. “But, you’re quitting football?”

“I love the sport but I’m not that good except at warming the bench. The school newspaper editor is leaving. The advisor asked me to take over. I love writing about sports more than I do playing them. I can do that now. It’s my dream,” Justin explained. “You know that.”

Chad did know that. His son loved to write. Justin wrote pretty amazing pieces about the sports teams at the high school. He tried to get the editor job last spring, but Sierra MacKenzie won the position. Justin was left as sports writer and had pouted for weeks.

“Good for you,” he said. “This is what you want to do anyway.”

“I’m looking at Iowa State for journalism next fall. This will look great on my college application,” Justin said. “So, are you excited?”

“I’m thrilled, son,” Chad said sincerely. “I’m proud of you, too.”

“Good. Candy and I will leave Thursday morning and we should be in Chaska by late afternoon. We’ll leave after breakfast on Sunday morning which means two whole days and three nights of hanging with you. We can’t wait to meet your new boyfriend.”

Chad stared into the phone. “Boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend, Justin.”

“What about your date to the opera?” he asked Chad though his tone was teasing.

“Roy’s my boss and my friend. The show was nice. I had a little too much to drink so I slept at his house. We’re not dating.”

“No fireworks, huh?” Justin kidded.

“He’s a good friend and that’s all. You’ve got a dirty mind,” Chad said. Justin’s laugh sounded good in his ear.

“Before I go, I wanted to mention Mr. Morgan asked how you’re doing,” Justin said. “He stopped me in the hall to ask me.”

Chad tried not to react too quickly. What could the English teacher want? “I haven’t talked to him for quite some time. We’ve talked at the bar a time or two.” Chad waited to see what his son’s reaction would be.

“I told him you were up in the Twin Cities working things out. He seemed relieved.”

Chad thought that was probably true. Silas was the furthest thing from his mind. He couldn’t believe the guy would wonder about his whereabouts. The last time they’d spoken at the Steam Engine had hardly been civil.

“Do you have a message for him?” Justin asked, breaking the phone silence.

“No. Of course not. I barely know him,” Chad said quickly.

“I’ll just tell him you said, Hi!” Justin said. “It helps to have friends.”

“I don’t think Morgan and I have ever been that,” Chad said quietly. It was time to move this conversation into another direction. “Do I need two motel rooms for you and Candy?”

“We can stay in the same one.” Justin’s voice had become more restrained. “You can get two beds if that makes you feel better.”

Chad sighed. He knew Justin was sexually active. Candy was his girlfriend. It wasn’t like he could give any lectures on waiting until marriage or being careful. After ‘That Night’ he didn’t have the moral authority to say such things.

“I’ll get you a room together,” Chad said. “If you want.”

“I love her,” Justin said. “She’s good for me.”

“I know she is,” Chad said warmly. “I know you’re old enough to make the right choices for yourself.”

“Dad, I’ve got to go,” Justin said suddenly. “Mom’s calling and sounds pissed. I guess she found the scratch on her car.”

“What scratch? Justin?” Chad yelled into the phone. There was nothing on the other line. No doubt, Eileen would take care of it and Justin would handle her. Hopefully, it wouldn’t interfere with his visit. Chad thought if Eileen promised Justin, she wouldn’t renege. She was a petty, bitter woman, but she loved that boy of theirs to pieces.

************

“Have you got this aisle done yet?” he heard Peterson ask. He looked up and tried to smile at him. It didn’t work. That one eye was pointing to the middle of his face. Peterson’s good eye was glaring at him.

“I’m almost done. I’ll get the other two done before I go,” Chad said, trying to sound cheerful.

“I’ll hold you to that promise,” Peterson said with a snort, turning and marching away.

Chad shook his head and finished the last scan of the row. He started on the dry goods aisle and thought about what the conversation with Justin had revealed.

First, it was obvious that while Eileen wasn’t happy about their situation, his ex-wife had turned the corner. For her to let Justin drive up to visit was a big step for her. At least his absence had helped make her heart grow softer, if not fonder.

Second, Justin was under the impression no one cared about his indiscretion That Night any longer. Another bit of scandal had pushed him from the headlines. He’d always kind of known that about small towns. His father once said the people of a small town couldn’t hold grudges. They didn’t have oceans of people to hide in. In a small community, the same people mixed on a daily basis. Their little peccadilloes were easily forgotten and forgiven. People would gossip heavily and fiercely about something and the next day see the person in the post office or grocery line. If they were that invested in making someone’s life miserable, it could bite them on the ass.

It’s possible Chad’s exit had speeded up the forgiving process, but was it necessary? Wouldn’t people have forgotten about it after a few weeks and then when the banker’s wife got caught boinking the car salesman, everyone had a new item to discuss and wag their fingers at. Scandals had short lives in a place like Council Bluffs. Nobody really had secrets. Everybody wanted theirs kept quiet.

The final piece of information Justin had revealed perplexed him. Why would Silas Morgan ask about him? As far as he knew, the English teacher despised him. Morgan had said as much the night before Chad had left. They’d sat in the booth at the Steam Engine and the teacher told him to stay away.

This was interesting. He didn’t know what it meant, but perhaps things were moving in the right direction. Chad could feel his fear of the town begin to fade. Talking to Justin had helped. There was a place for him. He wouldn’t be a pariah if he returned. That gave him options. It also gave him a little hope.

Chad shook off his thoughts and continued scanning and confirming the inventory. He didn’t see Peterson watching him from across the warehouse floor.

*************

“Peterson, please report to the main office. Peterson, please report to the main office,” the voice boomed from speakers in the warehouse office. Peterson took off his glasses and rubbed his nose. He was afraid this would happen. He had expressed his concern. It hadn’t done any good.

He walked out of the office to the double doors to the store. Peterson strode confidently through the aisles toward the front. He trudged up the stairs and knocked on the main office door. It opened and the office manager, Madge Riley, let him in. “Roy said to go right in.” Her voice was toneless, which was a good sign.

“Peterson,” Roy said as he entered the room. “How’s it going today?”

“Fine,” Peterson said evenly and taking a seat. “Did I miss a report or something?”

“Nope. I wanted to know why you’re riding Chad so hard. I heard the exchange in the warehouse and he’s working at the speed of light. Why are you being such a dick to him?”

Peterson widened his eyes. “I’m keeping things moving. That’s all. Has he been tattling on me?”

“No. I heard what you said. I’m wondering if you need to go back to Tyrell’s store. If you don’t fit in, I’m not having you here.” Roy put his hands behind his neck and leaned back in the chair. “I’m not operating a daycare center. I’m running a store where we treat each other with respect, regardless of orientation or gender.”

Peterson swallowed hard. “I don’t trust him, sir.”

“That’s too bad. Chad’s my friend and you’re treating him like shit.”

“I’m not the only one who feels that way about him. Tyrell is concerned as well.” Peterson tried to continue looking at Roy but couldn’t. His eyes dropped to his lap.

“Why is Tyrell concerned? Does he think Chad is a mole from Walmart or Target trying to ferret out Minnemart’s secret marketing plans or something? I can assure you the man is who he says he is,” Roy chuckled.

Peterson looked up and laced his fingers. He cleared his throat. “Tyrell’s worried he’s using you.”

“What?” Roy asked leaning forward quickly. “Did he ask you to spy on me?”

“No sir. I’m beginning to think Tyrell’s right. Chad’s using you. I heard he finagled a stay at your house when his son is in town.” Peterson smiled grimly. “Tyrell’s been worried since last year when you quit and went to work at that bar.”

Roy sighed. “Peterson. Go back to work. Chad didn’t ask to stay at my house. I offered him the option. He’s not using me. No one’s using me. I’m a thirty-eight-year-old man Peterson. If I did want to let someone use me for favors, it’s my business. For the record, Chad’s not doing that. He’s my friend.”

Peterson looked skeptical. His face vacillated from displeasure to confusion and back again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“You leave Tyrell to me,” Roy said. “Besides, if you want to figure out Chad’s game, get close to him. Don’t alienate him. You’ll find out more as his confidante than you will as his drill sergeant. Got it?”

“I see,” Peterson said slowly. “I’ll be more professional from now on.”

“You do that,” Roy said waving his hand at the man. “I need to call Tyrell and give him the ‘what for’.”

“Sorry, Roy,” Peterson said getting up. “I’m only looking out for you.”

“I know. Leave him be,” Roy said picking up the phone. What the hell was wrong with Tyrell? He would soon find out.