Manny Needs a Nanny - 9. Manny's First Party, and More Troubles

Wednesday

Manny got to Charlie's a little early, so he could contact everybody he invited for Sunday. Charles was still there, and Taylor was working, so they were easy. Charles, his wife Betty, and daughter Maryann would come. Maryann would be able to keep Rocky company—she was twelve, and smaller than average as well.

Loretta Taft and her boyfriend Paul Stanton, Taylor Stalling and her girlfriend, Amanda Svent, Priscilla and her husband Troy Livingston would come with their sons Donald, fourteen, and Troy Jr., twelve. Their children would also help keep Rocky busy. Finally, Danny Pemberton, who was currently between girlfriends, would be there alone. Manny sent Sandy a text, giving her the final headcount. Manny was happy, all his friends from work were able to make it. He made sure they all knew to bring swimsuits.

Sunday

Manny's guests started arriving a few minutes before one o'clock. By a quarter after, everybody had arrived. Of course, they all wanted to see the house. The kids never made it past the pool. Bass stayed with them to supervise. An accident in the pool would not be welcomed. That, and three teen and tween boys and one tween girl, left to their own devices, could only spell trouble.

Sandy had the snacks ready by the time everybody came back from the tour. Danny, feeling like a third wheel, volunteered to take some of them to the pool, and hang there. Manny gave Bass a heads-up, so Danny would be able to enter without trying to juggle the food and a keycard.

Danny cried out as he entered the pool area, "Who wants food?"

Four small heads turned in his direction. Loud variations of 'yea,' and 'awesome' nearly blew out his ear drums. He placed the food on a table, and Bass and he helped themselves to a few items while the kids were toweling off. They knew, once the kids got to the food, it would disappear quickly. They weren't wrong. Bass sent Sandy a text, stating they needed more food. She arrived a few minutes later with another tray, taking the empty tray back to the kitchen. Bass and Danny were able to get a little more before the kids wolfed down the rest of it.

Danny and Bass made some small talk. Mostly Danny was sharing more about Manny after Bass told him, they were starting to build a friendship. Bass didn't know how Danny would take it if he mentioned that Manny was gay, or if he even knew. That topic remained off-limits. Danny felt the same, so didn't bring up the fact, he knew, Manny was gay.

With school starting in a little over a week, that was the main topic of discussion among the kids. Don was starting high school at the Stephen Walsh School for Boys in Dawsonville. Troy was entering seventh grade at the same complex. Maryann lived closer to Rocky, but in Talmo, where her father's bar was, still a bit of a distance. She would be starting seventh grade at West Jackson Middle School. Rocky would likely be starting eighth grade at East Hall Middle.

Don and Troy, going to a boarding school, drew most of the attention, and described a lot of what was there. Rocky made a mental note to ask Manny and Bass about the possibility of going there. After their school discussion, they spent some more time in the pool. Then, Rocky took them outside to see the tennis and handball courts, and the view of the Chatahoochie river, with the Don Carter State Park directly across. Needless to say, the other kids all wanted to come back and visit Rocky.

After going back inside and noticing that Bass and Danny were no longer at the pool, they changed back into their clothes. The boys allowed Maryann to use the Cabana first. While the boys were changing, it became a little uncomfortable when Rocky caught Don paying a little too much attention to his naked behind.

"What are you looking at?"

Don was a little nervous, "Um, nothing."

"You a fag or something, checking out my ass?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I just looked a little too long."

"Well, mean something else and look another way. I generally don't mind faggots, but I don't want them doing anything to me."

"I wouldn't DO anything."

"Good. Keep it that way."

Rocky re-thought his desire to go to the boarding school. He figured; an all-boys school would have more than its share of queers. Being smaller than everyone else his age, he'd be an easy target for any horny fags. In the case of there being more queers, he wouldn't be wrong. Don had five friends who were either gay or open to some boy-on-boy play.

The kids went to the game room next and played video games while the adults spent some time in the pool. When it was time for dinner, they all gathered in the dining room. Linda had helped Sandy in the kitchen, so everyone could eat at the same time. Manny wasn't about to make the staff eat separately. Sodas for the kids, and wine or mixed drinks for the adults accompanied Sandy's roast beef, mashed potatoes and baby carrots. A chocolate cake and seven choices of ice cream completed the meal. The evening concluded with a viewing of a recent movie in the home theater. Everybody agreed, they had a great time. Nobody noticed the tension between Rocky and Don.

Monday

Patrick drove Manny and Rocky to the middle school, so Rocky could get registered. Kelly had done a fairly good job keeping records of Rocky's home-schooling. Rocky would join the eighth-grade class as he expected. It wouldn't be a completely smooth transition, as he would soon find out.

Friday

Charlie's was normally a quiet neighborhood bar. Well, outskirts of the neighborhood. Occasionally, Manny had to "help" a particularly rambunctious customer out the door. He also had to keep an eye on the heavy drinkers. Any of them that got too inebriated or out of line would be asked to leave after the police were given a heads-up. Charles had no intention of losing his liquor license because a drunk leaving the bar did any type of damage, personal or property. Manny knew, there was no gray area for Charles. He probably helped avoid a half-dozen drunk driving accidents in this manner. This night would not be so quiet.

Around nine o'clock, a group of four men entered the bar. At first, no-one outside the wait staff noticed nor paid any attention to them. After three rounds of drinks, Manny had Danny phone the police, and run the bar solo for a while because this gang of four started hassling the women, including Taylor and Priscilla. Manny walked up to their table, and politely asked them to treat the women with a little more respect. This was met with four variations of 'fuck off.' The men were all pretty close to average in size, but alcohol and out manning him four-to-one increased their confidence.

They continued to hassle the women present. One of those women was there with a boyfriend or husband, Manny didn't know which, but her beau took offense and confronted the four men. A shoving match ensued, followed by punches being thrown. Manny retrieved Charles' gun from behind the bar, and checked the chambers, ensuring that the crimped round, or blank, would be the first to fire, and returned to the skirmish.

Walking toward the altercation, waving the pistol, he shouted, "Okay, everybody needs to calm down. NOW!"

The last word was extremely loud and caused a pause in the festivities. One of the four, the smallest one, whom the alcohol apparently impacted more significantly, was having none of it.

"We told you to fuck off, so fuck off."

Manny leveled the pistol and aimed it at the man's chest, "I believe, it is you and your friends that will be fucking off."

"You ain't gonna shoot me."

Manny cocked the hammer. That cooled the man down somewhat, but he still took a step toward Manny. Manny fired. The man screamed, thinking, he'd been shot.

"You fucking shot me!"

"No, that was a blank, the rest of the rounds are live. Consider that your warning. You can either leave or continue the fighting and run the risk that I will shoot again."

The man hesitated. One of the other three spoke up, "Come on Wally. I ain't risking getting shot, let's go."

He threw three twenties onto the table, not wanting to get hassled about not paying. Then he and his buddies grabbed Wally and dragged him, scowling, from the bar. Manny followed, stuffing the gun into the back of his pants. Just as the troublemakers stepped outside, flashing lights appeared in the parking lot. Two policemen stepped out of the patrol car.

The driver nodded to Manny, having been there before. The passenger asked, "What's going on here?"

Manny answered, "These gentlemen were making trouble, but they're leaving now, as requested."

"You in charge here?"

"Yes, sir. Manny Talbot, the bartender and assistant manager here."

Manny wasn't technically the assistant manager, but Charles had called him that a number of times without formally bestowing the title upon him. He felt safe using it.

"Do you want to press charges, Mr. Talbot?"

"As long as these gentlemen leave quietly, not at this time." Glaring at the foursome, "But charges will be pressed if they ever start trouble here again." That didn't turn out to exactly be the truth.

The officer turned to the men, "You heard the man. Go ahead and get in your vehicles and leave."

The men complied while the officers waited until the last car was out of sight.

"If they return tonight, Mr. Talbot, I suggest, you call us again as soon as they do."

"I definitely will do that, officers. Thank you." That was his intent, anyway. He wouldn't be making that call, though.

"Have a good night. Or at least the rest of it."

Manny nodded, "Same to you."

The officer's wish did not come true. Around one-thirty, about a half hour before closing time, Manny and Priscilla were the only employees remaining. Three customers remained: two gentlemen together, and one man drinking alone. The outer door opened, and Wally stumbled into the building, obviously drunk as a skunk.

Manny took control, "You should leave, Wally."

Priscilla had slowly made her way to the bar and ducked below it, immediately phoning the police, speaking quietly.

Wally slurred his words, but was still understandable, "Not until I getsh me shome baypack."

Wally drew a gun and pointed it toward Manny. He couldn't hold it steady, though. Manny had kept the gun in his waistband all night, as a precaution. He reached behind himself slowly and pulled the gun out. Holding it behind his right thigh.

"Not sho tough now, are ya, assh hole."

The two customers together weren't in the line of fire, but they ducked below the table, regardless. The single man was roughly halfway between Wally and Manny, facing the door. He started to stand up—possibly to hide as well. Wally had gained better control of the gun, and slowly fired two shots, the first hitting the customer in the center of his chest. Manny's shot came in between Wally's two—his time at the firing range paying off—hitting Wally just above his nose as he fired his second. Manny was knocked backwards and fell to the floor.

Priscilla screamed, "MANNY!!!"

She continued screaming until the police arrived.

Next up - "Dispatch to All Units, 10-73 at Charlie's Bar"