Page 4 of Pleasure Island
It took me about a minute to realize it was one of the cars. They were having issues with it, and it needed to go to the mechanic.
As my parents debated over how they’d come up with the money for it, I grabbed a soft drink from the fridge while my stomach rumbled in protest. I hadn’t eaten on the plane – nothing since breakfast that morning.
But I wasn’t too keen on the idea of lingering while my folks talked money troubles either.
* * *
“So, no big homecoming party, huh?”
I met the blue-gray eyes of my high school friend. Gavin and I’d been tight since middle school, although I hadn’t done a good job keeping up with him while I was in the army.
It was still easy to talk to him though, and I shook my head, tipping the bottle of beer I’d gotten from the bar in his direction. “You know my folks – or you knew them. Not much has changed.”
“Shit, if I go away for even a weekend, my mom acts like she hadn’t seen me in months when I come back.”
I’d gone for a walk earlier and had run into Gavin about a half a mile from home. He owned a bike repair shop and had just finished talking with a customer when I happened by.
He’d recognized me and asked if I wanted to catch a beer that night.
Since I didn’t see much of anything else on the schedule, I’d agreed, and here we were in the local watering hole, one you’d typically see in this small town about an hour south of Dallas.
It seemed the entire town was trying to pack themselves inside the bar. Maybe booze was going out of style or something. I sure as hell hoped not and bent protectively around the bottle in front of me.
“What was it like, serving?” Gavin tipped his bottle back, sipping his beer as he waited for my answer.
I frowned as I considered the question. “It was…intense.”
“How so?”
I eyed Gavin over the bottle. “I was infantry. You can guess what that means.”
His eyes narrowed as he squinted at me. Then understanding dawned. “You…uh…you have to…”
He didn’t seem to be able to finish the question, but I knew what he was getting at.Did I ever kill anybody?
“Yeah,” I said softly.
“Was it hard?”
Thatquestion made me shake my head. “What do you think? Shit like that isn’t supposed to be easy.”
“But you did it.”
“It came down to me or them.” I brooded over the bottle I held, then drained it and looked for the server. I needed another one.
“It’s what you signed up for. You had to know it might happen.”
“Yeah. I know. I just…” I sighed and leaned back in the chair, holding Gavin’s gaze. “I’m ready for something…boring.”
Where I wasn’t getting shot at.
Where I wasn’t forced to choose…me or them.
“Shit, after coming back from that, wouldn’t you want something…I dunno…fun?”
The server appeared at the table, and I pointed to the bottle. “Another, please. Gavin, you?”
“Yeah.” He waited until the server left, then cocked his head at me. “You thought one way or the other about what you wanna do, other than something boring?” There was a trace of amusement in his eyes.
