38. Jack
JACK SAT ON THE STOOP WITH HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS, NO longer a man with a future and a girlfriend. That man died with his lies.
“What should I do?” He tilted his head. A sea of stars like tiny needles, sharp and stinging, blanketed the sky. But they didn’t answer. What would Angela want him to do? She had told him she wanted him to move on, that she didn’t want him to be alone. But he’d made a mess of things.
Pops wanted him to be the man for Teddy. When Pops recovered, he’d help sort things out. Meanwhile, maybe Jimbo had some advice.
Jack arranged to meet Jimbo at The Jersey Lily for a game of shuffleboard. When Jack arrived, Jimbo stuck a quarter in the slot and handed Jack an ice-cold Lone Star longneck.
“I just messed things up with Teddy.” He took a long pull of his beer.
“I’m not surprised.” Jimbo pushed a puck across the sandy shuffleboard.
“Thanks for the support.”
After he told him the whole story, Jimbo said, “You never had the best timing.”
Jimbo referred to the district playoffs when Jack passed the ball too soon. They’d practiced the play thousands of times, but that night Jack’s timing failed. He caught everyone off guard and ruined the play. The Granbury Pirates missed a touchdown and lost the game.
Not that either Jimbo or Jack really cared that much. For Jimbo, the game became a good reason to diss Jack when he needed one.
“What was I supposed to do? Tell Teddy all about the arrangement when Pops told me not to?” He gave the puck a halfhearted shove and the disc dropped into the gutter. “She already thinks I can’t get over Angela.” He shook his head. “Maybe I can’t.”
“Just how much time do you spend thinking about Angela compared to thinking about Teddy?” Jimbo pretended to have a pencil in his hand.
“Are you serious?”
“Sure. Let’s just figure this out.”
Jimbo had always been a whiz at math. Nothing else. But he loved figures.
“Okay, I’ll play. About five minutes a day for Angela and an hour a day for Teddy.”
“And when you kiss Teddy? Who’s on your mind?”
“Teddy, most of the time. I mean, maybe for a second Angela might pop in.”
“How long’s the kiss?”
“I don’t know. Ten seconds.”
Jimbo pulled back. “Wait. Ten seconds. What is this? First grade.”
“Give me a break.”
“First of all, ten seconds isn’t enough time to impress a wallflower much less a babe like Teddy.” Jimbo shoved the puck so perfectly that the piece skidded all the way to the edge of the table. “I’m the man.” Jimbo tapped his chest.
“Whatever.” Jack pushed his puck into the gutter.
“Second of all, that means the nine seconds you weren’t thinking of Angela. I’d say you’re making progress.” Jimbo punched him in the shoulder.
“No kiddin’.”
“I’d get back to the ranch right away.”
“But what if she doesn’t want me there?”
Jimbo cocked his head and then shook it. “You want me to walk you through this?”
From the bandstand, the words to “You Make It Easy” echoed over the dance floor. Couples slow-danced to the love song. He turned his eyes back to Jimbo and shuffleboard. He could picture Teddy out there with him, even imagining twirling her around the floor. Angela couldn’t slow dance with him anymore, no matter how much he wished for it.
Pops would be home soon. He’d have to call in another favor.