Chapter Three
“This is getting to be a habit, you know,” Jason murmured as he handed over a plate full of meatloaf and green beans.
“What is?” David was busy loading plates with slices of meatloaf. It was almost ten and he was dog-tired. It had been a long, long day.
“Bumping into you here.” Jason greeted the tiny woman in front of him with a smile. “There you go, Lisa. Enjoy.”
Lisa returned his smile. “Looks good. Smells even better.” She took her tray and went to sit at one of the tables.
David chuckled. “Why should you be surprised to see me?” He was the only one from the company that night: he’d checked the sign-up list before leaving work and had noted the gap.
“You’ve been here twice this week. Not that I’m complaining.”
David piled the last of the green beans onto a plate. “Oh, I saw we had no one here this evening, so I thought I’d do an extra shift.” He glanced at the clock and then at the empty space in front of him. “Are we done?”
“Yup.” Jason began lifting the trays of meatloaf and covering them with wrap. “This will make great sandwiches for tomorrow.”
The brief conversation was the most David had gotten out of Jason all evening.
He’d tried to engage him in some chat, but Jason had obviously not been in a talkative mood.
Come to think of it, in the three weeks since David had been working shifts at the shelter, Jason had been awfully quiet.
They’d exchanged a few words now and then, but each time David asked a question in an effort to learn more about Jason, the older man clammed up.
They’d discussed movies, music, even a bit of politics, but nothing remotely personal.
David watched Jason as he began the evening clear-up.
What is it about you that draws me in? It was for that reason that he kept pushing.
He genuinely liked Jason, his quiet, thoughtful manner, the kindly way he treated the shelter’s many patrons, and from the manner in which other volunteers reacted to him, it was clear he was held in high regard.
But it wasn’t enough. David wanted to know more. All he needed was a hook to prise open that door Jason kept so firmly shut.
Maybe if I share something personal? It was a thought, at least.
As they left the building and started the walk back to Bergen Street, another habit they’d gotten into, David tried his new tack.
“I swear, if my mom asks me one more time if there’s anyone interesting in my life, I will spontaneously combust.”
Jason chuckled. “Pushy moms, eh? Gotta love them.”
David groaned. “Pushy? That would be the understatement of the year. She already has a folder crammed full of brochures from venues that cater especially for gay weddings. I think she sends away for every one she sees. My poor future husband will not know what’s hit him when he finally gets to meet her. ”
Silence greeted his words, broken only by the hum of traffic. David held his tongue, desperately wanting Jason to react. When nothing was forthcoming, he began to lose hope. A glance at a nearby street sign provided a final flash of inspiration.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.” David pointed to a brightly lit sign. “Threes Brewing serves food until midnight. How about we grab a beer and a bite to eat?”
Jason blinked. Blinked again. Just when David was about to give it up as a lost cause, he nodded. “Sure. I was only going to heat up leftovers when I got home anyway.” He shook his head. “God. I can’t remember the last time I went for a beer.”
“Come on then.” David led the way across the street and into the warm bar. They found an empty table and ordered a couple of beers and two burgers with fries. The bar buzzed with conversation laced with quiet music, and David relaxed into his comfortable chair.
Jason glanced around him, his calm features giving nothing away. “This was a good idea,” he said at last, removing his thick jacket and placing it on the back of his chair.
David said nothing, determined to let Jason make the first steps to a conversation. The beers arrived and he took a long drink, enjoying its refreshing chill. Across the table, Jason did the same, licking his lips.
“So.” Jason put down his glass. “It sounds like your parents—well, your mom, at least—are happy with you being gay. That makes a nice change.”
Finally! “Yeah,” David agreed. “I’m lucky, I guess. You read such horror stories about kids whose parents reacted badly when they came out. Both my parents were fine with it.”
“How old were you when you came out to them?” Jason appeared genuinely interested.
“I was fifteen. God, I was so nervous. I can remember sitting at the kitchen table, my hands trembling. I had an idea that they wouldn’t freak—I mean, you get a feeling, right?
—but still, it was a huge leap of faith.
Thankfully, they didn’t let me down. They listened while I told them how I felt, and then my mom got up, walked around the table and gave me such a huge hug that I wanted to burst into tears.
They told me all they wanted was for me to be happy, and that anytime I wanted to bring someone home to meet them, they’d be fine with that. ”
Jason’s face creased into a wide smile. “That’s beautiful. And you’re right, there’s no shortage of horror stories out there. It’s good to hear there are some decent, loving parents left.” He took another drink and lapsed into silence.
Oh no you don’t. David had gotten him to talk, and he wasn’t content to stop there.
“So, about the shelter,” he said, changing the subject. “I know why I’m there. What about you? What brought you to them?”
Jason’s face tightened, and for a brief moment David was afraid he’d pushed too hard.
Jason studied his tall glass, his lips narrowed.
“I guess because at one point in time, my son might have needed a place like Helping Hands. I’d like to think there were people out there, giving up their time so he didn’t go hungry. I’m just trying to do my bit.”
Their food arrived and both of them dug in, Jason with noticeably less enthusiasm than David.
Maybe the topic of conversation stole his appetite.
While he ate, David couldn’t help going over Jason’s words in his head, but all that did was generate more questions.
Why did his son leave home? How old was he?
Did Jason kick him out? He couldn’t imagine that last scenario being true.
Jason didn’t strike him as someone who would do that.
But unfortunately for David, it soon became clear that Jason didn’t want to discuss the matter further. This was driving him crazy.
I want to know you. It didn’t matter that Jason was in all probability a straight guy.
That wasn’t a deterrent. David simply wanted to know more about what made him tick.
In the weeks since they’d first spoken, David had warmed to him.
Jason’s manner when he served David his morning coffee and breakfast had changed completely.
They exchanged greetings, and Jason would mention a show he’d seen or a movie, just a little bit of conversation, but it was enough to enable them to begin building a friendship.
And David made sure that he worked at the shelter on one of the nights where Jason was there.
Not that Jason needed to know that piece of information.
His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his jeans pocket.
Talk about a coincidence. It was a text from his mom, asking about Thanksgiving.
It seemed she was going all out this year, planning a huge meal for everyone in the family.
The thought of twenty people crammed into his parents’ dining room was enough to make him sigh.
Much as he loved his parents, he hated family gatherings with a passion.
Too much noise, too much cigarette smoke, too much alcohol.
Luckily, he knew his mom wouldn’t kick up too much of a fuss if David pulled out, not when all those people were going to be there.
When the idea occurred to him, it felt like divine inspiration.
“Are you going to be helping out at the shelter this Thanksgiving?” he asked casually.
Jason shook his head. “Thanksgiving is one of the few times of the year when I don’t have to volunteer there.
Mostly my focus is on those times when they can’t get volunteers, but there’s no shortage over Thanksgiving.
It’s a weekend when lots of people, whole families sometimes, come along to help.
Some do it because they feel guilty about doing so little throughout the rest of the year, others because they are genuinely thankful for all they have and want to help those who don’t. ”
“So how will you be spending Thanksgiving?” David kept his tone neutral, doing his best not to betray his excitement. Please say you have nothing planned. Please.
Jason sighed. “The same way I have done ever since I got divorced. It will be me with a turkey sandwich in front of the TV, watching the highlights of the parade and a whole lot of sport.” There was a bitter edge to his words that tore at David’s heart.
That did it.
“Not this year, you’re not.” David looked him in the eye. “How would you like to spend Thanksgiving with me?”
Jason stared at him. “With you? But surely you’ll be spending the day with your family?”
“Not this year.” David wasn’t keen to share more than that. “So how about it? Seeing as I can’t cook for shit, I could supply all the food, and you could supply the dishes and the power to cook it.” He smiled. “At least I know you can cook.”
Jason said nothing but stared at him in silence for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. “I don’t get it. Why would you want to spend the day with me?”
David pushed out a sigh. “Look. I have my own reasons for not going home this year, okay? Nothing heavy, it’s just that I’d… I’d rather spend the day with you.” There. He’d gotten it out.
Jason blinked. “Why me?”