Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jamie’s mouth dropped open. Joesph smiled, one eyebrow arched. “Now... if you’ll excuse me.” Joesph pushed between the two men, going into the diner.
“I’m... so, so sorry,” Jamie said, finally coming to his senses, not daring to look at Mike. “Joesph... sometimes...”
Mike turned to Jamie. “May I kiss you?”
“What?” Jamie’s head whipped around, causing his spine to pop. He grabbed the back of his neck. “Holy shit.” He bent over, both hands raised.
“Here, let me.” Mike pulled him upright by the shoulders and began massaging Jamie’s collar. “I didn’t think you’d break your own neck,” he chuckled, his voice low and soft.
Jamie felt his shoulders go stiff and then relax as Mike massaged, none too gently, but moving the muscles there.
“I’d still like to kiss you.” Mike pushed his thumbs up the length of Jamie’s neck, digging in.
“But... I didn’t think... I mean, I...” Jamie sighed, his head falling forward.
“You didn’t think I was gay?” Mike continued his massage.
“No.” Jamie groaned.
“I’m not.”
Jamie stiffened again.
“I’m bisexual. Well, for the most part.”
Jamie took a step away from Mike and turned around to face the man. “Oh no.” He shook his head. “I’m not doing this.”
“Why, because I’m bi?” Mike scowled at Jamie.
“Exactly. I’ve seen this pony show before.
Bi men want to mess around with other guys and then run off, get married, pop out a few kids, and then start sneaking around to screw other men.
” Jamie took another step back, putting both hands up as if in surrender.
“I’m not interested. Nope, not ever going there. ”
“If I wanted to have a family, I’d have one by now.” Mike had his hands balled up into fists, down by his sides. “I had that chance and decided it wasn’t what I wanted.”
“And I’m not going down that road. I have no interest in just hooking up.”
“What makes you think I am?” Mike almost shouted, his voice guttural, his eyebrows pinched together, his lips a hard line.
“Nope.” Jamie turned towards the door. “Not going there. Sorry. Not interested.”
When he got into the kitchen, everyone was dead still. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “What?” Jamie almost screamed.
Florence shook her head. “I think we’re pretty much done.”
“Good,” Jamie said, trying to regulate his voice. “Then let’s call it a day. It’s been a busy few days, and I know we’re all tired.”
“You want some help tomorrow?” Dexter asked, removing his ball cap, already in motion to hang it on the hook close to the back door.
Jamie thought for a moment. “No, I think we’ve done about as much as we can do. Thank you, though.”
No one seemed to be moving or saying anything.
“Go on home, y’all. Get some rest.” Jamie wiped his face with both hands.
“Okay,” Hazel said as she headed for the door. She rested her hand on Jamie’s forearm. “You just call me if you think of something.”
Jamie only nodded, letting his hands drop. “I will.”
Florence pulled him into a tight hug. “Promise?” She pulled back, her arms still around him.
Jamie nodded again.
“I still love you even though you’re a little shit.” She smiled, her lips bright red, obviously having reapplied her signature lipstick.
Jamie gave her a grin. “I know you do. I love you too. It doesn’t matter to me if your first pet was a dinosaur.”
Florence’s eyes popped wide, her mouth open. She pushed him hard, his back banging into the stainless-steel bench behind him. The whole room erupting in laughter.
Walter shook his head, filing past them. “I can’t say anything. I’m older than she is.”
* * * * *
“So, what happened?” Salzy asked, sipping his beer.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Jamie drained the rest of his beer, holding out the empty to Joesph.
“I’m not a server,” Joesph said indignantly.
“No, but you’re the only one standing up.” Jamie shook the bottle at him.
Joesph rolled his eyes as he pushed off from the banister of the balcony.
“I’ll take another too,” Salzy held up a finger, then emptied his own bottle.
“You know,” Salzy started, waiting until Joesph had gone inside, “If he said anything to you, or... hurt you, I’ll kick his ass.”
Jamie turned towards his friend. “He would break you like a twig, and you know it.”
“I have a good baseball bat.” Salzy smiled, his white teeth glowing in the dusk light, the sun resting on the horizon.
“Just leave it, please.”
Joesph returned with three fresh beers. He leaned his back against a post. “I know things didn’t exactly... go as planned today, but I hope you don’t mind if I call Mike for advice on that beam. He knows a lot, and I’ve never installed one that went the full length of a building.”
“No.” Jamie took a long drink of the cold brew. “Won’t bother me none.”
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Joesph asked Salzy.
“Well... I got that paint sample from Hanson’s. I thought I’d put that on so you and Jamie can decide. Terry told me that they’d have to order more of the base color if you want over ten gallons.”
“Ten gallons?” Jamie sat up straight. “What all are you planning on painting?” He directed his question to Joesph.
“Don’t go getting your panties in a twist.” Joesph sighed. “It’s just the trim paint after all.” He looked at Salzy. “I think ten gallons will do most of it.”
“Lord help me,” Jamie muttered, taking a sip of his beer.
“I was hoping that between the three of us we could take out that old counter in the dining room,” Joesph said. “It would save money, and with three of us on it we can get it done pretty quickly.”
“I’d be happy to demolish something.” Jamie looked out over the empty fields beyond the small parking area behind the diner.
“How about I order us a pizza?” Salzy asked as he pulled out his phone. “There’s a decent place that will deliver.”
“No anchovies.” Joesph curled up his nose.
“I happen to like anchovies,” Jamie piped in. “But... I agree with you. They won’t be good anchovies. They’d use those nasty things in a can.”
“Okay, no fish,” Salzy said, pecking at his phone. “How about a super supreme pan pizza?”
“Can we get extra sauce?” Joesph asked. “No one ever puts enough on except for Jamie.”
“The sauce is what makes it,” Jamie nodded. “If it’s decent sauce that is. A plain passata is the best to use.”
Joesph shook his head at Salzy. “That’s why no one ever wants to cook for a chef!”
“Won’t have to worry about me then.” Salzy looked up before putting his phone away. “I can’t cook. I can barely make a grilled cheese sandwich, and I screw that up half the time.”
“I never have to cook.” Joesph laughed lightly. “Why I always have friends who can cook.” He thumped Jamie on the head. “Like this one.”
Jamie pushed Joesph’s hand away. “I see where I rate.”
“You’re also very lovable,” Joesph teased, making kissing noises.
The three men fell silent for a while. The cicadas were singing, bugs were buzzing around the screens, and every once in a while, you could hear a semitruck on the interstate.
“He’s bisexual,” Jamie stated, sighing heavily.
“So what?” Salzy said, rocking in the old chair, the ancient floorboards squeaking.
Joesph sighed heavily. “It matters because bi men are notorious for fucking around with men before they go off and get married to a woman. Then they have the house, the white picket fence, a few kids, and then they get the itch.”
“The itch?” Salzy asked, a slight frown on his face.
“He means that they then start messing around with guys on the side. And if they do want a relationship, it would be in secret.” Jamie explained, his voice barely a whisper.
Joesph leaned over and rubbed Jamie’s shoulder. “It’s happened before,” he said.
Salzy looked at Jamie. “To you.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.
Jamie could only nod. “And I didn’t know until it started to get serious. And then bam. It all blew up in my face. He had a wife, three kids, and a membership to a country club. He’d use the excuse of playing golf when he was really with me. I had no clue.”
“Ouch.” Salzy leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “That really sucks.”
“It sure does.”
Just then, headlights came around the side of the diner.
“Pizza’s here.” Salzy got up to retrieve the pie.
“I’m sorry, Jamie. I’d never have said anything had I known.”
He looked up at his longtime friend. “I know.”