Chapter 9 #3
“It was good. I stopped by my sister’s earlier. She’s doing well today, reading like crazy.”
“That’s great. Can she… never mind.”
“What is it?”
“Well, I’m doing this book club thing at the library. Francie gave her okay. I thought maybe your sister would like to join.” He doesn’t know how bad her condition is or whether she’s even mobile.
Will crosses his arms, looking thoughtful. “The hospice isn’t that far from the library, and she doesn’t have to stay the whole time if she doesn’t feel up to it. I can’t commit, though—she has good days and bad ones.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I still need to decide on a date. I’ve started working on some ideas for posters to hang around town. Wanna see?”
“Sure.”
Before they can take a step, someone bumps into Will from behind. “Watch it, perv.”
Owen sees red. He opens his mouth to call out that asshole, but Will raises his hand to calm him down. “It’s fine.”
“How is that fine?”
Will’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Let it go. I would like to see what you’ve been working on.”
Owen nods, though he’s still agitated.
“Why do you look so nice?” Bradley asks Will once they join their table.
“Meaning?”
“This shirt is new, and you’ve put something in your hair—it’s shiny.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about. Drink your beer.”
Owen watches Will, and he can’t help but agree with Bradley’s assessment.
The fact that Will is blushing is also telling.
Owen has a silly thought that maybe Will hoped to run into him tonight, and that was why he gave it an extra effort.
He dismisses the idea before it can blossom, though it leaves a nice feeling in his chest.
“You wanted to show me your posters,” Will says.
“What? Oh, right. They’re more like sketches.” He pulls out the paper he worked on during his shift, suddenly feeling self-aware. He hasn’t shown his work to anyone in a long time, excluding Nate’s rude snooping this morning. “They’re just some ideas I was playing with, nothing special.”
Will puts out his hand, his smile reassuring. “I’m not an art critic. Don’t overthink it.”
“Right, okay.” He hands Will the sketches, watching eagerly as he flips through them with a thoughtful expression. Even Bradley and Esteban are watching.
“Those are beautiful,” Will says, looking up to meet Owen’s eyes.
He’s holding the one with the sketch of the library.
There’s a moon in the sky, and Owen has tried to make it seem like the moonlight is casting light on the building.
He only had basic colors to work with, but he’s proud of how it turned out.
“Show it here,” Bradley says and reaches to take the sketches. “Those are nice! We aren’t used to hanging out with talented people.”
“I’m talented,” Esteban says.
“At what, taking naps in your truck?”
As they laugh, Owen takes back his sketches and slides them into his backpack. The four of them slip into casual conversation, though Owen sometimes loses track of the subject when he glances at Will. The battle between wanting to stare at the man and not wanting to be obvious is tiresome.
They get their food and drinks, then Bradley and Esteban say they need to go, which Owen selfishly doesn’t mind one bit.
“You play pool?” Will asks and brings his beer to his lips.
“Not really. I tried a few times, but the holes are too narrow for me.”
Will chokes on his beer. Owen realizes what he said and bursts out laughing. “Not like that!”
Will clears his throat and shakes his head. “Sure. I mean, it’s usually the other way around.”
“What do you mean?”
He shifts uneasily. “Narrow holes are… they’re fine if… shit. Never mind. I’m not used to…”
“Talking with a gay man and making gay jokes?” Owen whispers.
“Yeah, that’s it. I’m rusty, but maybe I never really had such conversations.”
“Well, as someone who mostly hung out with gay men—and the occasional lesbian—I’m willing to guide you through the process.”
“So it’s a process now?”
“It sure is.” He lowers his voice again. “Have you watched gay cinema?”
“Hmm, don’t think so. Is there even such a thing?”
Owen is dumbstruck, but he doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
This is a small town in Missouri, and the closest cinema is more than an hour’s drive—and it’s unlikely to present gay content.
“There are some important movies you should watch. Cruising. Midnight Cowboy. Parting Glances—though that one’s super sad.
We can watch some together. Do you have a VCR? ”
“I do. Can we find those things at Blockbuster, or do we need somewhere more niche?”
“Blockbuster’s fine, just don’t expect those films to be at the front of the store.”
“Okay. Sounds like a plan.” Will smiles, but that smile immediately fades and turns into a frosty expression.
Owen frowns, wondering if he had said something wrong.
“Hello, gentlemen.” Nate comes over from behind Owen. He’s wearing his uniform, his hands on his hips. “How’s your evening going?”
“Going great,” Owen says. “Are you going to work?”
“Nah, I just finished an hour ago. We found another dead junkie in Grandin.”
“Oh, that’s terrible. Where’s Grandin?”
“Northwest from here. Not far. He used to be a schoolteacher from what I’ve heard. Ain’t nobody safe from that stuff.”
Owen nods. “True. Hmm, are you here with someone?” He doesn’t want to invite Nate to join, but he doesn’t want to be impolite.
“I’m here on my lonesome, but since I have this guy here...” He places his hand on Will’s shoulder. “Remember you promised to help me out with that leak in my kitchen?”
“What?”
“The leak. You promised you’d come help me fix it.” Nate tells Owen, “Will is great with his hands, but his memory isn’t all that.”
“I remember,” Will says stiffly. There’s something in his eyes that makes Owen wary.
“Well, that leak is driving me crazy, so how about you come over to help me fix it?”
Will turns to look at Nate, tension in his jaw. “Tomorrow.”
“I have a late shift tomorrow, and I have a feeling that another day will make the leak worse. Much worse.” He flashes a smile. “But hey, I can just wait until you finish dinner. No worries.”
Something about the way he says it feels fake. Owen remembers the conversation they had the first time they drove to Eminence. Nate had warned him about hanging out with Will, yet here he is, asking the same man for help.
Something doesn’t add up.
“I wake up early,” Will says, looking at his plate. “Best to do it now. I’m not that hungry.”
He barely touched his plate. Owen wants to say it will be rude to leave him alone, but something stops him from speaking. He simply mumbles, “Okay.”
“Great.” Nate claps. “Sorry about that, man, but I really need Will for this one.”
Owen watches quietly as Will rises to his feet, heaviness in his movement. He does a good job not meeting Owen’s eyes. “I’ll take care of my bill. Sorry about this.”
Owen doesn’t respond because he’s too confused. Once he’s alone, he leans back in his seat, thinking that something is clearly wrong, but he doesn’t know what.