Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Connor
Bryan is waiting for me when I park my car at the community center.
Dressed in tan pants that aren’t wrinkled and a light green T-shirt, he looks like a hiker.
Or maybe it’s the perpetual tan he always seems to have and the way his light brown hair looks like he just ran his fingers through it and left the house.
He only lives a few blocks away from me, so we should spend more time together.
I guess that would require me listing him as something more personal than Guy From Work in my contacts.
“Hey! Ready for some great hiking?” he calls out as I slam my car door shut.
I’m ready for anything that doesn’t involve dealing with my wife or eight screaming girls.
“Sure!” I say in a forced tone of enthusiasm.
It’s not that I don’t want to go hiking. That’s as good a way to spend my afternoon as any other. As long as it keeps me away from my house, I’m fine. It’s just in the big scheme of things, hiking isn’t exactly top on my list of ways to occupy myself on a beautiful sunny day off from work.
When I reach Bryan, exuberance is practically radiating off him. I guess he really likes hiking.
Taking a page out of my wife’s social climbing book, I figure I’ll get to know him a bit more today and see how that can help me at work. He’s the new favorite of our boss, so it can’t hurt.
“I figured we’d walk the paths that surround the community. They aren’t tough by any means, but they’ll give us a nice workout and we’ll get a ton of fresh air. Sound good?”
With a nod, I agree to his plans, and we set off across the parking lot to where the woods meet the grounds here at the community center.
Bryan breezily chats about how the weather is perfect for us to be out on the trails today, not really stopping to hear my opinion as he moves from that topic to something about a news story he read this morning at breakfast. Normally, I’d find that rude, but today I don’t feel like participating in much chit chat, so I’m okay with him monopolizing the conversation.
Ten minutes into our hike, we haven’t seen another soul on the trail, which seems odd to me since weekends are usually busy around here. It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I can’t believe more people didn’t have the same idea Bryan had.
“Where is everybody?” I ask when he takes a break from talking as we climb a small hill.
He laughs at that question and points toward a clearing a few yard away. “Maybe up there. I’d think it would be more crowded out here today.”
“Me too. The sun’s shining, the weather’s not too hot, and it’s the weekend.”
Our conversation goes nowhere rather quickly.
Maybe it would be better if I let him talk more for a while until I think of something interesting to discuss.
The last thing I want is him telling Martin at work while he’s in his office yucking it up like he does every day at lunch that I’m a huge bore.
That won’t help me get that promotion I’ve been hoping to get this year.
We reach the clearing and find no one there. How odd. Maybe everyone is out on the golf course. They did say all tee times were booked for this weekend.
“Hmmph, I thought there would be someone up here,” Bryan says like he’s disappointed.
Maybe I am a huge bore. Damn! I need to get some conversation going, or I’m going to blow this opportunity to brown nose the boss’s favorite.
“I think they’re all on the golf course. I tried to book a tee time, and they were booked solid this weekend and next.”
That seems to interest Bryan, and he turns around to face me like I’ve finally uttered something that didn’t bore him to tears.
“Oh, yeah. That’s right. Martin wanted the two of us to play a round of golf tomorrow, but no go.
The only place in town that had any spots open was the municipal course, but you know how that one is.
I swear they never even ask people to replace their divots, and it’s obvious no one really takes care of the course.
It’s like golfing on a road filled with potholes every time I’ve tried there. ”
This is my chance. He brought up work and our boss, so all I have to do is keep the topic alive by saying something interesting.
Except my mind is utterly and completely fucking blank. Son of a bitch! I just need one thing to add to the conversation, and I have nothing. I’m blowing this opportunity. I need to fix this right now!
Desperate to say something, I blurt out, “That Martin is a great golfer, isn’t he? I’ve seen him on the course when I’m playing, and he’s definitely a cut above.”
By the time I finish speaking, I’m filled with dread. Yes, I kept the conversation going, but I made it seem like Martin and I aren’t anywhere close to the same level, socially or when it comes to golf.
Bryan shrugs, so I quickly add, “I made sure to tell him that when we talked after we finished and were hanging out in the clubhouse.”
At least that makes it sound like my boss doesn’t shun me like some social leper he can’t stand being around outside of work.
I wait for some response from my hiking partner, but he seems more interested in something rustling in the bushes. Making his way over to where I imagine an animal is doing its private business, he points at the shrub and mouths, “Look at this!”
Look at what? A gopher taking a shit? How the hell is this guy the new office favorite?
Playing along, I follow him and stop a few feet away from the bush, just in case it’s some far more vicious animal than what I’m imagining. As I take my place next to Bryan, I whisper, “It might be something that doesn’t appreciate humans interfering in its alone time.”
He turns to look at me and smiles before he whispers, “You know, you’re way funnier outside the office. I didn’t know that about you.”
Okay, that sounds good. He can certainly feel free to report that back to Martin. Everyone loves a guy who’s got a great sense of humor. I never saw myself as that kind of person, but hey, if he thinks so, that’s fine with me.
Whatever makes our boss think more highly of me so he wants to give me that raise later this year works for me.
A noise behind us startles me, so I pull my gun out. There’s nobody there, though.
I open my mouth to thank him for the compliment, but just then, he sees the gun. “Hey, let me see that. I didn’t realize you owned a gun. Damn, Connor. You’re way cooler than I thought.”
He grabs it from my hold, so I quickly say, “Bryan, be careful with that. Do you know anything about guns?”
But his attention seems fixed on that poor creature in the weeds. “Check it out. Let’s see how this hedgehog does when it’s running for its life,” Bryan says with a laugh.
Before I can say he shouldn’t shoot at anything, he takes aim at the animal and misses. Great. Now we can continue our walk.
“Oh, well. Maybe next time,” I mumble as I reach for the gun.
But he’s not ready to go just yet.
Taking aim for a second time, he shoots at something, although I can’t imagine it’s still that animal from before. He’s not stupid enough to stick around when someone’s trying to kill him.
“Son of a bitch! Almost got him!” Bryan calls out.
So he’s a liar who has a gun fetish. Good to know. How is this guy a favorite of my boss? Martin has always been a pretty serious person. I have a hard time understanding how this guy’s clown act works on our boss.
“Come on,” I say, hating how I sound almost like I’m pleading. “Give me the gun back, and let’s keep going. I’m sure we’ll see more animals along the path up here.”
But Bryan isn’t persuaded. Waving the gun around, he laughs. “Take it easy, Connor. You’re so tight someone could stick a piece of coal up your ass and there’d be a diamond in no time.”
As I try to think of something clever to say back to him, he brags about how he owns a gun with some capability I know nothing about. I’m truly questioning how this guy is the star in my boss’s eyes. Does he have dirt on him? He must because it’s not like his personality is anything great.
Just then, I hear the gun go off, and I spin around to see Bryan on the ground. One glance at his chest shows me he fucking shot himself.
With my gun!
Looking around for anyone to help me, I see not a single soul. Where the hell is everyone today? This path should be packed with my neighbors on a day like this.
I stare down at him lying in the dirt and notice a huge rock next to his head. He’s lucky he didn’t bash his skull when he fell.
“Bryan?” I say, unsure what’s happening right now.
Christ, he isn’t dead, is he? That’s all I need today.
Crouching down beside him, I shake him by the shoulder but he doesn’t move. He just continues to stare up at nothing.
“Bryan, man. You have to get up. Talk to me. Are you okay?” I ask as my gaze scans his body before coming to rest at the spot where the bullet entered just around his ribs.
For a few seconds, I watch for any sign he’s still breathing. It’s like time stops as I stare at his chest, but then finally, he inhales. Thank God!
I check my pocket and realize I didn’t bring my cell phone. Fuck! The one day I need the damn thing and I don’t have it. I blame Jamie. If she hadn’t made my pants a wrinkled mess, I would have remembered my phone and an ambulance would be on its way right now.
“Bryan, don’t worry man. I’ll be right back. I’m going to go get help. Hang on, man. I’m just going back down to the community center to call an ambulance.”
I run back down the trail to get someone to call 9-1-1. By the time I reach the community center, I’m winded and barely able to get the words out to the cute girl manning the reception desk.
“Call…I need you to call…” I sputter out, but I need to catch my breath before I can get the entire sentence out.
“Are you okay, sir? Should I call an ambulance or something? A man your age should watch out.”