Chapter 20
TWENTY
“Happy Wednesday, boys and girls, and welcome to Cassidy's first-ever fashion show!”
Santana stood in a shiny dress at the end of the runway that went from the bar to the stage. Patrons in attendance had their chairs turned to face her, some with a beer glass on their table, and all with a laugh or two ready to go.
Santana wrapped her hand around the mic stand and accepted the hoots that came first from the crowd.
Though, crowd was a generous description.
While there were more people than normal filling the room, according to Dixon, most of them were regulars.
Friends who wanted to see their long-time bartender loosen up while embarrassing himself.
And the others? Well, most had seen Benny's posts online the day before and were either curious about what a fashion show at their local bar meant or, also according to Dixon, just wanted to see Jack shirtless.
For that reason alone, Ms. Peggy was seated at the table closest to the stage. Ethan and Callum were sitting on either side, drinks at the ready. Santana’s video camera was sitting in the middle of their glasses, pointed at the stage with a full charge.
Much to Jack's immense displeasure after requesting the event not have video evidence.
“We thank you for coming and can't wait to get started,” Santana continued, really leaning into her role as emcee.
“First, let's go over the rules and how you can help our favorite grumpy bartender win the esteemed title of King of Arbor Bay!” She pointed to the whiteboard they'd wheeled in and placed at the back of the stage.
Benny had made sure to cover up the part that said Property of Arbor Bay Academy in the corner.
There was only one category written on it in black marker—fashion—but there were several sub-sections ready to be scored beneath it.
“Our Jack will strut his stuff, showcasing several adventurous outfits while our job is to choose which ones he should wear for the About Me portion of the Sailors and Mermaids pageant, the themed costume walk, and then what he'll wear during the talent section.” She caught Benny’s eye where he stood at the mouth of the hallway and pointed to him.
“And remember, we must be somewhat kind, considering Benny here will be forced to be on stage with him during the costume and talent portions!”
A wave of voices and laughter came through the crowd as most seemed to have no intention of going easy on Jack just for Benny’s sake. Santana tried to calm them with her own laughter. When it was clear they were having a time with it, she instead gave up.
“We’ll be starting in five minutes, so make sure you grab a drink before we get down to business!”
Several people got up and made their way to Dixon behind the bar. Santana joined him. Benny took the time to fall back to the bar’s office in the back.
He knocked on the door with a barely-contained smile.
Jack’s grumpiness was not contained at all.
“Dixon, I swear to God, if you take one more picture, I’m going to beat the—”
“It's me,” Benny panic-interrupted. “Does that mean I can’t come in?”
The much less cranky voice of Dewey Royce came through next.
“Enter at your own risk, Benny! He’s a live wire right now.”
Benny tried really hard not to straight-up guffaw like a cartoon, but no dice. He let loose the moment he stepped inside.
“I'm not okay with this,” Jack deadpanned. “Not one bit.”
Benny could see why.
Jack was standing on a turned-over beer crate set up in front of the full-length mirror Santana had dragged in from her apartment and was looking absolutely fabulous.
Benny wanted to pat himself on the back for his suggestion that they give the crowd a taste of what they could be enjoying all night if they stayed for the next few hours. Which was Jack Knox parading around in the most ridiculous outfits that Benny could find.
Most of them, pro-nipple.
The bartender’s opening number was no exception.
Gold and sparkling scale-patterned tights that hugged everything, a long white net-like jacket that left nothing beneath it to the imagination, and a royal crown nestled into a white wig that curled just above his hips.
Jack Knox was a modern-day Fabio with a fish fetish.
And Benny loved every inch of it.
It absolutely helped that Jack was holding his plastic trident in one hand and the light dusting of glitter on his cheeks seemed to match it.
Benny couldn’t help his mirth.
“I think this is amazing,” he breathed out.
Dewey, who had taken little to no convincing into helping Jack for the night, was standing at his side, also smiling.
“If you would have asked me the last time I was in here for a drink if I thought I'd be helping Jack Knox put on glitter, I would have asked how drunk you were.”
Jack rolled his eyes.
Hard.
“Go ahead and get on, Dewey,” he growled. “This glitter and I need a second.”
Dewey was a smart man and scooted by Benny without complaint. He called after him, “Don't forget we're both going to have to help him with the tail and tunic after the casualwear walk! It requires a crotch snap!”
Dewey’s laughter could still be heard as he rounded the corner.
Jack turned to face himself in the mirror.
He started muttering the second Benny closed the door.
“You know, when you told me The Drinking Spot’s secret weapon was some fancy new specialty drink selection, I thought we’d be working on our own menu upgrade. Not stringing me up in netting and letting Ms. Peggy rate what looks the best on my ass.”
Benny moved between him and the mirror. He placed both hands on his biceps, surprised that the crocheted jacket was as soft as it was.
“The Drinking Spot might have discounted drinks and renovated rooms and fancy décor, but you know what they don’t have?” Benny didn't give him room to answer. “Personality. There’s no connection with the people. No soul. Cassidy's Place has that. We just have to remind Arbor Bay.”
“And me dressing up as a merman proves we have soul?”
There was that skeptical look again.
Benny’d been getting it since the day before on the car ride back to his house.
Sans pants.
Benny nodded now.
“It proves you’re a whole someone and reminds them that you exist outside of this place.
That hanging out here with you and Dixon and Santana does in fact add to their lives.
It also shows them that you listen to them.
That you’re willing to make a little bit of a fool of yourself to include them in your world.
Being a grouch in glitter beats being a guppy behind the bar who's just waiting for his shift to end like Thomas Bleuth.”
Jack didn’t look as convinced as Benny felt.
For the first time since knowing the man, Jack actually seemed a bit nervous.
Benny wasn’t a fan of that, he decided.
“Why do you like Cassidy’s Place?” he asked, letting go of the man but not lengthening the distance between them.
That seemed to pull some of his worry.
“What’d you mean?”
Benny glanced at the clock on the wall.
They didn’t have much time for a heart-to-heart, so he cut to the chase.
“You told me, a few different times, that some people don’t understand why you love this place so much. That they don’t understand Cassidy’s is your dream. But I want you to tell me what it is about this place that you actually like.”
Jack looked taken aback.
Benny understood the problem.
He’d asked an incredibly broad, and yet extremely specific, question.
He tried to lead by example.
“For example, I like event planning because I just really like special days. Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and even work events—I like helping people make that one day they circled on the calendar be as special as it can be.” Benny shrugged.
“Because, no matter who you are, the truth is that there will always be more hard days than special ones in a life. So, when it’s actually time to shine?
Well, I like helping people do that. That’s my dream.
I like being a tiny spotlight for special days. So, why is Cassidy’s Place your dream?”
Jack opened his mouth.
Then he closed it.
He opened it again after a moment.
The sparkles on his cheeks caught the reflection of the overhead lights above them.
“I like the noises.”
Benny, an over sharer by default, waited for the rest.
Jack didn’t give it.
Benny had to prod.
“You like the noises?”
Jack nodded. His wig shifted slightly.
“The glasses clinking, the chairs scraping, the people talking,” he answered.
“Before I came to Arbor Bay, I was by myself a lot because my parents were always out of town working and I didn’t get on with the kids at school.
So I got used to the quiet. Then, I came to Cassidy’s one day with Dixon to help my uncle move some stuff.
I liked the sounds. That’s why I like it here.
And why I want to make sure it never goes quiet. ”
Benny blinked a few times.
Jack’s eyebrow rose.
“Let me guess, not the answer that wins awards, huh?”
Benny felt the smile before it curled up the corner of his lips.
“Actually, that was incredibly sweet, Mr. Knox. I didn’t know you had that in you.”
Jack actually seemed surprised.
“You think me saying I like the sound of scraping chairs is good enough to hang a lifelong dream on?” He snorted.
Benny realized then another fatal flaw to their plan of fake dating.
He couldn’t ignore that he was actually getting to know the man cosplaying as his boyfriend.
Which meant he knew that Jack wasn’t being self-deprecating.
He was trying to hide the fact that he was genuinely asking.
Benny made sure to not to punish the effort.
He answered by pushing up onto the balls of his feet so he could reach Jack’s lips comfortably. He nuzzled his hand in between the strands of crochet to steady himself as he kissed the bartender softly.
The moment didn’t need him to linger.
Benny broke the quick kiss and went back to flat ground.
“If I can build a dream around one calendar day a year, why can’t you build a dream around the sounds of being alive?”