[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
counter and sighed.
* * * *
Josh was eating doughnuts when Dakota walked
in, wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a jean
jacket. He was wet. Hey, he said, I can t stay
long, Jump s with me. Let s go. I ll wait in the
Jeep. Hey, sis, he waved at her, it s raining cats
and dogs out there.
You drive careful, she warned, carting coffee
over to one of the tables.
Two people sitting at the counter nodded and
said good day to Dak. Dak tipped his hat and
went back outside.
How come you brought the puppy? Josh
asked, delighted to see his dog when he got into
the backseat with him. Jump was all over him. The
front seat was left open to Patrick. Patrick climbed
in and closed the door.
117
DJ Manly
Can t leave her at home, Dak told him. She s
too much of a baby. I tried tying her outside with
the leash, making it long enough so she could go
in under the porch. That didn t work. I couldn t
stand her whining. Finally, I put her in the Jeep.
Josh was talking baby talk to the puppy and
hugging her. Jump was a happy dog. Patrick
glanced out the window as they took off. There
were heavy clouds overhead and the rain was still
coming down. I think we re going to get a
thunderstorm, Dak pointed out, trying to get
something other than static on the radio. He
glanced at Patrick. When were you planning on
telling me it was your birthday?
I wasn t.
Oh, it s some kind of a big secret, is it?
It s no big deal.
I think it is.
Think what you want.
Dak smirked, checked for oncoming traffic and
turned off in the direction of the highway. Okay,
thanks. You don t seem very happy for a birthday
boy. What are you, twenty-two?
Yah, barely out of my diapers.
Some diapers, Dakota murmured, starting to
laugh, finally finding some music on the radio.
Some old Blondie tune was playing.
Jump, knock it off, Josh was laughing. Stop
slobbering on me.
118
Last Call
No one talked for awhile. It was silent except
for Josh playing with Jump in the backseat and the
sound of the wipers whipping the rain off the
windshield.
Finally, Dak said, So what did I do now to
deserve the silent treatment?
Nothing, Patrick said.
Dak left it at that.
A half hour before they got there, Josh started
discussing where they could go for dinner. Join
us, Dad?
No, he said, I ll drop you. Where are you
going to be later?
To see a movie and then onto a bar called
Allsorts. Aunt Kate told us about it. Maybe we can
hook Patrick up, Josh laughed, get him laid.
Dak glanced at Patrick. Is that what you re
looking for tonight then, a quick fuck?
Maybe. Kate told me you like it there. Is that
where you pick up your tricks when you come
into town? Patrick clipped.
The tension in the air grew thicker.
Dak looked angry.
After a few minutes, Josh said, Let us off here
on Main Street, Dad, I ll call you on your cell from
the bar later. Maybe you can join us for a drink.
Dak pulled over to the curb. I m going to play
cards with some guys from the rodeo. Call me
when you re ready.
119
DJ Manly
Patrick got out, slammed the door. The sky still
looked grey, but it had stopped raining. The
thunder was in the distance, but it was threatening
to roll in.
What about Jump? Josh asked, patting her
goodbye.
She ll stay with me, no worries, Dak told him.
Josh shut the door and Dak roared off, his tires
squealing as he went around the corner. Josh
winced. Ouch. What was that all about in the
car?
What was what all about? Patrick snapped,
looking at him.
What you said, about him picking up tricks
and
Forget it. It just came out, just another thing I ll
have to apologize for later.
He looked really pissed off.
Um, I know. He started to laugh.
What?
I either have to laugh or cry. Let s drop it,
okay. I m starving.
* * * *
They ate chicken and ribs at this really nice place.
Josh paid. It was expensive. The food was good,
but Patrick didn t have much of an appetite. I
didn t know Dak played cards, Patrick
120
Last Call
mentioned as they walked toward the movie
theatre to see what was playing.
Poker mostly, just for fun. They don t play for
much money. He had a Royal Flush once.
A what?
It s the best hand in Poker. It s rare. He won a
thousand dollars. It was during the rodeo last
year. It was all for charity. I ll teach you to play
sometime if you want.
Yeah, might be fun.
Some comedy was playing at the theatre. It was
too early to go to the bar so they went in to see it.
It wasn t very good, corny more than anything.
They ate popcorn and tried to figure out where the
funny parts were.
That sucked, Josh said on the way out. It was
a little after nine.
Oh yeah, it really did. What was with the
monkey?
I have no idea.
They laughed about it all the way down the
street as they walked around trying to find this
infamous bar.
It wasn t very big, but it was quite nice. There
was a gang of cowboys upfront singing heartbreak
songs and a pool table in the back. The place was
pretty crowded. Patrick and Josh walked up to the
bar and ordered beer.
121
DJ Manly
The band s not bad, Josh said, and I don t
really like this stuff.
The lead singer was good and he was singing a
love song, something about a love that would
never end. Patrick closed his eyes. This was the
last thing he needed, sucky love songs sung by a
cowboy.
They found a table and nursed their beers.
Patrick had never felt lonelier in his life. There
were some couples dancing, some were same sex,
and three people playing pool. There was a pinball
machine in the corner.
Want to play? Josh asked, digging in his
pockets for coins.
No, go ahead, he said.
Patrick?
Yah?
I wish I knew how to cheer you up, man.
Maybe some cute guy will ask you to dance.
I m fine. Stop worrying. Go play pinball. I m
enjoying just sitting here, listening to the music. I
don t want to dance.
Okay, be back, Josh said, turning to eye the
waitress in the short skirt as she walked by. It
looked to Patrick like the waitresses were wearing
the tablecloths, with their checked shirts and frilly
skirt bottoms that were in the same gaudy plaid.
So, a deep, male voice said suddenly, what s
going on?
122
Last Call
Patrick looked up, his eyes widening. Dak?
What are you doing here?
He shrugged. Game was boring. I folded and
got out. My mind wasn t on it.
Where s the dog?
I left her with a friend of mine. She s fine. I ll
go back and pick her up before we head home.
Where s Josh? he looked around.
Playing pinball, he said. Goddamn it, if only the
sight of him didn t make me hard. And he was feeling
so happy all of a sudden.
You mind? he indicated the chair.
Go ahead. It s a free country.
He signalled the waitress. Bring me a light
beer.
She nodded, smiled and went off to get it.
I wasn t sure if I should sit or not, he looked
at him. I was in the doghouse there a while back,
no?
No. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
counter and sighed.
* * * *
Josh was eating doughnuts when Dakota walked
in, wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a jean
jacket. He was wet. Hey, he said, I can t stay
long, Jump s with me. Let s go. I ll wait in the
Jeep. Hey, sis, he waved at her, it s raining cats
and dogs out there.
You drive careful, she warned, carting coffee
over to one of the tables.
Two people sitting at the counter nodded and
said good day to Dak. Dak tipped his hat and
went back outside.
How come you brought the puppy? Josh
asked, delighted to see his dog when he got into
the backseat with him. Jump was all over him. The
front seat was left open to Patrick. Patrick climbed
in and closed the door.
117
DJ Manly
Can t leave her at home, Dak told him. She s
too much of a baby. I tried tying her outside with
the leash, making it long enough so she could go
in under the porch. That didn t work. I couldn t
stand her whining. Finally, I put her in the Jeep.
Josh was talking baby talk to the puppy and
hugging her. Jump was a happy dog. Patrick
glanced out the window as they took off. There
were heavy clouds overhead and the rain was still
coming down. I think we re going to get a
thunderstorm, Dak pointed out, trying to get
something other than static on the radio. He
glanced at Patrick. When were you planning on
telling me it was your birthday?
I wasn t.
Oh, it s some kind of a big secret, is it?
It s no big deal.
I think it is.
Think what you want.
Dak smirked, checked for oncoming traffic and
turned off in the direction of the highway. Okay,
thanks. You don t seem very happy for a birthday
boy. What are you, twenty-two?
Yah, barely out of my diapers.
Some diapers, Dakota murmured, starting to
laugh, finally finding some music on the radio.
Some old Blondie tune was playing.
Jump, knock it off, Josh was laughing. Stop
slobbering on me.
118
Last Call
No one talked for awhile. It was silent except
for Josh playing with Jump in the backseat and the
sound of the wipers whipping the rain off the
windshield.
Finally, Dak said, So what did I do now to
deserve the silent treatment?
Nothing, Patrick said.
Dak left it at that.
A half hour before they got there, Josh started
discussing where they could go for dinner. Join
us, Dad?
No, he said, I ll drop you. Where are you
going to be later?
To see a movie and then onto a bar called
Allsorts. Aunt Kate told us about it. Maybe we can
hook Patrick up, Josh laughed, get him laid.
Dak glanced at Patrick. Is that what you re
looking for tonight then, a quick fuck?
Maybe. Kate told me you like it there. Is that
where you pick up your tricks when you come
into town? Patrick clipped.
The tension in the air grew thicker.
Dak looked angry.
After a few minutes, Josh said, Let us off here
on Main Street, Dad, I ll call you on your cell from
the bar later. Maybe you can join us for a drink.
Dak pulled over to the curb. I m going to play
cards with some guys from the rodeo. Call me
when you re ready.
119
DJ Manly
Patrick got out, slammed the door. The sky still
looked grey, but it had stopped raining. The
thunder was in the distance, but it was threatening
to roll in.
What about Jump? Josh asked, patting her
goodbye.
She ll stay with me, no worries, Dak told him.
Josh shut the door and Dak roared off, his tires
squealing as he went around the corner. Josh
winced. Ouch. What was that all about in the
car?
What was what all about? Patrick snapped,
looking at him.
What you said, about him picking up tricks
and
Forget it. It just came out, just another thing I ll
have to apologize for later.
He looked really pissed off.
Um, I know. He started to laugh.
What?
I either have to laugh or cry. Let s drop it,
okay. I m starving.
* * * *
They ate chicken and ribs at this really nice place.
Josh paid. It was expensive. The food was good,
but Patrick didn t have much of an appetite. I
didn t know Dak played cards, Patrick
120
Last Call
mentioned as they walked toward the movie
theatre to see what was playing.
Poker mostly, just for fun. They don t play for
much money. He had a Royal Flush once.
A what?
It s the best hand in Poker. It s rare. He won a
thousand dollars. It was during the rodeo last
year. It was all for charity. I ll teach you to play
sometime if you want.
Yeah, might be fun.
Some comedy was playing at the theatre. It was
too early to go to the bar so they went in to see it.
It wasn t very good, corny more than anything.
They ate popcorn and tried to figure out where the
funny parts were.
That sucked, Josh said on the way out. It was
a little after nine.
Oh yeah, it really did. What was with the
monkey?
I have no idea.
They laughed about it all the way down the
street as they walked around trying to find this
infamous bar.
It wasn t very big, but it was quite nice. There
was a gang of cowboys upfront singing heartbreak
songs and a pool table in the back. The place was
pretty crowded. Patrick and Josh walked up to the
bar and ordered beer.
121
DJ Manly
The band s not bad, Josh said, and I don t
really like this stuff.
The lead singer was good and he was singing a
love song, something about a love that would
never end. Patrick closed his eyes. This was the
last thing he needed, sucky love songs sung by a
cowboy.
They found a table and nursed their beers.
Patrick had never felt lonelier in his life. There
were some couples dancing, some were same sex,
and three people playing pool. There was a pinball
machine in the corner.
Want to play? Josh asked, digging in his
pockets for coins.
No, go ahead, he said.
Patrick?
Yah?
I wish I knew how to cheer you up, man.
Maybe some cute guy will ask you to dance.
I m fine. Stop worrying. Go play pinball. I m
enjoying just sitting here, listening to the music. I
don t want to dance.
Okay, be back, Josh said, turning to eye the
waitress in the short skirt as she walked by. It
looked to Patrick like the waitresses were wearing
the tablecloths, with their checked shirts and frilly
skirt bottoms that were in the same gaudy plaid.
So, a deep, male voice said suddenly, what s
going on?
122
Last Call
Patrick looked up, his eyes widening. Dak?
What are you doing here?
He shrugged. Game was boring. I folded and
got out. My mind wasn t on it.
Where s the dog?
I left her with a friend of mine. She s fine. I ll
go back and pick her up before we head home.
Where s Josh? he looked around.
Playing pinball, he said. Goddamn it, if only the
sight of him didn t make me hard. And he was feeling
so happy all of a sudden.
You mind? he indicated the chair.
Go ahead. It s a free country.
He signalled the waitress. Bring me a light
beer.
She nodded, smiled and went off to get it.
I wasn t sure if I should sit or not, he looked
at him. I was in the doghouse there a while back,
no?
No. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]