by Todd Naevestad (Writer's Choice)
"Would you look at him? It's disgraceful." Malcolm said.
"Right? It's like Billy has no concept of self-control." Bruce agreed.
The two men sat on their bar stools, glowering at the dance floor. Billy, the man of discussion, was out flailing to the music in what only he could describe as dancing. His cowboy boots squeaked on the wooden floor, his faded Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt glowed under the neon lights, and somehow his cowboy hat managed to stay on his head, despite his wild moves. His forth or fifth drink of something cheap slashed and spilled on the floor.
Malcolm sipped at his brandy. "I don't know how he can think this behavior is acceptable. It's bad enough he keeps shouting at the band to play that dopey-ass country song again and again, but he just keeps getting louder and louder as he drinks. Isn't there some law against noise pollution?"
Bruce shrugged. "Maybe, but the owner is a friend of his. I doubt he'd throw Billy out for having 'fun'." He downed the remainder of his Long Island Iced Tea and signaled the bartender for another. "What ever happened to his wife? I haven’t seen her in a while."
"Mary Anne? I couldn't tell you. I haven't seen her either. Maybe Billy cheated on her and she finally dumped his sorry ass. It wouldn't surprise me, to be honest."
"I don't know, you tend to hear about married couples like them breaking things off. Then again, judging by the way he drinks, anything is possible." The bartender came by and dropped off Bruce's second iced tea.
"You know," The bartender said, "Billy didn't always drink like this. It's only been these past couple of months that he's changed." Another customer signaled him and he left the two men.
“Maybe, like, he came into some money or something. Like a rich relative died and now he’s sitting on a fortune. Wasn’t his Uncle an oil man?”
Bruce shook his head. “Nah, you’re thinking of Bill Wheaton, from church. It’s easy to confuse them I guess, though now that Billy hasn’t been coming, it’ll get easier.”
“Would you look at him?” Malcolm pointed, shaking his head. “He just grabbed another girl and tried to dance with her. That’s the third one tonight. And…she slapped him, again, the third one tonight.”
“Maybe he really did leave Mary Anne. Oh no, here he comes.”
Billy stumbled through the crowd, unceremoniously shoving his way past a few couples. He bumbled over to the bar counter with the grace of a crippled bull and threw an arm heavily around Bruce’s shoulders.
“Look who we have here!” Billy exclaimed loudly. “Glad to see you out here Brucey boy.”
Bruce grimaced, but managed to force a smile. “Yes, hello Billy.”
“And Malcolm, what up brotha?” He threw up his hand for a high-five.
Malcolm didn’t move. “Yes, yes, we know I’m black. Though I do not speak like that,” Malcolm said, trying to give off a good humored tone, and very nearly succeeding.
Billy didn’t even notice and draped his arm around Bruce again. “What brings you boys out tonight? Spying some of the fine ladies hanging out here?”
Bruce coughed politely. “You do remember that I’m married, right Billy? Natalie?”
Billy smacked his forehead, knocking his hat to the floor. “That’s right, Natalie! Damn fine girl. How could I forget?”
“And I have my lovely Georgia,” Malcolm stated.
“Course you do, what was I thinking?” Billy laughed uproariously. The other two chuckled half-heartedly, both hoping he would go away soon. Billy snapped his fingers. “Oh, Bruce, I just remembered an idea I had. You and I go into a business together!”
Bruce looked up in stunned disbelief.
“Yeah, we’d open a bed and breakfast.” Billy continued. “We’d call it B and B’s B and B!”
“Clever,” Malcolm snickered.
“Right!” Billy was beaming. “We would make a killing with the tourists, I’m sure of it.”
“I-uh…I would-that is…” Bruce trailed off, not really knowing how to politely tell Billy that it was the stupidest idea he had ever heard.
“He would have to think about it,” Malcolm cut in gracefully. “I’m sorry Billy, it’s been nice chatting with you, but we need to be…somewhere.” The two quickly got up and moved toward the end of the bar.
“No harm buds,” Billy called after them. “Give me a holler if you make up your mind Bruce. Bartender!”
“A bed and breakfast? Really?” Bruce tried to keep himself from bursting out laughing.
“That boy is losing it.” Malcolm said.
-X-
The taxi pulled into the gravel driveway. The dark house looked lonely to the driver as he put his car in park. Billy somehow managed to untangle himself from the seatbelt and get out of the car without falling flat on his face. He tossed the driver whatever money was in his pocket, not even waiting for the change, and staggered to the front door.
The taxi pulled away as Billy fumbled for his keys. After a few minutes he managed to find the right key and even get it into the lock. He lurched into his living room and collapsed on the couch. He lay in the dark for a while, hoping the room wouldn’t be spinning when he got back up. With a bit of effort and some feral sounding groans, Billy heaved himself into a sitting position.
The blinking light on his answering machine finally caught his eye. He had missed three messages. His stomach twisted in dread, but he hit the play button anyway.
*BEEP*
“Hello Billy. This is Hank Parker, your boss. I wanted to tell you this in person, but I couldn’t get a hold of you. So here it is, don’t come into work on Monday. Your performance has seriously declined in the past few months and it just doesn’t pay to keep you on. We’ll mail you your final paycheck. Good luck in your future endeavors.”
*BEEP*
Hello Mr. Hawthorne, this is Sheryl with City Bank. I need to let you know that your card and account have been put on hold. Our records show that you have missed three credit card payments. We will reactivate your card once we receive these payments. Please sort this out soon, and have a nice day.
*BEEP*
Hey Billy, it’s Mary Anne. I know it’s a surprise to hear from me, but I just wanted you to know how Esther is doing. She starts kindergarten soon, and she’s really excited; can’t stop talking about all the friends she’s going to make. I know you’ve always wanted her to get a good education, and out here in Main seems like a good place for her. These past three months have been hard on us, but we’re doing well. My parents have helped us find a nice apartment and I’ve started work at a school as the nurse. Esther really likes the trees and mountains out here. She says it’s so different from Missouri. I just wanted to let you know that she’s okay. I hope you’re taking care of yourself, and I wish you the best.
*BEEP*
Billy stared, glassy-eyed, at the wall. On it hung their picture from last Christmas. They looked so happy, like nothing would ever go wrong. A sob broke out from his throat. Billy buried his face in his hands and let the tears soak his palms, for the countless time.
"Would you look at him? It's disgraceful." Malcolm said.
"Right? It's like Billy has no concept of self-control." Bruce agreed.
The two men sat on their bar stools, glowering at the dance floor. Billy, the man of discussion, was out flailing to the music in what only he could describe as dancing. His cowboy boots squeaked on the wooden floor, his faded Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt glowed under the neon lights, and somehow his cowboy hat managed to stay on his head, despite his wild moves. His forth or fifth drink of something cheap slashed and spilled on the floor.
Malcolm sipped at his brandy. "I don't know how he can think this behavior is acceptable. It's bad enough he keeps shouting at the band to play that dopey-ass country song again and again, but he just keeps getting louder and louder as he drinks. Isn't there some law against noise pollution?"
Bruce shrugged. "Maybe, but the owner is a friend of his. I doubt he'd throw Billy out for having 'fun'." He downed the remainder of his Long Island Iced Tea and signaled the bartender for another. "What ever happened to his wife? I haven’t seen her in a while."
"Mary Anne? I couldn't tell you. I haven't seen her either. Maybe Billy cheated on her and she finally dumped his sorry ass. It wouldn't surprise me, to be honest."
"I don't know, you tend to hear about married couples like them breaking things off. Then again, judging by the way he drinks, anything is possible." The bartender came by and dropped off Bruce's second iced tea.
"You know," The bartender said, "Billy didn't always drink like this. It's only been these past couple of months that he's changed." Another customer signaled him and he left the two men.
“Maybe, like, he came into some money or something. Like a rich relative died and now he’s sitting on a fortune. Wasn’t his Uncle an oil man?”
Bruce shook his head. “Nah, you’re thinking of Bill Wheaton, from church. It’s easy to confuse them I guess, though now that Billy hasn’t been coming, it’ll get easier.”
“Would you look at him?” Malcolm pointed, shaking his head. “He just grabbed another girl and tried to dance with her. That’s the third one tonight. And…she slapped him, again, the third one tonight.”
“Maybe he really did leave Mary Anne. Oh no, here he comes.”
Billy stumbled through the crowd, unceremoniously shoving his way past a few couples. He bumbled over to the bar counter with the grace of a crippled bull and threw an arm heavily around Bruce’s shoulders.
“Look who we have here!” Billy exclaimed loudly. “Glad to see you out here Brucey boy.”
Bruce grimaced, but managed to force a smile. “Yes, hello Billy.”
“And Malcolm, what up brotha?” He threw up his hand for a high-five.
Malcolm didn’t move. “Yes, yes, we know I’m black. Though I do not speak like that,” Malcolm said, trying to give off a good humored tone, and very nearly succeeding.
Billy didn’t even notice and draped his arm around Bruce again. “What brings you boys out tonight? Spying some of the fine ladies hanging out here?”
Bruce coughed politely. “You do remember that I’m married, right Billy? Natalie?”
Billy smacked his forehead, knocking his hat to the floor. “That’s right, Natalie! Damn fine girl. How could I forget?”
“And I have my lovely Georgia,” Malcolm stated.
“Course you do, what was I thinking?” Billy laughed uproariously. The other two chuckled half-heartedly, both hoping he would go away soon. Billy snapped his fingers. “Oh, Bruce, I just remembered an idea I had. You and I go into a business together!”
Bruce looked up in stunned disbelief.
“Yeah, we’d open a bed and breakfast.” Billy continued. “We’d call it B and B’s B and B!”
“Clever,” Malcolm snickered.
“Right!” Billy was beaming. “We would make a killing with the tourists, I’m sure of it.”
“I-uh…I would-that is…” Bruce trailed off, not really knowing how to politely tell Billy that it was the stupidest idea he had ever heard.
“He would have to think about it,” Malcolm cut in gracefully. “I’m sorry Billy, it’s been nice chatting with you, but we need to be…somewhere.” The two quickly got up and moved toward the end of the bar.
“No harm buds,” Billy called after them. “Give me a holler if you make up your mind Bruce. Bartender!”
“A bed and breakfast? Really?” Bruce tried to keep himself from bursting out laughing.
“That boy is losing it.” Malcolm said.
-X-
The taxi pulled into the gravel driveway. The dark house looked lonely to the driver as he put his car in park. Billy somehow managed to untangle himself from the seatbelt and get out of the car without falling flat on his face. He tossed the driver whatever money was in his pocket, not even waiting for the change, and staggered to the front door.
The taxi pulled away as Billy fumbled for his keys. After a few minutes he managed to find the right key and even get it into the lock. He lurched into his living room and collapsed on the couch. He lay in the dark for a while, hoping the room wouldn’t be spinning when he got back up. With a bit of effort and some feral sounding groans, Billy heaved himself into a sitting position.
The blinking light on his answering machine finally caught his eye. He had missed three messages. His stomach twisted in dread, but he hit the play button anyway.
*BEEP*
“Hello Billy. This is Hank Parker, your boss. I wanted to tell you this in person, but I couldn’t get a hold of you. So here it is, don’t come into work on Monday. Your performance has seriously declined in the past few months and it just doesn’t pay to keep you on. We’ll mail you your final paycheck. Good luck in your future endeavors.”
*BEEP*
Hello Mr. Hawthorne, this is Sheryl with City Bank. I need to let you know that your card and account have been put on hold. Our records show that you have missed three credit card payments. We will reactivate your card once we receive these payments. Please sort this out soon, and have a nice day.
*BEEP*
Hey Billy, it’s Mary Anne. I know it’s a surprise to hear from me, but I just wanted you to know how Esther is doing. She starts kindergarten soon, and she’s really excited; can’t stop talking about all the friends she’s going to make. I know you’ve always wanted her to get a good education, and out here in Main seems like a good place for her. These past three months have been hard on us, but we’re doing well. My parents have helped us find a nice apartment and I’ve started work at a school as the nurse. Esther really likes the trees and mountains out here. She says it’s so different from Missouri. I just wanted to let you know that she’s okay. I hope you’re taking care of yourself, and I wish you the best.
*BEEP*
Billy stared, glassy-eyed, at the wall. On it hung their picture from last Christmas. They looked so happy, like nothing would ever go wrong. A sob broke out from his throat. Billy buried his face in his hands and let the tears soak his palms, for the countless time.