Page 67 of The Bartender Special

“While slowly sweating to death,” Benny repeated. “Then Ms. Peggy sent us to Roger, who kind of begged us to paint his nursery, but he didn't have everything we needed, so I thought I'd save everyone a little money by raiding your old paint supply stash. Since I know there’s no way you’re painting anything after the last time we tried painting the living room.”

Callum would have defended the disaster the two of them had found themselves in right before Benny had moved to Nashville—Cal might have been a sensible, calming kind of guy, but give him the job of applying painter’s tape to a baseboard and it was like summoning an old-timey sailor with a vocabulary stuck on swearing—but Jack interjected once more.

This time there was a notable amount of politeness to it.

“That's when the spider incident happened. Benny threw his shirt, himself, and a very loud scream out before we ran in here.” Jack added in his trademark smirk and relaxed further against the kitchen island. Unlike his time at Ms. Peggy’s and Roger’s, here he looked at ease.

Was it because he wasn't being asked to do a chore, or was it because he liked Callum?

“Well, I'm glad there was actually a spider and that wasn't some sex code for something.” Callum shook his shoulders out a little. “I feel like that would have been something to do with the legs? And maybe something I couldn’t unknow.”

Benny avoided Jack’s gaze like it was a runaway train coming right for him.

“What is it with you and Ethan and codes?” he pivoted. “You two act like I’m constantly trying to be the James Bond of the sex world. When have you ever heard me use a code for anything?”

Callum leveled a look at him.

“Well, since last week I’ve been learning a lot about you. Forgive me for questioning what I thought I already knew.” He said it as a joke, humor outward facing and loud, but Benny knew how to see past a wall of Callum humor.

He was hurt about being left in the dark.

Part of Benny wished he'd stayed in his room. The other wished he'd stayed in Nashville.

The guilt came back for Benny in one swift movement. It nearly carried him to the truth.

Jack slid between the urge and the action with a small rock forward on his heels. He wasn’t smirking anymore, but he wasn’t outright annoyed either.

“Well, spiders and codes aside, I think we better get a move on if we want that boat.” He reached his hand out to Callum. “Thanks again for letting us take the supplies. I can pay you back for whatever we end up using.”

Callum accepted the shake, smile still there and still polite.

It didn’t reach his eyes.

“Don't worry about it,” he said. “If it helps Roger unclench a bit, then it's a worthy cause.”

Jack went into the garage to get the box.

The silence that followed burned through to Benny’s core.

He couldn't take it.

“Why are you home, by the way?” he asked. “Is everything okay at the bank?” Callum worked as the manager at Willington Trust off Main Street. He rarely left before five on weekdays, a man who truly loved the structure of an eight to five.

“The bank’s fine but Melanie called and asked if I could pick up Justus from school. There’s a lot going on at work and school for her right now so I had to force her to let me help out.”

His smile now reached his eyes.

Melanie Teller had been Callum’s friend since they’d met through her young son, Justus, as part of Cal’s volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club. That had been years ago and, although he no longer volunteered, his free time was still split between their home and his. Cal and Benny had also been somewhat absorbed into the Teller family fold during the last few holidays. In fact, there was a Christmas present with Justus’s name written on it hidden in Benny’s closet back in Nashville.

Melanie had been single for their entire friendship.

So had Cal—a coincidence according to him—but everyone in Arbor Bay knew the truth.

And, for once, they had collectively decided to not push the man towards it.

Even Carol, to Benny’s continued surprise.

One day, he’d figure it out himself.