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I’d been laying low, except for Ethan the waiter, the gym check-in girl, and a few others who recognized me during my errands. I didn’t post anything on my social media about being back at home. No one outside of Deacon and my agent were aware I was back in Mass.
“Sure,” I said in an exhausted tone. “Do you… I dunno, want me to check in with you?”
“Text me if you see Jersey again.”
I blew out a raspberry. “Jeez. Yeah. You’re kinda scaring me a bit, Deacon. I have to be honest.”
“It is not my intention. Be mindful of everything, Connor. You are a solid judo instructor. Remember that.” He hung up before I had a chance to respond.
What the actual fuck?A music industry fixer expressing concern for my safety from a couple thousand miles away.
You trust him, right?a voice asked me. I answered immediately in the affirmative. Deacon had never given me reason to suspect he operated against me. Besides, he lived in the music space. I was in film and television. Sure, the two industries crossed paths, but the corporate ladders and shady business dealings were entirely different.
I started the Thunderbird up and rotated the shifter into Drive. I couldn’t think about cloak-and-dagger BS. I had a riverside date with Benny to prep for.
?
Thatnight, the Thunderbird rolled up Bennett’s short driveway and I blasted the horn quickly. Got out, let her stay running. Bennett came around the corner from the front of the house. He wore a black wool knit hat and a puffy blue down jacket. His gloved hands held a woven basket covered with a purple gingham cloth. He stopped dead when his eyes befell the Thunderbird.
“No way. I thought that horn sounded different.”
I gestured to the car. “I’ve been feeling overly nostalgic lately and I thought a drive down memory lane might be fun. Just got her inspected this morning. She’s good for the road, officer.”
Bennett walked the rest of the distance between us and gave me a light peck on the lips before turning his attention to the car. The casual act took me by surprise, as if we had done this many times before. As if we’d do this many times in the future. There’s a strange euphoria in the way new couples begin to emulate the experienced ones.
Bennett walked around to the passenger side and sank into red leather. I climbed in and adjusted the heat by the paddled lever. Jet Age gauges stared back at me from the dashboard as I put her into reverse.
“So. Where we off to?” Bennett asked as I backed out of the driveway.
“You’ll see,” I said through a grin. I adjusted the radio as we hit the road. The thing only picked up AM stations, which had mostly talk radio. I found a station that played oldies out of Quincy, the perfect fit to the vibe of the night and the feel of the car on the road.
I stayed quiet for most of the drive. Bennett, not as naturally chatty as me, seemed to pick up on it. “Everything okay?”
The words “I’m good,” sat on the tip of my tongue. I chewed on sharing a silly concern with him and decided to go for it. “Deacon called me earlier when I was getting the car inspected. He was worried about me.”
“Oh. Well, that’s nice of him.”
“He was worried about mysafety.” I shook my head, adjusted my grip on the wheel. “As if I was in danger. Weird, right?”
Bennett looked over at me. “In danger how?”
“I dunno. He didn’t get specific. It shook me a little.”
Bennett reached over and patted me on the leg. “Officer Dubois is here to protect you, Mr. Clarke. Don’t you worry.”
Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Patsy Cline played the soundtrack to our evening as we rolled down back roads until the tires went from pavement to gravel. Bennett made a chirp of excitement when I made a left onto a familiar fire road that mapped our history.
“You’re kidding,” Bennett said.
“I told you to dress warm, didn’t I?”
“It’s forty-six out. You’re serious?”
I nodded. “As a heart attack.”
I realized then how he might have mistaken my intentions for the evening, given our location. I pulled over after the big oak that split in two, still there and thriving. The pathway down to the water had overgrown, but we could bushwhack. I turned the car off. Killed the lights. Put my full attention on Bennett. “We’re just here to sit on a blanket, share a drink, and reminisce, okay? I’m not here tototallyrecreate that summer. Okay?”
He reached over and grabbed my leg. Not in a patronizing way this time. He squeezed, as if touch alone could communicate for him. “I trust you, Connor. You don’t have to explain.” The conviction in his voice. Did that remove a weight or put more on? I couldn’t tell the difference in the moment.
