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23
NO SECRETS
“I’m starting to feel like this is high school all over again,” Brian said two days later. “It’s like the time Scott Manning had a crush on Melody Richards and couldn’t work up the courage to even text her.”
“He wanted us to be talking about it knowing when Melody could overhear during gym,” Cal said.
“That’s right,” Brian said. “And you were all for doing it.”
“We had to help Scott out,” he said. “Poor bastard got all red in the face when it came to talking to girls. Almost as bad as Troy.”
“Troy was never that bad even though he was quiet. He needed some prodding but always got there.”
“Got your sister,” he said.
“Yes, he did,” Brian said.
“So how is Mia doing?” Cal asked. They were meeting for lunch. He’d asked Brian if he had time this week. He was sure Mia would be livid, but he wanted to make sure she was okay.
“She’s fine,” Brian said. “More worried about you. We know you keep it in.”
“Hardly that,” he said.
“Come on now,” Brian said. “The important things you do.”
“Has she asked about my mother or father?” he asked.
Brian picked up his water and took a sip. “I don’t want to get in the middle of this. You should talk to her about it.”
“Which means she did,” he said.
“Again, not high school.”
“Tell me what you told her,” he coaxed. “She’s your employee, but I’ve known you longer. I know things about you that your wife doesn’t.”
Brian laughed. “Unfortunately true. In summary, she said you don’t show anger and she couldn’t understand. She just wanted to know how you were after your mom died. She’d be so angry at the world.”
“I was,” he said.
“But you didn’t tell anyone,” Brian said. “Those that knew you just understood.”
“Look at what good it did with my father,” he said.
He remembered his father getting drunk many nights. Jack Perkins didn’t want anyone to know, but it was hard to hide it from someone you lived with, even if Cal wasn’t home much.
The empty liquor bottles told the story more times than not.
He should have talked to his father more about it but didn’t know what to say.
Just like now.
For a guy that felt he never shut the hell up, when it mattered his lips were glued tight.
“You’re not your father,” Brian said. “Do you think you will do that?”
“Never,” he said.
“Nothing bad happened with it,” Brian said. “He got a week with pay off and it scared him enough to get his shit together.”
