I don’t care if Leonard stops coming to me for massage sessions. I just want the guy to be okay. Because when he first came to me, he was very much not okay. He’s feeling better lately, I don’t want to see him backslide. If you can get him to see this therapist, I think it’ll be good for him.”
Angelo went very still. He looked confused. “You actually care about Uncle Len.”
“Um, of course. What exactly did you think was going on?”
Angelo shook his head, clasping his hands around his beer glass. “Tommy said something about...brainwashing.”
Corey’s head fell back as he laughed. “Brainwashing?”
“Yes.” Angelo shrugged. “He said Len thinks you’ve got some power or something. That you can pull the anxiety out of his body. I realize now how that sounds. I shouldn’t have believed him.”
“Oh no, that part is true,” Corey said.
Angelo leaned forward. “What do you mean?”
“The power thing. Not the brainwashing.”
Chuckling, Angelo said, “I...don’t understand.”
“My dialog is with Leonard’s body. I can feel where he’s holding his pain and anxiety, and yes, I try to remove it with massage techniques. But I don’t tell him what to do, Angelo. Leonard talks, the way you might gossip with your barber when you go for a haircut. He vents. I just listen. If he asks me what I think about something, I offer my opinion. What he does with it is up to him.”
Angelo went quiet for a long moment. “You... feel where he’s holding his pain.”
“Yes, Angelo, I feel it. Save the jokes, I’ve heard them all.”
“No, I just...I’ve heard of that before.” Angelo looked troubled by this, chewing his bottom lip. “I heard of someone who claimed something similar, I don’t think it’s a joke.”
“Well good, then why do we still have a problem?”
“You’re not a professional psychiatrist,” Angelo said. “You shouldn’t be chiming in on Uncle Len’s problems.”
“I know I’m not a psychiatrist, and so does your Uncle Leonard. The guy’s stressed out and going through huge life changes, but he’s not a baby, and he’s not stupid.” Corey found himself getting angry now, and he took a breath. “That Leonard’s kids treat his newfound sexuality as an emotionally crippling disease isn’t helping him. But I deal with the same anxiety and depression symptoms with all manner of clients who have all manner of problems. This is not , as your cousin clearly believes, some gay brainwashing agenda on my part. Leonard was already broken when he found me. I’ve just been doing what I can to help fix him.”
Angelo stared back at Corey, silent. Finally he sighed and leaned back. “Okay. I understand. And again, I apologize.”
Corey nodded. “So do I have anything to worry about with your cousin? Because if he ever shows up at my home, if he ever pulls that shit again, I’m not going to be so magnanimous.”
Angelo smiled. “Magnanimous. Good word.”
“Glad you like it.”
“I do.”
“Am I making myself clear?”
“I’ll handle Tommy,” Angelo said. “If you um...want to give me your number, I can let you know how things play out when I talk to Uncle Len. I mean, if you want.”
“I assume you looked me up before coming to my house. The number’s on my website. And yes, I’d like to hear the follow up on Leonard. As for your cousin? I don’t care what he does, as long as he stays away from me .”
Angelo nodded. “All right. So this is...settled then?”
Corey took a sip of his beer. “It appears so.”
Angelo’s brow smoothed out as his shoulders relaxed. “I’m glad. Look at that. We worked things out like grownups.”
“And you didn’t even need to pull your switchblade,” Corey said.
Chuckling, Angelo looked down into his beer, his demeanor almost shy suddenly.
“Okay.” Corey checked his watch. “I should get going.”
Angelo looked up. “Don’t you want to stay and finish your beer?”
“Nah, I’ve got to go see my
Angelo went very still. He looked confused. “You actually care about Uncle Len.”
“Um, of course. What exactly did you think was going on?”
Angelo shook his head, clasping his hands around his beer glass. “Tommy said something about...brainwashing.”
Corey’s head fell back as he laughed. “Brainwashing?”
“Yes.” Angelo shrugged. “He said Len thinks you’ve got some power or something. That you can pull the anxiety out of his body. I realize now how that sounds. I shouldn’t have believed him.”
“Oh no, that part is true,” Corey said.
Angelo leaned forward. “What do you mean?”
“The power thing. Not the brainwashing.”
Chuckling, Angelo said, “I...don’t understand.”
“My dialog is with Leonard’s body. I can feel where he’s holding his pain and anxiety, and yes, I try to remove it with massage techniques. But I don’t tell him what to do, Angelo. Leonard talks, the way you might gossip with your barber when you go for a haircut. He vents. I just listen. If he asks me what I think about something, I offer my opinion. What he does with it is up to him.”
Angelo went quiet for a long moment. “You... feel where he’s holding his pain.”
“Yes, Angelo, I feel it. Save the jokes, I’ve heard them all.”
“No, I just...I’ve heard of that before.” Angelo looked troubled by this, chewing his bottom lip. “I heard of someone who claimed something similar, I don’t think it’s a joke.”
“Well good, then why do we still have a problem?”
“You’re not a professional psychiatrist,” Angelo said. “You shouldn’t be chiming in on Uncle Len’s problems.”
“I know I’m not a psychiatrist, and so does your Uncle Leonard. The guy’s stressed out and going through huge life changes, but he’s not a baby, and he’s not stupid.” Corey found himself getting angry now, and he took a breath. “That Leonard’s kids treat his newfound sexuality as an emotionally crippling disease isn’t helping him. But I deal with the same anxiety and depression symptoms with all manner of clients who have all manner of problems. This is not , as your cousin clearly believes, some gay brainwashing agenda on my part. Leonard was already broken when he found me. I’ve just been doing what I can to help fix him.”
Angelo stared back at Corey, silent. Finally he sighed and leaned back. “Okay. I understand. And again, I apologize.”
Corey nodded. “So do I have anything to worry about with your cousin? Because if he ever shows up at my home, if he ever pulls that shit again, I’m not going to be so magnanimous.”
Angelo smiled. “Magnanimous. Good word.”
“Glad you like it.”
“I do.”
“Am I making myself clear?”
“I’ll handle Tommy,” Angelo said. “If you um...want to give me your number, I can let you know how things play out when I talk to Uncle Len. I mean, if you want.”
“I assume you looked me up before coming to my house. The number’s on my website. And yes, I’d like to hear the follow up on Leonard. As for your cousin? I don’t care what he does, as long as he stays away from me .”
Angelo nodded. “All right. So this is...settled then?”
Corey took a sip of his beer. “It appears so.”
Angelo’s brow smoothed out as his shoulders relaxed. “I’m glad. Look at that. We worked things out like grownups.”
“And you didn’t even need to pull your switchblade,” Corey said.
Chuckling, Angelo looked down into his beer, his demeanor almost shy suddenly.
“Okay.” Corey checked his watch. “I should get going.”
Angelo looked up. “Don’t you want to stay and finish your beer?”
“Nah, I’ve got to go see my
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