Hollywood Ending by Kathy Charles Page B

you’re not the only do-gooder who pays him a visit,’ he said, looking around at the spotless apartment. ‘Jealous?’
    â€˜That he’s got a cleaning lady? Yeah Benji, I’m heartbroken. I thought you were going to behave yourself today?’
    â€˜I am, Hilda,’ he said, a serious look on his face. I just want to know what time we give him the sponge bath. Or should I leave for that? Give you both some privacy?’
    Benji put his boots on the coffee table. Hank brought the tea over on a tray and stopped suddenly.
    â€˜Hey!’ he yelled with such force that I jumped.
    Benji turned around. ‘Are you talking to me?’
    â€˜Yeah, I’m talking to you. Get your feet off my table.’
    â€˜Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought it was a footrest. My mistake.’
    If there was any doubt in my mind that it had been a bad idea to bring Benji it had now been confirmed. He seemed intent on behaving badly. I stared at him, implored him with my eyes to be civilised, but he was already helping himself to tea, filling his cup with a ridiculous amount of sugar. As Hank stared at him, incredulous, Benji put in four lumps, then five, then six. He stirred the tea and took a mouthful, closing his eyes as if it were the most glorious thing he had ever tasted.
    â€˜Mmmmm,’ he moaned. ‘Now that is a perfect cup of tea. Where do you get your tea, Hank?’
    â€˜Supermarket.’
    â€˜I mean, who gets it for you? Have you got someone who comes here and cleans up, runs errands?’
    Hank fixed himself a cup and leaned back. ‘Somethin’ like that, yeah. I got someone who helps out.’
    I sat between them, like the meat in a macho sandwich. I could practically feel them peeing in their seats, marking their territory.
    â€˜Look at all this great stuff I got.’ I leant forward and rifled through my bag from Blockbuster. ‘I thought you could do with a few more tapes. And I found this.’
    I handed him a copy of The Girl Can’t Help It starring Jayne Mansfield. On the cover she was wearing a tight red dress, her enormous bosoms busting to get out.
    â€˜She was a nice lady,’ he said, ‘but she weren’t no great actress. I prefer Janet Leigh.’ He picked up the copy of Psycho and read the back cover.
    â€˜Hilda tells me you knew Jayne Mansfield,’ Benji said. ‘That you worked on her pool.’
    â€˜That’s right. I did.’
    â€˜I get it. You were the sexy pool man, giving her what her husband never could?’
    â€˜Benji!’
    â€˜It’s cool, Hilda. It’s just guy talk. Hank knows what goes on with the hired help. Am I right, my man?’
    Hank grinned, saying nothing.
    â€˜Yeah, he knows,’ Benji said, pleased with himself.
    â€˜We were thinking maybe you’d like to go out,’ I offered. ‘Benji has a car—we could take you someplace if you wanted.’
    â€˜Why would I want to do that?’
    â€˜To get some fresh air.’
    â€˜Plenty of air in here.’
    â€˜Come on Hank,’ Benji said. ‘Let’s go cruising.’
    â€˜Ain’t nothin’ I can see out there that I can’t see in here,’ he said, motioning to the television set and the tapes.
    â€˜You don’t wanna drive on down to Pink’s, get some hot dogs?’
    Hank sank into his seat, muttered an almost inaudible ‘no’. This was not the Hank I was familiar with. It was as if Benji had him cornered. All his bluster and bravado were gone, and in their place sat a frail old man, interrogated in his own home and scared to go outside. For a moment I forgot Benji was there, leaned forward and put my hand gently on Hank’s arm.
    â€˜Are you nervous to go outside?’ I asked softly, and Benji leapt forward in his seat and pointed at Hank’s arm.
    â€˜Hey man, what’s that?’
    Hank placed his fingers over the blurry ink blob. ‘What?’ he