funny.”
Shane looked away, his jaw working, and then turned his head back. “You haven’t taken off running.”
“I’m feeling pretty comfortable where I am.”
“But she told you—”
“She told me you got banged up some, a while back. I could’ve figured that much out myself.”
Shane traced the scars on his face. “Yeah. They think I’m stupid, Jimmy.”
“No.” Jimmy caught his wrist. “They came really close to losing you and they’re scared it’s going to happen again. It’s like… I knew this man once. A bum like me. But he had a dog. Just a mutt, I guess, but he loved that mutt like anything. She was his whole life. She didn’t have a leash or anything, but she always followed him real close. No matter how hungry he was, he’d always feed his dog first, even if it meant the man went without. He probably hadn’t seen a doctor in years, but if that dog so much as coughed, he’d find a vet clinic and spend his last dime getting her seen to. And then one day he got busted for vagrancy or some shit like that, and when the cops took him in, they just left his dog there. He got out of jail the next day, but she was gone. He was about ready to throw himself in front of a train. He spent days combing the streets for her, asking every person he passed.”
“Did he find her?” Shane asked.
“Yeah, he did. She was in the animal shelter. He had a hard time getting them to release her to him, but I guess they finally saw how desperate he was and they let her go. And the first thing he did was buy a leash, a real strong one. He wrapped the end of the leash around his fist and never let it go, not for one second.”
Shane looked a little bemused. “I’m that dog?”
“When someone comes that close to losing something they love so much, that’s not something they’re going to forget. They’re going to stick close. They’re going to hold it tight.” He held up a clenched fist in demonstration.
Shane took that fist and gently unfolded it to reveal an empty hand. “What do you hold tight to?” he asked.
Jimmy grinned. “Nothing.”
After that Shane refilled Jimmy’s coffee and returned to his bartending duties. He still smiled at the customers, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Jimmy’s stories were the only things that brightened him a bit—tales about a fishing boat in Alaska that nearly capsized, a state fair where Jimmy had sold fried Twinkies, and an old lady in New York who’d banged on a taxi’s hood with her purse when the cab had tried to turn the corner.
But Jimmy hadn’t slept well the night before, and it had been an eventful day. Even the coffee didn’t keep his eyelids from growing heavy. He took some money from his wallet and set it on the counter, then stood. “I’m gonna turn in.”
Shane picked up the bills and stuffed them into Jimmy’s pocket, making Jimmy laugh and squirm. “Nonbooze drinks are on the house,” Shane said. “It’s a perk of the job.”
“Says you or Aunt Belinda?”
The sparkle finally returned to Shane’s eyes. “Says the bartender. Aunt Belinda never needs to know.”
“Your own sister had to pay for her Coke.”
“She’s not an employee.” He leaned in close enough to whisper in Jimmy’s ear. “Are you sure you need to go to sleep now?”
Jimmy’s dick woke up and took notice. “Why? What did you have in mind? More teasing?”
“Maybe just a little. But you didn’t hightail it out of here after Charlie dug her claws into you, and I think your persistence needs rewarding.” His whisper was almost a purr.
“I think… I could stay up for a while. If the reward was right.” Actually, staying up was not a problem. Uncomfortably tight jeans were.
“I don’t close until one, and then it takes me a little while to shut down. I’ll come to your room. I have a master key and I can let myself in. If that’s all right.”
“That’s definitely all right.”
Shane grinned and snuffled at Jimmy’s hair.
Shane looked away, his jaw working, and then turned his head back. “You haven’t taken off running.”
“I’m feeling pretty comfortable where I am.”
“But she told you—”
“She told me you got banged up some, a while back. I could’ve figured that much out myself.”
Shane traced the scars on his face. “Yeah. They think I’m stupid, Jimmy.”
“No.” Jimmy caught his wrist. “They came really close to losing you and they’re scared it’s going to happen again. It’s like… I knew this man once. A bum like me. But he had a dog. Just a mutt, I guess, but he loved that mutt like anything. She was his whole life. She didn’t have a leash or anything, but she always followed him real close. No matter how hungry he was, he’d always feed his dog first, even if it meant the man went without. He probably hadn’t seen a doctor in years, but if that dog so much as coughed, he’d find a vet clinic and spend his last dime getting her seen to. And then one day he got busted for vagrancy or some shit like that, and when the cops took him in, they just left his dog there. He got out of jail the next day, but she was gone. He was about ready to throw himself in front of a train. He spent days combing the streets for her, asking every person he passed.”
“Did he find her?” Shane asked.
“Yeah, he did. She was in the animal shelter. He had a hard time getting them to release her to him, but I guess they finally saw how desperate he was and they let her go. And the first thing he did was buy a leash, a real strong one. He wrapped the end of the leash around his fist and never let it go, not for one second.”
Shane looked a little bemused. “I’m that dog?”
“When someone comes that close to losing something they love so much, that’s not something they’re going to forget. They’re going to stick close. They’re going to hold it tight.” He held up a clenched fist in demonstration.
Shane took that fist and gently unfolded it to reveal an empty hand. “What do you hold tight to?” he asked.
Jimmy grinned. “Nothing.”
After that Shane refilled Jimmy’s coffee and returned to his bartending duties. He still smiled at the customers, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Jimmy’s stories were the only things that brightened him a bit—tales about a fishing boat in Alaska that nearly capsized, a state fair where Jimmy had sold fried Twinkies, and an old lady in New York who’d banged on a taxi’s hood with her purse when the cab had tried to turn the corner.
But Jimmy hadn’t slept well the night before, and it had been an eventful day. Even the coffee didn’t keep his eyelids from growing heavy. He took some money from his wallet and set it on the counter, then stood. “I’m gonna turn in.”
Shane picked up the bills and stuffed them into Jimmy’s pocket, making Jimmy laugh and squirm. “Nonbooze drinks are on the house,” Shane said. “It’s a perk of the job.”
“Says you or Aunt Belinda?”
The sparkle finally returned to Shane’s eyes. “Says the bartender. Aunt Belinda never needs to know.”
“Your own sister had to pay for her Coke.”
“She’s not an employee.” He leaned in close enough to whisper in Jimmy’s ear. “Are you sure you need to go to sleep now?”
Jimmy’s dick woke up and took notice. “Why? What did you have in mind? More teasing?”
“Maybe just a little. But you didn’t hightail it out of here after Charlie dug her claws into you, and I think your persistence needs rewarding.” His whisper was almost a purr.
“I think… I could stay up for a while. If the reward was right.” Actually, staying up was not a problem. Uncomfortably tight jeans were.
“I don’t close until one, and then it takes me a little while to shut down. I’ll come to your room. I have a master key and I can let myself in. If that’s all right.”
“That’s definitely all right.”
Shane grinned and snuffled at Jimmy’s hair.
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