Second Chances

by David Horne

  I sigh. “Look, Jim, I’m not mad at you or anything. I just want to go home. I had a late night, and we’ve worked so hard the past couple days to get the house caught up, and I’m just exhausted. I just want to relax, okay?”

  “Why were you up so late last night?” Jim’s voice is accusatory, and I don’t like the way he’s looking at me like he knows exactly what I was doing late last night.

  “Just couldn’t sleep,” I say.

  He narrows his eyes and I know he doesn’t believe me. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with that new contractor you hired, would it?”

  Now I’m the one getting angry. “No, it wouldn’t, and even if it did, what I do with my time is none of your business, so you can lose that glare you’re aiming my direction.”

  “You know what, I do think you need to leave now,” Jim grumbled.

  Without saying another word, I turned around and walked out. I didn’t mean for this trip to turn into an argument, but he just kept pressing all my buttons.

  I drive straight home and text Caleb after I get in the house.

  A - I should have listened and brought you with me.

  His response is almost immediate.

  C - He cry that much, huh?

  A - He didn’t cry, well, almost one time, but he cocked an attitude twice.

  C - He’s pissed cause he broke into your house? Makes sense. WTH

  A - He thought I was gonna bitch about the work crap again when I got there. Then, he got pissed when I said I had a late night and didn’t want to hang out.

  C - Did I tire you out that much?

  A - LOL. Don’t flatter yourself.

  What I was going to type next was interrupted by my phone ringing and Caleb’s number flashing on the screen. “Hey,” I answer.

  “Don’t flatter myself, huh? Maybe I need to remind you just how tiresome I can be.”

  “Trust me, I haven’t forgot.” As much as I enjoyed the banter with Caleb, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jim’s reaction to me saying I was up late.

  “What’s wrong?” Caleb interrupted my rambling thoughts. “You went silent on me.”

  “Uh, sorry. Just thinking about Jim’s behavior. He’s acting really weird lately, and his reaction today was over the top.”

  “He was that pissed about the key?”

  “Actually, he seemed more sad than pissed off when I asked for the key back. I swear he was damn near crying when he gave it back to me. I expected him to be pissed about that, but it was actually you that pissed him off.”

  “Me? How the hell’d I piss him off without even being there? I knew I should have gone with you. If he’s going to talk smack about me when I’m not there then I should at least get the chance to be there and defend myself, or at least have the pleasure of antagonizing him a little.”

  “When I said I was tired because I’d been up late, he automatically accused me of being with you, and I could see the anger on his face when he said it. When I told him it was none of his goddamn business and didn’t deny it he told me I should leave.”

  “Man, he really hates me that much.”

  “No, I mean, yeah, he doesn’t like you, but it was more than that. I tried to tell myself all the way home that he’s just upset because Ben was his brother and he doesn’t think I should move on, but I really don’t believe that’s what it was.”

  “So, what do you think his problem is?”

  I take a deep breath and blow it out. “I swear he was acting like a jealous boyfriend. First, he was hurt that I didn’t want him to have a key to my place, and that I didn’t want to hang out with him and watch a movie, then he flips his switch to pissed the second he suspects I’m ditching him for another man.”

  “Yeah, sounds like the green-eyed monster to me. How’d he know we were together last night anyway? Did he know we all went out for drinks after work?”

  I pause because I had not even thought about that. Caleb was right. There was no reason that Jim should have jumped to that conclusion.

  “Aaron? Did I lose you?”

  “He couldn’t have known you were here,” I finally say. “I didn’t tell him we were going out, hell, I hadn’t even spoken to him since yesterday morning. And it’s not like he could have driven by and spotted your vehicle since we drove mine home.”

  “Yeah, it doesn’t make sense. Maybe someone saw us all at the bar and told him.”

  “No, he doesn’t hang out with anyone who goes there other than me. He’s kind of a snob.”

  “True,” Caleb agrees, and I can hear him smirking, but I’m too busy thinking about how Jim knew to deal with his snarky humor right now.

  I thought about last night. The door being unlocked when we get home, but nothing being touched. The fact the Jim clearly knew Caleb had been here and was so angry. How hurt he was that I took the key away from him. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

  “Holy smokes, Aaron. You damn near busted my eardrum. What happened?”

  “He was here.”

  “What?”

  “That’s why the door was still unlocked when we got here. He hadn’t forgot to lock it back when he left. It wasn’t locked because he was still in the house.”

  “But we checked all the rooms, Aaron. Nobody was in there.”

  “No. We checked to make sure no one had broken in and stolen anything or messed anything up. He knows this house as well as I do. He could have easily hidden out until we were too distracted to notice him when he snuck out.”

  “I know that I don’t know him well, but he wouldn’t really do that would he?”

  “Caleb, you didn’t see his face when he accused me of being with you last night. He wasn’t fishing for information, he knew and he was livid.”

  “I know he’s your friend and your brother in law, but that’s seriously messed up if it really happened like that.”

  “I’m going to go back over there and get to the bottom of this.”

  “No, Aaron, I don’t think that’s the best idea.”

  “He can’t break in here and spy on me, Caleb!”

  “I agree, but if he did what you think then his behavior is bordering on crazy. Like, insane stalker crazy.”

  “So? Doesn’t that mean it’s more important for me to put a stop to it?”

  “If he has gone so far as to break into your house and spy on you then he’s probably not in the right mindset to listen to reason.”

  “No, I mean, what he did was seriously messed up, but he’s not stalking me. I’m sure this has to do with the anniversary of Ben’s death coming up so soon. It’s been playing with my head, and I think it’s messing with him too, just in a more crazy sort of way than making him break down in tears every time he feels something for another man.”

  “So, are you saying you feel something for me?”

  I laugh. “Is that all you took away from that?”

  “It was the most important part, but no, I hope you’re wrong, but I still don’t think you should go over there alone and accuse him of spying on you.”

  “If you’re trying to go with me, I definitely don’t think that will help the situation.”

  “No, I don’t either. Maybe you should just let it be for a few days. You got your key back, so just take some time, so you can both calm down before you go at him. You know I think he’s a douche, but you told me that you guys have been friends for nearly all your life. That’s not something you want to throw away on a hunch.”

  “You’re right. I’ll give him a few days to calm down.”

  When I hang up the phone I pour myself a drink, then I go around the house and make sure the front and back doors are locked before I plant my ass on the couch. I really hope that Jim’s just going through hard times because he’s missing Ben like crazy with his death anniversary coming up, and I hope that Caleb is right too. I hope that all of this spying is just in my head. Maybe Jim just made a guess and my defensive response confirmed what he said. I really hope that I’m wrong, but deep down I re
ally don’t believe that I am.

  Chapter Ten

  Caleb

  “Ouch! What the hell, Jessica?”

  I rub at the spot on my side where Jessica just jammed her elbow into me, but I don’t look at her. I’m watching Aaron out in the front lawn cutting plywood for the built-in bookshelves we are going to install in the living room. He is shirtless and sweat is rolling down his abs like he’s being hosed down. Smoking hot!

  “You might want to wipe the drool off your chin before someone thinks you’ve gone soft in the head,” Jessica says.

  “What?”

  She sighs loudly, and I can practically hear her eyes rolling even before I pull my eyes off of Aaron to finally look at her.

  “Don’t you ‘what’ me, Caleb! You’ve been basically salivating over Aaron since he pulled his shirt off out there.”

  I shrug my shoulders and look back outside catching Aaron looking in my direction. He smirks when our eyes meet and I know I’m caught. “Your point?” I say to Jessica.

  “Ugh! My point is he’s our boss. We just got this gig, and you better not screw it up by messing around with the boss, Caleb. I know how you are with guys.”

  I turn back toward her and glare. “You don’t know anything.”

  “I know you’ve never been in a real relationship. You’re in for a few rounds in the sack, but the minute they start to show any signs of having feelings deeper than a need for your dick buried inside of them, you drop them like a hot potato.”

  I take a deep breath and look away from her, then I look back to where Aaron is and shake my head slowly. “Not this time, Jess. This time is different.”

  “Yeah, right. Just how’s this time any different other than the fact that he’s our boss and if you drop him, he will probably fire all of us?”

  Turning back to her I meet her eyes. “Because this time I’m the one with the feelings, so if somebody’s gonna run it’ll be him.”

  Jessica opened her mouth and closed it, repeating that move a couple times before just shutting her mouth and looking outside at Aaron. I just nod my head and look back outside. After we both stand there for another minute just staring at Aaron, Pete comes up behind us and smacks me on the shoulder. “You two gonna work today, or is it stare at the boss man day or something like that?”

  Instead of saying anything, Jessica and I grab the drywall we need to put up in the hall and get back to work.

  ***

  “Hey Aaron,” I say. When he looks over at me, I nod my head toward the car pulling into the driveway. “Looks like you’ve got a visitor.”

  Aaron lets his head fall back and takes a deep breath. “I really am not in the mood for anything today,” he said.

  I gave him a big smile. “I can take this one. I’ll tell him you’re not here.”

  Aaron pursed his lips at me. “Yeah, I bet that’ll go over really well. Especially since he parked right next to my truck.”

  “I can tell him you let me drive it when I left your house this morning, but you stayed home to recoup.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him and he laughed.

  He looked back out in the direction of Jim’s car. “The way he’s shooting daggers at you with his eyes, I don’t think that’ll be the best strategy. Maybe he’s here for work.”

  Aaron put the planks of wood down that he had just carried into the house and moved to go outside, but he stopped right before he walked out and turned to look at me. “You stay in here. I just want to find out what he needs and let him be on his way.”

  “Fine, but you’re sucking away all my fun.”

  Before Aaron could go out, Jim walked in and as soon as he saw me standing there smiling his face turned into a long scowl before he looked back at Aaron, and pasted a fake-ass smile on his face. He ran his hand down Aaron’s arm and squeezed his hand. Aaron glanced back at me with wide eyes, and I fought the urge to yank Jim’s hand away from him.

  “I thought we could grab lunch together today,” Jim said. “Maybe talk and clear the air. I hate it when we’re fighting.”

  He sounded like a guilty boyfriend, wanting to kiss and make up after blowing up over something stupid. I ground my teeth together to keep from telling him to fuck off, that Aaron was not his. I guess he’s not really mine either, not yet, but I still didn’t like the possessive way Jim was holding his hand and looking at him.

  Aaron pulled his hand away from Jim and ran it through his hair. “Today’s really not good, Jim. We’re in the middle of getting these built-ins done here,” he paused and waved his hands down his body indicating his sweat-drenched chest, “and I’m not exactly cleaned up to go out somewhere and eat.”

  “We don’t have to go into a restaurant, Aaron. We can just grab a bite and eat it in my car so we have privacy.” He raked his eyes over Aaron’s bare chest and I took a couple steps toward them, my hand gripping the hammer at my belt. I’d like to shut those eyes of his for him.

  I felt someone grip my arm and turned to see Jessica shaking her head. “Wow, you really have got it bad,” she said quietly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you act like a jealous boyfriend before.”

  “We’re not boyfriends,” I say.

  “Maybe not, but you want to be, and you look like you’re about to take Jim down if he doesn’t stop ogling your man.”

  “Well, I was thinking about giving him a little tap with my hammer.”

  Jessica laughs and I turn my attention back to Jim and Aaron, this time without my hand on my hammer. Jessica was right, I was probably being a little over the top.

  “Jim, I’m busy here. I don’t have time to go out for lunch. We can talk another time. Maybe when I’m not in the middle of work.”

  “How about dinner tonight?” Jim asks. He’s persistent, I’ll give him that. The more he pushes Aaron to go out, the more I see the possibility that Aaron was right about him. He does not seem like someone who likes to take no for an answer, and the way he’s being so pushy with Aaron isn’t normal. Not for someone who is just looking to be a friend.

  Aaron looks like he’s about ready to pull his hair out, and he glances at me and I swear I see him asking for help with his eyes, so I do the only logical thing. I walk over to him where he’s still standing right in front of Jim, and I throw my arm around his shoulders. “He can’t make it to dinner either, Jimmy. He’s already got plans tonight.”

  “My name is Jim.” Oh, he hated me. I could see every terrible thing he was imagining doing to me just behind his eyes. “And this has nothing to do with you.”

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Jimmy, because Aaron’s plans are with me, so if you’re trying to steal him away that makes it very much my business.”

  He turned his glare on Aaron. “Aaron, what the hell’s he talking about?”

  “Caleb’s coming over after work. We’re going to have a beer and order in some Chinese food. Relax after a hard day’s work.”

  Jim steps forward, moving closer to Aaron and I tighten my hold on him to keep from shoving Jim backwards and out of his face. “You don’t have time to talk to me, but you’ve got time to hang out with him.”

  “We already made plans, Jim. I’m not going to cancel plans I’ve made with someone else to go out with you. We can get dinner and talk tomorrow night if you want, but I’m busy today.”

  “I can’t believe you’re choosing this asshole over me.”

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Aaron said.

  “Is he the reason you took away my key? Your new little boyfriend afraid you might prefer spending time with a real man instead of a low-life roughneck like him, huh?”

  In the next minute I’ve moved in front of Aaron, and I’ve got Jim’s shirt gripped in my hand and I’m shoving him up against the wall. “You should watch how you talk to people you dumbass.” I’m practically growling at him.

  Someone grips my shoulder trying to pull me back, and when I see that it’s Aaron I release my hold on Jim’s shirt and move away from him.<
br />
  “Jim, it’s time for you to go. I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk so we can work this out. Now is not the time or the place.”

  Jim’s eyes are wide and his face is red as he looks back and forth between Aaron and me. When he stops on Aaron, he points a finger at me. “You’re just going to stand back and let him get away with coming after me! He should be fired for that!”

  “No,” Aaron shakes his head and points toward the door, “but if you don’t get out of here and calm down then you might find yourself looking for another job. You came here to start something. I don’t know what the hell’s gotten into you lately, but I’m getting really fed up. You need to leave, now.”

  Jim huffed and looked between the two of us again. He wanted to say more, I could see it in the way he kept clenching his jaw to keep quiet. I flexed my fist, ready for him to say one more thing. He’d gone beyond douchebag to straight up asshole, and Aaron was right, he needed to get the hell out of here.

  After a minute or so, Jim seemed to realize he wasn’t going to win anything with Aaron right now and he finally turned around to leave, slamming the door behind him and peeling out of the driveway so fast that he left burn-out marks on the driveway.

  “Asshole,” I said when his car was finally out of view.

  “Yeah, what about you?” Aaron said. He was glaring at me with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, and he was tapping his right foot like he was ready to kick my ass.

  “Me? I was just getting him out of your face. He was crossing a line, and I wasn’t just going to stand there and let him go off on you like that.”

  “I had it under control, then you had to antagonize him by putting your arm around me. Didn’t you think that might be something hard for him to see. I was married to his brother for God’s sake, Caleb. Of course he’s not going to take it well when I start seeing someone else, and you have to rub it in his face. Who’s the douche now?”

  “I didn’t think of that. I just couldn’t stand him talking to you like that.”