Greeting Cards

by Tinnean

  Ben grimaced. He really hated being called that.

  “Why do you ask, Kevin?”

  “Well, you’re racing to get out of here.” When this job at Howe suddenly grew from a little maintenance to wiring a whole new section of the administrative offices, the boss had assigned Kevin to help him finish. Not because he didn’t trust Ben to get the job done, but because Kevin was his nephew, and this was his first job out of the office.

  Right now Kevin was tossing his tools carelessly into his toolbox. He’d just gotten out of the apprenticeship program, and you’d think he’d treat his tools better.

  “It’s the weekend. Don’t you have things to do?” Ben was actually going to sit down and write out that card to Rick. He needed to know where they stood.

  “Well, yeah, but since that boyfriend of yours took off, you don’t.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Uh….”

  “What business is it of yours how I spend my weekends?”

  “Uh….” Everyone knew how easygoing Ben was, but Kevin must have realized he’d crossed the line. “I just meant you’re in a rush to get out of here.”

  “It’s been a long week.” Especially since he’d had to keep a sharp eye on every cable Kevin had connected and follow him to make sure he didn’t mess up the color code when he was doing terminations. Ben had just caught it the last time and corrected it. Those terminations would have failed for sure otherwise, and nephew or not, that would have been the last thing the boss wanted.

  “Yeah? Went by pretty fast for me.”

  That was it. If the boss had Kevin working with him again next week, Ben was quitting.

  “Have a good weekend, Kevin.”

  “Uh… yeah. Bye.”

  “COMPUTER lab, Lancaster speaking.”

  “Hi, Fred. It’s—”

  “Ben, my man. What’s up?”

  “You know that address you got for me at the beginning of the year?”

  “Uh… yes?”

  “Can you let me have it again?”

  “Oh, sure.” Fred rattled it off.

  “Wait a minute, wait a minute!” Ben had to scramble to write it down. “This looks familiar.”

  “It does? I mean, sure it does! I gave it to you only a few months ago.”

  “How are you able to remember it?”

  “Computer geeks can do stuff like that.”

  “If you say so.”

  “And I do.”

  “Okay. But you’re sure this is the right address?”

  “Ben, I’m cut to the quick! Of course it is.”

  “And you’re positive?”

  “I am. Am I not the head of this lab?”

  That was right. Fred was a smart man. And he was a good man. He wouldn’t screw with Ben.

  “Look, I’d love to chat, Ben, but I’ve got to get home for dinner.”

  “Okay.” He knew Fred and his wife well enough to know they preferred late dinners, but he couldn’t blame Fred for his little white lie. Not only was his wife cute, but she was a nice person too. “Thank you.”

  “Welcome.”

  Ben grinned and disconnected the call. Fred was probably going home for a little before-dinner delight.

  There was a time when he and Rick…. No, he wasn’t going there now. He’d send this card and see what happened.

  BEN opened a bag of Hershey’s Kisses and peeled the foil from one. Mmm, coconut creme. He’d picked them up the day after Easter, when they’d gone on clearance.

  He sucked the chocolate off his fingers and tried to think what to write.

  Dear Rick,

  Okay, that was a no-brainer. He took another Kiss, unwrapped it, and popped it in his mouth.

  It’s been more than seven months since you left. You said you’d be back, but you haven’t even called. Oh, I’ve moved, but my cell phone number is still the same.

  If you’re busy with your diss, I understand, but it wouldn’t take long to call or text me.

  Anyway, I haven’t dated anyone else, and my hand is starting to cramp up.

  So get off your ass and answer this, because I don’t intend to wait for you for much longer!

  Was that coming on too strong? Ben sighed and reached for the whiteout, then paused. Why should he always have to be the patient one? He picked up his pen and signed the card.

  Always,

  Ben

  He stuck it in the envelope and sealed it before he could change his mind again, and scrawled the address across the front. It sure did look familiar.

  He drove to the post office and mailed it.

  BEN didn’t sleep well that night. In his dreams Rick opened the card and looked at him with sadness in his eyes. “I was coming back! How could you doubt me? I love you!”

  And, “How could you sign ‘Always, Ben’ when you’ve said such hateful, hurtful things?”

  Ben kept tossing and turning. His pillow became all hot and sweaty, and he couldn’t find any peace.

  Finally he flung back the sheet and blanket and sat on the side of his bed, his head in his hands.

  There was only one way to deal with a night like this. He stuffed his feet into his slippers, shuffled into the kitchen, and opened the freezer. Banana chocolate chip ripple, good for whatever ailed you. He took out the container, turned on the under-the-cabinet radio, and sat down at the table in the breakfast nook.

  BEN woke up the next morning with his chin in melted ice cream. Well, it served him right.

  He cleaned up the mess, took a shower, and dressed in the ratty old clothes he wore when he was going to wash and wax his car. Of course he could take Genevieve to the carwash, but that wouldn’t help him work off his frustration.

  Maybe by the time she was spick-and-span, he’d be ready to face what he’d done.

  HE had showered again and was making lunch when he heard the mail slot bang shut.

  The mail today consisted of the electric bill, the newsletter from his union, This Old House, and… a card?

  He really hadn’t expected to hear from Jason any more. Leaving everything else on the floor, he scooped up the card and opened it. A four-by-six photo fell out, and he retrieved it.

  Oh. This guy was…. Ben swallowed. God, he was cute! He had the same dark brown hair and eyes Ben had, but somehow, on this guy, they looked so much more appealing. Dressed in denim cutoffs that showed off hair-dusted muscular thighs and calves—Ben had never been a leg man, but the scenery in this photo could make him rethink his preferences. A pale-blue pocket T-shirt lovingly hugged well-defined pecs and biceps, and Ben found he had to swallow again.

  The card said, “You the man, Ben!” and it was obvious “Ben” had been added. Inside was, “You the old man, but you the man!”

  He bit back a laugh and found his gaze wandering to the photo. Was this Jason? How could it be? Jason was just a kid!

  Ben turned the photo over. “This is me, Ben.” Was Jason able to read his mind? He smiled at the thought. “It was taken this past Fourth of July at the family barbecue.” His smile dimmed. It had been a long time since he’d been to any kind of family occasion, and he really missed it, especially with Rick gone. He put the photo down and read the card.

  Dear Ben,

  First off, if you knew me, you’d know I’d never send anyone hate mail. And that’s only partly because I’m gay too.

  Second off, I apologize for explaining what LOL meant. However, you owe me an apology for even suggesting that I was wearing diapers the first time you went online. I’m including a picture of me to prove it.

  Seriously, Ben, I’m twenty-three. I am sorry I missed your birthday. When in March was it? I’ll put it on my calendar and send you a card next year.

  Your wishes for a Don’t Go to Work Unless It’s Fun Day came a little too late, although it wasn’t exactly in regard to work. I’m a student at Wooster University, working on a master’s degree in Physical Science.

  It stopped there, and Ben turned over the card. There was more writing o
n the back.

  Classes were a bear today, and then I had to do some fancy footwork to get out of having coffee with one of the professors, who’s such a letch. He’s got a TA, and I won’t explain what that is, so don’t jump down my throat! Anyway, this teaching assistant—

  Ben began laughing. Jason had drawn a smiley face with a little halo. The devil!

  —has the hots for Dr. P, and he’s welcome to him!

  Never mind about them. I’ve been dying to ask, and I hope you don’t mind that I do—how did it work out with Rick?

  Best of luck with him.

  Be well, Ben. Oh, and happy Dyngus Day. (I have no idea what this is supposed to be, but it always falls the Monday after Easter. Just so you know.)

  Yours,

  Jason

  PS I hope we can continue to correspond?

  Ben felt so much better after reading the card that he decided to go down to Caravan Point’s restaurant for dinner instead of scrounging something from the fridge.

  Chapter 8

  JASON was excited when the next card came, but his emotions fizzled when he saw the name on the front. “Rick Preston.” Why had Ben sent it to Jason’s address?

  He’d really hoped that Ben would want to keep writing to him.

  Oh well. That’s life, as Frank Sinatra used to sing. Jason would just write “Not at this address” across the front, chalk it up to a learning experience, and head for T.G.I. Friday’s by way of the post office. Wings and a beer sounded good about now.

  “YOU’RE an idiot,” Jason said the next day as he stared at his reflection in the mirror in the men’s room at Wooster U. He’d spent the night waking from one dream after another; the only thing they’d had in common was the fact that he had Ben, who resembled a young Robert Redford, only to lose him to Rick, who was a Paul Newman lookalike.

  “Who’er you calling an idiot?” someone in the stall behind him demanded.

  “Me.”

  “Oh.” The voice sounded more relaxed. “Girl trouble?”

  “No.” He couldn’t even say relationship trouble.

  “Ah, got it.” The guy flushed the john and came out. He stood beside Jason and washed his hands. “I’ve always found it helps to go out and find someone else.”

  “But we weren’t even dating.”

  “Maybe not, but he’s got you crazy enough to talk to yourself. In the men’s room!”

  “This is true.” He needed something to take his mind off Ben. “Maybe I should go for a run.”

  “Have you run before?”

  “Um… no,” Jason admitted sheepishly.

  “I’m heading for T.G.I. Friday’s. Want to join me?”

  “Y’know something? I think I do. Thanks.”

  “No problem, dude. My name is Mike.”

  “I’m Jason.”

  “Jason. We can take my car, or you can follow me.”

  “I’ll follow you. I’ve got a paper I need to finish, so I won’t be able to stay long.”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you there?”

  “Yeah. I’ll see you in about ten.”

  WELL, that was fun.

  Whistling off-key—Jason wasn’t looped; he’d only had a single beer, but as his sister liked to say, he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket—he garaged his car and walked across the lawn to the front steps. Out of habit, he checked the mail.

  He frowned. Why had Ben sent him another card? And it was to him, not that bastard, Rick.

  He let himself into the house, turned on the lamp in the living room, and dropped down heavily into the recliner his mom had insisted he take with him.

  The other mail didn’t matter to him. He left it in his lap and opened the card. It was Garfield dropping a letter in the mailbox and inside it said, “Just to prove I was thinking of you!”

  Dear Jason,

  First off, thank you for the photo.

  He could tell the next sentence had been covered with whiteout and rewritten.

  You looked really nice in those cutoffs and that T-shirt.

  What had Ben written that he didn’t want Jason to see? Carefully he picked at it with his thumbnail. Slowly the words were revealed. Oh. Oh! The sight of you in those cutoffs and that T—dude, it had me drooling!

  He started to unzip his jeans and then realized he still had mail on his lap. He placed it all on a handy end table and reached into his shorts. He hadn’t been this hard in a long time.

  But the dilemma! Should he jerk off, or finish reading Ben’s card?

  Deciding he didn’t want to get come all over everything, he gave his dick a final stroke and took his hand from his pants.

  I’m glad you’re family.

  Jason grinned. So was he.

  Second off, I apologize for teasing you. I can see you’re not a kid at all.

  I don’t know why you’d want to bother with remembering my birthday, but I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours. It’s March 15. Yes, the Ides of March. Rick used to joke with me that I didn’t even know what that meant. See, I’m really not too smart, and I guess you should know that if we keep writing to each other. I only have a general diploma, which is like the least you can get and still be considered a high school graduate, and the closest I’ve come to college is the jobs I do for my company for Howe here in Greenedale.

  Ben worked in Howe? So did Jason’s brother-in-law. Could Ben… no, that was silly. Howe had a pretty large campus, and the odds they’d know each other were slim.

  I work in low voltage. That means I can’t wire a house or building for electricity, but I can wire phone lines and run cable for internet connections.

  He did work with his hands! Jason’s dick twitched. It was more interested in that tidbit than in Mike, the guy from the men’s room. Mike had tried to talk him into staying longer, but Jason really did have that paper to work on.

  But I do know that Julius Caesar was killed by Brutus and a bunch of other guys in togas on the Ides of March.

  Huh? He went back and reread the beginning of the message. Oh, right, Ben’s birthday.

  Third off, I have to tell you how glad I was to receive your card. I finally sent something to Rick, but see, I lost my temper and wrote some things I shouldn’t have, so reading about your shitty professor made me forget what a dope I was. (Although I don’t like that someone put the moves on you, not when you didn’t want him to. If you want, I’ll drive over to Wooster and kick his ass.)

  Anyway, as I said, I mailed Rick’s card last week, but I haven’t heard back from him. He lives in Wooster, the same as you, and I know it usually takes four business days for a card you send me to arrive here. (God knows why, since we’re only about a hundred miles apart, but that’s the post office for you.) I’ve been keeping track of the postmarks.

  Aw, wasn’t that cute? Ben’d drawn a winking smiley. Jason grew serious as he continued reading.

  I don’t think he’ll be happy with what I said, and I don’t know if he’ll even answer. We’ll see.

  The bastard! Jason hadn’t liked him when he’d thought Rick was the woman who had broken Ben’s heart, but hearing how he put Ben down… Jason liked him even less.

  You asked if I’d like to continue writing to you. Jason, I would, if you don’t mind someone who forgets where commas go or gets a mental block over the weirdest things. (Like when I was a kid, I kept confusing “avenue” and “road.”)

  BTW, happy International Moment of Laughter Day. I think we can all use moments of laughter.

  Always,

  Ben

  What a really nice guy. Too bad that idiot Rick had made him so self-conscious about his education.

  Holding his jeans up with one hand, Jason gathered up the mail and went down to his study. He really needed to get to work on that paper, but he had time enough to find a card for Ben.

  And to jerk off.

  Chapter 9

  BEN stared down at the card in his hands. “Not at this address!” was scrawled across the bottom, underlined so deeply he was surpr
ised it hadn’t gouged a hole in the envelope.

  “Goddammit!” He recognized the handwriting. Not Rick’s. Jason’s.

  He took out his cell phone and dialed Fred Lancaster. The head of the computer department at Howe had given him the address to begin with. Maybe he knew what the hell was going on.

  “Computer lab, Fred Lancaster.”

  “It’s Ben, Fred.”

  “Hey, Ben. What’s up, buddy? Any problem with the job?”

  “Oh, there’s a problem all right. But not with the job,” he reassured Fred.

  “That’s a relief. I’m a little concerned with that electrician who worked with you last week.”

  “Take it up with the boss. Kevin is his nephew.”

  “Oh crap.” Fred cleared his throat. “I mean, if the job is all right, then why are you calling after work in the middle of the week?”

  “That address I asked you to find for me, Fred?”

  “Uh… yes?”

  “It’s not the right one.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Ben gritted his teeth. “Yes, I’m sure!”

  “Okay, keep your shirt on. Give me a minute to pull it up.” Fred muttered under his breath for more than a minute. “Y’know what? I’ll bet it was just a simple of matter of the numbers being transposed. That means—”

  “I know what it means.” Ben said through clenched teeth. Geez, did people think he was that dumb? And why did Fred have to look for it this time, when less than a week ago he’d known it off the top of his head? “Maybe I’d better drive on over to see you.”

  “No, no, that’s not necessary. It should just take a—”

  “Minute, yeah, that’s what you said before.”

  “Dammit, I’m sorry, Ben; I just can’t find it. I don’t know. One of my kids must have been screwing with my computer.”

  “Fred, you don’t have kids.”

  “I meant one of my students. Okay, listen. I’ve got an idea. He’s a teaching assistant at Wooster, right?”

  “Uh… I guess.”

  “Well, you told me he was a teaching assistant at Howe, and if he transferred to Wooster, it only makes sense that he’d be a teaching assistant there too, yes?”