Greeting Cards

by Tinnean

  “What will you do?”

  “Well, if you accept my resignation…?” Fred nodded. “Thank you. In two weeks, I’d like to transfer to the maintenance department of Wooster U. I’ll rent my condo and move in with Jason. He… uh… he sent me this card.”

  “Another one?” Fred chuckled.

  “Yeah.” He could feel his cheeks grow warm, but he was so pleased. Jason still sent him a card every week, and Ben sent him one right back.

  But this card read, “They say out of sight, out of mind, and they’re right.” Inside it continued, “You’re out of sight, and I’m out of my mind.”

  Dear Ben,

  This says it all. I miss you like crazy when you’re not here. Please let’s celebrate Move In With Me Day.

  Yours,

  Jason

  There was no such thing as Move In With Me Day, but Ben wasn’t going to admit he knew that to anyone.

  He hadn’t answered that yet, but he intended to later today. After work he was going to hit the road and pay a surprise visit to Jason. He’d give him his answer in person.

  Fred rose, his hand extended. “I’ll wish you all the best, then. If you need references, anything of that nature?”

  “Thank you, Fred. I appreciate it more than I can say.”

  HALLOWEEN was going to be fun. The house was already decorated with witches and cauldrons, and a big bowl of candy waited near the front door for the neighborhood kids to come trick or treating after school.

  And since Halloween fell in the middle of the week, Ben was going to work dressed as a zombie hunter, complete with a crossbow draped across his back, while Jason would attend class made up to look like a zombie.

  Jason grinned at him, slid his hands into Ben’s back pockets, and pulled him closer.

  “You taste of licorice,” Ben whispered against his lips.

  “It’s the stuff I used to make my lips black.” Jason pressed his hand deeper into Ben’s pocket.

  “I like it. And what are you doing?”

  “Card for you. Don’t open it until you get to work.” Usually Jason would drive to the university with him, but today he had a later class.

  “Okay.” He’d left a card for Jason in his messenger bag, and he couldn’t wait to see how he reacted to it. Happy Halloween to someone I trust not to leave me for dead during the zombie apocalypse.

  “Meet me for lunch in the parking lot?”

  “You want me to pick up something?”

  “No, I made a couple of Neptune salad sandwiches for us.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you later.”

  “You bet.” The look in Jason’s eyes—Rick had never looked at him like that.

  “Kiss me.” Another kiss, and then Ben had to let Jason go or he’d be late. He ran down the steps to where his car sat at the curb. But before he pulled out the keys, he remembered the card, and took it from his back pocket.

  A pair of zombies was on the front, and inside it read “I love you more than a zombie loves brains.”

  Jason loved him!

  He turned. Jason was still standing in the doorway, laughing.

  “I didn’t think you’d be able to wait.”

  Ben ran back. He didn’t think he’d get in trouble if he was late this one time, but even if he did….

  “GOOD morning, Mr. Haggerty.”

  Ben turned to smile at Jason’s advisor. “Good morning, Dr. Hewitt.” He was a nice man, and he’d treated Ben well, even though he was involved with the doctor’s prize student. He bit his lips to prevent a laugh from escaping. “You’re a Starfleet officer?”

  “Well, scientist.” Dr. Hewitt fingered the delta on the left breast of his blue shirt. He was in his forties, but the torso-hugging shirt and the black trousers tucked into boots suited him.

  “You look like you’ve just stepped off the bridge of the Enterprise.”

  “Thank you. And I see you’re supposed to be a freshly made zombie.”

  “Uh… actually, I’m a zombie hunter. Jason’s the zombie.”

  “Ah.” Dr. Hewitt cleared his throat. “In that case, may I suggest you wipe off your mouth?”

  “What?” Ben ran his tongue over his lips, again tasting licorice, and he felt a blush heat his cheeks. “Oh God. Thank you, Doctor.” He fumbled in his pockets for a handkerchief. “Oh crap. Sorry.”

  “It’s quite all right, Mr. Haggerty. Use mine.”

  Ben scrubbed his mouth, then gave Dr. Hewitt an inquiring look. “Did I get it all?”

  “Yes. No, hold onto it,” he said when Ben tried to return the handkerchief to him. “You’re going to see Jason before the day is over, and I have a feeling you’ll need it again.”

  “Thank you.”

  Dr. Hewitt touched his arm. “Do you know something? You’re very good for him.”

  “I’m just a blue-collar worker.”

  “And I think that’s exactly what Jason needs in his life.” He squeezed Ben’s arm. “I have a class right now, but sometime soon I’d like to talk more with you.”

  “I don’t know what we’d have to talk about, but… sure, Doc.” He scrubbed at his mouth a little more.

  “Haggerty!” Mr. Thompson, the head of the maintenance department, came striding toward him with a rolling gait reminiscent of John Wayne. “What in Sam Hill are you dressed as?”

  “Zombie hunter.”

  Mr. Thompson shook his head—well, he could hardly talk. He was wearing a ten-gallon Stetson hat and spurs that jingle-jangle-jingled.

  “Ms. Addams in the Chemistry office needs you to do some work on the connections.” He handed Ben a requisition form.

  “I’ll get right on it, boss.”

  “GOOD morning, Ms. Addams. What’s…. Oh, cute costume!”

  “Thank you.” She was dressed as Tinker Bell.

  “So, what’s the problem?”

  “I have no idea.” She sounded exasperated. “The computer wouldn’t boot up when I got here this morning. The last time something like this happened, a roach had gotten loose from the biology lab and wound up frying itself.”

  “I hate roaches.”

  “Me too. Anyway, I haven’t been able to get any work done at all.”

  “Okay. Just give me a few.” He laid out the tools he’d need and crawled under the desk.

  Ms. Addams sat on the desk, her legs swinging gently back and forth. “Do you like it here at Wooster, Mr. Haggerty?”

  “Yeah. I like it a lot.” He unscrewed the wall plate and studied the connections. “Hmm.”

  “Is it a roach?”

  “No. I don’t see one.” He eased back out and found a new cable. “Let me just try this.”

  “I understand your boyfriend goes here.”

  “Yes.”

  “How long have you been together?”

  “Well, we’ve known each other since last March. Are you seeing anyone?” Ben asked. He knew how to be polite.

  She sighed. “No, but I’m hoping this costume will rouse some interest.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised. You’ve got gorgeous legs.”

  “Thank you, kind sir.”

  Ben was about to invite her to the get-together he and Jason were having after dinner when he heard the once-loved voice of his former boyfriend, and he froze.

  “Well, well, well. What’s going on here?” When had Rick’s tone become so… cruel?

  And did Ben want to face him?

  “Mr. Haggerty was just replacing the cable connections for my computer.”

  Well, that gave him no choice. He eased out from under the desk. “Hello, Rick.”

  “Ben?” His eyes grew huge. “What the f— What are you doing here?”

  “I work here.”

  “You came after me?” For a moment he looked relieved, but then his expression became uncaring. “I told you I didn’t want you following me! Are you stalking me?”

  “Actually, I didn’t follow you.”

  “You sent me that letter—”

  “It
was a card,” Ms. Addams corrected mildly.

  “What?”

  “I said—”

  “I heard what you said! Ben, you can’t stay here!”

  “Of course not. I’m almost done.”

  “No, you—I mean you can’t stay here at this university!”

  “Why not? I’ve got a contract. And besides, as I said, I didn’t follow you here. My boyfriend happens to attend Wooster.”

  “You got some stupe to date you?”

  “I’d hardly call Jason Prescott a ‘stupe’,” Ms. Addams murmured.

  “Jason Prescott? He’s the….”

  “…Physical Science major that Dr. Putnam wants to trade you in for.” She gave him a tight smile. “Yes.”

  Ben turned to Ms. Addams. “He’s the one who harassed Jason?”

  “Wait a second!” Rick seemed to have caught up with the conversation. “I’m your boyfriend!”

  “Not anymore. Ms. Addams, Dr. Putnam has been….”

  “Bothering Mr. Prescott? Yes.”

  “I’d like to have a word with him.”

  “He has hours at four o’clock on Tuesdays.”

  “Do I need an appointment? Would you make one for me?”

  “But—” Rick’s head had been swiveling back and forth, and Ben wondered if he’d unscrew his head.

  “How’s the cable?” Ms. Addams asked.

  “Should be okay. Try turning on your computer.”

  “Oh! It’s working!”

  “Cool. I couldn’t find anything wrong with it, but it’s always good to have new cables.” Ben packed up his tools. Had she engineered this meeting? He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew his cables.

  “Thank you. I’ll just sign off on the requisition and you can go.”

  “Great. I’ll put the plate back in place.”

  “But, Ben, you love me!”

  “I loved you, Rick. I don’t anymore. Did you think I would after what you put my parents through?”

  “What?”

  “Telling my mom I didn’t want to see them anymore?”

  “But you’d have left me! They didn’t like me; they’d have given you an ultimatum!”

  “They did, don’t you remember? I chose you.”

  “Ben—”

  “I wouldn’t have left you, Rick. But as it turns out, you left me. We’re through here. Ms. Addams, feel free to call if you have any other problems.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Haggerty.”

  Rick’s jaw sagged. “But—”

  How could I have loved this man? The thought scared him that if Rick hadn’t walked out last year, he’d still be with him. “Good-bye, Rick.”

  “Wait! Have dinner with me!” He was starting to sound desperate. When had Rick begun wanting what he couldn’t have?

  “I can’t do that. I’m having dinner with my boyfriend.” Ben could never come up with the right words, the clever words when he needed them. It was pretty fantastic that he’d managed to do so now. Go me!

  He couldn’t help grinning. Jason’s enthusiasm was rubbing off on him.

  “Benjie my Ben!”

  “Don’t call me that ever again, Rick.” Ben walked out, feeling lighter than he had in more than a year.

  IT was the first week in November, but instead of exchanging Thanksgiving cards, Jason had given him one that said “Every day it’s the same old thing…. Breathe, breathe, breathe.”

  But the best thing is knowing you’ll be home, breathing for me.

  Wishing you a very happy Forget Me Not Day!

  Yours,

  Jason

  As Ben had hoped, his card to Jason got him thoroughly kissed. “I’m sorry I haven’t written you yet today,” with “written” crossed out and replaced with “kissed.”

  So come and celebrate Kiss Me Day with me, not just today, but….

  Always,

  Ben

  THANKSGIVING was just ten days away, and they were having their first… well, not quarrel. More like a… difference of opinion?

  “Look, it’s only a two-hour drive, and your band is depending on you, Ben.” Why was Jason giving him such a hard time over this?

  “But that’s two hours each way.” Come to think of it, why was he trying so hard to get out of one of the best parades of the year?

  “When does your family have dinner?”

  “Well, for Thanksgiving, about three in the afternoon.”

  “And what time does the parade start?”

  “Um… nine a.m.?”

  “And when is it usually over?”

  “By noon.”

  “That gives you three hours to get home.”

  “Yes.” And all right, the pipe band had hired a bus, but Jason had no idea what those bus rides could be like. Heading into Manhattan wouldn’t be a big deal; it would be so early in the morning, they’d all be drinking coffee or sleeping, but the drive home…. It might not be St. Patrick’s Day, but the beer and alcohol would flow like… well… wine.

  “So you’ve got no excuse to miss it.”

  Ben decided to make one last ditch effort. “I missed Thanksgiving last year, and it wasn’t a big deal.”

  “Yeah, but they didn’t march in the Macy’s Parade.”

  “No, but….” How did Jason know that? Rick had never paid attention to stuff like that. He’d never even come to the parades. Jason, on the other hand, had been to every one—for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Patriot Day.

  “No ‘buts’ about it. Wouldn’t your mom put back dinner if you were going to be late?”

  “She would.” She’d do just about anything to make up for the years apart. He couldn’t believe Rick had purposely pulled that bullshit on the phone to drive a wedge between him and his parents.

  “Think how proud she’ll be when she sees you on television.” Jason put an arm around him. “Think how proud I’ll be.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Ass.”

  Ben leaned into him. “I can’t believe you gave up seeing your own parents to be with mine.”

  “I like your mom and dad. And besides, we’ll be having everyone at our place for Christmas.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Ben, you were right there when I asked them!”

  “Now who’s the ass? You know I mean….” He drew a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll march down Fifth Avenue.”

  “Thanks, babe.”

  “But just so you know, I’m going to be so nervous, it’ll be a miracle if I can work up a mouthful of spit.”

  “I have every confidence in you.” Jason kissed him. “You’ll be perfect! Now, I’ll drop you off at the Greenedale American Legion Hall at four thirty on Thanksgiving morning, but do you need me to come pick you up there?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not!”

  And thank God for that. This was the last year he’d be piping for Greenedale. Making the practices had been heinous—he’d barely had time to shower and change after work before he headed to Greenedale. There’d be one more parade for New Year’s Day, and then he’d start practicing with Wooster’s Volunteer Fire Department pipe band.

  I can do this. For Jason, I will do it. And Ben kissed him back.

  IT had been a terrific Thanksgiving, and even the parade wasn’t bad. Once he’d started marching, he’d gotten over his nerves and had had a great time.

  Back in DeKalb, his mom and dad had treated him as if he’d saved the world from the zombie apocalypse single-handed. And Jason…. “I could barely make you out on the screen,” he complained. “The Wooster band will be in the Macy’s Parade again next year, right?”

  “Uh… yeah, that’s what I’ve heard.”

  “Okay, then. Next year I’m going to Manhattan with you.”

  Next year!

  After dinner, they’d watched March of the Wooden Soldiers on DVD. His dad loved Laurel and Hardy.

  “This used to be aired every Thanksgiving when I was a boy,” his dad to
ld them as the credits rolled.

  “It was better when they stopped trying to colorize it,” his mom called from the kitchen, where she was putting leftovers into plastic containers for them to take home. She handed Ben the packed bag and kissed them both. “Drive carefully, and call me when you get home.”

  “Yes, Ma.”

  The temperature was dropping, and as soon as Jason had the engine running, he turned on the heater. It was a long drive home, especially with all the after-dinner traffic, but Jason had Sirius XM radio in his car, and he found the station that played Christmas music.

  “We’re going to be so tired of this by the time Christmas rolls around,” Ben said.

  “Maybe, but by next Christmas, we’ll be all set for it again.” Jason flashed him a grin and sang along with Mariah Carey.

  God, Ben was so lucky. Maybe his boyfriend couldn’t sing, but that didn’t matter. Ben smiled at the man who had brought such happiness into his life. Jason didn’t see, since his eyes were on the road again, but that was okay.

  He began to harmonize with Jason’s off-key baritone. When they got home, when they were in bed, Ben would make sure he knew.

  Chapter 18

  JASON was about to put on his jacket and join Ben, who was in the backyard raking the last of the leaves, when the mail truck pulled up in front of the house. He grabbed up an envelope with their mailperson’s Christmas gift, let himself out, and jogged down the walk to the curb.

  “Hi, Cherry. Merry Christmas.” He handed her the envelope.

  “Same to you, and thanks. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

  “You’re welcome.” His grandfather used to be a letter carrier, and he would tell all the grandkids about how he would deliver the mail through drifts of snow waist deep, trudging six miles uphill both ways. When they were little they would listen with awe, but as they grew older they’d realized he was teasing them. But he’d been serious when he told them how much it meant to him that the people on his route remembered him at Christmas.

  Although Grandma hadn’t been happy when the gift was a bottle of Jack Daniel’s or Dewar’s.

  “So what do you have for me today?” He and Ben didn’t mail their cards any more. They’d taken to leaving them on the breakfast bar when the other wasn’t looking, or on the computer desk or coffee table or pillow if one of them slept late.