"Yeah. One hundred percent. We've got free unlimited rentals. Why?"
"This one! I want to rent this one!"
"Okay. Calm down."
"I'm sorry, but I have been looking for this video for years! I didn't even know it was on DVD."
"So, this and the lube?"
"Yes, please." Ken took the video box and retrieved the disc from the bin behind the counter and rang it up.
"That will be a grand total of seven fifty eight."
"You don't sound very enthusiastic. There's such a thing as customer service."
"I'd be more enthusiastic if not for the fact that this is the first transaction I've rung up all night."
"You're kidding."
"I wish. It is so damn slow here!"
"It's a job at least."
"I am so sick of that rationale. Yes, it's a job but it sucks!"
"Hey, all you have to do is sit here and wait out the clock. What else would you be doing at this time of night?"
"I guess you're right. To be honest, it has been nice to get out of the house. Adam has just been going crazy with Smidgen. Every time I come home, he shows me something new he's bought for the dog. He's gotten him everything from toys to clothes. Except for the looming threat of huge tuition payments, it's almost exactly like having a child."
"Does he have his own room?"
"Don't give him any ideas."
"Adam really loves that dog."
"Almost too much. We haven't been buying dog food anymore. Adam prefers to cook the dog's dinner. From scratch."
"Wow."
"It's not like I don't like the dog. I do. I just think that Adam is starting to lose touch with reality."
"I don't know. It's kind of sweet. I mean, you're right. He's acting nuts, but this is all the attention he'd be focusing on your kid, if you had one. I think it just shows that he'll be a great dad."
"I guess."
"You don't think he would?"
"No. He'd be the best. It's me I'm not so sure about."
"You'd be just as good a parent as Adam."
"How do you know? I've never had a pet. Well, that's a lie. I did have fish when I was a kid."
"There you go."
"I went through about ten fish in six months once. The pet store banned me for life after that. I can't even keep a plant alive. How am I going to handle a child?"
"Kids are different from fish or plants."
"Yeah. They're way more complicated and if you don't hurt them physically, you can always end up hurting them emotionally. It's too much and I honestly don't think I'm ready for it." Ken then bagged up Jason's purchases and slid them across the counter.
"Maybe, but do you think anyone is ever ready to be a parent? Even with every parenting guide book in the world, no one would be fully prepared for the reality of raising a child."
"Besides, I've always been of the opinion that there are enough people in the world as it is. The last thing we need is another human taking up the real estate."
"You can't mean that."
"I do. Maybe that's wrong to say, but that's my position."
"Maybe you and Adam should sit down and talk about this. Either that or find a new place to live with an extra bedroom."
The rest of the night dragged on and the last few hours of Ken's shift felt like an eternity. When the time came to close up shop, Ken counted out the cash register and the only money that had been taken in was from Jason's purchase. It was the lowest total he had seen yet.
Ken swept up the floor, collected the garbage and finally counted out the drawer. It was even and the last bit of business he had to complete was to print out the reports. Once that was done, Ken gathered up his things and headed for the front door. He set the alarm and then hurried out and locked the door as fast as he could. When Ken first started, there was an anxiousness about locking the door before the alarm was armed. He had about fifteen seconds to complete the task and if he failed, the alarm would go off and the police were summoned. Fifteen seconds seemed long enough, but on his first night as he fumbled with the keys and forced the lock shut, he realized it wasn't long at all. He counted the seconds off in his head and before he realized it, he had reached ten and he was still struggling with the key. From that night on, locking the door at night was the most thrilling moment of his night, but it grew tiresome and boring before too long.
Ken locked the door easily and turned to his car and heaved a heavy sigh. His work was over but as he opened the door to get in, he realized his other job was waiting for him at home. He wondered absent-mindedly what new toy was purchased or what new article of clothing Smidgen would be clad in when he walked in. The night before, Adam was ever so proud of a little sombrero he had found at the pet store that was attached to Smidgen's head by an elastic thread.
Ken slid his car into their space in the garage and trudged up to their apartment, but when he opened the door, he expected to be welcomed by Adam with Smidgen in his arms, but instead he saw Adam hunched over the coffee table, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Adam? What's wrong?"
"He's gone!" Adam cried.
"Who?"
"Smidgen! I was running late at work and I called Amber to come by and take him for his early evening walk."
"Okay."
"But when I got back, she was here and she said that while they were out, he slipped loose from the leash and took off. We've been running up and down the street of the neighborhood ever since then."
"Why didn't you call me? I could have closed up early to help."
"I didn't think we'd need any help. I had his favorite treats with me and I was sure we'd find him."
"How far did you look?"
"We hit over three blocks in all directions."
"Where's Amber?"
"She had to go home an hour ago. I was just resting before going out again."
"At this hour? No. Why don't you just write up a flyer and we'll post those up tomorrow."
"What about tonight? He could be out there. Scared. I won't be able to sleep if we don't find him tonight!" Ken tried to keep from rolling his eyes. It wasn't as though he didn't understand, but it was late and too dark to be able to find a dog that was barely larger than a watermelon.
"I'll go and take a sweep then. You try and rest."
"You just got home from work."
"I know, but I'm still a little wired. I think I can take a pass. Where are his leash and treats?"
Ken headed out armed with Smidgen's treats and a leash and one of his favorite chew toys for good measure. He looked in either direction and had no idea where to begin. It was so dark and each path seemed to go nowhere. He just chose to walk in the direction he was facing and as he turned the corner, he found that he was left in the dark. The street lamps weren't on and the light from the apartment building was blocked out by the houses across from it. Ken walked down the street and reached the corner where there was a house that was fenced off due to some extensive home improvements going on, inside and out. Ken looked around and saw no signs of life. He held the chew toy up and gave it a squeeze. It let out a high pitched squeal and as he started to move on, he heard a muffled whine from other side of the fence. He squeezed the toy again and soon after was the same muffled whine. Ken ran to the fence and found a small opening in the wire, just big enough for a watermelon. Ken started squeezing the toy more and the muffled whines grew more urgent. Ken searched for a way through the fence, but when he couldn't find one, he leapt up and climbed over the fence without a thought.
As he landed on the other side, he saw there was construction equipment strewn all about the yard. Pipes and tools and stacks of wooden boards. The house was clearly vacant but as Ken squeezed the toy once more, he heard the whines coming from inside. Ken ran over and found a small window in front was open. He slipped in as quickly as he could and walked into a dark room that could have been destined to become a living room or exercise room, but at that moment it was a blank slate with no paint
or carpet. Ken squeezed the toy and the whine came and it was close. It was loud and more distressing, it was panicked, urging. He then heard a scratching sound coming from the walls. Ken was becoming frantic. Ken then turned and saw a large hole in the wall. He squeezed the toy and the whine then came from within. He ran over and peered inside. It was too dark to see, but he then saw a faint glint of two eyes a few feet away. As Ken's eyes adjusted, he could make out Smidgen's face and wet nose and as their eyes locked, Smidgen grew frantic as well, his whole body struggling and wiggling against the tight space that he was stuck in.
"Shit! Hold on, boy! I'll go get some help," Ken said, but as he stepped away, Smidgen began to howl and beg as he had never heard him before. Ken ran back and as soon as his face was back in Smidgen's eyes, he calmed down. "Okay. So you want me to do this on my own. Okay." Ken said. He looked around, trying to figure out how the dog wound up there in the first place. It looked as though he had slid in to inspect the new space, and when he tried to turn around to leave, he found himself pinned between both sides of the wall. Ken reached in as far as he could manage and he could feel Smidgen's soft fur tickle the tips of his fingers. Smidgen let out a pitiful cry and Ken reached further in. He felt the wall break and crack against his pressure. He kept reaching and he was getting closer. He soon felt Smidgen's tongue lapping at the palm of his hand and at last he felt Smidgen's collar. He looped his fingers around it and with careful ease, he pulled and he felt the dog sliding forward. Finally, Ken pulled Smidgen out and he fell back and held the little animal close to his chest. His breath was short and he suddenly realized how scared he had been. He down at the dog and a euphoric feeling came over him. The dog was safe and sound and as last as it was, Ken didn't want to go to bed and sleep, but rather he felt as though he had the energy to run a marathon.
When Ken returned home, he found Adam asleep on the couch, but it seemed as though it were a fitful sleep. Ken touched Adam's head lightly and he roused and looked up. As his eyes focused, he saw Smidgen smiling down at him and his face burst into a bright smile. He leapt up and took both Smidgen and Ken into his arms.
"You found him!"
"He was stuck in that house around the corner. I guess he went exploring and got stuck in the wall." Ken said, but he knew Adam wasn't listening. All he could focus on was his little baby.
"We better give him a bath. He's filthy."
"And probably hungry. He was wolfing down his treats like there was no tomorrow after I got him out." Adam scooped Smidgen up and held him over his face.
"Well, then we'll get him all fed and cleaned up as soon as that!" Adam cooed.
"Why don't you get his food and I'll give him the bath." Ken said as he took Smidgen back.
"All right. His soap is in the cabinet under the sink."
Ken took the dog into the bath room and turned on the water in the tub. He pulled off Smidgen's collar and found the soap just where Adam said it would be. Ken then picked Smidgen up and dipped him in the water. Smidgen seemed to enjoy the sensation as he stared up at Ken with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging at light speed. Ken massaged the soap into the fur and it lathered up fast. The dog squirmed under his touch, but not to get away, but rather to get closer it seemed. Ken looked down at the silly dog, covered in white lather as it stared back up at him.
"You're a silly little thing, aren't you? You scared your daddy half to death. Your daddy. Don't tell him that I told you, but he's not your biological father, but he certainly loves you as if he were. I thought he was a little crazy to go so nuts over you, but I have to admit, when I saw you stuck like that, I got it a little. You're this helpless thing. Can't even talk. If you're hurt, you can't just tell us where. You depend on us completely to tend you and care for you. You trust us out of need, not affection. You have no choice, and that responsibility is humbling," Ken then grabbed the shower head and switched it on and gently rinsed the soap off the dog, which Smidgen bit at when the water got too close to his mouth. Ken lifted the dog up and the water dripped down from the wet fur and then he grabbed one of the towels and wrapped him up tight. "But if you ever scare us like that again, you are in big trouble, mister." Ken whispered.
Chapter 23
The Arrival
Jason was walking up to his door and as he slid his key into the lock, he heard a loud coarse voice shout out at him.
"Hey!" Bill called as he came bounding out his door.
"Hey, Bill." Jason said as he tried to sound pleased to see him.
"Back from the grind, eh?"
"Yeah. What did you do all day?"
"Well, as I enjoy my semi-retirement, I didn't do shit!"
"Living the dream. I'd love to chat more, but I want to decompress before I get dinner started."
"I did do one thing. I signed for that delivery of yours."
"A delivery?"
"Yeah. It was big too. I saw the guy was about to leave, but I told him I'd take charge of it for you."
"Oh. Great. Thanks, but I wasn't expecting anything."
"You sure?" Bill asked as he ran back to his place. Jason followed him with his curiosity boiling in his brain. He had always had the fantasy of getting an unexpected delivery someday. Some magical package that would offer a solution to some problem or bring some kind of joy. "It was a real big delivery too." Bill said as Jason stepped in. He then saw a stack of five boxes before him.
"What is all of this?"
"Damned if I know. I just signed for it." Jason then walked over to one of the boxes and lifted it up, but its weight surprised him and he dropped it almost immediately. Jason then slid the box around and found the shipping label. Sending address didn't look familiar and Jason's curiosity was growing steadily.
"Help me get these over to my place, please." Without a word, Bill grabbed one of the boxes as Jason picked the one he had dropped.
After a few trips, they transferred all the boxes over to Jason's living room. Jason then found a pair of scissors and tore open one of the boxes and much to his surprise; he saw his books stacked neatly inside the box. Jason then grabbed another box, pulled it open and found ten more books.
"These your books?" Bill asked.
"Yes."
"How did you forget that you ordered these?"
"I didn't order these. I was waiting until after my next paycheck, and even then I wasn't planning on ordering this many."
"These are for your book signing, right?"
"I guess so," Jason then opened another box and along with ten books, there was an invoice and Jason checked it and saw David's name on it. "David. He ordered these."
"Wow. Quite a prince."
"He is. Bill, could you excuse me? I think I need to get something really special done for dinner."
"Sure, but if you want to thank him, you should work more on dessert." Bill said as he headed out the door.
Jason finished opening the boxes and as he picked up one of his books, he held it in his hand and stared at it like it was a newborn babe. The cover was cool to the touch and slick as marble. He opened it up and noticed how some of the pages stuck together and then he heard the intoxicating sound of the spine breaking as he pulled it open wider. He inhaled the scent of the paper. It smelled fresh and clean. He ran his fingers up and down the pages with the sensuality of a lover. The pages were thin and smooth. He closed it again and he was frozen as he saw his name splashed across the front. Even though it was self-published, there was still a thrill in seeing his work put together. There was a part of him that wished it could have happened the more traditional route, but in that moment, it was difficult to care.
As Jason set the book back down, there was a knock at the door.
"Bill! I really need to get started on dinner!"
"Sorry, but I just came by for a quick chat." Matt said as he walked in. Jason spun around and when he saw who it was, he jumped up to his feet.
"Matt! What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd stop by so we could talk. I fel
t we kind of rushed through the other night."
"Oh. Well, it's not really a good time. I have to get dinner ready. David should be home in a little bit."
"This won't take long," Matt then noticed the boxes and he reached into one and pulled out one of the books. He looked down at it and smiled. "Nice cover."
"Thanks." Matt then began to thumb through it.
"You haven't read it?"
"I didn't know about it. I mean, it's not like I've heard from you lately."
"Sorry. I've been kind of busy."
"I get that. I'll buy one at the book signing. Promise."
"You're going to be there?"
"I was planning on it. Is that all right?"
"It's fine. It's great."
"Look, Jason, I understand that this is really awkward for you. It is for me too."
"So why did you come back? I mean, if you knew it was going to be strange like this, why not just send an email or call?"
"Because I had to see you. I had to see you with my own two eyes. I feel like I've been stuck in cold storage. After you left, I was in a vacuum. I've been lonely."
"And you came back here hoping to start something back up?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I was hoping."
"And it never crossed your mind that I could be with someone new?"
"I had no idea. You know me. Dramatic gestures like this aren't exactly my thing."
"So, when you said you were looking to move back here, was that real or what?"
"I have thought about it, although I may have made it sound a little more concrete when I said it."
"It was a lie then."
"Not entirely. I've been looking at some places."
"Okay. That's great. Was that it?"
"Not exactly. I kind of got hit with the 'you have a boyfriend' thing kind of fast. I was hoping we could talk about that." Jason felt a cold chill run up his spine.
"Fine. I can spare a few minutes. Have a seat." Matt nodded and sat down on the couch while Jason took his seat on the easy chair nearby.
"David." Matt said.
"Yes. David."
"Where did you two meet?"
Beautiful Days (Jason Of The Valley Book 5) Page 16