Fire and Fog

by Andrew Grey

  “I’d be working with you?” Robin asked, feeling a little starstruck.

  “Yes, in a way. I manage the entire pool operations, from classes to swim teams, and I’m taking some private students for coaching. During open swim sessions and the lessons and meets, we always have lifeguards on duty. I’ve been down one for a while.” Terry seemed relieved, and once again hope sprang to life in Robin’s heart. Maybe things were starting to look up. “You’re going to need your Social Security card, and it would be best if you put together a short resume so I have it for the records.”

  “Okay.” Robin could find a library and put that together on their computers. “When do you want to see me for evaluation?”

  Terry glanced at Red, biting his lower lip. “Tomorrow morning at eight?” He turned to Red. “I have to leave for New York by ten for a meeting in the afternoon.”

  “Terry….” Red sounded hurt, and Robin looked away.

  “I know. It’s an important meeting for an endorsement deal. They want me to do some national television commercials.” Terry sounded excited as hell about it, but Red looked scared. Who would have thought fear would be so clearly written in the expression of someone so large? Robin figured a person like that wouldn’t be afraid of anything. “The meeting will only be that evening, and I’m taking the late train home.”

  Red sighed. “I appreciate that, but….” He paused. “Can we talk about this later?”

  Terry nodded, and the tension in the room ramped up once again. Robin looked at Dwayne for some sort of explanation, but he shrugged slightly.

  “Okay.” Terry checked his watch and kissed Red lightly. “I need to get back to work.” He looked at Robin. “Come in tomorrow morning and we’ll get everything set.” Terry waved as he left, and Red sank into one of the living room chairs.

  “Would you get a couple glasses of water?” Dwayne asked, and Robin went into the kitchen, grateful for a chance to escape.

  “What’s going on?” Dwayne asked as he sat in the other chair.

  Robin quietly opened cupboards until he found the glasses, and filled three of them with water. He wondered if he should linger a bit to give them time to talk, but as Red made no effort to be quiet, he figured he should bring in the asked-for drinks.

  “It’s all these endorsements, and Terry’s never home. I thought that once the Olympics were over, I’d get him back. For months he was at the pool for hours, training. I’m happy for him, I really am, but I thought that once the games were over, we could really build a life together. But he’s never home. He’s rushing off somewhere all the time.”

  Robin carried two glasses of water into the living room and handed one to Red and one to Dwayne before getting the last one for himself.

  “He won medals and he’s at the top of his sport at the moment. Everyone wants to be a part of that, and you know as well as I do that it isn’t going to last. Something else or someone else is going to come along and the spotlight will shift.” Dwayne patted Red on the shoulder. “You want him to be a success, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do.” Red drank from his glass. “I really want him to have what he wants. But I also want to see him some of the time.”

  “My advice is that you let him have this. I know it’s tough with him gone, but he’s worked hard and he performed well.”

  Red set down the glass. “Do you think I’m being a jerk? I love Terry. Is it a crime to want him around and to have some of him to myself every once in a while? The last time he and I went out, he spent half the evening signing autographs and talking with fans.” Red shook his head slightly. “I know I shouldn’t let this bother me. I just want our quiet lives back.”

  “That isn’t going to happen—at least for now. The thing is, do you love him enough to let your relationship change for a while?”

  “Of course I love him.” Red swallowed hard, and Robin thought he might understand what was bothering Red, but he didn’t want to say anything. “But what if….”

  “Are you worried he’ll find someone else?” Dwayne asked gently. “Because I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

  “It isn’t,” Robin said, and both sets of eyes turned to him. “I saw how he looked at you.” He was very uncomfortable and stood to return to the kitchen. He wished someone would look at him the way Terry looked at Red, like the world revolved around him.

  “Red, I think it’s going to be fine. Terry loves you.” Dwayne paused. Robin sat at the kitchen table and tried not to eavesdrop, but in the small apartment, it was difficult. “Have you thought that all this travel is just as hard on him as it is on you?”

  “It doesn’t look like it to me. He’s always excited about these trips.” Red stood, running a hand through his hair.

  “But is he excited when he comes home again?” Dwayne asked, though Robin couldn’t hear Red’s answer. “Of course he is. Those trips are work, but getting back is coming home to you.”

  Red walked over to the stairs. “I sure hope you’re right.” He descended slowly, his footsteps echoing until the door at the bottom opened and closed.

  “Well, it looks like you have a potential job,” Dwayne said as he gathered up the glasses.

  “Thanks for that,” Robin said, his fingers lacing together as they curled around the glass in front of him. “Like I said earlier, I’ll get out of your hair. I’m sure there are shelters or someplace I can go. You did more for me than anyone has a right to expect.” He worked hard to keep the hitch out of his voice.

  “Look. You need to meet with Terry tomorrow morning, and it’s going to take some time for you to get paid and be able to get a place of your own. The sofa isn’t going to go anywhere, so if you like, you can stay there for a while.” Dwayne rinsed out the glasses without turning away from the sink.

  “You don’t need to feel obligated or anything.” Robin held his glass tighter and averted his gaze from how Dwayne wouldn’t look at him. So many people had refused to look at him after his parents’ rejection. He knew what that meant. It wasn’t like he’d made anyone proud, and it was so much easier for his parents’ friends to turn their backs than it was for them to think about helping him. Dwayne felt guilty or obligated for some reason and was only offering to help because of it.

  “I’m not,” Dwayne said and turned around, drawing Robin’s gaze. “I mean it.”

  “You don’t look like you do,” Robin challenged.

  Dwayne huffed. “Just take the sofa until you can get on your feet. I don’t want you staying at a shelter. Those can be rough places.” He pulled open one of the small kitchen drawers next to the sink and handed him a key. “This will get you in and out of the apartment. I have to go to work in a few hours, so you can come and go.”

  Robin stared at the bit of brass and then lifted his gaze to Dwayne. “You’re letting me have a key?”

  “How else are you going to get in?”

  “But you’d trust me with a key to your apartment?”

  Dwayne shrugged. “What are you going to do? Throw wild parties or invite friends in to rob me blind? There isn’t anything here worth stealing, and you need to be able to come and go while I’m gone.” He sat down in the chair next to him. “I need to go to work, and you need a safe place to think and try to figure some things out.”

  “But…,” Robin began. It was nearly impossible for him to believe Dwayne would trust him like that. Robin certainly hadn’t given him any reason to and had in fact spread around more attitude than anything else. “You need to tell me what you want.” His mind kept coming back to the basic tenet that no one did anything for free.

  “I want you to feel safe enough to figure out what you’re going to do with your life. And for God’s sake, don’t try hustling anyone while you’re staying here.”

  That rebuke stung a lot more than it should have.

  “I’d never….” Robin tried sounding indignant, but it came out hollow, even for him. “I just can’t believe you’d do this.” He narrowed his eyes. “What
kind of do-gooder are you?”

  Dwayne shrugged. “Does it really matter why I’m doing what I am?”

  “I suppose not,” Robin muttered. But it would sure be nice to know what to expect next.

  “Then finish doing your laundry and fold it neatly. I left the soap by the machine, and you saw how I operated it earlier.”

  “I know how to wash clothes,” he said gently, happy he’d have clean clothes, really clean clothes, for the first time in a while. “Is there anything else you want me to do?” He looked around, but the apartment was already clean.

  “No. There’s some lunch meat and stuff for sandwiches in the refrigerator, along with some sodas and stuff. Be sure to make yourself something to eat, and I’ll be home late tonight.”

  “Okay. Thanks, umm….”

  Dwayne stood and walked toward his room. “There are books on the shelf and a bunch of DVDs as well. Feel free to watch what you want, or read. You can go out, but be careful after dark. This is a nice town, but there’s no reason to ask for trouble.”

  “Okay.” Robin stood, carefully put the key in his pocket, and sat back down. He stared at the blank television, still trying to figure all this out. The washing machine dinged, and he transferred his laundry to the dryer and started a second load. Robin figured he could change his clothes once the dryer was done and then wash what he was wearing.

  After finishing up, Robin turned on the television and found something to watch, wondering what Dwayne was doing. He didn’t come out for a long time, and Robin considered that Dwayne was avoiding him.

  Around noon Dwayne emerged dressed in his police uniform, and damned if he didn’t look good enough to eat. The deep blue shirt and tight pants accentuated his wide shoulders and narrow hips. He was handsome beyond belief.

  “Are you hungry?” Dwayne asked and headed to the refrigerator. When Robin nodded, he pulled out some chicken and heated it in the microwave.

  They ate a quiet lunch, and then Dwayne cleaned up and said goodbye. It seemed he couldn’t get away from Robin fast enough.

  At the top of the stairs, Dwayne stopped and turned back to him. “Just relax and give yourself a chance to figure out what you want.” He looked at Robin, his gaze becoming heated for a few seconds. Robin wasn’t sure if he understood or wanted to believe what that look meant. Unnervingly, it reminded him of the guy he’d left with last night.

  “I thought I’d go out for a walk. I haven’t been to Carlisle before, and I thought I’d have a look around.” He needed something to pass the time.

  “Just be careful.” To his surprise Dwayne came over and took his hand for a second, his warmth drilling into Robin’s hand. “Here’s my cell number.” Dwayne wrote it on a slip of paper and then turned and hurried away down the stairs and out of the apartment.

  Robin sat back on the sofa, watching television until he was completely bored. He wasn’t hungry, and yet he wanted to eat because he had nothing else to do. Once the washing machine dinged for the second time, he shifted loads of laundry, folded the dry clothes, and changed. Then he got the key Dwayne had given him and left the apartment to explore the town.

  Flowering trees lined the streets and sent showers of white onto the sidewalk. He stopped under one of the trees, letting the petals float down around him. The momentary spell broke as a truck blared its horn, pulling Robin out of the white-clouded daze he’d fallen into. He started and jumped out of the way when someone hurried past him in one of those motorized chairs.

  Robin walked the street, wandering aimlessly. He turned the corner from the main street and continued east, looking as he went at houses that got smaller and less maintained. He turned another corner and looked around, trying to figure out where he was. The town was strange. He kept going, figuring Carlisle wasn’t that big and he couldn’t really get lost. He knew he’d started on the main street, which ran from north to south, so all he needed to do was get back that direction.

  The homes became larger, their paint peeling, and it looked like the once-grand places had been divided into apartments. He continued walking, moving a little faster as the people around him grew rougher or sat on the stoops, watching him. Robin turned at a corner and headed toward the main street. He’d had enough exploring for now and needed to get back to the apartment. Robin picked up his pace, then crossed the street as a man came out of one of the houses ahead of him, closing the door firmly, and turned toward him. As the man got closer, Robin gasped with recognition and walked even faster.

  “Hey,” Robin called, hurrying up to the man he knew as Harvey. “You stole from me.” The man looked through him as though he didn’t exist and tried to slide past. Robin wasn’t having it. “You’re a thief. You rented me a room in a building you didn’t own.”

  The big man turned to Robin, his upper lip curling in menace. “Shut up, boy,” he growled. “I don’t know who you are, but get out of my way.”

  “So? You’re still a thief, and I want my money back!” Robin reached for him, but Harvey grabbed him, punched him in the face, and swung Robin around into the brick wall.

  “I told you to close your mouth! You’re not going to get anything from me.” When he kicked Robin’s feet out from under him, Robin fell to the concrete sidewalk. “Now leave me alone and forget you ever met me.” He pivoted and continued on his way while Robin struggled to get back up.

  “Bastard,” he ground out from between his lips, got to his feet, and turned away. He walked slowly toward the next corner. The knees of his pants had torn, his face and hands were scraped, and blood seeped from his abraded skin. He held his hand to his cheek, wishing he’d learned to keep his mouth shut.

  He made it to the building and searched his pocket for the key but didn’t find it. He groaned. He didn’t know what else to do other than retrace his steps to look for it. There was no way he was going to tell Dwayne he wasn’t responsible enough for a key. He limped back the way he came, walking four blocks until he was where he’d been hurt. He scoured the sidewalk and street curb, hoping to locate the hunk of brass, but had no luck. Then Robin paid special attention to where he’d gone down and found the key in a divot in the concrete near the steps of the house Harvey had been coming out of. Breathing a sigh of relief, he held the key and retraced his route yet again, with soreness sinking deeper into his muscles.

  By the time he got inside, his pants were soaked in blood from his scraped knees, wetting the fabric around them. These pants had been the best pair of jeans he owned, but now they were garbage. He took them off, went into the bathroom, and cleaned his knees and face as well as he could to stop the bleeding. He found fresh clothes to wear and sat on the sofa, pulling the light blanket around him. Maybe it wasn’t safe for him to go anywhere. Bored or not, he watched television and stayed where he was, only getting up to make some dinner and use the bathroom.

  ROBIN MADE up his bed and crawled under the covers, waiting for Dwayne to come home. He had the television on low and was turned so he faced the back of the sofa. He didn’t want Dwayne to see what had happened to him. He had been stupid to approach Harvey. He should have known better and just kept walking and pretended he hadn’t recognized him.

  The door creaked open and slow, heavy footsteps climbed the stairs.

  “Robin?” Dwayne said softly and approached the sofa. Robin closed his eyes and didn’t move, pretending to be asleep. Dwayne turned off the television and pulled the covers up over his shoulders before leaving the room.

  The bathroom door closed and water ran, but then the door opened and Dwayne came back and turned on one of the lights on the other side the room. “Robin, what happened?”

  Robin lifted his head and remembered the washcloth he’d used to clean up. He thought he’d gotten all the blood out of it, but obviously he hadn’t.

  “Did you get hurt?” When Robin turned toward him to sit on the edge of the sofa, Dwayne gasped.

  “Yeah.”

  “Where besides your face?” Dwayne leaned closer. “I’m going
to get some Neosporin to put on the wounds so they’ll heal better.” He hurried away and returned almost immediately.

  “I went out for a walk, and I saw the guy I was renting from, the fake landlord. He was coming out of a building on a street a few blocks north of here.” Robin held still as Dwayne gently doctored the cut on his cheek. “Of course, I had to confront him and tell him that I wanted my money back.”

  “What did he say?”

  Robin pointed to his face. “He said no.” He showed Dwayne his knees and winced when he put some ointment on the abrasions there as well. “I was so stupid. He wasn’t going to give me what I wanted, and all I did was get hurt.”

  Dwayne gently touched his chin. “I want you to promise me that if you see him again, you’ll call me right away.”

  Robin nodded. He should have done that this time.

  “Can you tell me which house it was he was coming out of?”

  “I can show you if you want.” Robin pushed away the blanket, expecting Dwayne would want him to take him there right now.

  “Lie back down. We’ll go in the morning. You can show me when I take you to meet with Terry.” Dwayne soothed him back down onto the sofa. It felt so nice to be treated gently, and when Dwayne patted his hand to console him, Robin sat up and hugged him hard.

  It was an impulse, and God in heaven, he hoped Dwayne didn’t react badly. He needed comfort of some form in an overwhelming way, and Dwayne’s kindness touched something inside of him, a place he’d kept hidden deep down. For weeks he’d been scared of just about everything and everyone, barely holding life and his sanity together.

  “It’s all right.” Dwayne held him back, tightening his arms around him. “If you see him again, just hurry the other way and call me. Please don’t take him on or confront him.”

  “He was my landlord, and I thought….”

  “Robin,” Dwayne said softly, and he could get very used to having Dwayne say it just that way, as though he really cared. His heart ached for the emotions behind that tone. “I’m afraid the guy is a crook, and if what we suspect is true, he’s been making a lot of money ripping people off.”