As soon as Bruno and Rosa were gone Tim asked, “When did you last talk to my Aunt Ruth, Artie?”
“It was a day or two ago, I guess,” Artie said. “What’s today, Friday…? It was Tuesday, I’m sure of it. Or maybe it was Monday. It was a day when she would have been off anyway, so it wasn’t any big deal to cover her shifts right away.”
“What did she say exactly?” Tim asked.
“She said she needed some time off, that’s all. That’s what I already told you. You know Ruth. She never takes any extra time off, so when she asked I could hardly say no. I figured Sam was back in town, that’s all. He’s been gone so much lately and I figured they were finally planning their wedding.”
“How much time off did she ask for, Artie?” Tim persisted.
“She said she needed at least a couple of weeks or so,” Artie said. “I didn’t think it was really any of my business, but she did sound a little peculiar, come to think of it.”
Chapter 14
The next afternoon Tim saw Rosa Rivera and crew on Castro Street in front of Arts again. She was dressed exactly the same—for continuity’s sake, Tim could only assume—but she looked tired.
“Ciao, everyone! Let’s make it happen! Facciamolo accadere! This is Rosa Rivera, standing in front of my latest dining discovery—Arts, the most delightful little bar and restaurant on Castro Street. As part of my eccezionale series on San Francisco weddings…
… Cut! God dammit! What the hell is that noise? Stop the goddamn tape, will you? … Maledizione!”
The siren of a hook and ladder rig almost drown out Rosa’s cursing in English and Italian and grew louder as the fire truck crossed the red light at 18th and Castro. It passed by the restaurant and ascended the hill in the direction of Noe Valley.
Tim laughed as he watched Rosa lose her composure and he hoped the cameraman caught some of her true personality on tape. It might make good blackmail material, if it were ever needed. Tim kept getting jostled out of position, making it hard to see. The shoulder that blocked his view at the moment turned out to be that of his co-worker, James.
“Psssst! Hey, James! I didn’t see you at first. Are you working tonight?”
“I don’t know. I just got back from L.A. this morning. I came by to check the schedule and find out, but then I discovered all this excitement.”
Rosa looked at her reflection in the plate glass window, scratched her scalp with one perfectly manicured fingernail, pursed her lips and forced the friendly ‘On-Air’ smile back to her face. “Okay, ready? Let’s try it again…
As part of my series on San Francisco weddings we will include a beautiful gay wedding, un bellissimo matrimonio gay… Delle belle nozze tra individui dello stesso sesso… from right here at Arts restaurant on Castro Street!”
Tim whispered, “I’m sure Artie will want you to work if Rosa stays for dinner. He always likes to show off to important people how racially integrated we are.”
“I’m hep! I’m the token black like Rosa Rivera’s the token Italian around here. I think the whole thing is a put-on. Have you ever really listened to her?”
“Not really.”
“I think her accent evaporates when the cameras are off. I’ll bet she dreams in trailer-trash hillbilly talk. She’s probably from Arkansas… or New Jersey!”
Tim laughed. “Maybe Minnesota, but I doubt it. I’ll try to pay closer attention next time she starts swearing.”
“Are you working tonight? You’re here awfully early… or did you just come by to watch this?
“Yeah, I’m working later. I just came out of Walgreens and noticed the crowds up here. Rosa was here yesterday too. She said they might have to come back if everything didn’t turn out right. Somebody must have gotten the word out to her fans. It looks like she’s not having much better luck today. I’m on my way over to Collingwood to try to track down my Aunt Ruth. I’ve been calling around all over, but she seems to have disappeared.”
“Really? Gee, I’m sorry to hear that. You must be worried. I didn’t know. I like working with her…”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Tim thought that the more times he said it out loud, the more likely it might be true, but James didn’t hear him. He’d already turned his attention back to Rosa.
“So I am searching right now for a very special same-sex couple. If you and your partner would like to declare your love on live television in front your friends and family—and of course my beautiful audience at home—you and ‘il vostro handsome marito’ … that’s ‘your handsome husband’ for my non-Italian-speaking fans… can enter by going to my website or picking up an application and questionnaire right here at Arts. Just ask your favorite waiter or bartender. The lucky winners will…
Cut! Dammit! CUT!”
A couple of men with large dogs were cruising each other, but their dogs weren’t happy about it. The guys might have hit it off if it weren’t for the snapping and growling that the microphone was picking up. The dogs not only drowned out what Rosa was trying to say but they were dangerously close to her $300 Ferragamo sling-back shoes.
“Maledizione! Get those fucking dogs away from me! Portate quei cagnacci fuori da qui! I can’t work like this! Are you people crazy? Gesù!”
Tim stepped away from the throng of bystanders and noticed Birdie Fuller directing traffic around the congested area in front of the restaurant. She looked like such a tiny thing in a crowd of people and she was trying hard to be as butch as her SFPD uniform. Having only one lane of traffic blocked wouldn’t have been so bad, but a panel truck was double-parked to make a delivery at the plant store across the street. Tim saw Teresa at the edge of the crowd and headed in her direction. She too was watching the spectacle of Rosa’s meltdown.
Once the dogs and their equally horny owners were separated, Rosa managed to continue. “The lucky winners will not only be television stars on their special day, they will also receive a bounty of gifts and prizes from our sponsors, including an all-expense-paid romantic cruise to sunny….”
Tim tapped Teresa on the shoulder and she turned around. “Hey, Tim, I didn’t see you sneak up on me. Rosa’s really something, huh? What are you doing out here… coming in to work early?”
“No, I’m headed over to Collingwood. Have you seen my Aunt Ruth lately? She doesn’t answer her cell phone and I’ve tried calling around. I called you last night, but I didn’t leave a message.”
“She’s out of town,” Teresa answered without a moment’s hesitation. Tim was relieved to hear that someone knew his mysterious aunt’s whereabouts.
“That’s what I thought. Artie said she asked for some time off, so I assumed she was with Sam, but it turns out he’s been trying to call her too and he can’t get through. It’s funny she didn’t tell anyone...”
“Well, she told me,” Teresa said, but she was listening more intently to Rosa than to Tim.
“… so go to my website, listed at the bottom of your screen, or come to Arts Restaurant on Castro Street… stop by in person and pick up your copy of the rules and regulations. This is Rosa Rivera… Let’s make it happen!”
“Well, what did she tell you?” Tim asked Teresa. “Where did she go?”
“Oh… that part I couldn’t say. She just said she had to go out of town for a while. She did act kind of secretive, now that you mention it, but I was busy when she called to tell me. I’ve been kinda… seeing someone new, you know?”
“Since when? Teresa, you slut! So my Aunt Ruth caught you in the middle of it, huh? Who is he? Anyone we know? Where’d you meet him?”
“Hush, now! I shouldn’t have brought it up, especially to you! And I’m not going to talk about it. I don’t want to jinx it this time.”
“Tell me about Aunt Ruth, then. What did she say besides ‘going out of town for a while’? Didn’t she give you anything more specific? Should I be worried about her?”
“I don’t think so. She just asked me to feed the cat for her and I’m used to that. This time she brought Bart up to my plac
e, though, with his toys and food and water dish and everything. When she’s at Sam’s just for a day or two, I run downstairs and feed him there. I’ve got my own set of keys.”
“So do I… that’s why I was thinking about going over there and snooping around a little, but I guess you’ve saved me a trip.”
“Well, I’d say she’s going to be gone for a while. She left enough cat food for at least a couple of weeks. I put the litter box out on my deck. That’s the only part I don’t much care to deal with, but please don’t mention it to her. She’s such a dear and I know she’d do anything for me… or for anyone!”
“I won’t.” Tim felt better knowing that his Aunt Ruth had made plans for the cat. At least she’d told somebody she was going away. She was a sensible woman. Tim wasn’t going to let it worry him if he could help it. “So… you’re seeing someone new, huh? I’ll bet he’s hot and hung like a stallion. I thought you had a glow about you. You’re looking really good, lately. Has Artie got you on his weight-loss diet, too?”
“Thanks, Tim, but you’re not gonna worm another word out of me, not even with flattery, so give it up. I’ll let you know just as soon as it’s any of your business, and not a minute sooner.”
“Alright, but if you hear from Aunt Ruth, ask her to call me, okay?”
“That I will do. And right now I’ve got to be on my way home.”
“Me, too. I’ve gotta work tonight. See you later, Teresa.”
Tim thought he had plenty of time, but by the time he stopped at Cliff’s for an appliance bulb for the refrigerator and waited in line at Walgreens for a refill on his HIV meds, the day was slipping away. He still had to run home and change for work. By the time he walked in the door at Arts, there were already two tables filled, both in James’ section, and Artie was worried about him. “There you are, Tim! I was getting ready to call out the cops.”
Tim was surprised to see Sam at the bar. “I’m sorry I’m late, Artie. I lost track of the time. Sam, when did you get back in town?”
“I just got in from Rome this afternoon. Do you know where your Aunt Ruth is? I was hoping someone here could tell me. I’ve left messages on her home phone and her cell phone is out of range all the time. Artie said she asked for some time off, but I can’t imagine where she is.”
“I haven’t heard from her either, but Teresa’s taking care of her cat. She said Aunt Ruth told her she needed to go away for a while and I guess she figured since you were out of town anyway, this was a good time. Teresa doesn’t know where she went either, but she left plenty of food for Bartholomew.
A group of potential customers on the sidewalk were reading the menu and nodding their heads. Now they opened the door and started filing in, so Tim excused himself to get rid of his jacket and start work. He was just in time. Within another twenty minutes all the tables were filled with a line out the door. The next time he looked toward where Sam was sitting, he noticed Rosa Rivera was there too and she was making herself very familiar. She had one leg bent at the knee and it was pressed against Sam’s calf while her fingertip was sliding down Sam’s jaw. Tim had seen his Aunt Ruth use the same motion on Sam. Where did women learn this stuff? The next time Tim had a chance to look, Sam and Rosa were both gone.
Hours later, Nick arrived at the bar as Tim cleared the dessert plates from his last table. He found a place at the bar, ordered a drink and talked with Scott until Tim came up behind him and pinched his seat. “Hey, stud! New in town? I missed you last night.”
“Snowman!” Nick nuzzled Tim’s neck with his lips and gave him a pat on the ass. “I hate working on Saturdays, but I told you I couldn’t come down. I’ll make it up to you. Do you wanna join me for a drink here or do we have other plans?”
“Let’s stay for one. I have to count out my tips. Order me a beer when Scott gets caught up… or better yet, let’s move down to Artie’s end. I want to ask him about something.”
When Artie finally got around to it, he told Tim that Rosa just came in to drop off more entry forms. She’d insisted that Artie introduce her to Sam, but he wasn’t interested in her come-ons and left right afterward. Even though Artie was one of Rosa Rivera’s biggest fans, he thought her behavior was inappropriate. “I told her Sam was Ruth’s fiancé, but that didn’t slow her down one bit. She was like a desperate woman! It was downright tacky!”
“I wish Aunt Ruth had seen her flirting with him. She’d think twice about sneaking out of town.”
“Especially now, since Rosa knows she’s missing!” Artie said.
“Who’s missing?” Nick asked, looking up from the current issue of the Bay Area Reporter someone had left on the bar in front of him.
“My mysterious Aunt Ruth has vanished. Sam hasn’t been able to reach her either. He just got back in town today, so she probably didn’t think he would worry. Artie said she asked for some time off and Teresa’s taking care of Bartholomew.”
“I didn’t know there was anything mysterious about it,” Nick said. “I just saw her yesterday.”
“You did? Where? When? Why didn’t you tell me? What did she say?”
“Nothing. I didn’t talk to her, Snowman. She didn’t even see me. I stopped for gas in Santa Rosa. When I was pulling into the station I saw her pulling out. There was someone else in the car with her, too.”
“But I thought Sam just got back today,” Tim said.
“Was it a man?” Arturo had just come out of the kitchen and was trying to catch up with the conversation.
“No, Arturo,” Artie said. “We already know Sam was in Rome until today. Besides, if she and Sam were out for a drive, they wouldn’t take her old car. They would take his car or a car with a driver. Unless they were going someplace secret.”
“Artie,” Tim interrupted, “we already know for sure it wasn’t Sam. He was just here looking for her.”
“Who else would Ruth have in her car?” Arturo asked.
“It was a woman… an older woman,” Nick said. “Is Ruth’s mother still around?”
“My grandmother died when I was just a kid. I showed you that picture of her and me, remember?”
“Oh yeah. Sorry.”
“Did you follow them? Did it look like they were headed back toward the city?”
“No, Snowman, I was working. I was on my way to give an estimate on a big project, miles from there. I didn’t have time to waste and I didn’t know Ruth was missing. She was pulling out from one end of the station when I was pulling into the other. She had to wait for a logging truck to go by and then she turned left and went right past me. I waved, but she didn’t even see me.”
“Maybe she went up north to visit an old girlfriend,” Nick said.
“Right,” Artie agreed. “From when she was at Stanford.”
“She must know lots of old classmates from her college days.” Nick tried to be optimistic and dispel the aura of mystery.
“You went to college, didn’t you?” Tim asked.
“Yeah, a long time ago.”
“Not as long ago as my Aunt Ruth.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hardly keep in touch with anybody I knew from before I lived in San Francisco. Maybe it’s different for women than for gay guys, but how many of your old college friends are you still in touch with these days, Nick?”
Nick thought about it. “No classmates, but there are people I still know now that I knew then.”
“Besides your parents and grandparents?”
“One or two… are you ready to head home?”
“Sure. G’night, Artie. G’night, Arturo… Scott. Seeya later, guys…” Tim waved to his coworkers.
Tim wanted to stop for a drink at the Mix to unwind after work, but there was no place to sit indoors and the patio was jammed. “Do you want to try Moby’s?” Nick asked.
“Nah… it’ll be just as bad and I’m tired of being on my feet.”
Nick had parked on the street in front of Tim’s house. As they got nearer, they noticed lights on downstair
s and a cobalt blue Jaguar in the driveway. “Sam must be visiting his family,” Tim said.
“I almost forgot I’ve got the belt sander for your kitchen floor in the back of my truck. Help me get it out, will you? I nearly wrenched my back getting it in there by myself.”
They struggled up the stairs with the sander and left it in the middle of the kitchen floor. Then they undressed each other without turning on the lights. Afterward, Tim said, “You were in a big hurry this time, huh?”
“I’d been saving it up all week.” Nick stroked Tim’s thigh.
“I was just thinking. I guess I don’t need to worry about you messing around with other guys when I’m not looking.” The words came out of Tim’s mouth and he regretted them right away. He didn’t even want to think about that, much less talk about it. Nick didn’t pick up on what Tim had said, but rubbed up against him closer instead.
Tim grinned and pushed Nick’s hair away from his face. Tim almost forgot to take his pills that night, but he could tell by his dreams that his drugs were hard at work in his system. He was riding in the back of Nick’s truck, trying to keep the belt sander from bouncing around. Then the truck became a car and the sander disappeared. Tim was in the back seat and his Aunt Ruth was driving. A gray-haired woman was asleep in the passenger’s seat.
Then the car became his father’s car. Tim was a little boy in the back seat listening to his parents arguing. His mother was drunk and his father was angry… nothing out of the ordinary, but she jerked at the steering wheel and Tim jumped as he woke up from his dream.
“You okay, babe?” Nick asked.
“I’m fine… just a dream.” Tim had a sudden urge to turn on the light and see if Nick’s eyes were really as incredibly blue as the day they first met on the back stairs. He slid down in the bed a little and Nick pulled him closer.
“Ready for round two?”
“Don’t get excited. Morning will be here soon enough and we can spend it in bed.” Tim extricated his naked body from Nick’s, went to the bathroom, got a drink of water and swallowed a couple of aspirin before his headache could take hold. He looked out the east window at the driveway and Sam’s car was gone.
Wedding Season Page 11