by J. M. Pierce
“What do you mean? There’s nothing,” replied Test coyly.
James leaned his head back over the side of the truck and shouted into the air.
“Oh come on man!” He quickly sat up and turned into Test. “I saw the way you two looked at each other in that office. You can’t tell me there isn’t something there.”
Test choked, but still couldn’t restrain the smile.
“Okay, I admit…there is an attraction there.”
“Go on,” replied James.
Test smacked his knees with open palms. “What do you want me to say? I barely know the girl.”
“Alright, alright,” replied James patting Test on the back. “I think that shell of yours is starting to crack though!”
He winked at Test innocently, but the sight of it brought back the dream of the farm in a frightening flash. He suddenly felt cold as a pins and needles sensation covered his skin. His heart began to skip. He could hear James talking, but couldn’t focus.
The next thing he knew, someone was standing over him, clutching his shoulders and shaking him violently.
“Hey!” the figure yelled.
Test’s eyes came into focus and he could see James take a knee in front of him. The truck had come to a stop and Rob was already standing at the tailgate.
“What the hell was that?” asked James.
Confused, Test replied, “What?”
“You just went off to la-la land, dill-weed,” barked Rob.
Test lifted his head and regained his bearings. They were stopped on the dirt road in the middle of the forest, not far from the job site. The morning light was now streaming through the trees, and the shadows danced in and out of the cloud of dust left by the truck as they had driven down the road.
“You gonna be okay?” asked James. “You want me to take you back into town?”
Pushing James away, Test stood to his feet and replied red faced with embarrassment. “I’m fine. Let’s just get to work.”
“Are you…,” James began.
Agitated, Test interrupted and retook his seat.
“I said I’m fine!” Test leaned over his knees and rubbed his forehead in frustration. “I’m sorry,” said Test with his gaze focused on the bed of the truck. He lifted his torso and rested his elbows on his knees. “All I want to do is work. I don’t want to let anyone down again.”
James stood in the truck and looked at Rob.
“Well…you heard the man. Get goin’.”
Rob pounded the tailgate with the side of his fist as he turned and walked to the cab. “Damned waste of breath if you ask me,” he said malevolently.
James stepped quickly to Rob, placing one foot on the side of the truck bed, and leaned down to him aggressively. “I don’t remember asking you, Rob, so shut your smart ass, God forsaken, diarrhea mouth and drive the damned truck!”
Test looked at Rob’s face and was delighted to see a flinch of submission. The delight was short lived as Rob quickly squared his shoulders and looked to him with a vicious stare. Amused, Test let a smile creep onto his face, further annoying Rob. Without further incident, Rob stepped to the driver’s door and hopped into the cab. Before James could take a seat, the truck was started and put into gear, leaving him to scramble for balance and take the seat opposite Test.
“Thanks,” said Test.
James grinned and smacked Test on the knee. “No need for thanks. I’ve been looking for a reason to do that for a long time.”
*****
Once on the job site, the morning had gone relatively smooth. Test’s body had loosened up to the point that, with the exception of the back of his head, he didn’t notice the soreness as he had before. The sweat seemed to sear into the cut with a burning sensation that was nearly constant.
With the sun high overhead, Test looked up to realize that he was the only one working. He looked through the maze of skeleton walls in front of him to see Alyssa walking towards him with a burlap grocery sack hanging from her right arm. She had a wonderful sparkling smile that rendered the smudges of dirt on her face invisible to Test’s eyes. Her hair was pulled back and there were stray strands hanging here and there.
“You ready for lunch?” she asked standing outside of the maze.
With a smile Test dropped his nail gun and took off his tool belt. Unable to stop smiling, he looked at her and replied. “Now that you mention it, I am kinda hungry.”
“Good. I made us some sandwiches. Is turkey okay?” she asked timidly.
“It’s perfect,” he replied.
Test stepped to the ground and walked towards her. Her eyes were locked on him, and as he stood before her he unexpectedly reached his hand to her face and wiped the smudge from her cheek. Alyssa’s face became flushed as she glanced back and forth between Test’s face and the ground.
“I must look awful, huh?”
“Actually,” replied Test, “I was thinking just the opposite.”
He surprised himself at how direct and unafraid he was able to be. Typically, when he was around a girl that he liked, he was always nervous and his speech was stammered, but not with Alyssa.
Her eyes filled with attraction, Alyssa gently took Test’s hand in hers and the two of them walked into the woods. After a short stroll, they found a fallen tree with the perfect crook for a seat. The sun was streaming through the canopy and the air was so still it was as if time had stopped. Alyssa was the first to take a seat as she reached into the bag and pulled out a sandwich, handing it to Test with a smile.
“Thank you,” replied Test as he sat beside her.
The two of them remained silent for a bit while they ate their lunch. Test was careful not to be his usual self and inhale his food, though he took comfort in the fact that Alyssa didn’t appear to be timid in the moment.
“How’s your day going?” asked Alyssa as she took the last bite of her sandwich.
With a chuckle, Test replied. “All things considered…pretty good I guess.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m lucky to have a job after yesterday,” replied Test in a matter of fact way.
Alyssa looked at Test with a wrinkled nose. “Oh…I don’t think you were going to lose your job.”
“Oh?” replied Test mockingly. “After that meeting with Enrique this morning, I’m pretty sure I’m on thin ice.”
Alyssa took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, allowing her shoulders to relax and droop slightly. “Can I tell you something if you promise not to repeat it?”
Test looked at her with an amused expression. “I’m pretty good at keeping secrets.”
“Uncle Enrique had a son,” began Alyssa.
“Yeah, he told me about him. Died when he was younger, right?”
Choking lightly on emotion, Alyssa replied. “Yes. Mark was a heavy drug user. He went to sleep one night…and never woke up.”
“Did you know him well?” asked Test respectfully.
“We used to play together during the summer when we were younger. When he got older, he didn’t ever seem to have time when I was around.” She paused for a moment, looking off in the distance through the trees.
“Why are you telling me this?” asked Test carefully, trying to be sensitive to her feelings.
Alyssa looked into his eyes. “Because Uncle Enrique says that you remind him of Mark.”
Test sat stunned, struggling to comprehend what she meant.
Alyssa continued as she rested her hand on his. “You being around makes him feel like he has part of his son back.”
“Wow,” replied Test in somewhat of a daze. “I don’t know what to say.”
“That’s why he was so upset about you disappearing yesterday. He was afraid that you had done something that you shouldn’t.”
“But I don’t…”
Alyssa quickly put her hand over his mouth. “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me.” Slowly she dropped her hand. “It does matter to him though.”
Test leaned back on the
log and ran his hands through his hair, looking long into the canopy overhead. He closed his eyes and let the flashes of light color the back of his eyelids. He then felt the soft touch of Alyssa’s hand on his back, gently stroking back and forth with her fingertips.
“Don’t let it upset you, Chance.”
Test opened his eyes and noticed that she had moved close enough to him that there was little room separating them. The two of them sat with their faces only inches apart. He was entranced by her disheveled hair and dirty face.
“I’m scared of this,” replied Test bashfully.
Alyssa lifted her hand once more, only this time she gently brushed Test’s cheek with the backside of her fingers. “Don’t be scared. Just let nature take its course,” she said with an innocent little smile.
Test closed his eyes again and breathed deeply. Her touch felt so good. He hadn’t felt comforted like this in a long time. Suddenly, Rob’s voice came crashing through the woods, shattering the tranquility of the moment.
“Chance!”
Test snapped to his feet and looked down to a still smiling Alyssa.
“I have to get back to work,” he said regretfully.
“I hope you enjoyed your lunch,” she replied.
“The lunch was fine,” Test hesitated as he kicked at the ground. “The company was exceptional.”
Alyssa stood and took Test’s hand into hers. “Do it again tomorrow?”
Test nodded his head and began to walk away, letting his hand slip softly from her grasp. After several steps, he looked over his shoulder to see her still standing, watching him as he disappeared into the trees.
As he walked back into the clearing of the job site, he saw James standing by the truck, grinning and clapping his hands. Test extended his middle finger with a smile and changed direction. He stepped back into the maze of two by fours, and as he glanced through the skeleton work, he saw a dark figure standing at the opposite end of the cabin. He stared at it for a moment, the figure unmoving and solid. He blinked once and the figure was gone.
What the hell is going on? he thought to himself with a rush of fear pounding through his veins.
He reached back and touched the cut on his head as he scanned his surroundings. Seeing no one, he cautiously picked up his tool belt and sighed as he fastened it to his waist. With the sound of saws cutting through the silence of the woods, he picked up the nail gun and went back to work.
Chapter 9
The day had ended without incident, and as he leaned against the truck, Test watched Alyssa picking up bits of trash strewn around the work site.
“How’s it goin’ studly?”
Test shuttered at the sound of James’s voice coming from behind him. Knowing that he had been busted admiring Alyssa’s blessings, he spun to see James lifting a water jug to his lips. Embarrassed, Test quickly jumped away from the truck and turned to his foreman.
“Uh…pretty good,” he replied. Though he tried, Test couldn’t keep the smirk from his lips as his faced flushed a bright shade of red.
“You talked to Enrique at all today?” asked James with a raised eyebrow.
Confused, Test replied. “No. Why; something wrong?”
“No, not at all. I figured after the ass chewin’ you took this morning that he would be a son of a bitch to work with.”
“So he’s been in a good mood?” asked Test.
“Well, I think he feels bad about ripping you so hard this morning. He’s asked me how you were doing several times today.”
“Really?” asked Test, remembering the conversation with Alyssa over lunch.
“Yeah, but don’t say anything,” replied James.
Test answered sincerely. “I won’t. Thanks for letting me know.”
With a pat on the back, James left Test to finish packing up for the day. Test looked around the sight. The light was beginning to fade, and a sudden moment of peace washed over him. They were so far and few between that he closed his eyes and savored it.
Hearing a loud bang, Test opened his eyes and quickly turned around. His moment of peace had been interrupted by a door slamming behind him. It was Enrique packing up his truck. Quickly, almost bashfully, Enrique looked at Test and nodded his head in acknowledgment of his presence. Test returned the gesture with a quick wave of his hand and a head nod of his own. Letting his eyes drop to the ground until Enrique had walked away, he turned and looked up to the skeletal cabin.
Through the structure, he could see two figures standing on the ground behind. Once his eyes were able to focus through the maze, he could see it was Alyssa and another man. With an unexpected rush of jealousy, he began to walk towards them, and as he did, he could see that Alyssa was backing away. It was then Test could see who she was with.
Eric stood with his arms open and walked steadily toward her as she continued to back away from him. Test’s pace quickened and as he came around the corner, Alyssa turned.
Surprised and seemingly relieved, Alyssa spoke. “Chance, I’m ready to help you with that thing if you’re ready for me?” Her voice was quivering slightly and her face was washed with concern.
Without so much as a twitch, Test replied. “Let’s go.”
His gaze moved to Eric who stood now with his hands shoved into his pockets. The expression on his face was that of a child who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
With a belittling salute, Test spoke sternly to Eric. “See ya.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Eric quipped. His line of sight alternating erratically between the ground and Alyssa, he spoke with a quiet yet menacing tone. “I’ll talk to you later Alyssa, huh?”
Without reply, Alyssa walked quickly to Test’s side. His body was rigid as he glared angrily at Eric.
“Let’s go, Chance. We’re running out of daylight.”
Test turned to see Alyssa now several feet from him, holding out her hand for him to take. He took it, and as the two of them walked away, he shot a threatening look to Eric. A rush of anger overtook him as Eric’s only response was to smile back devilishly.
“What the hell was that all about?” asked Test.
“It’s nothing. He just wanted me to go out with him tonight, but didn’t want to take no for an answer.”
“Do I need to teach him what no means?” asked Test protectively.
Alyssa stopped and turned to him. “Why, Chance, do I detect some jealousy?” she asked in a flirty tone.
Knowing that she was right, but not wanting to admit it, Test replied. “Maybe a touch.”
Alyssa leaned into him, laid her hand on his chest, rested her cheek on his and whispered playfully in his ear. “Thank you for saving me.”
Test closed his eyes and leaned his head back, her touch and breath on his skin almost putting him into a trance. Slowly, he opened his eyes and lowered his head to see her walking away.
Chapter 10
The truck bounced roughly as they pulled away from the job site. Test had many reasons to be happy with the day. While he wanted nothing more than to give in to Alyssa’s flirting, the dream from the previous nights sleep, and the cut on the back of his head served as reminders to the fact that anything more than friends would become exponentially more complicated.
He was haunted by the dream, more specifically the image of the man standing at the truck window. Though the dream had left him fearful and uneasy, the inability to connect the dots and understand why the young man seemed so familiar forced his mind to continually search for the answer.
James, Enrique, and Alyssa had taken the main truck to a location that was to be the next build sight, leaving Test to ride with Jordan in the second truck back into town. Encompassed by his thoughts, he had failed to recognize that Eric was staring at him from the cab of the truck. Rob was driving hastily through the trees, and Eric sat poised in the passenger seat, his left arm draped on the back of the bench with his torso turned towards Test.
Test quickly looked away to avoid eye contact, and after waiting a coup
le of moments, he glanced back to the cab. Eric remained in the exact position with the same blank expression on his face. This time, instead of looking away, Test matched his stare and felt the ferocity mold itself onto his face. Eric responded with a slight grin, his gaze unwavering. Test watched Eric’s mouth move as he spoke to Rob, but even as he spoke, his eyes remained locked on him. Instantly the truck began to slow.
Turning to Jordan, Test asked, “What’s going on?”
Jordan shrugged his shoulders as he replied. “Who knows with those two idiots?”
The truck seemed to coast for a short while, and then came to an abrupt stop, leaving Jordan and Test to grab tightly to the sides of the bed. Both doors to the truck erupted as Rob and Eric stepped from the cab. Immediately Test jumped to his feet and stood in the middle of the bed, his eyes moving back and forth between the two of them.
Rob was the first to speak as the wad of tobacco in his lip spilled over.
“You got a problem there, Mr. Johnston?”
Test looked at Jordan who was eyes forward and rigid with fear. A flash of motion filled Test’s peripheral vision, and he turned just as Eric was coming over the side of the bed in one smooth motion. As Eric stood erect, inches from his face, Test could feel the ignition of the flame from within. Unwavering in his stance, Test leaned in slightly to the man in front of him.
“I suggest you back up, Eric.”