Bound to Burn

10. Love is Love

10

LOVE IS LOVE

CASH

I Wanna Be Sedated by Ramones

Angel’s thrift store is crowded with spiral racks of clothes pushed close together that slap you like a drive through carwash when you walk between them. When we finally get to the back of the store, there are glass cases filled with leather wallets, gold watches, and tennis bracelets. On the wall are shelves filled with knickknacks, car radios, purses, and anything else you can imagine.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the thrift store, and Angel has updated a few things - like adding lighting inside the cases, and shelves to hold the knock-off purses. I don’t know f**k about purses, but I sure as s**t know Louis Vuitton is not spelled Louise Vutton. It’s probably a relative named Louise who makes them, knowing Angel.

“You interested in a gold chain?” Angel holds up a thick chain with a large medallion hanging from it.

Jack pierces him with a glare. “Do I look like I f*****g wear gold chains?”

Angel puts the necklace back. “Okay, okay,” he holds his hands up in resignation. “Twenty percent off, though.” He gives a big toothy grin.

“I can’t believe I am in a thrift store looking at engagement rings,” Jack mumbles to me. He points to a diamond ring. “Angelina Jolie probably filed a police report for this one.”

I chuckle. “It’s a nice ring.” I jab him with my elbow.

Jack scoffs and shakes his head.

“Seriously though, Erin is not going to care if you got the ring from Tiffany’s or from Angel’s thrift store. She’d wear a ring from an actual gumball machine if it came from you.” I poke him in the chest.

There’s a loud buzz that echoes through the store. “I gotta get the back door,” Angel says.

“There’s a back door?” Jack asks.

“It’s my nephew, Gabriel,” Angel says.

Jack looks as though he’s ready to leave, but I stop him. “Hey, Gabriel might be bringing in something new,” I joke.

“You’re really enjoying this,” Jack grumbles.

“I’ll be right back,” Angel says, and then makes the universal sign for ‘I’ve got eyes on you’. “Smile, you’re on camera.” He then points to a camera mounted to the ceiling.

“Is he serious?” Jack says to me.

“I don’t think it works.” I shake my head as I look up at the unit that was probably original to the building.

We stand awkwardly, looking around the shop. Jack has been in a foul mood all afternoon.

I turn to him and ask, “Why am I here?”

“Because you like my company,” Jack answers quickly.

I roll my eyes because I should have expected that. “I mean, why did you ask me to go with you? Isn’t Wade more suited to this task?”

“You’re right, he would love this shit.” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. “But it’s the best man’s job to put up with me while I hyperventilate about picking out a f*****g engagement ring.” His voice gets more agitated towards the end of the sentence.

For a second, I take in his words. “Is this how you ask me to be your best man?” I curl my lip and knit my brows.

Jack huffs. “You gonna make this awkward?”

I contemplate that for a minute, drumming my fingers against my lips. “I think you owe it to me to ask properly.” I shift my weight, enjoying how uncomfortable I’m making him.

“This isn’t prom, dickweed.”

“Think of it as practice for asking Erin to marry you,” I suggest, because knowing Jack, he would probably just shove the ring at her and say ‘hey we’re getting married’.

“Look, if you don’t want to do it, just say so. Wade is dying for the role.”

I have no doubt about that.

“If you ask Erin that way, I’m almost positive she’s going to say no.” I can’t help but tease him.

I think actual smoke comes out of his nose when he huffs at me, but then he rolls his eyes and shakes the hair from his forehead.

“Will you be…”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Angel appears from the back with his teenage nephew, Gabriel. He looks like Angel - except skinnier, younger, and a lot more handsome. “I thought when you said you needed a ring, I didn’t realize you two…” he smiles and points to me and Jack.

“What?” Jack looks horrified.

Angel puts up his hands. “No judgement. Love is love, right?” He smiles and laughs.

“Love is love.” Gabriel repeats and shakes his head agreeably.

“Are you high?” Jack asks Angel. “Is he high?” Jack turns to me and I shrug, enjoying every minute of Jack’s discomfort. “I’m not asking this i***t to marry me.”

“But I thought you loved me,” I say, hurt.

“Jilted at the altar.” Gabriel shakes his head. “Rough.” He turns to look at me sadly.

“Is that camera working?” Jack points to the ceiling. “Is Al Roker or some s**t going to come out any moment telling me I’ve been Punk’d?”

“I think you mean Ashton Kutcher, and that was like twenty years ago,” I explain to him.

“Somebody get me the f**k out of here,” Jack bellows.

It was funny for a while, but now I think Jack is actually going to have a mental breakdown.

“Jack,” I pull him aside and wave at Angel and Gabriel to give us a moment. “I think you need to breathe.”

“I need to get the f**k out of here is what I need.” Jack leans over the glass counter that lines the north wall of the shop. Behind it are various types of car stereo units sitting on a shelf. Some of them even have tape decks.

“What is that?” I hear Jack say and look over to see him pointing in the case.

“What?” I look over in the direction he’s pointing, not expecting to see a vintage looking diamond ring. It’s beautiful and elegant, and I see exactly why Jack is taken with it, because it reminds me of Erin.

I peer down into the glass along with Jack and smile. “I think she’ll love it.”

“Ah, it’s a beauty, huh?” Angel pulls the velvet box from its case and places it in front of Jack. He almost looks like he’s afraid to touch it.

“I’ll take it.” Jack flicks the box closed and holds it in the palm of his hand as if it’s a bomb ready to detonate. Something changes in him as if he has resolved some inner war, and he closes his hand around the box and then places it in his pocket.

“You don’t want me to wrap it up?” Angel asks.

“No.”

Jack hands Angel his credit card, and Angel rings him up. I start to say something but he interrupts me. “I don’t want to know.” He holds a hand up in front of me.

“I was just going to say that it doesn’t look like something Angelina Jolie would wear.”

“That’s helpful,” Jack says, sarcastically.

Jack takes his card back from Angel. “Good luck you two!” Angel calls after us as we exit the store.

“You know what I’m gonna do?” Jacks asks, ignoring Angel.

I stop for effect, waiting for him to continue.

“I’m going to make you wear a f*****g tuxedo at my wedding, you dick.” Jack points a finger at me and continues to exit the store.

I can hear Angel cackling behind us.

“That’s what I’m gonna do.” He stomps down the block towards the record store. “You see how that works?” He smirks at me. “f**k with me, and I’ll make you pay,” he grumbles.

My eyes grow wide. “I think I’ve been tortured enough this year,” I complain, thinking back to the suit I had to wear for the christening of Wade’s baby.

“Not nearly enough, my friend.” He puts his arm around my neck in a chokehold as I struggle to get out of his grasp.

“Get off me you psycho.” I push him away, laughing.

We get back to the record store and stop by Jack’s car.

“When are you going to ask her?”

Jack touches his pocket. “When I deserve her,” he says solemnly.

“So that would be never.”

“f**k off, Morgan.”

Jack looks at the store curiously. “How’s the new hire working out?”

“Sasha,” I remind him. “Fine. It’s going fine.” I scratch the back of my neck.

Jack crosses his arms over his chest, stretching the t-shirt over his biceps.

“Fine, huh?” He raises his eyebrows, clearly not believing me.

“It’s not like that.” I retort, rolling my eyes at him.

I follow his gaze to the store. I can see her moving around inside because the windows are actually clean, and she took down the ripped posters. The store actually looks like it has life in it now. I know I’ve been neglecting it for a long time, but I was just trying to get through the day.

“She’s only helping for the summer,” I say.