Chapter 3-3
1082 Words
Mary Ellen talked incessantly the entire drive home. Her whiny voice made Eron’s head throb. He wanted to be alone to sort out everything going on in his head.
What kind of a screwy thought was that? Eron Lassiter did not normally think about things like this. Quick deliberation and eloquence had made him into the lawyer he was today.
“And then…” Mary Ellen told another tale of the antics that Eron had missed.
When Eron had woken up that morning, it had been a typical Saturday morning. He read the paper, had breakfast, and prepared for his uncle’s wedding. He never imagined what meeting Garrett Emerson would do to him. For him.
Then why was I so rude to him? Eron had treated Garrett horribly. Garrett literally opened himself up to Eron and Eron blurted out the first words that came to his head. It had been a long time since he had uttered what was on his mind so quickly. The memory of his father’s long past scolding burned in his mind.
“Eron, are you listening to me? Did you hear what I said? Isn’t that the funniest thing?”
Mary Ellen didn’t give him a chance to answer any of her questions, but kept rambling about the reception.
If Eron was honest with himself, he didn’t know why he kept seeing Mary Ellen or why she kept seeing him like this. He couldn’t imagine listening to her stories for the rest of his life, but something kept him coming back to her, taking her out.
Propriety. Honor. Expectation.
All three of those words swirled in his head. The breeze blowing through the car didn’t cool or comfort him.
Not desire, lust, or affection. But that’s how Garrett made him feel.
Had he ever felt that way about Mary Ellen? Underneath all the makeup and beauty treatments, she was a nice person. The alcohol and socializing with just the right people made her pretentious. No, he had never felt the way about Mary Ellen, or any woman, as he did about Garrett right now.
“Really, Eron, everyone was talking about your and Garrett’s disappearing act,” Mary Ellen continued to whine.
“We got bored and went to get some air,” Eron said.
“But you were gone for so long, everybody asked about you. George, Susan, Garrett’s father, that girlfriend of Garrett’s.”
Eron didn’t say anything. He just kept driving.
“You know, I suppose I expected this to happen, I just thought we’d be married first.”
“And what is that, Mary Ellen?”
“Philandering. I suppose all I ask is that you keep it under wraps. Wipe the lipstick off your collar before you come back. And please don’t do this sort of thing at a family event again.” Her tone sounded final and rehearsed.
Eron craned his neck to check for the lipstick. He grinned slightly. If she only knew.
“It wasn’t at all what you or anyone else think.”
“Eron, seriously, you’re going to have to get better at lying if this arrangement is going to work.” She crossed her arms and faced him.
Eron shrugged. Was he trying to wave her off or dismiss his feelings about the situation that just happened with Garrett? Eron should have fought back, but he couldn’t find it within him.
“I guess the wedding was a bit overwhelming. I showed Garrett the rest of the country club, parts of it he’ll never see on an official tour. If I was off with another woman, why would I have come back with him in tow?”
“Don’t go cross-examining me!”
She was bound and determined to believe that Eron had wandered off from the reception with another woman. He supposed that was better than knowing it was Garrett Emerson.
* * * *
Eron spent the next day in confused seclusion. He tried not to think about the events of the day before and eventually he stopped wandering and wondering. After he took a shower around four in the afternoon, he changed into a pair of loose jeans and T-shirt and went to his den to watch TV. There was nothing on, the networks were between their summer schedule of reruns and the new seasons that would start in a few weeks.
The ringing telephone interrupted his solitude. Eron leaned over to pick it up after the first ring.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Eron, it’s George!”
“Oh, hi, Uncle George, how are you?”
“I am good, son.”
“Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?” Eron chuckled. He wrapped his fingers in the cord to stave off the nervous energy that suddenly burst through him.
George parroted Eron’s laugh. “We’re getting ready to leave tomorrow for a short trip. Listen, you disappeared yesterday, son, and I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
The fear and worry that Eron had worked hard to suppress roared inside him. “Uh, I’m fine.”
Shit!
Eron had justified that no one missed them except their dates.
“All right, I just wanted to check on you and hear it for myself.”
Eron said goodbye and they hung up. He tried to relax again, but watching the television didn’t help. Either he’d seen the program or an actor reminded him of Garrett. Eron hadn’t thought about men that way since the early days of high school. He wasn’t sure if he was comfortable with the idea now.
The phone ringing again interrupted Eron’s self-inflicted isolation.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Eron, this is Garrett Emerson.”
* * * *
Though Garrett had swallowed hard before speaking, the phlegm in his throat made him squeak when he spoke.
“Hi,” was all Eron said after Garrett introduced himself. His bland reply did not comfort Garrett’s nerves.
“I called to say hello.”
Garrett hadn’t slept well and squandered the day away in apprehensive reserve. Only working at the flea market for a brief time had helped calm him. After he returned home, the anxiety over the events of the day before returned.
“I’m cool.”
“Cool” didn’t seem like a word that Eron would use, but Garrett was glad he had said something.
“I should let you get back to things, then.”
Silence followed.
“Uh…Garrett?”
“Yes?” Garrett struggled to contain his enthusiasm.
More silence followed, but Eron eventually spoke up. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea to call each other like this or see each other outside of family functions.”
As quickly as Garrett had regained his fragile confidence when Eron finally spoke, his words cut through the charade. Garrett’s stomach churned. It took all his self-control to stop him from vomiting right there in the living room.
“Uh, sure, yeah, that’s fine,” Garrett said.
“It’s just that we aren’t really related and I’d hate it if something didn’t work out between George and Susan and then I couldn’t be friends with you out of loyalty to George.”
Eron was right. “Yeah, sure, that sounds good,” Garrett said.
“I’m sure we’ll see you over Labor Day weekend or Thanksgiving at least, then?”
“Sure.”
“Goodbye, Garrett.”
The line clicked in Garrett’s ear. Garrett held the phone to his ear for a long time. Only vomiting on the living room rug made him drop the receiver.
- Writer
