(It’s Just a Damn Lock)

NOW

(Evan)

Mike opened the door and waved me inside. “Don’t mind the mess, man. I’m behind on shit like crazy right now.”

The table was covered in papers in what looked like an all too familiar mess. Paperwork was the worst fucking part of anything business related. Even for a guy like Mike who took over the family plumbing business, he couldn’t escape the hell of invoices, payables, receivables, and whatever other nonsense waited.

As Mike started to clear a spot at the table, I grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t bother. I know how this goes. It falls on your shoulders, huh?”

“I own the company now.”

“Right. Well, I know how it feels.”

“You miss a week or two and it explodes.”

“Yup,” I said. “My uncle doesn’t believe in paperwork. He does handshakes and hard work. Sounds good in theory in that tough cowboy way, but in reality, it’s not how it works.”

“I spent a couple days visiting my old man,” Mike said. “He was having a rough go. Asking for my mother. Confused as anything. Even with me there… it helped but not much. I finally got to a point where I said I had to leave. I couldn’t see it.”

“Fuck,” I said. “I’m so sorry, man. There’s nothing they can do?”

“No. It’s just about trying to keep him comfortable and wait it all out.”

“Wait it all out?”

“Yeah. Wait for him to die.”

Mike shoved some papers away and walked to the kitchen. He went to the fridge and grabbed two beers. It was just like when I first came back to town for Anna’s funeral.

I felt bad for Mike. I felt bad for anyone who got trapped in this town. That included Adena. Which was why I took the beer from Mike and twisted off the cap.

“Hey,” I said. “I don’t want to be an asshole and change the subject…”

“Go ahead,” Mike said. “I know you’re not here to party.”

“It’s about Adena.”

“Shocker.”

“What does that mean?”

“I never thought the day would come when you’d be back in town. But then again… Adena. It makes sense.”

“Why’s that?”

“Damn, Evan, she was all you ever talked about. I don’t think you even realized it either. You would chase so many girls away because of Adena. Then you’d run off with Anna.”

“You know she and I never…”

“I know,” Mike said. “So what do you need to know about Adena?”

“Her business. Not personal business. But her business. She was running a bakery. Right?”

“Yeah. She had a little shop. Mostly did catering. If that’s what you’d call it. She’d make the stuff and go to places.”

“You ever have anything?”

“Yeah.”

“Good stuff?”

“Very good,” Mike said. “She made all the local businesses Christmas cookies each year. Delivered them in an old tin. Wearing a Santa hat. She was happy. Smiling.”

“Until her sister ruined it,” I said.

“Well, I don’t know what happened to her business. I wasn’t exactly keeping an eye out for her. No offense.”

“Where was the place located?”

“Her business? Maybe a mile from here. Why?”

“Let me ask you something, Mike. How do you feel about the old days? Reliving them for a second?”

“Meaning what?”

I smiled and took a big swig of the beer. “Grab two more beers and let’s go for a ride…”

* * *

“This is fucking crazy,” Mike said.

“Don’t worry about it. Tommy’s on duty anyway. He wouldn’t do anything to us.”

“You know, I’m a respectable member of this town.”

“No you’re not,” I said with a laugh.

“Evan…”

“I’m going inside this place,” I said. “I asked how you felt about the old days. Live a little, Mike. Your life is a fucking mess. Just like mine. We used to not give a shit about anything. Plus, when was the last time this place was used?”

“I don’t know. I don’t keep watch…”

“Good,” I said. “Now give me those big ass pliers.”

Mike held the giant set of pliers with one hand and a bottle of beer with the other.

He reluctantly looked at the pliers, then handed them to me.

Sometimes in life you had to go a little crazy to remind yourself that it was okay to be alive. I’m sure Mike’s old man would have agreed with me if he were there with us. Same with Dick. And even if Tommy did want to bust my balls for what I was doing, I’d explain why and he’d back off.

I used the pliers to grip the chain on the back door. It wasn’t like there were millions of dollars hidden inside the building. The chain that kept the back door shut wasn’t even hooked up all that tight. It took me a couple good twists and a yell to break it.

It popped free with metal clanking against metal. I put the pliers on the ground and opened the door.

“You can hang out here,” I said to Mike. “I’ve got things to do.”

Mike grasped my arm. “You love her, don’t you?”

“What?”

“Adena. You love her, man. That’s why you’re doing this.”

“That’s exactly why I’m doing this,” I said.

“You know, most guys would just buy some flowers and say I love you…”

I held the door open, not really giving a shit about how many laws I was breaking. I grinned at Mike.

“That’s the thing… I’m not most guys… and Dena is not just some woman… she’s my woman, and she needs to know how much she matters to me.”