Teri sat at her kitchen table nursing a glass of wine, waiting for something she was almost certain would amount to nothing or at best not much. Her husband Jack was at work. He'd been working the graveyard shift the past few nights. She enjoyed not having him around at night. She looked out the window at her driveway, thought, I should have picked Clayton up, sighed. The phone rang. Jack asked about their kids. "They're fine," she said.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked.
None of your business, she thought.
"Having a glass of wine. Looking out the window," she said.
"At what?"
"The driveway."
"Jesus Christ."
"What time will you be home?"
"Two or three. I might get a couple beers after work."
I shouldn't be drinking, she thought, refilled her glass. I have classes tomorrow, I have to get the kids to school.
"See you when you get home," she said, hung up. Where is he, she thought.
Teri moved from the kitchen to the porch, watched the moon move subtly through a cloud over the house across the street. She saw Clayton walking about a minute before he arrived. She was both mad and happy also sad and relieved. At least he showed up, she thought. Clayton smiled, handed her a rose. "Thanks."
"I love you," he said.
"The moon is pretty tonight."
Clayton looked up. "Sure enough," he said, sat down beside her. "Would you like to share a beer?"
"Sure."
He pulled a can out of his jacket, opened it, handed it to her. They looked at the sky through the trees until the can was empty. "I'll take you home," Teri said.
"What about the kids?"
"They'll be alright. They're asleep. They won't even know I'm not here."
"What if they wake up?"
"They won't."
"How do you know that?"
"Cause they're my kids."
"I can walk."
"It's four miles. I'll go ask Martha to watch them."
Teri pulled over beside a river. "Can we share a cigarette?" Clayton lit one, handed it to her. The tape Hard Promises played softly. They could almost hear the water moving. "Where were you," Teri asked.
"The shit kicker dive on Victory Drive. It was Browns birthday. I wanted to come sooner." He tossed the cigarette. "I'm sorry."
"Jack works late tomorrow night."
"I'll be waiting on the corner and at your house five minutes after he leaves."
"Promise?"
"I do."
"Kiss me."
Clayton smiled. "I almost forgot." He pulled a joint out of his cigarette pack, handed it to her. "Smoke it latter if you get sad," he said,
When you cross the Chattahoochee River heading west out of Columbus you enter Phoenix City. When Patten was stationed at Fort Benning he lobbied to flatten Phoenix City with his tanks, according to legend. The Holiday Inn bar in Phoenix City stays open until five in the mourning, six Columbus time. At five - fifteen Phoenix City time Clayton, Rick, Jack and Wade stood on a bridge that separated cities, states and a time line about thirty feet above the water looking down. "I'm doing it," Rick said, took off his shirt, did a fine swan dive into pretty fast moving water they couldn't really see but heard. It almost looked like he dived into reverse sky or nothing. Clayton leaned over the railing. Wade laughed. "What a dumb shit," he said.
"Do you think he's dead?" Jack asked.
"Rick's a good swimmer," Clayton said.
"Rick's an idiot but he has balls," Wade said.
Clayton and Jack nodded.
"I better go look for him," Wade said, walked to the end of the bridge, disappeared.
Clayton lit a cigarette. "Do you have another one?" Jack asked. "Maryanne told me she saw Teri at the barracks tonight."
"What?" Clayton asked, handed Jack a smoke.
"Did you see Teri at the barracks tonight?"
"She gave me a ride."
Jack lit the cigarette, stared at Clayton for five seconds, took a drag, asked, "how did that come about?"
Clayton thought about his answer for as long as he could without drawing attention to the lie he was forced to tell without any advanced notice. "I stopped by your house. Rick told me you know where to get acid. I think it was Rick."
"He's right. Do you want a hit?"
"Yeah, of coarse I do."
"What did Teri do with the kids? Just leave them?"
"One of your neighbors watched them." Clayton looked over the railing.
"I'm surprised she didn't just leave them."
"She didn't."
"See anything?"
"I can't see shit."
"I found him," Wade yelled."
"Is he OK?" Jack yelled.
"No."
"Can you see them?" Clayton asked.
"I can't see anything."
"We're coming up!"
"No shit," Jack said, flicked his cigarette over the railing.
"Hey, who did you sell your M16 to?"
"Some nigger Brown knows."
Teri couldn't sleep. She drifted into the backyard, took a couple hits off the joint Clayton gave her, walked around the yard, went inside, turned on the TV, laid on the couch, took off her panties, masturbated. She thought about a guy who was three years ahead of her in high school. After a shower, she wondered, where is Jack, is Clayton thinking about me, do I have anything to make the kids for lunch?
Clayton stood behind a giant bush watching Teri's house. It was pretty cold. He'd been standing there about an hour. He thought this is kind of like being a spy, a narc or an asshole. He watched a bird fly from a tree to another tree. He glanced at his watch, wondered if he had the time Jack leaves for work wrong or is Jack running late or did he call in sick? He considered knocking on the door, thought better of it, sat on the grass but that made him colder. He decided to walk to a bar and have a beer when Jack walked out the door, got in a car that pulled up in front of the house. Two minutes latter he knocked on Teri's door. Teri opened the door. "You look cold."
Teri told Mike she had to do research at the library and arranged for Martha to watch the kids. "You need to walk away. I will pick you up down the road a little ways. Turn left at the stop sign," Teri said. They stopped at a grocery store, purchased a bottle of whiskey, bread, ham and potato chips. Clayton bought them a room in a cheep motel. Teri felt a little sleazy, that kind of turned her on. Clayton went to get a couple cans of Coke and ice. Teri made them each a sandwich, took off her cloths, laid on the bed. Clayton returned, smiled, fixed two drinks poured Coke in one, handed it to Teri. They ate, watched the Rockford Files. When they finished eating they made love. This wasn't their first time but it was different and almost felt like it was. They had time, not a abundance, but enough, that made a huge difference. After Clayton asked her what she wanted to do? "lay here with you."
"How much time do we have?"
"A couple hours."
Clayton made them another drink. The Rockford Files ended. They watched Cheers. Teri fell asleep. Clayton woke her an hour latter. They made love again. After, Teri dressed, kissed him, left.
Clayton walked to a bar, closed the place, staggered back to the room, laid down, couldn't sleep, drank the rest of the bottle of whiskey, threw the empty bottle at the TV. The bottle flew by the TV, hit the wall. He knew the night was the best it would ever be, that wasn't enough or more than enough, that made it worse.
Teri woke Jack, told him she needed to go to the grocery store, that she was also going to stop by the library. "You were there last night," Jack said.
"I have finals this week. I will be back as soon as I can. The kids are watching TV."
"You're a goddamn bitch," he said, rolled over.
"You look terrible," Teri said when Clayton opened the door.
Clayton smiled. "you look great."
Teri stepped over broken glass, looked at the broken glass, grinned, sat on the bed. "Get yourself together and I'll give you a ride to the base."
Clayton told Teri not to take him all the way to the barracks so she wouldn't be seen. She pulled over about a quarter mile short. They walked down a path in the woods. Clayton lit a cigarette, handed it to her. She took a few puffs, gave it back. "My semester ends on Thursday. We are leaving for Michigan on Saturday."
Clayton handed her the cigarette. A deer ran across the path about fifty yards in front of them. "You always knew I was going home. I have always hated this place."
"I get it."
They walked in silence deeper into the woods. It was pretty dark. The deer crossed the path behind them, like it was following them. "Say something," Teri said.
"What do you want me to say?"
"I don't want you to say anything. I do want you to say something."
"I wonder whats up with that deer."
Teri and Jack had a going away party on the night before they left. Jack asked Teri if she would come into their bedroom for a minute. "Close the door," Jack said. As soon as she did he broke her nose, shoved her on the bed, slapped her head. "You're a fucking whore. This isn't over," Jack said, left the room.
Clayton was in the backyard talking to Barry.
Jack walked across the yard, hit the back of Clayton's head with a shovel. Clayton staggered and fell. "I'm going to kill you you son of a bitch," Jack said, kicked Clayton's chest. Teri looked out the bedroom window. Rick and Kevin grabbed Jack, pulled him away from Clayton.
"Your going to kill him," Rick said.
"That's the fucking plan"
"You have him?" Barry asked.
"I got him," Rick said. "You need to cool it."
"Fuck you Rick. He's fucking Teri.
Barry knelt beside Clayton. "CJ you alright? He ain't moving man."
"Where's Teri?" Clayton asked.
"In the house, I think," Barry said.
"Do you have a smoke? I can't find mine."
Barry lit a cigarette, handed it to Clayton. "You should go to the hospital."
"I'm OK. Where's Jack?"
"Rick and Kevin took him to a bar. We should get out of here before they get back."
Clayton laughed, rubbed his ribs. "I have to talk to Teri."
"Make it quick. Jack says he's going to kill you."
Clayton smiled. "I'm not going to let him kill me."
"He almost just did."
"I didn't know he wanted to, now I do," Clayton said.
Teri was sitting on the couch holding a bag of ice on her nose. "Are you alright?" Clayton asked.
Teri half laughed, half cried.
"I'm taking you to the hospital," Clayton said.
"What good will that do?"
"Let me see your nose."
Teri pulled the ice from her face.
Clayton drove Teri to the hospital in her car. A doctor in training put her nose in place and told her that it would probably not be noticeable in a month or so.
Clayton pulled into a gas station so Teri could call her house. Rick told her Jack and the kids were asleep and everyone was gone. "What are you going to do?" Clayton asked.
"What can I do? We're going home tomorrow. You act like I have a choice."
"You do."
"Do I? Are you OK?"
"What do you mean?"
"You were hit on the head with a shovel."
Clayton smiled. "It hurts a little. It will probably hurt more latter."
Teri leaned against him.
"What are you going to do when you get home?"
"I don't know. Stay with my brother until Jack finds a job. Finish school."
"You have to leave him."
"And go where?"
"Anywhere. Stay here."
"I hate here. It isn't all Jacks fault. We certainly contributed."
"None the less if he wasn't an asshole, none of it and I mean all of it wouldn't have happened.
"What wouldn't have happened? Tonight? It might have or something would have. Something always does. In away you and i were inevitable."
"You think so?"
"I do."
He appreciated her saying that.
Teri told Clayton to drive to the base, she would drive home from there.
"I can walk."
"I know you can tough guy."
Clayton parked the car in front of the barracks."I guess this is it."
"I wish it wasn't."
"Are you going to be OK tonight with Jack."
"He made his point."
Clayton asked her for a picture. She found one in her purse, gave it to him. "It's the only one I have on me."
She was standing next to a oak tree in a blue dress. Clayton looked at the picture. "You look pretty. You always look pretty. Thanks." He took out his wallet and put the picture in it, took all but twenty dollars out, handed it to Teri.
"I don't want your money."
"I don't want it either," Clayton said, walked into the barracks.
Teri watched him until he disappeared like a ghost, she thought.
Clayton thought she doesn't have a picture of me or maybe she does.
Teri stopped at the river, tried to hear it flow, couldn't, tried to cry, kind of laughed, found one of Clayton's cigarettes, lit it, got out of the car, walked down to the river where she could hear it head to Mexico. Is that where it's going? she thought, I'll miss him for awhile, or maybe the rest of my life. Getting through collage and taking care of my kids is what's important. Jack might be an asshole but he can help me. We have been through a lot. He knows me and can help me get rid of him ironically. I have to be patient. I wasn't, that's why I am standing here with a broken nose,smoking. She threw the butt in the river. I quit once I can do it again. Quit all the useless stuff I can't seem to stop doing. Never again, she thought, laughed, "yeah right," she said, walked up the hill. I'll be alright, not perfect, she thought, "goodby CJ." she said, got in her car, drove to her house, one more step, on the way home or so it seemed.
Clayton went to the day room. Norman was watching TV. "You OK?" Norman asked. "Barry told me what happened.
"Yeah, what you watching?"
"The Maltese Falcon."
"Any good?"
"It's great."
Clayton sort of stumbled, sat down.
"Are you sure you're OK?"
"I'm pretty good considering."
Clayton found two quarters in his pocket. "Hey Norman you mind getting me a beer from the machine?" He handed Norman the quarters, lit a cigarette. Norman walked across the room, purchased the beer, handed the can to Clayton. "Norman do you have fifty bucks you can spot me till payday?"
Norman handed him two twenties and a ten. "So the movies good," Clayton said, closed his eyes.
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