Shoe Strings

hasn’t gone
and followed in his daddy’s footsteps with the devil alcohol.   You know his mama had to work two jobs
while that no good drunk went about drinking himself to death.   Bryce seems like such a nice boy.”   She lifted her hand and he quickly
grabbed the receipt.   “Hey, speaking
of nice boys, there’s your son.”
    Sure enough, when Cal turned around he saw Jesse, checks
spread over the island counter and filling out his deposit slip.   “Thanks, Molly.   See you around.”
    He considered slipping out, but when Jesse lifted his head,
he spotted Cal a few steps away and lifted his brows.  
    “You really should fill the slip out before you come in,”
Cal said.   Hadn’t he been telling
him that for years?
    “Didn’t have time.”   Jesse scrawled his name at the bottom.   He collected his checks and looked at
Cal defiantly.  
    If they were going to get past their argument, it was
obvious he had to make the first move.   “Molly just said she saw Bryce tying one on at the tavern.   Said he’d been there since before
eleven.”   He checked his watch and
confirmed the time.   “What the hell
do you think he’s doing drinking in the middle of the day for over four hours?”
    Jesse looked surprised and shrugged his shoulders.   “I don’t have a clue.”
    “Well, I guess I could head on over and see what’s going
on.”
    Jesse looked at his watch.   “I’ll go.   I’ve got a few hours before…I’ve got a
few hours.   I’ll let you know if I
find anything out.”
    “Thanks.”   He had
to guess Jesse was meeting with Lita later from the way he’d cut his
explanation short.   Damn it, he
didn’t care if he and Lita saw one another; that hadn’t been the reason for
their argument.   They stood
awkwardly for a moment before Jesse moved to get in line.  
    As he got back in his car, he wondered if they’d ever be
able to let the past die.   He sure
hoped they would.
    ***
    Jesse hadn’t been in the tavern for months, not since Jim
Baxter’s bachelor party.   He
certainly hadn’t been inside before nine o’clock at night since
probably…college.   He’d forgotten
how dark it got the moment you entered or just how embedded the cigarette smoke
was in the dingy carpet and cloth seats.   Who needed to smoke when you could just sniff the furniture?
    When his eyes adjusted, he saw Bryce slumped against the
antique bar, his suit coat hung over the back of a barstool.   He walked over and took the vacant seat
beside him.   Bryce’s head swung
toward him in slow motion, his eyes red-rimmed, his pupils dilated.   Yep, Molly was right.   Bryce was wasted.
    “What’s up, buddy?” Jesse asked and motioned for the
barkeep.
    He growled and took another swig of what looked and smelled
like scotch.  
    “I’ll have a draft,” Jesse told the bartender.   As the song goes, it’s five o’clock
somewhere.   When he got his beer, he
lifted it in Bryce’s direction.   “Cheers.”
    Bryce glanced over, downed what was left of his drink.   “I’m not in the mood for company.”
    “Me neither.   Just came in to get a beer.”
    Bryce laughed.   “If you’d wanted a beer, you’d have gone to the Den and gotten one for
free.   Kerri Ann would give you
anything you asked for.”
    From the snide way he’d said her name, Jesse knew Kerri Ann
had somehow caused Bryce to take a walk on the wild side.   Just what he didn’t want to get in the
middle of.   “Oh, I don’t know.   Seems to me you’re on the top of her
list these days.”
    “I’ve taken my name off her list.”   He motioned for another drink.
    Jesse needed to talk fast before Bryce was beyond help.   “Oh, come on now.   I know she’s just about the most
stubborn woman on the planet, but if you two are going to be together, you’ve
got to try and ride out the rough patches.”
    Bryce rested his head on his hand and looked at Jesse.   He looked the same as he did as a kid,
all long legs and arms, his hair hung haphazardly over his forehead.   “That’s great advice from the man who’s
never ridden out a rough patch.   Things get tough and you’re the first one out the door.”   He toasted Jesse with the fresh drink
he’d just received.  
    Jesse sat still in the seat and let the sting of Bryce’s
words flow like poison through his veins.   He was damn tired of being on the receiving end of everyone’s
anger.   He had half a mind to walk
out and let Bryce drink himself