Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 09:59:09 -0500
From: Justin <justin1326@gmail.com>
Subject: The Inn - Chapter 17

"Are you sure you're ready to go back to work? You still have sick days."

"I'm bored to tears. I'll go crazy if I have to watch one more daytime talk
show."

"Please take it easy and be careful. Don't let them make you do anything
stupid, and don't try to be a showoff. I know how you are, and you don't
have to prove anything by putting on your macho act."

"I'll be okay, but I'm probably going to have to put up with some shit from
the guys. Don't worry, I can handle them."

The Inn - Chapter 17

Monday morning Luke arrived about fifteen minutes early at the construction
site. He walked to the trailer and went inside. Donny was behind his desk.

"Luke! Good to see you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, so long as I watch how I move. I got four busted ribs."

"You look like you went a few rounds with Rocky Balboa. What happened?"

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some guys surprised me and
knocked me unconscious. Then I guess they had to prove they were men by
beating the shit out of me when I was down. The cops have them now."

"And this happened, what, two weeks ago?"

"Two weeks ago last Saturday."

"Damn, you musta really been a sight back then."

Luke gave a wry smile. "That's what they tell me."

"So do you think you're gonna be okay? I know broken ribs aren't fun."

"I'm not gonna be schlepping any 80-pound sacks of concrete; maybe it's
about time I took your advice and let my crew do the heavy shit while I
supervise."

"Luke, you're the oldest man on your crew. You have the experience and a
good head on your shoulders, and that's what's valuable to the company. Let
the younger guys do the grunt work, that's what they're here for. You might
have a little trouble because you've spoiled them by pitching in all the
time. But they respect you and I think they'll realize there are going to
be things you just can't do right now. If anyone gives you shit and can't
work with the team, fire his ass. I'll back you up."

"Thanks, Donny. They're all good guys, I don't think I'll have any
problems. Maybe a little with George, he can be a smartass at times, but
I'm not worried about him."

"Good. Let's get started, but you let me know if anything comes up. If you
get tired and want to leave early, just tell me. Being tired on the job is
an accident waiting to happen."

"Thanks, Donny. I'll talk to you later."

Luke left the trailer and headed for his crew. He explained what had
happened to him and that he was going to be unable to do some things. The
men were sympathetic and glad to have Luke back. They went to their
respective duties and Luke studied his plans to see where the project
stood.

"Luke?"

Luke looked up. It was George.

"I have an extra breakfast bar. Want it?" George held out the packet.

Luke didn't really want it, but he thought it would be impolite to
decline. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

George smiled. "No problem. See ya later."

Luke smiled as George walked away. He wasn't a problem guy, but he was
often cocky and loud. George was 22, and the youngest man on the crew. Luke
figured he was trying to assert himself and prove he was one of the
guys. He was a good worker and for the most part he got along with everyone
when he wasn't being a jerk. Later in the morning Luke stopped for
coffee. He remembered the granola bar and had it with the coffee; it had
been years since he'd tried one and he found it better than he
remembered. They must have improved them in the past few years. Luke was
happy George had given it to him.

By the end of the day Luke was more than ready to go home. After a two-week
"vacation" this had been a long day. As he pulled into his space he noticed
Jon's car was already there. Usually Jon wasn't home for at least another
half-hour. As he was about to reach for the knob, Jon opened the door. Luke
took him into his arms and they kissed.

"It feels so good to have you hug me again," said Jon. "I can't wait until
you can squeeze me to death! How was work?"

"It was all right, all the guys were great--even George, who's usually a
twerp. He gave me his granola bar."

"You don't even like granola bars."

"I know, I think it was his way of trying to be nice and extending an olive
branch. All day I couldn't have asked for a better guy. Maybe he's finally
maturing. Why are you home so early?"

"I wanted to stop at the store and the farm stand to get some things for
dinner. I thought you'd be hungry."

"Jon, I have a ton of food here. You didn't need to shop."

"You don't have lamb chops, sweet corn and string beans. That's what I'm
making."

Luke smiled at him. "Either it's an occasion I've forgotten, or you want
something, or you did something."

Jon gave him a quick kiss. "Stop being so suspicious. It's none of the
above, I just wanted to make a special dinner for you. Is that a crime?"

"Only if you don't get laid out of the deal. I'll make sure that doesn't
happen."



The rest of the week went smoothly for both men and by Friday everything
was almost back to normal. That afternoon Donny called Luke into the
construction trailer.

"Luke, I have to take next week off. My mother-in-law is moving to an
assisted-living place and the wife and I are going to move her and get her
settled in. I want you to fill in here for me."

"Sure, Donny, I can do that. I know most of the procedures, but leave me a
list of anything I need to be aware of."

"Okay, good. I know I can trust you. I've already cleared it with the
suits, and here's a list of the things you need to pay attention to. Any
questions?"

"I don't think so. I've been around long enough to know what has to be
done. Just leave it to me."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Okay, then, I'm going to cut out early
today. Lock up when you leave, and good luck."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. I hope it goes well with your
mother-in-law."

Luke was pleased he'd been asked to fill in. It would mean a little more
pressure, since he wasn't used to being responsible for these things and it
was not something he was used to doing, but he was sure he'd be able to do
a good job. And besides, it would mean he didn't have to do any physical
labor--he was still in some significant discomfort.



Luke got home and started thinking about dinner. He looked in the
refrigerator and decided he'd make stuffed peppers since there were some
green peppers that weren't getting any fresher. He began browning ground
beef and chopping onions. Jon walked in and carefully hugged him from
behind. Luke turned his head and kissed him.

"Smells good," said Jon. "What are you making?"

"Stuffed peppers. I hope you like them."

"I love everything you cook. You should open your own restaurant."

"That would take the fun out of it. I'm happy just cooking for you. Grab me
a beer, will ya, hon?"

Jon got two beers and gave one to Luke, then stood back and watched as Luke
continued his preparations. When he had everything ready and in the oven
they both sat on the couch to relax.

"I have good news," said Luke. "You can relax a little this coming
week. I'm going to be working in the office and supervising instead of
working outside."

"That's good. You're right, I'll feel better. You should be working there
all the time."

"I don't know if I'd like that, but it's a nice change, especially right
now. I have some ideas on how I'd like to rearrange a few things and this
might be my chance. Donny has been doing the same thing for so long that
nothing ever changes. He's good, but I think we need to be a little more
up-to-date with our procedures."

"I know you'll do a great job. What about this weekend? Anything you feel
like doing?"

"Yeah, there is. I don't know how you'll feel about it, though."

"What?"

"I want to go dancing with you."

"You gotta be shittin' me! You want to go back there after all we've been
through? I don't think so."

"Look, I think of Boystown as my neighborhood as much as I do here. Maybe
more. I lived there five years and nothing ever happened. I'm not gonna let
a few assholes control my life. It coulda happened anywhere. You know what
they say about falling off a horse."

"Luke, I don't know. Maybe in a couple of months, after you're completely
healed."

"No. If we wait that long, we'll be out of the habit and wind up too afraid
to go anywhere.  We'll just sit around on the weekends like a couple of old
farts. Come on, if I can do it, you certainly can."

"Maybe next weekend. Let's think about it until then."

"This weekend, next weekend--what's the difference? We're going to go one
of these days, and it might as well be sooner rather than later. I have to
do this for my own peace of mind."

"You know I love you, Luke, and I trust you. But think about it--do you
really think it's a good idea to go back so soon?"

"Why not? I was at work all week and I was fine. I can handle the pain now
even without the meds most the time. So we'll go and meet up with the guys,
maybe have dinner and a few drinks, and dance. Then we'll come home and
screw the rest of the night."

"I like that last part. Why don't we just screw all night?"

"Nope. In for a penny, in for a pound. All or nothing."

Jon had a feeling he wasn't going to win this one. Luke had his mind set
and he wasn't going to budge. Jon still didn't like the whole idea, but he
respected Luke's reasoning. He couldn't think of any other valid reasons
not to go. Finally Jon put up his hands and sighed.

"All right. I'm not liking this, but okay."

Luke kissed him. "Come on, we'll have a good time like we always do. Get
that look off your face--you look like you're going to your execution."

"Yeah, well, you almost were the last time you went there."

"My chances of winning the lottery are better than that. It was a
fluke. That neighborhood is very safe nowadays. Please don't be so
worried. I wouldn't go back, and I certainly wouldn't take you there, if I
thought anything might happen.



On Saturday, Jon had a feeling of dread all day. That afternoon he took his
last shot at dissuading Luke from going to Boystown.

"I don't want to go to the city tonight, Luke. Please, can't we just stay
home or go to The Inn? I've been a wreck all day thinking about it."

"I don't want you getting sick over this. I won't force you to go if you
don't want to."

"Really? Oh, good." Jon was surprised at how easy that was. "What should we
do instead?"

"Anything you want to do--because I'm still going to the city."

"Damn it, Luke! You know I won't let you go alone."

Luke gave him a wicked smile. "Yeah, I know."


At about seven o'clock they got into Luke's car. There was very little
conversation as Luke drove. They parked and started walking to Buck's to
meet the guys. Luke could tell Jon was nervous, because he was watching
everybody and kept glancing behind to see if anyone was there. Luke reached
over to take Jon's hand but Jon pulled his hand away.

"Jon, look how many couples are holding hands. We do it all the time. If
you won't hold my hand, it means those punks won--they made you afraid and
ashamed of who you are, and that's exactly what they set out to do."

Jon stopped walking. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of it that way, but you're
right. Give me a little time to relax."

Luke was surprised when Jon leaned and gave him a quick kiss. Luke took
Jon's hand in his and they walked the rest of the way to the bar. Luke went
to get beers and waited for Keith, the bartender. When he came over he
smiled.

"I heard what happened, Luke. Are you all right? I can see you're still
pretty bruised."

"I'm getting there, it just takes time. You should see the rest of me."

"Let's see."

Luke stepped back from the bar and raised his shirt about half-way up his
chest.

"Oh, shit! And you've been healing for two weeks. Jesus Christ!"

"It's getting better. How about two Lite drafts, Keith."

Keith brought the beers and set them down as Luke took out his wallet.

"Your money's no good here tonight, and neither is Jon's. Direct orders
from the management."

Luke smiled. "Thanks, Keith. And tell Charlie I said thanks in case I don't
see him."

Luke took a five from his wallet and left it on the bar. He handed a glass
to Jon, then they went looking for their friends. They walked to the back
of the bar, Luke stopping briefly to say hello to people. The two stepped
outside and entered the beer garden where they found Carl and Tom at a
table. Jon sat and Luke leaned on the table as he lowered himself onto a
chair.

"Hi guys," said Jon. "Where's Chris and Mike?"

Tom said, "Oh, they'll be here...eventually. Three guesses what they're
doing."

Luke started to laugh, then stopped himself when he felt a stabbing
pain. "Are they back together again?"

"I don't know," said Carl. "But ever since your party, they've been
spending a lot of time together. I hope they decide to have children--the
kids would be gorgeous!"

Jon was beginning to ease up and enjoy himself. The night air was warm, but
the breeze off the lake made it comfortable. Carl got up to get another
round

Tom said, "I think maybe Chris and Mike are serious this time. Wait 'til
you see them and let me know what you guys think."

Jon looked into the bar. He saw Carl with four beers on a tray, holding it
above his head on one hand and expertly weaving his way through the crowd
and to their table. He served the drinks to each of the guys and sat.

"I don't know how you did that, Carl," said Jon. "I couldn't do it if my
life depended on it."

"I was a cocktail waitress for years. It's all in the wrist."

"No wonder you're so good at it," said Tom. Jon and Luke chuckled.

Luke said, "Hey, Tom, when are we going to meet your boyfriend? You shoulda
brought him with you."

It was only then that Luke noticed Carl had his lips in an "O" and was
subtly shaking his head. Luke could have kicked himself, but how was he to
know?

"Well, uh," stammered Tom. "We broke up. To be more accurate, he broke up
with me."

"I'm sorry. That's too bad. Are you really bummed about it?"

"Kinda, but what the fuck. It's not like it's the first time I've gone
through this. But I did have the idea he mighta been the one. I guess not."

Thankfully, at that moment Chris and Mike walked up. Luke and Jon both
noticed they had nice dress shirts on and looked freshly showered. They
made a very handsome couple. They pulled up chairs and sat next to each
other.

"And what kept you guys?" asked Luke with a touch of sarcasm.

Mark said, "Um, we were, uh, working out. Yeah, that's it! Working out."

Chris poked him in the side and the others laughed. Mark and Chris were
smiling. When they had settled down Chris placed his hand on Mark's on the
table.

Chris spoke. "Okay, since our best friends are all here, Mark and I have
something to say."

Mark continued. "As you guys know, Chris and I have been on-again-off-again
for a few years. We've both sown our wild oats, and dated God only knows
how many men. But now we realize the only time we're really happy is when
we're with each other."

"I don't know why we kept denying it," said Chris. "But we're sure now, and
we're planning to get married eventually. Not right away, maybe in the
Spring."

All the men congratulated them and Carl rose to get another round so they
could toast the happy couple. When he returned they all stood and raised
their glasses.

The group decided it was time to get something to eat, and Tom suggested a
Spanish tapas place that was just down the street. Jon had never tried that
type of food, but Luke assured him he'd enjoy it. They were seated at a
table on a large patio and they decided to get a pitcher of sangria. Tom
ordered for the table, selecting a variety of both hot and cold tapas. When
their food came, Jon was amazed at the variety. He tried a little of
everything and made mental notes of the ones he especially liked. He wanted
to come back here with Luke some time. They finished all the food in sight,
and their appetites were satisfied.

"Let's go to Sidetrack," suggested Luke. "I love the rooftop bar when it's
this nice out."

They filed into Sidetrack and Luke took Jon by the hand and led him through
the crowd. As they walked along one of the dance floors a slower song began
so Luke pulled Jon onto the floor and put his arms around him. Jon closed
his eyes and rested his head on Luke's shoulder; Luke leaned his head
against Jon's as they rocked to the beat. When the tempo picked up Luke
began to dance faster, then decided it was too uncomfortable to be fun. He
put his arm around Jon and they walked up the stairs a few levels, finally
emerging onto the roof. Luke got drinks while Jon enjoyed the view--both
inside and outside the bar. Luke called to Jon. He had been able to find
two seats at the bar.

Luke kissed Jon. "Are you okay? Having a good time?"

"Yeah, I am. I always have a good time when I'm with you, which is pretty
much all the time."

The two people-watched and chatted for a while, occasionally commenting on
some guys and debating which they would like to kidnap and take home. They
weren't serious, but it was fun to pretend and compare notes.

Luke yawned. "Let's dance a little more and then think about heading back."

"Fine with me. I hope we can find everyone before we leave."

They made their way to the main dance floor and watched until a slower song
came on. As they danced, Luke spotted their friends in a booth, so they
joined them after the dance.

"These are yours," said Carl as he pointed to two beers. Jon and Luke
thanked him and they all sat around and watched the crowd dancing and the
videos playing on the large screen behind the dance floor. When Jon and
Luke had finished their drinks they decided it was time to go. They said
good night and hugged one another, and they both congratulated Chris and
Mike again. Jon and Luke rose to leave and the other four stood.

"Are you guys leaving, too?" asked Jon.

"Just for a while," said Tom. "We'll come back after we take care of
walking you guys to your car."

Luke started to protest, but Carl cut him off. "This is not negotiable,
Luke."

On the way home Jon looked at Luke. "I did have a nice time tonight. Sorry
about being such a wimp before."

Luke smiled. "That's okay. I found myself being a little more alert than
usual tonight, too."

"Now that I risked my life to dance with you, it's your turn to make good
on your end of the bargain."

Luke took Jon's hand and rested it on his crotch. "Locked and loaded,
babe." Jon could tell he was.



Luke arrived at work about 20 minutes early. He wanted to go over
everything and make sure he had a good handle on what had to be done. After
he started the coffee, he went over Donny's notes. There wasn't much he
didn't already know, so he put the notes aside and checked the phone
messages and email. Luke read over Donny's report on Friday's work, cleaned
it up a bit, and faxed it to the office. He studied the labor roster which
listed each crew and who was on it. That was one of the areas where Luke
wanted to make some changes. He knew all the guys and felt with a few
changes things would go a lot smoother and more efficiently.

The door opened and Luke looked up. It was George.

"Hi, Luke. How ya feelin'?"

"Not bad, better every day."

"That's good. I'm waitin' on a load of gravel. Anything you want me to do
'til it gets here?"

"You could give Rick a hand unloading those forms. I'm sure he'd appreciate
it."

"Sure thing!" said George, and he swung around and was out the door.

Luke stared at the door for a few moments. For the life of him, he couldn't
figure out what had brought about this change in George, but he wasn't
going to complain.

Luke spent the afternoon making sure tomorrow's deliveries were scheduled,
and he made phone calls to suppliers to verify everything. At a quarter to
five he was done, so he locked up and headed home. He and Jon had agreed to
meet at The Inn.

Luke sat at the bar and Kevin brought him his beer. He was going over his
day in his mind and was pleased with himself. He was relatively sure he
hadn't missed anything, and the day had been interesting. Jon walked up to
him, put his arm around Luke's shoulders and gave him a gentle hug. They
felt comfortable showing that much affection at The Inn because it was
subtle enough. Besides, most the customers knew or had an idea what their
relationship was. Two or three people made it obvious they disapproved, but
they were by far the minority and simply chose to distance themselves. Jon
and Luke were very popular with everyone else.

Jon sat next to Luke and Kevin soon had his vodka tonic in front of him.

"I was worried about you today," said Jon. "There was a Tornado Watch this
afternoon."

"Jon, you know I'm working inside this week."

"You're working in a trailer--a TRAILER! That's the first thing tornados
head for. Don't you watch the news?"

Luke burst out laughing, then stifled it when his ribs hurt. "What do you
do? Stay awake at night thinking of things to worry about?"

"No, but I told you I keep my eye on the weather for you. I even have a
pop-up thing on my work computer that shows weather alerts."

"Oh, God, I'm surprised you didn't call and tell me to dig a bunker."

"I considered it. How'd your first day as boss go?"

"Fine, I don't think I missed anything. But this was odd--remember I told
you about George?"

Jon thought for a second. "Oh, the one that gave you the granola
bar. Right."

"He came in and said he had some extra time and asked if I wanted him to do
anything. Nobody does that. Usually if they're waiting for something they
try to look busy so nobody notices they're loafing."

"Maybe he's bucking for a raise."

"I don't know," said Luke. "I'm not complaining, it's just
weird. Especially since up to now he's always been a bit of a pain."

"Well, maybe he's being a kiss-ass or something. He probably senses a
change and he's covering his bases. Enjoy it while you can--it probably
won't last."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I have to look at things from a different
perspective right now.  Even though this is temporary, it's a whole
different way of dealing with all the guys I work with every day. I'll be
back in the trenches with them next week, but right now I'm in a whole
different position. I hope they don't resent that."

"I doubt they will. You have a good relationship with all the guys from
what I've heard. And you're not the type to lord it over them. They'll
respect you the same as they did before. Hey, I stopped at my place on the
way here to get the mail. Remember I said I thought I was getting a bonus
or a raise?"

"Oh, yeah, what'd you get?"

Jon looked at Luke and smiled. "Both! A $5000 bonus and a raise. I think
the raise is around 10%, I didn't stop to figure it out. I can't believe
Connie did that!"

"Congratulations, you deserve it. You said it's one of the biggest projects
the company ever had, and you did most the work on landing it. If they're
giving you that much, imagine how much the company expects to make on it."

"I know. I have a feeling I'll be earning every penny once this hits
production."



The next day Luke decided to throw his weight around a little. He
reassigned several men to different crews and shuffled their duties. He had
worked with most of them for some time, and he knew their attitudes,
strengths and frustrations. Luke wasn't trying to solve everyone's
problems, but he felt he could ease some tensions and make the entire
project run more smoothly. For the most part, the men were happy with his
changes. That afternoon Luke worked on setting up a spreadsheet to record
the day's progress report. Up to now, Donny had done it by hand and faxed
it. Luke figured that was a waste of time, and if it was in the system, it
would be easier to update and available whenever anyone needed it. By the
time he'd finished, it was time to leave. Luke called Jon and they planned
to meet at The Inn since Cathy had talked to Jon earlier and wanted to go
there. Luke locked up the office and set off for home.

Luke went to The Inn and was the first to arrive, as he thought he would
be. He got a beer and sat next to Adam and Erik, a couple of guys he knew
from playing volleyball.

"Hi, guys!" greeted Luke

"Hey, Luke--how's it goin'?" asked Adam.

"Okay. But I miss playing with you guys."

"Not as much as we miss you," said Erik. "The team isn't doing real well
since you've been on the D.L."

"I know," said Luke. "I've been following the standings. I don't know how
long it'll be until I can play again--a few weeks, anyway. I just hope I
can get in a few games before the end of the season."

Adam said, "That'll probably be too late to save our sorry asses, but it'll
be fun when you're back. Pete, the guy that's filling in for you, is
worthless. He's a nice enough guy and all, but he can't play for shit."

"Yeah, I've watched a couple of games. Not pretty."

"Where's Jon?" asked Erik.

"He'll be here. He works later than I do, but he should be here around 5:30
or so. Don't mention volleyball around him--I think he thinks I'm done for
the season. It would just be one more thing for him to worry about."

Adam laughed. "You guys really are married, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and I love him to death. But he can get nutsy over just about
anything when it comes to me. If he had his way, I'd be locked in the house
for the next six months."

Erik said, "I could leave town for a month and I don't think Sue would
notice until the water softener needed salt."

"Give Sue a little more credit," said Adam. "She'd notice as soon as the
garbage started piling up."

They laughed, and Luke saw Jon and Cathy come into the bar. He waved and
they joined them.

Cathy smiled at Adam and Erik. "How have you guys been? I hate to admit I
haven't been following the team since Luke's been out of commission. Are
you still in first place?"

"You haven't missed much--we're barely holding onto third. We suck without
Luke."

"He just needs more pasta to strengthen his bones. That's my
department--I'll have him back in shape in no time."

Luke rolled his eyes, but Jon didn't have any comments on the issue. Luke
decided it best to let sleeping dogs lie. He suggested they get a table and
stood up. Adam and Erik were only staying to finish their beer because they
had a game that evening.

Cathy asked, "Are Paul and Joe coming? I didn't talk to them today."

"I didn't either, but they probably will," said Luke.

As if on cue, Joe and Paul walked in and joined them. Joe went to the bar
to get beers for himself and Paul.

"Damn!" said Jon. "If Joe's shoulders get any wider, he's gonna have to
turn sideways to get through the door.

"I know," said Paul. "He's real happy with himself. Maybe it'll give him
some self-confidence."

"I can't understand why he's so shy," said Luke. "The guy's a chick magnet
but he doesn't even realize it."

"I think it's sweet," said Cathy. "He's like a puppy dog. I don't think
shyness is something you can get over that easily. He does have an awesome
body, though"

Joe returned with the drinks and sat next to Cathy.

"News flash!" said Cathy. "I have a date Friday. We're going to dinner and
a movie."

"No kidding? With who?"

"Well you don't have to look so shocked, Luke. I do go on dates now and
then. He's a guy I work with. He's nice and I think it will be a good
time."

"Remember," said Paul. "Just because he buys you dinner, it doesn't mean
you have to be dessert."

"Oh, thanks for reminding me. I'll have to pick up some whipped cream and
chocolate sauce before then. You guys ever try that?"

The guys laughed. As was typical of Cathy, Paul's comment didn't phase her
at all. She enjoyed their good-natured teasing and their company. Cathy was
very strong-willed and independent, but she knew if she ever needed help,
any one of the men would move heaven and earth for her. She thought of them
as her family, and loved each of them as if they were.

They talked for a while longer, then Cathy left because she had an early
meeting in the morning. Jon got another round of drinks. Paul noticed Joe
was quiet, even for Joe.

"What's up, Joe? You're awfully quiet tonight."

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Don't strain yourself," joked Paul.

Luke said, "Some of the guys from work are going skydiving this weekend. I
thought we could go and watch."

"I've always wanted to try that," said Paul.

"Get that idea out of your head, Luke," said Jon. "Don't even think about
it. You are not going skydiving."

"I didn't say I was going to skydive, I couldn't even do it right now. I
just want to watch. We can ride in the jump plane and take pictures for
them."

"That sounds like fun," said Joe.

"Joe," said Jon, "you have issues with the Ferris Wheel. Do you really
think you'd like going up in a plane with no door?"

"I could handle it. I don't have a problem with planes."

"You and Paul have a good time. You can tell Luke and me all about it."

The four finished their beers and left for home. Jon went to Luke's for the
night and brought in a 12-pack he had picked up on his way home from work.

"Thanks, but I have beer," said Luke.

"I know, I figured I'd replenish the stash. It's not like it'll go bad."

Jon put the beer in the refrigerator and removed two cold cans, handing one
to Luke. Luke turned on the radio and they sat on the couch.

"So why can't we go to the airport and watch the skydivers?"

"Because I know you, Luke Sorensen. Once you see your buddies doing it,
you're going to do it, too."

"But I can't right now, so you don't have anything to worry about."

"Maybe not this week, but you'll get a bug up your ass and you'll wind up
doing it."

"So what if I did? It's not that dangerous. Lots of people do it every
day."

"Luke, for Christ's sake! Why would you want to jump out of a perfectly
good airplane? That's not what parachutes are for. They're for an emergency
as a last resort. There's a reason for that."

"Come on, don't be a stick-in-the-mud. Don't you have any sense of
adventure?"

"No--not with this. You almost made me a widower once. Do you have to go
looking for more ways to kill yourself? I swear to God, Luke, if you do
this I'll leave you."

# # # # #

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