Hard. There's something hard on my back. Someone's gently slapping my cheeks. "Come on, Jesse, wake up, man."
My eyes fly open, and the pain stabs me in the face again. What the?
"Thank heaven. Come on, can you sit up?" Mark asks, his face very concerned. I look up, and towering above me is the Gateway Arch. What am I doing...?
Then I remember. I sit up quickly, and Mark helps me up. I put my hand to my face. No blood; good thing. Pete is standing there, looking sheepish and also like he wants to kill me. He's cuffed, a cop holding his arm.
"How long was I out?" I ask Mark, amazed at how quickly things transpired.
"Only about a minute. He sucker-punched you."
"Sir, my name is Officer Brady. We were just over there coming up the main walk when we heard your friend yell for help." (I notice the two bicycles nearby. Cops ride around downtown on bikes.) "Would you like to press charges against this gentleman for striking you?"
I ponder a moment. Yeah, it'd serve the S.O.B. right. Yeah, it'd make me feel SOOOO good. But, then my eyes look downward, and Jake's giving me a look as if to say "you wouldn't, would you?"
Mark interrupts my thoughts. "Hell YEAH, he's going to want to press charges!" He's livid.
"Wait a minute, Mark. No, Officer, I think I'll let it go this time." I smile down to Jake, who's clearly relieved.
Mark grabs my arm and pulls me aside.
"Are you out of your ever-loving mind?! That man hit you for no reason. Not only is it assault and battery, it's like gay-bashing, man!" Mark spits at me.
I pull his hand off my arm, knowing I'm going to have a bruise there now. He's a strong guy.
"Mark, calm down. Now you look into that little face of that boy, whose grandfather is standing there in cuffs, and you tell him that his grandpa is going to jail. Go ahead."
Mark stands there for a minute, trying to process it. Finally, he gives up, but he's still pissed. "FINE, do what you want." and he stalks off.
Sighing, I go back to Officer Brady. "Sir, if you would please release him, I'd be grateful. I do NOT want to press charges."
Pete stands there, agape like a fish out of water as the officer removes his cuffs.
"Sir, I suggest in the future you learn to control your anger. This man may be willing to drop the charges this time, but if I ever see you do this again, I can assure you I WON'T be as generous, do you understand?" Officer Brady says sternly.
Pete just nods. "Come on Grandpa, let's go." Jake says, pulling on Pete's hand. He's anxious to just get away. "See ya later, Jesse!" he calls back cheerfully.
"See ya, Kid." I say, with a smile. I don't care what the asshole or his daughter think, I'm not about to hurt that kid.
I wander back to the office. People look at me funny, so I must have at least a bruise. I stop by a window, and sure enough, a big purple spot is forming under my left eye. Great. And then of course, at the office everyone's wondering what happened. I give them the pat answer: "I walked into a door." No one believes me, of course, but they figure that's about all they're going to get.
On the drive home, I again ponder over what happened today. As much as I want to, I can't bring myself to be mad or to hate Pete. While I'm sure he's a homophobic slob of a man, I can't help but think he's protecting his grandchildren somehow. As I'm driving along, my cell phone rings. Great, it's Leslie.
"hey, what's up?" I answer, sort of half-cheerfully.
"Jesse, what in the name of heaven is going on? Jake said grandpa punched you out today. Are you TRYING to get in trouble with my father?"
"Whoa, just a damned minute. First of all, I was just walking during lunch.
I had NO WAY of knowing your DAD would be there. I didn't even SEE him until the boys ran up to me! So how the fuck is this MY fault?!" My voice rises with each word.
"Just calm down." she says impatiently. "I just wanted to make sure Jakie wasn't making up stories. Are you telling me that my father HIT you?"
"YEAH", I say, "and I have the black eye to PROVE it, plus several witnesses." And I can't help it, I have to dig it in "including one very HOT cop in bike shorts!"
She's silent. I hit a sensitive spot, and OHHHHH does it feel GOOOOOD!!!
"Thanks" she says softly. "I wondered how long before you turned into an asshole. Guess it's now, huh". And she hangs up.
"YEP!" I yell into the now-disconnected phone and throw it into the seat next to me. Oh, Jesse, are you HOT today! I think.
The minute I walk into the kitchen at the apartment, Scott takes one look at me, and demands to know what happened. I relay the details of the day to him, and by the time I'm done, he's pacing the kitchen like a caged cat ready to eat. I stop and grab him by his muscular shoulders.
"Babe, stop. It's over, it's done, and I don't think he'll bug me again." I say soothingly. My use of a term of endearment melts his anger away. He smiles at me and pulls me into a tight hug. I feel his body shake, and realize he's sobbing silently.
"Scott, what is it?" I ask, concerned.
"No one has called me something like that for a long time. Not since the big breakup." he says, regaining composure.
I wipe his face with my hand and kiss him gently. "Well, get used to it." I say. I walk out of the kitchen to go change into something more comfortable and Scott returns to his dinner preparation. My cell phone rings again.
"What?" I say.
"Jesse, I'm sorry." Leslie says. "Dad called me and told me everything, including the courthouse incident. I can't believe he'd do that to you."
"Well, I'm glad that you got the story straight now. Just tell him that he'll never have to worry about me again. I'll stay away."
"No, NO!" she protests. "I informed him that these boys love being around you, and that I'm their mother and I decide who they will and won't see. That is, if you're still willing to see them once in awhile. I don't blame you if you don't."
"Maybe someday, ok? Right now, I'm still trying to get my life in order and figure out where I'm going. And now that your psycho father is on my case..."
She interrupts me. "Jesse, Dad says he's sorry. He was so impressed that you dropped the charges, he realized that he'd been wrong about you. He wants to apologize."
"Leslie, I don't want to talk to him....maybe EVER."
She sighs. "OK, look, we'll talk about this another time, when things aren't so mixed up, ok?"
"Fine. I need to go. Bye." I don't wait for her reply. Damn it all, she's still trying to control me, and she doesn't have that right anymore.
I go back to the kitchen, plop down in a chair, and start to eat in silence.
I sense that Scott is looking at me, but I ignore it. He's wanting answers, I know. Finally, he cracks under pressure and asks "So, what was that all about?"
"My ex-wife. Her father is the one who hit me today because he'd told me to stay away from his grandkids, my step-kids. Ex-step kids, I guess now." I reply.
"HE hit you?! Didn't you press charges?" he asks incredulously.
"No, and I'm not going to. And I really don't want to debate it. I've made up my mind." I tell him firmly.
"OK," he says, grabbing my hand. "I just don't like the idea of someone hurting you."
I let out a sarcastic little laugh. "Well, the line for that is long and full...but...thanks." I say more graciously.
Scott goes into work about 9:00pm, and that leaves me alone to think again about the day, but also about Mark. He was mad at me, but I felt I did the right thing. I decide to call him and find out if he's still mad. I'm not sure why it bothers me, but I hate having people be mad at me, especially for something I feel right about.
Sitting on the bed in just my athletic shorts, I call him up. "Hey Mark, it's Jesse. Are you still mad at me?"
He's silent for a moment. "No, I guess not. I guess you did what you think was the right thing. I'd still love to punch the asshole's lights out."
"Well, join the club. So, what are you up to tonight?" I ask.
"Nothing much, just sitting around. Look, about what we were talking about, I just wish you'd give "us" a second chance. I told Vic we were through, and he tried to out me, but my boss was like "so?" so I guess it's ok."
"Mark, look, I'm not going to lie to you. I just started seeing this other guy, and I'm living at his place -- in my own bedroom. " I add that last part on quickly, then wonder why I felt the need to defend it.
"Oh." he says flatly. "I guess you were able to replace me that easily, huh?" he says. He's hurt.
"Mark, the timing is just off, man. I mean...who knows what the future might hold? Maybe Scott and I will work out, and maybe we won't. I don't know."
He thinks on that for a minute. "Are you still attracted to me?" he asks meekly.
"Of course I am" I say soothingly. "You're a gorgeous guy, you got a hot body, you're smart, you're funny...what guy wouldn't want to be with you?"
I hear him sniff. Oh great, I got another one crying. "Thanks man. That does make me feel better. I'm going to wait for you, Jesse. I mean it..."
"OK Mark, but that could be years, or never." I say, trying to get him to think logically.
"OK, well, I gotta go." he says suddenly.
"See ya buddy." I say and hang up. I sit back against the headboard, and look up at the ceiling, sighing.
I decide I'm thirsty and ready for a drink. I get up and walk out into the dark living room on the way to the kitchen. I jump out of my skin as I realize there's a dark shadow sitting on the couch.
"Who the fuck was that?!" a voice asks with a deadly tone...
To be continued.