Page 56 of The Only Seconds that Matter
With a sigh, Victor added the text to his drafts and decided to go to sleep.He had a long day tomorrow.
* * *
Victor had just stepped out of the shower when he heard his phone go off.Slinging a towel around his waist, he went to his bedroom and looked at the caller.Johnny.His stomach quivered as he picked up.
“Yeah?”
“Viiiiiiiic,” came Johnny’s reply, slurred and low.“Heya, Vic.”
Victor sighed.“Why are you calling me?”
“I need—” Johnny burped slightly.“I need ya ta do somethiforme.”
“Like what?”
“Drive me home.Too drunk.”
Victor sighed, rubbing at his forehead.He heard the rain pounding down outside, and the temperature had dropped to nearly freezing.It wasn’t weather he wanted to drive in, but he also feared what would happen if Johnny got behind the wheel of a car.Instead of arguing, he said, “Okay.Where are you at?”
“Smokey’s.”
“Okay.I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Mmm, thankya verrry much.”Then Johnny hung up.
Smokey’s was the bar Victor had gone to months ago to get drunk after learning of his ex-fiancé’s engagement.Victor threw on some jeans and a T-shirt, shoved his bare feet into a pair of boots, and headed out into the rain as he pulled on his waterproof work coat.The weather was atrocious, and Victor feared that if it got any colder, it’d start turning into freezing rain.His truck was bad on ice if it wasn’t weighed down in the back.This made his trip slow going.Finally he saw Smokey’s roadside sign in the distance, and he found the parking lot mostly empty.But Johnny’s truck was there, its cab dark.It made Victor feel better that Johnny hadn’t decided to drive off without him.
Victor headed into the bar, which, like the parking lot, was mostly empty.Johnny’s unmistakable lanky form was bent over the bar, with Kevin standing nearby watching over him.
“You here for this guy?”Kevin asked, gesturing toward Johnny.The man had a voice carved by many years of cigarette usage.
“Yeah.”
Johnny lifted his head slightly and turned to look at Victor, eyes bloodshot and face slack with inebriation.Victor handed Kevin a ten dollar bill as a tip for babysitting, then shoved his hands under Johnny’s armpits and hoisted him up.Johnny barely said a thing beyond grunting in protest as Victor dragged him outside.
Victor had trouble hoisting him up into the truck.Johnny slapped the sides of the truck a few times before he found the handles on the inside of the door, then let out a whine of effort as he thrust himself headfirst into the cabin.He landed halfway across the center console.It was up to Victor to move his legs around and get him situated like a toddler trying on pants for the first time.Finally, once Johnny was safely ensconced in the front seat, Victor rounded the truck and hopped in.Any exposed skin was wet and frozen.He blasted the heater as he turned around in the parking lot.
“You’ll have to tell me where you live,” Victor said.
“Mmm, wha?”
“Where youlive, Johnny.”
“Oh.Um.Five.Uhhhh.Five-three—is that it?Oh wait no, Five-two-four High Creek road.”
With a roll of his eyes, Victor plugged the address into his phone.Once he had the route, he pulled onto the road, the only sound being the squeaking of his windshield wipers and the pounding of rain on the roof.
Johnny was silent for half the ride.Eventually he grabbed at Victor’s coat sleeve and jerked on it while also gesturing to the door.Victor pulled off the road, and Johnny got the door open just in time to vomit outside of the truck.
After throwing up a few times, Johnny seemed a little more coherent.After they pulled back onto the road, Victor felt Johnny staring at him.
“What?”Victor asked.
“You still mad at me?”Johnny asked.
“I’m not mad at you.”
Johnny’s forehead thunked against the window.“You are.”
