Good morning and Happy Hump Day ! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.
Ethan and Vinnie have been assigned to protect Ethan's Uncle Benny because he's a witness. Uncle Benny's story continues in this week's chapter of Rose and Thorne 6. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
“Is Connor McKenzie the reason you’re here now?”
Ethan asked when his uncle paused for breath.
Clearly Ethan and I were on the same wavelength.
Benny nodded. I thought I caught a glimpse of anger
in his eyes, but that was quickly extinguished. “Connor McKenzie is absolutely the reason I am here with you
now. And before I tell you the next part, I really would like a drink. How
about you?”
Despite our earlier argument that we were working, I
decided I was game if Ethan was game. Not like we didn’t drink on the job when
it was required, especially when we were in Florida chasing the Mangler, going
from bar to bar with our then-partner Eva June. Also, we were no doubt in for
the night with no intentions of leaving the hotel, so no driving would be
involved. We could always order in if we needed anything the hotel couldn’t
provide.
Ethan agreed so Benny called Room Service and before
long we were each holding an ice cold bottle of Guinness stout and listening as
Benny continued to tell his tale.
“Well, as I said, Connor was exceedingly attractive
and oh so charming. He knew how to get exactly what he wanted from anyone.
Including me, obviously. I’m sure that’s why when I accidentally ran into him
just a couple of years ago he assumed he could work his wiles on me once more
and the past would be at least forgotten, if not forgiven. He’s just that kind
of narcissist. Unfortunately for him, I’d learned my lesson during the five
years I spent in prison because of him, and I had become immune to his
considerable charms. I had no intention of forgetting, much less forgiving. To
be honest, when he first approached me, I wanted nothing to do with him and I
almost told him where he could go and what he could do when he got there. But
then curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to find out what he was up to
before I gave him the big heave-ho. Maybe save some other poor sucker from
suffering the same fate that I had.”
He took another long breath before raising the
bottle to his lips, regarding Ethan over the rim with a somewhat distant gaze
before finally speaking again.
“I think you were about sixteen the last time I saw
you, does that sound right?”
Ethan nodded.
“Ten years. What a difference time makes, right? The
things that we take for granted now… well, they weren’t always that way. I
guess I was naïve to think if I came out I’d be accepted for who I was, at
least by my own family. And don’t think I blame Maureen, cause I don’t,” he
hastily added, although I’m sure Ethan hadn’t been about to accuse him of that.
“Your mother wasn’t happy at all with Joe and the things he said when he threw
me out and told me never to return. I think his exact words were never darken my doorstep again!”
I couldn’t help but smile as Benny executed a
perfect imitation of Joseph Thorne’s deep ministerial voice, and I noticed
Ethan did the same. Benny winked at us before turning serious once more.
“I know Maureen had no choice. She was his wife,
what could she do?” He shrugged. “Different times. Since then, she’s told me
over and over how sorry she was that she didn’t stand up to him, but I get it.
I really do. I’m just glad she didn’t let your father walk all over you and
Vinnie.”
‘You can thank Vinnie for that.” Ethan’s voice held
an unmistakable note of pride, one that warmed me to my core. “You should have
seen him. Vinnie stood up to him and told him exactly what he thought of him.
And Joe Jr too, and Heather.”
“That must have been quite the sight.” Benny
chuckled. “Wish I could have been there.”
“Do you think you ran into this guy again by accident?
Or maybe it was planned?” Seemed like a strange coincidence to me.
“Oh yes, I’m sure it was,” Benny assured us. “You
should have seen his face when he first saw me. For just a moment, I thought he
was going to shit himself. Then his inner snake took charge and butter wouldn’t
melt in his mouth. No one knew where I was. Not my own family, much less anyone
else. And certainly not any mutual acquaintances, cause I hadn’t kept touch
with them either.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Ethan said
sincerely. “If you don’t mind my asking, what were you doing all those years?
How did you get by?”
“I don’t mind,” Benny said. “I have nothing to
hide.” He drained his bottle of beer and reached for another. “I did a lot of
traveling. Here there and everywhere. Doing whatever I could. Construction,
retail… spent some time as a line cook for a restaurant in San Francisco.
Worked on a fishing boat in Seattle. Even worked on a ranch for a little while.
It’s a beautiful country we have, you
know, and I was privileged to be able to see a lot of it. But honestly, I’ve
missed Georgia. I’m glad to be going home, although I wish the circumstances
could be better. But at any rate, it was in San Francisco that we ran into each
other. In a gay bar, of all places. I recognized him right away. Same pretty
face, same rotten interior.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“I let him think bygones were bygones as he plied me
with drinks. But I was too smart to let myself get drunk and let him manipulate
me. So I volunteered to get the drinks from the bar, and I told the bartender
to make mine virgin and double his.”
He paused for effect. “Imagine my surprise when he
said we would knock over the Smithsonian.”
to be continued
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