Page 24 of Out of the Storm

Then, with a voice that was low and full of sorrow, one that sounded so completely unlike the infamous Gary Graham of WKBR, Gary said, “Do you have memories you’d rather forget, Jeff?”

“Many,” Jeff responded, not even missing a beat.

“Yeah, me too.”

Apparently, that knife that had become lodged in Jeff’s chest earlier was still there, only now Gary’s words were twisting it—turning it this way and then that—and Jeff had to shut his eyes to block out the painful rush of empathy.

When he opened his eyes, Gary was staring into the sea of trash heaps again. He let out a long breath and said, “I haven’t been sleeping very well lately. Just can’t stop thinking of certain things. Do you know how that is?”

Did he ever. Jeff couldn’t even find the words to answer.

Gary seemed to catch on even though Jeff hadn’t managed to confirm it.

“I’m sorry,” Gary said. “That you know how it is, I mean.”

Jeff only shrugged.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Gary pushed himself up.

“Well, let’s head back. I need to take a shower and incinerate these clothes before it’s time forTell Me S’more.”

Jeff hopped to his feet too and started toward his car. “Come on, radio man.”

Gary followed. Garbage squelched and crunched under their feet, and the moment they were inside Jeff’s car, both men rolled their windows down. Neither of them talked while Jeff pulled out of the landfill site.

When they were about halfway to Gary’s house, Gary broke the silence with a short laugh. “I might suggest selling your car for parts now that we’ve infused the interior with our stench,” he started, laughing again, “but I’m not sure that’s really feasible. Who would ever buy something that smellsremotelyas bad as either of us right now?” Gary sniffed his own shirt and recoiled. “Ooo-eee. I think that single whiff burnt my nose hair off. Completely obliterated the follicles. No future trimming required.”

Gary and his silly comments. Stupidly cute, that Gary Goddamn Graham. When Jeff rolled to a stop, the two of them locked eyes.

“Really, I can’t believe you came with me,” Gary said sincerely. “What a trip this was.”

Yeah, it was probably strange that Jeff had stayed.

“I clean toilets and mop up puke for a living,” Jeff said, trying to keep his voice neutral. “Smells this bad, they never bother me.”

Well, that was a lie. But making sure that Gary wouldn’t feel bad that they’d both probably contracted some new form of leprosy seemed more important than being truthful.

“Alright, well, I’ll be right back with that cookie,” Gary said as he exited the car, the happy hitch returning to his voice.

And Jeff really hoped he was the one responsible for it.

Strumming his fingers on the steering wheel, Jeff watched as Gary jogged toward the house and disappeared inside. Would he and Gary ever spend time together again? Or was this it? Would their temporary almost-friendship end with the trip to the landfill? Damn, what a depressing thought that was. But it was probably right. Gary liked to keep busy. And the two of them were pretty much each other’s opposite too. Still...

Jeff tore his eyes away from Gary’s house and looked out through the open car window toward the sky. Could you wish on stars even when the sun was preventing you from seeing them? Because Jeff really wanted to see Gary again. Even if nothing sexual or romantic ever happened between the two of them, Gary was such a nice person to spend time with. He had that comforting voice. He was easy—tooeasy, really—on the eyes. And he had that stupid sense of humor that Jeff was starting to like for some reason.

Continuing to strum his fingers on the wheel, Jeff heaved a sigh. He’d probably never stop liking Gary. Worse, he wasn’t even sure that he wanted to.

Gary emerged from his house with a bag of cookies not more than a couple of minutes later. He opened the passenger side door and tossed the bag onto the seat.

“I swear to you, I washed my hands before I touched them,” he said.

Jeff smirked. “I figured.”

“Well, see ya, Jeff,” Gary said. He grinned, now seeming much more like his usual chipper self. “I think I’ll hold off showeringuntil my sister arrives, which should be in five minutes or so. If she sees that I risked my health trying to retrieve that necklace, Ithinkshe might forgive me for tossing it in the trash. Maybe.”

“Good luck with that,” Jeff said with a short nod.

After returning the nod, Gary shut the car door.

---