Page 12 of Lucifer's Revenge
“Paying out the ass every month.”
“I hear you.” They shared a chuckle, and once Gary had all his questions answered, he stayed long enough to get some lunch and couldn’t believe the deliciousness of the burger and fries he had.
*****
Once he left, he went home, and after making a pot of coffee, he settled in his office and started taking notes to talk it over with the people who would be doing the set designs on Hell’s Coffin 2.0. He didn’t know what else to call it.
For the first time in years he was getting excited about one of his students’ projects. As he sat there making his notes, he could picture the completed project and made an actual program on his computer with his vision.
Hours later, as he sat there staring at the computer, he reached for the phone on his desk and dialed from memory.
“Talk to me,” came the gruff voice and Gary laughed as his brother answered as he always did.
“It’s Gary.”
“Oh, hey. How are you? Mom said you were sick?”
“Yeah, I had this damn flu that was going around. Wiped my ass out for a couple of weeks though.”
“Well, take care of yourself.”
“I will. How have you been?”
“Pardon my language, but I’ve been fucking miserable.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, my current production closed its door unexpectedly. Bankruptcy, didn’t tell a living soul. We left the production at two one morning, when we arrived at eleven to start for that night’s performance, the doors were locked, with a note on the door that stated they were closed permanently. This happened last month. I had bids in for a couple of more jobs, but was outbid. I have about six months left of savings before I will really start to hurt. Why, you got something for me.”
“Maybe,” Gary smiled slowly, knowing his brother couldn’t see him, then went on to explain about his extra class he has taught for the last couple of years, how much extra income it brought in, how it wasn’t affiliated with any school, so he could call the shots, then he explained how he needed to find someone to start another class to work side-by-side with the make-up fabrication in order to get people interested in set design.
It was quiet for almost three minutes before Brad sighed heavily. “Is my room still available in the house?”
“It’s just like you left it when you left here years ago. Still has all your high school stuff on the shelves and walls. Mom used to dust it every week until she retired to Florida. Now I just leavethe door closed.” He chuckled at his brother’s moan. “Yep, you’ll have to deal with the dust.”
“Can I come home?”
“Brad, this is your home as much as it is mine. You know Dad left it to the both of us with us giving Mom living rights to it. That’s still there, even though she moved to a retirement community in Florida. I’m not dating anyone, so it would be just the two of. Unless you’re dating someone, or married.”
“Neither. I can be home by this time next week, if I can stay?”
“Yes, you can stay, and I look forward to seeing you again. I know you went to New York to make your mark and what I’m offering is probably just a pittance compared to what you’re used to making, but it would be steady work.”
“That’s all I want right now, steady work. I don’t want to deplete my savings if I don’t have to.”
“Okay, but I have to warn you, you probably won’t be able to start your own classes right away. I gave my students, I have twenty-five of them, a project back in March. Ten have come forward and I feel they will be going places.”
“And the other fifteen?”
“Honestly?”
“Yes.”
“Whiny, entitled, snot-nosed brats.”
“So, tell me how you really feel.” Brad laughed.
“I just did. They also think they can ride on the coat tails of the others.”
