Chapter 109

Later, after the typical drinks at the club house, I invited West to lunch.

Sean joined us and I was painfully aware that there was no affection, no brothers, no slutwear. Sean was downright depressed and I felt miserable.

"Oh fer Christ sake!" West exclaimed suddenly. "If I wanted to see a couple not fight in public, I could go to lunch with my wife! So, you have all two hundred members of Boys-to-Men living with you and this is the one you bring out? What, the rest not talking to you at all?"

"It's not him." Sean said in my defense. "We're not holdin' up our end of the bargain."

"It's not you, damn it!" I sighed, feeling that pressure behind my eyes again. "I've just got ... stuff on my mind."

"Let's see. Normally, I'd say 'stuff' was the affair. But you having an affair is just stupid. So, you did something else or you're planning to do something you don't want any of them to know about."

"You're a dick, West."

"It's ok if you took the job, Boss. We all figured you would."

"Last time, ok? I. Didn't. Take. The. Fucking. Job."

"Right, Boss."

West kept at it. "You don't have a kid. Out of money? No, you'd have owned up to that. Not going to propose, are you?" I nearly choked and wound up coughing for a couple minutes. "Hmm. That got a response. Alright, but which one? Not this one, right?"

I shook my head trying to clear my throat enough to talk. "You're a fucking dick, West. No, I'm not going to propose, asshole. Why does everyone think I'm getting married?"

"I'd say yes, Boss." Sean had a trace of a smile which was the best he'd done all day. "Any of us would. We all love you."

"Quit saying that, damn it!"

West chuckled. "I'll be damned. Yeah, that is a bind. Just so you know, I have zero sympathy."

"You don't know shit from shinola." I snapped. He nodded, still chuckling.