Desperate Times 2 Gun Control Read online

  Jimmy groaned and thought of his days back in high school and of all of the lunch ladies that had served him. He didn’t want to be a lunch lady. Merlin stepped behind him and removed one of the white aprons from where they hung on the wall. He handed it to Jimmy and motioned for him to put it on.

  “The hairnet, too,” said Merlin. “Make sure all your hair is covered, and don’t take your gloves off until everyone has been served. Look, they’re starting to file in. Just holler if you run out of spuds, okay? I have some more on the stove.”

  Jimmy wanted to protest. He stood there wearing his apron and hair net, feeling as if he had just let Merlin steal his manhood. Jimmy didn’t have long to think about it, and before he knew it he was scooping potatoes and plopping them down on the passing plates. He avoided eye contact with anyone, and he could feel his face grow flush with embarrassment. He promised himself that when dinner was over that he’d never don another hair net. He thought about Ken and was happy that he couldn’t see him now. How had it come to this? The line of young women seemed endless, and most smiled at him as if he were a puppy in a window. Jimmy’s face began to burn.

  The first thing he saw was her bare navel, a navel he thought he recognized, and he lifted his head slowly to see a smiling, bikini-top wearing Julie. Mars stood behind her, and he gave Jimmy a smile that made him want to tear off his hairnet and launch himself out the serving window.

  “Hey baby,” said Julie. “Isn’t this just the coolest place ever?”

  “Oh yeah,” said Jimmy. “This is really groovy.”

  “So glad you’re diggin’ it, man,” said Mars. “I so knew that you would.”

  Jimmy ignored him. “What sort of dinner outfit is that, Julie? Are you kidding me?”

  Julie smiled her half-smile and nodded her head. “I knew you would say that,” she said. “I was working, and Mars was kind enough to tell me that we had just enough time to catch dinner. I’m starved. I didn’t bring a wrap, but Mars told me it was casual. Besides, most of the people here are girls. Give me a break.”

  “One lump or two?”

  “Two.”

  Jimmy dropped two fat scoops onto Julie’s plate and turned to face Mars. “One lump or two?” he asked, trying his best to hang onto at least a shred of dignity.

  “One,” said Mars, his eyes resting on Jimmy for one disrespectful moment before dropping to Julie’s lower back.

  “Hi Jimmy!” Cindy hailed from behind Mars, waving her silverware at him.

  Jimmy had been about to smash Mars in the face with his scooper, but instead he plopped a scoop down onto Mars’ plate and turned his attention to Cindy. She was absolutely beaming. “Hey Cindy,” he said, forcing a smile onto his face. “How are you?”

  “I love it here,” Cindy gushed. “Two scoops please. There’s an entire group of kids my own age, and we’re studying Constitutional Amendments. Can you believe it? I aced that stuff in high school.”

  Jimmy barely heard her as he watched Julie and Mars continue walking down the serving line. “That’s great,” he said, mechanically scooping two scoops of white potatoes onto Cindy’s plate.

  “Have you seen my dad?” she asked.

  “Huh?” Jimmy asked, watching Julie toss her head back with laughter at something Mars had said.

  “My dad. I haven’t seen him since he left with that guy. I’m getting worried about him.”

  Jimmy tore his eyes away from Julie and gave Cindy his full attention. There were only a few stragglers behind her, and they seemed happy talking amongst themselves. Jimmy hadn’t seen or heard anything about Bill. He had half expected him to show up for work in the kitchen. “I’m sure he’s fine,” Jimmy said, trying to sound as confident as possible. “You know your how your dad is.”

  “That’s what worries me.”

  The last of the dinner crowd continued to stream into the mess hall, and Jimmy continued to serve them. Julie and Mars sat together at the opposite end of the majestic log dining room. From where he stood, they looked like a couple of love-struck teenagers. Julie, wearing shorts and her bikini-top, sat laughing as if she was having dinner with Jerry Seinfeld. Doc came in, flanked by what Jimmy assumed to be his staff, and he barely seemed to notice Jimmy. He stood there, scooper in hand, completely dumbfounded by the recent turn of events. They all seemed to be so happy, and none of them even seemed to care that he had been stuck in the kitchen.

  “Good job, Jimmy,” Merlin said from over Jimmy’s shoulder. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? Listen, go ahead and dish yourself up a plate and go out and join your friends. We’ll meet back here in about half an hour to start cleaning things up. You did a good job, and I want to talk to you about a promotion. Have you done much cooking?”

  Jimmy shook his head. He had no desire to spend another hour in the kitchen, but Merlin seemed to be so impressed with him that he didn’t have the heart to say so. “I can make a mean frozen pizza,” he said.

  Merlin slapped him on the back and laughed. “Not any more, you can’t,” he said. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll hold down the fort.”

  Jimmy had lost his appetite, but he knew in a few hours it would return with a vengeance. He dished himself up two scoops of potatoes and continued on down the line. After serving himself, Jimmy removed his hairnet and apron. He then walked out into the crowded dining room. He would die before he joined Mars and Julie, who seemed oblivious to anyone, save themselves. Cindy was surrounded by teenagers and was sitting very close to the same boy she had first met at the school. Like Julie, Cindy looked ten times happier than she’d been since they’d left home. He stood there feeling like the new kid at school.

  “Excuse me?” a soft voice whispered into his ear. “Why don’t you sit with us?”

  Jimmy turned to see a tall blonde girl with a dazzling smile. He began to refuse, but he stopped himself. “I’d love to,” he said. “Thank you.”

  He followed the twenty-something blonde to a long table where no fewer than ten of the college girls were sitting. Although it would have been easier for him to sit with his back to Julie, Jimmy chose to sit on the other side of the table. The girls sitting next to him giggled with delight. They asked him dozens of questions, and they seemed to hang on his every word. More girls joined them at the table, and they explained how things worked at the camp, taking turns and interrupting each other when necessary. Jimmy found out that the camp was governed by a group called the Equals. Mars was an Equal, and there were only two others in the camp. There was also a dark-skinned Jamaican woman named Venus. She was in charge of the few rules in camp, and it was she who doled out the punishment. They all agreed she was a fair woman but that you didn’t want to cross her.

  The girls continued to fill Jimmy in. Pluto, the man who owned Bailey’s had renamed it Utopia. He was an old hippie from back in the day, and his dream was to recreate the magic of living in that era. He encouraged the slang and the music and everyone seemed eager to please him. “It’s really groovy, man,” a girl named Emily had said. “Peace, love, and Jimi Hendrix.”

  Jimmy found himself actually enjoying himself. This wasn’t so bad. He was still angry with Julie for abandoning him, but she certainly had and he was no shrinking violet. He had as much a right to make new friends as Julie did. That was what he was thinking to himself as Julie and Mars stood from their table. That was when she finally spotted him and her expression suddenly darkened. Jimmy gave her a half wave and returned his attention to the table. There were so many questions, but a single comment stood out from the others and it rang in his ears. “There goes Mars with another victim,” the girl had said.

  Jimmy didn’t give Julie the satisfaction of catching her eye as she left the mess hall. She was a big girl, and if she didn’t see what was happening here, she needed to wake up and smell the coffee. Jimmy continued to talk and laugh with the girls, shamelessly flirting with all of them at the same time.

  “I see you’ve made some friends,” Merlin said, tapping him on the shoulder. “Tell
them you can rejoin them in about two hours. We’ve got cleanup to do.”

  Jimmy groaned.

  “Can I help?” asked the girl named Emily, who was sitting next to him.

  “Sure,” said Merlin, looking stunned. “There’s plenty to do. Thank you.”

  “What about me?” asked a raven-haired girl.

  “Me too?” asked a thin redhead. “I want to help.” She then openly winked at Jimmy, and all of the girls roared with laughter.

  The entire group stayed behind and helped clean the dining room and kitchen. They were done in just over half an hour. “Jimmy,” Merlin said. “I’ll give you anything you want. We don’t pay anything, but I’m in charge of the food chain. I can make sure that you’re the first in line. Look at this place. I haven’t seen it this clean since the first day I got here. You’re my magic man. Hang on. I’ve got a little present for you.”

  Jimmy excused himself for a moment, assuring the young women that he would return, and followed the old man back into the kitchen. Merlin instructed Jimmy to wait at the top of the stairs and quickly disappeared down into the basement. A moment later Merlin appeared carrying two gallon jugs of blood-red liquid. Balloons were still affixed to the tops of the bottles. “Be careful with this stuff,” he said, giving Jimmy a knowing nod. “Go out and join your friends, but I want the bottles back when they’re empty.”

  “Thank you,” Jimmy said, smiling. “Thanks a lot.”

  “I was young once,” Merlin said. “Besides, I can’t afford to lose you. Go out there and work your magic.”

  The girls squealed with delight at the sight of the wine bottles. They had returned to their original table, and Jimmy’s spot sat vacant and inviting. The sun had finally made an appearance, and warm beams of light fell from the glass panels above. Glasses were passed around, and an entire gallon was drained on the first round. Jimmy found the wine tasty, but it really had a kick to it. The girls continued to talk and laugh, and each of them flirted openly with him as if he were the prize in a contest. By the time they refilled their glasses for the second round, Jimmy was feeling pretty good; he had all but forgotten about Julie.

  Somebody produced a portable CD player, and it began to play a mix of eighties rock. Some of the girls began to dance and continued to dance as they drained their second glasses of wine. More girls joined in, and they cleared a dance floor by moving some tables and chairs. Merlin arrived with another bottle of wine and began to dance like a man possessed. The girls urged him on, opening the third bottle and helping themselves.

  Jimmy suddenly felt happier than he’d been in years. The wine had given him a good buzz, and the music seemed to soothe his soul. The girls were letting themselves go on the dance floor, and they were calling his name. Glass in hand, Jimmy decided to join them.

  The party continued as the light changed to a brilliant orange and the sun began to set across the lake. Jimmy let himself go, as if he were celebrating the greatest night of his life. He wasn’t a very accomplished dancer, but boxing had taught him rhythm and the music moved his feet.

  It wasn’t until the last bit of sun had disappeared behind the trees that Jimmy noticed Julie and Mars had returned. He nearly laughed out loud when he saw the expression on their faces. They both looked furious. Jimmy, a little drunk, waved them onto their makeshift dance floor. “Come on,” he shouted. “There’s plenty of room!”

  Jimmy could see the thick veins bulge in Mars’ neck, and even in this light he could see that Mars’ face was the color of a cherry tomato. He stalked over to the offending CD player and shut it down with an exaggerated fling of his wrist. “Would somebody explain to me what is going on around here?” he asked.

  The large room was suddenly as quiet as a public library.

  Chapter 5

  “We’re just dancing,” said Emily defensively. “Merlin said it was okay.”

  “We’re not hurting anyone,” said Merlin in a pleading voice.

  “Maybe you are, and maybe you aren’t,” said Mars. “I think Julie would disagree with you. Jimmy is her boyfriend, her fiancé. What type of message is he sending her? How would you ladies feel if you were her? There are a lot of single dudes here, including me,” he then turned and faced Merlin. “And how would you feel if Julie was your daughter?” Mars then turned and pointed at Jimmy. “What kind of man are you, anyway?”

  “Oh,” said Jimmy, not moving an inch and determined not to back down. “So, it’s all right if the two of you cozy up for a nice dinner, huh? And you,” he said, pointing at Julie. “You show up to have dinner in a bikini? Give me a break. Oh, don’t act so offended, Mars. You knew damn well what you were doing. Both of you did.”

  “I told you about the bikini,” snapped Julie. “And we sat at that table and talked about you! I was telling Mars about how happy we were and how much I was looking forward to being your wife. He never came onto me, not even a little bit! We were talking about you, Jimmy. We were talking about us!”

  Jimmy felt his stomach roll as things suddenly got fuzzy. The girls all began to file out of the dining room without so much as a good-bye. Merlin gathered his empty wine bottles and returned to the kitchen.

  “I think you two should rap,” said Mars. “You really messed up, dude. Julie’s way too good for you.” He instead turned and left them where they stood.

  Jimmy wanted to counter that parting shot, but he thought it was time to cover up and roll with the punches. Julie was wearing one of Ken’s faded flannel shirts with the sleeves cut off. The shirt hung down to her knees, and it made her look like a little girl. She was fuming with anger, and tears were running down her cheeks.

  “What do you have to say for yourself?” she asked.

  Jimmy tried to shake the cobwebs in his head. “Do you want a glass of wine?”

  “No, I most certainly do not.”

  “Oh, well then, let’s see. I’m sorry, baby. I thought you had hooked up with Mars.”

  “Hooked up with Mars? Do you take me for a whore? Wow, I don’t even know how to respond to that. You’re a goddamn jackass, Jimmy. What would Ken and Patty think of what you’re doing? What if Cindy hears about this? Oh, and she certainly will. Do you know how humiliating that is going to be? I can’t believe you!”

  Jimmy looked down at his feet and noticed one of his tennis shoes had become untied.

  Julie continued, her voice filled with conviction. “Don’t just stand there like a stupid dog and hope that I forgive you! I want to hear your side of the story. Or, maybe you don’t think I deserve to know. I had no idea you had such a low opinion of me. How could you do that?”

  Jimmy felt as if his knees were going to buckle and that he was about to hit the canvas. “I’m so sorry, Julie,” he said. “Please forgive me. One thing just led to another. I wasn’t actually with any of them. I was just here.”

  “Oh, that’s a likely excuse. You didn’t notice the way those bitches were looking at you?”

  Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I did notice. I also noticed you and Mars as you ate your dinner. I watched the two of you leave together. Don’t act as if that wasn’t supposed to hurt me. You left me to fend for myself while the two of you went off God knows where.”

  “I already told you, nothing happened!”

  “How was I supposed to know that? Nothing happened here, either. We had a few glasses of wine and somehow we started dancing. That’s it.”

  Julie’s eyes began to dart around the empty room. “No more dancing!” she shouted. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again! Do you hear me? And I want you to stay away from those girls. That’s an order. I love you Jimmy, but you’re pushing me to my limit. I won’t put up with this bullshit.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why the hell did you do it?”

  Jimmy couldn’t answer that. His mind was a muddy river of jumbled thoughts and childish justifications. Jimmy shook his head and slowly walked over to Julie. He put his arms on her shoulders. “I’m sorry
, let’s not fight. I get the message.”

  Julie buried her head into his shoulder and began to weep. She pounded on his back with considerable strength, and he did nothing to stop her. They stood that way for a long time as the fight gradually left her body. She finally dried her eyes on his shirt and looked up at him for a kiss. Jimmy kissed her with as much tenderness as he’d ever kissed any woman in his life.

  Jimmy slept in a small room in Merlin’s cottage behind the mess hall. The long day had worn him out, and he slept like a baby. All too soon, Merlin was shaking him by the shoulder. It was time for work.

  He didn’t see Bill until just before breakfast. He walked right into the kitchen, and Jimmy was surprised to see that he was wearing a dark blue mechanic’s uniform. “Hey, Bill,” he said, making a show of checking his left wrist. “What’s the occasion? It isn’t even noon yet.”