Greeting Cards Read online

  “What’s your point, Lancaster?”

  “I should have thought of this to begin with. You can get in touch with him through his department.”

  “Huh?”

  “Do you have a pencil and paper? I’ll give you the address to Wooster U’s chemistry department.”

  Shaking his head—how had this gotten so complicated?—Ben scrounged up a pen and turned over the envelope that held Rick’s card. He wouldn’t be using that again.

  “Okay, let me have it.” He jotted down the address, repeated it to Fred, and then repeated it again just to be sure.

  “That’s it. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  “No. Thanks a lot, Fred. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome. Anything for a friend. Gotta go. See you around.”

  “Yeah. Bye.” He’d never done anything like transcribe numbers before, but—he’d been really stressed back in January, he guessed he could have done that.

  But he’d been so certain this time, though….

  Oh well.

  What bothered him more was that Jason wasn’t happy. That line under “Not at this address” pointed at pissed.

  He sighed. He could probably expect the last card he’d sent to Jason to come back to him with “Return to Sender, the asshole” written all over it.

  Well, at least this gave him a chance to write to Rick in a calmer frame of mind.

  Chapter 10

  ELSPETH ADDAMS was sitting at her desk when Dr. Putnam’s teaching assistant came strolling into the department’s office.

  “Any mail for me, gorgeous?” Richard Preston usually got on her last nerve. She knew she wasn’t gorgeous—she wasn’t even pretty—and everyone knew Preston was gay. But this time his joviality came across as forced.

  “You always ask, and what do I always tell you?”

  “‘No’.” He looked glum. It didn’t surprise her. She’d been working for the department since before David Putnam attained tenure here at Wooster U, and she knew what he was like, despite having been in love with him at one time herself. Shouldn’t every straight woman be in love with a gay man once in her life? And it wouldn’t have mattered that he’d never looked at her; she’d never been stupid enough to come on to him.

  Preston didn’t even realize how well he’d done. He’d managed to keep David intrigued for the entire spring and fall semesters and half the winter one as well, a university record.

  That was when a Physical Science major crossed David’s path. David had forgotten Richard Preston’s existence and begun chasing the younger man.

  Elspeth actually found it amusing, since, for a change, things weren’t going David’s way. And even more so since Preston had realized which way the wind was blowing and was trying to win him back, to the point where he’d sent out inquiries to other universities and had their responses mailed to the department. Hoping the possibility of Preston leaving would jolt David out of his obsession with someone else?

  She didn’t think it would work but had no intention of telling him that. He could give it his best shot. She peered at him over her glasses.

  Taking that as a no, Preston’s shoulders slumped for a moment, but then he straightened them and gave a cocky grin. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Just a second, Mr. Preston.” She reached into his inbox. “As a matter of fact, there is something….”

  He paused, looking torn, as if he wasn’t sure what he should hope for.

  “Not quite what you were expecting, I imagine.” She handed him a square, off-white envelope.

  “What…?” He opened it and withdrew a greeting card, then studied the return address and smirked. He started toward the door, reading as he swaggered across the room. “Transposed, you stupid….”

  His steps slowed, and suddenly he came to an abrupt halt. “You’re… you’re not waiting…?”

  Elspeth watched in surprise. What was in that card?

  He continued reading, and his shoulders seemed to fold in on his body.

  “Oh God, oh God.” She could see him begin to tremble. “He can’t…. What have I…?”

  “Are you all right, Mr. Preston?”

  He didn’t turn to face her. “Fine, thank you.” But she’d never heard such a lack of certainty in his voice before. The card and envelope dropped from his hand, but he didn’t seem to realize it. He walked out, his gait that of an old man.

  She hurried around her desk and picked up the card. “Congratulations” was on the front. Since Preston hadn’t cared enough to retrieve it, she saw no reason why she shouldn’t read what was written inside.

  Dear Rick,

  I tried to get in touch with you twice before, but I must have transcribed the numbers of the address because someone else got the cards.

  That must have been what Preston was mocking him about. Her lips tightened. Smug, intellectual prick. She continued reading.

  So don’t think this is on the spur of the moment. It’s been almost eight months since you left Greenedale. The number’s funny, isn’t it? It’s the same number, except in years, that we were together.

  You said you needed some time, and it broke my heart, not that I had any choice, since you moved out before I got home from work that day, but I gave you that. I hoped you’d call or text to let me know how you were doing, but you never did. And you don’t have to tell me you know that. I can hear that tone in your voice. It was something you used a lot those last months we were together.

  What we had—did it mean so little to you? You were the first man I loved, the only man I loved, and I’d have done anything for you. I gave up my family for you. We were going to buy a house together.

  And you want to hear a funny thing? The person who got the card? He wrote back to me. He’s a nice person, Rick. I hate to say this, but he’s nicer than you, and I think we’d get along together pretty well.

  I think you’ll understand why I’m sending you a congratulations card. You’ve made your point—you don’t want me. It would have been nice if you’d told me to my face, but then you always tended to avoid confrontations, didn’t you? Anyway, this is the last time you’ll hear from me.

  I’ll always remember you, Rick, and I hope you’ll find happiness wherever you go.

  Always,

  Ben

  Well. It looked like there was such a thing as karma. Elspeth put the card back in its envelope and found a manila envelope into which to place them. She didn’t know who she felt sorrier for—that man Ben for loving someone like Richard Preston, or Preston for losing someone like that man Ben.

  She printed Preston’s name on the envelope, and then placed it in his inbox. It was going to be interesting to see what happened next.

  Chapter 11

  SON-of-a-bitching carpenters. They’d picked a bad fucking time to mess with Ben Haggerty. Between his nerves being stretched from waiting to see how, or even if, Rick would answer him and the time of year—Mother’s Day was only a couple of weeks away, and of everything, he regretted not being able to see his mom—well, he wasn’t in the best fucking mood.

  And that alone would be a dead giveaway—he never swore.

  Added to that, it would have been nice to get a card from Jason, but that was something else that wasn’t going to happen.

  Ben had asked the carpenters to watch his cables when they put up their sheetrock, and they’d said, “Sure.”

  Only when he came back from lunch, it was to find three cables cut.

  “What the fuck, man?”

  “Hey, not my problem.” The head shithead carpenter grinned.

  He wasn’t grinning after Ben kicked a hole in the sheetrock with his steel-toed work shoes.

  “What the fuck, man!” It looked like the head carpenter’s eyes were going to bug out of his head.

  “That was an accident.” How’d the bastard like it now that the shoe was on the other foot? Ben kicked the wall again. “Oops. Another accident.” And then he punched the wall for good meas
ure. Ouch. He flexed his fingers. Okay, that wasn’t a good idea. But if he had to run new cable tomorrow, they could damn well put up new sheetrock.

  The carpenters backed off. They wouldn’t screw with him again. Well, they probably wouldn’t work on another job with him again.

  Assholes.

  But geez, he was depressed now. He’d learned from his dad and his uncles to take pride in his work, and to see it ruined because a bunch of assholes were careless….

  He drove to the shop to let the boss know the job would have to be extended a few days to replace the cables that had been cut.

  Annie looked up when he came in. “You look like shit, Ben. Take a vacation. Or better yet, find a boyfriend.”

  Was that a polite way of telling him to get laid? Probably. When he’d written to Rick that his hand was cramping up, he hadn’t been kidding.

  “Is the boss in?”

  “Nah. He left for the day. He wasn’t in a good mood.”

  Welcome to the club. “Well, he’s gonna be in an even worse one when he hears what I have to tell him.”

  “I don’t think so. Uh… Ben? His sister wants him to let Kevin work a job on his own.”

  “And?”

  She shrugged but couldn’t meet his eyes. “You know the boss can’t say no to her.”

  “And?” he repeated. Why was Annie taking so long to get to the point?

  She sighed. “He’s giving Kevin the job at the Towers Office Building.”

  The one he’d just left?

  “He… he figures since you had it pretty much wrapped up, Kevin couldn’t do too much damage.”

  Ben needed to find another job. This place was becoming as bad as Pine Valley, that town in the soap opera his mom used to watch. He’d watch it too, when he was on vacation, or if he had to take a sick day. That action made him feel close to her, even though she’d more or less turned her back on him. He’d just made sure Rick never knew.

  “Well, Kevin’s going to be in for a surprise tomorrow. The cables I spent the past two days running? The carpenters on the job cut three of them.” He grinned at Annie’s dawning unease, although he really wasn’t happy about it. “Yeah. Kevin’s gonna have to replace ’em.”

  “Ben…!”

  “Y’know what, Annie? I think I’ll take your advice.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m taking the rest of the week off.”

  “But Ben, what if something comes up?”

  “The boss can have Kevin take care of that too.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  So did he. “If I still have a job, I’ll see you next week.”

  Otherwise….

  BEN had stashed his tools in the trunk of his car, and because it was so early in the day, he decided to drive to the Stop & Shop to stock up on some groceries before he went on home.

  He found a shopping cart with wheels that didn’t try to go in two different directions at the same time and began in the bakery department, picking up a loaf of rye bread that was still warm. A stop at the deli counter was next, and he ordered some cold cuts. From there he visited produce, dairy, meats, and frozen food.

  “Excuse me, but…. Don’t you live on Huxley Road?”

  Startled, Ben turned to face a man in his early twenties. Dark hair and brown eyes—for a second he thought he was looking at Jason.

  “Uh… no. I mean, I used to, but I moved to Caravan Point.”

  “Where all the old farts live?”

  He laughed. “Not exactly.”

  “No, I guess not, if you’re there.” He flirted his lashes at Ben and gestured toward his own cart. “Y’know, Lean Cuisine makes a wicked roasted turkey breast. I have some extras if you’d like to join me for… dinner.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll need to get home and get these refrigerated.”

  “Maybe another time? Oh, say, I’ll be at the Hunky Monkey on Saturday night. Meet me there?”

  “Hunky Monkey?” The first time a fine-looking guy had come on to him in… well, like forever… and Ben had no clue what the place was. Would that fact send Handsome heading for the hills?

  “Yeah! It’s the newest ‘in’ spot! It’s just off Park, and the music is awesome. Oh, and they have decent drinks too.”

  All right. He was still there! “I… think I’d like that.”

  “Great. I’ll… I’ll meet you there, okay? About nine?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He held out his hand. “My name is Ben.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ben. I’m Mark.” Mark’s hand was rough. He must be in the trades too.

  “Well, see you.”

  “Yeah.”

  They smiled at each other and went their separate ways.

  FUMBLING with his key and the bags of groceries, Ben finally got his door unlocked, only to skid as he stepped on the envelopes scattered on the floor.

  Okay, this was ridiculous. He was going to attach a basket under the mail slot to catch the mail. He should have done it months ago, but better late than never.

  He stepped carefully over the rest of the mail and went into the kitchen. Since he had the next few days off….

  Hopefully it wouldn’t be longer than that, but since Acme Electric was a union shop, he’d kept his union card, and he could always go to the union if he needed a new job.

  Once the groceries were put away, he went back to get the mail.

  “Oh my God!” There was a card from Jason!

  He tamped down his excitement. Yeah, it was from Jason, but it could very well be to tell him to fuck off.

  He slid his thumbnail under the flap and worked it open.

  Basset hound puppies peeking out of a doghouse! But… why did it say “I’m sorry”?

  Dear Ben,

  I hope the way I sent Rick’s card back to you didn’t come across as pissy. (Although I was in a pissy mood when I dropped it off at the post office—I didn’t want the damned thing in my house a second longer than it had to be.) I’m sorry because I acted like the kid you originally thought I was.

  My reaction was dumb, I know it. Rick is your boyfriend and it only makes sense that you want to patch things up with him. The thing is, I thought we were becoming friends, and it felt like a slap in the face for it to show up at my house.

  Okay, see? I told you it was childish. And not only childish, but melodramatic as well. My sister Jen would have given me such a hit for doing something like that.

  So please forgive me and say we can still be friends. I promise not to do anything so stupid again.

  Oh, and happy Look Alike Day!

  Yours,

  Jason

  Ben couldn’t help grinning, even if he looked like a loon. He and Jason were still friends!

  And Jason hadn’t liked him sending that card to Rick.

  He didn’t know why having someone else interested in him made it easier to let Rick go, but it did.

  This called for a visit to the Hallmark store!

  Chapter 12

  JASON knew that by rights, if Ben was going to send him a card, it would be at least four days until it was delivered. That didn’t stop his heart from giving a little flip every time he opened his mailbox.

  But the end of April rolled around, and nothing. May 1. May 2. May 3. All nothing.

  Okay, he guessed Ben wasn’t able to forgive him for being such an immature jerk.

  He found a card. This one would go to his sister. It had a baby on the front and promised to teach new parents all they needed to know to amuse their little bundle of joy. When she opened it, she’d see a little foot. “This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home….”

  Dear Jen,

  You know these cards I send to you? Well, I started sending them to a gentleman who….

  No, she’d think he was nuts. He whited it out.

  I think I’ve found the man of my dreams. Only I don’t know what he looks like. And he’s involved with someone else….

  That was even worse. He
came across sounding like a home wrecker. If his sister read that, she really would drive over to his house and smack him. Out came the whiteout again.

  So, how are things with you? Seen any good movies? Have you and Fred decided to make me an uncle yet?

  He shook his head and tore up the card. He didn’t like doing something like that, since it was such a cute one, but she’d know something was going on.

  IT had been another one of those days at Wooster U. Dr. Putnam absolutely refused to back off and leave him alone, and when Jason grudgingly agreed to have coffee with him, the professor had almost dragged him to the Starbucks kiosk on campus.

  He’d hoped giving in would satisfy Dr. Putnam, but it didn’t look like it, and finally he had to be blunt.

  “You realize this is the only time I’ll have coffee with you?”

  “That’s quite all right. Now that we’ve broken the ice, I think dinner—”

  “Not dinner, not a movie, not drinks. If you don’t stop harassing me, Dr. Putnam, I’ll have no recourse but to lodge a complaint against you.”

  “No one’s ever—”

  “I’m serious.”

  “But—”

  “No. I’m not changing my major—”

  “You’re brilliant! You’ve got the highest IQ of anyone here at Wooster!”

  That pulled Jason up short. “Do you mean to tell me if I only had average intelligence, you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me?”

  “Why would I?” Dr. Putnam seemed honestly confused. “If that were the case, you’d hardly be working on your second master’s.”

  “You pompous, supercilious—”

  Putnam must have realized he’d said the wrong thing. “Physiological chemistry could be your calling!”

  “I’m not changing my advisor, and I won’t have an affair with you.” Jason spoke loudly enough that the couple at the next table overheard him, and they glanced his way with interest.

  Dr. Putnam turned bright red. “But—”

  “I have to go. Thank you for the Frappuccino and the lemon pound cake.”