Scotty was elbow-deep in a frozen air conditioner when his phone began to vibrate. He wiped his hands on his jeans and dug into his pocket for his phone. He didnāt recognize the number, so he shoved the phone into his back pocket and leaned back into the icy air conditioner. A short, loud beep indicated he had a voicemail. Perplexed, Scotty lifted the phone to his ear to listen to the message.
āScotty! Scotty, my manāhey, listen, this is Paul Gray! Iām here for the long weekend with my son, Zach. We came to pick up a little present I bought for myself at the marina near you and wanted to see if youād like to head out for a little test drive on the water? Maybe do some fishing? Let me know, would love to catch up with ya!ā
Paulās tone was the same as it had always been: upbeat, high-energy, confident. Scotty was a little confused as to why Paul Gray would be calling him to hang out. They hadnāt spoken since high school more than 25 years ago, and even back then they werenāt the best of friends, like they had been in middle school. A little present I bought for myself? Scotty replayed the message in his mind. Down at the marina? It was all a bit weird and very out of the blue, but Scotty was intrigued. He remembered seeing something online about Paul having a son right around the time Scotty and his high-school-sweetheart-turned-wife, CiCi, found out they were pregnant with Brittany, but that was almost 20 years ago.
Scotty was busy, so he tried to dismiss the idea and get back to work, but he was distracted by the phone call. What was good olā Paul up to, and had he changed at all since high school? If we did go out, Scotty thought, would we have anything in common? What would we talk about? He worked and fumbled inside the frozen AC until it was up and running, and went to tell the kind old woman that he was done.
āThank you, Scotty!ā the old lady exclaimed as he explained that the AC was fixed and her house would be cooling off shortly.
āMy pleasure. Call me if you need anything else!ā Scotty said with a smile. As he walked out of the front door, he pulled her overflowing trashcans to the curb to be picked up by the garbage truck later that day. She was a widow, and he loved doing little household things for her that she couldnāt do on her own. He started his truck and headed home for the day, Paulās message still replaying in his mind.
When he got home with a bag of CiCiās favorite takeout food, CiCi met him at the door with a big smile, just as she always had. He dropped the bag and wrapped her in a big bear hug, still in love with the way her hair smelled when she got out of the shower.
āEat by the pool?ā she asked, taking the bag and heading through the front entranceway of the home.
āSounds good! Iāll get the wineglasses and meet you out there,ā Scotty replied.
They sipped wine and ate orange chicken with chopsticks and looked out at the pool. The waterfall feature was his favorite, as it added a calming vibe to the entire outdoor area and was the perfect respite from the world. They chatted about their days, CiCi sharing stories about her ālittle rhinos,ā her affectionate name for the wild kindergarteners she was responsible for shaping and molding each day. As he tried not to bore her with tedious details about cooling coils and compressors, he remembered the phone call.
āOh! I almost forgot!ā he said as he put his wineglass down. āGuess who called me today?ā he asked with a mouth full of lo mein.
CiCi shrugged.
āPaul Gray!ā
āPaul? Why?ā she asked, her eyebrows raised.
Scotty laughed. āBeats me. Said he was in town buying something down at the marina, wants to go fishing.ā Scotty analyzed CiCiās face for a reaction.
āThatās random. Whenās the last time you guys talked?ā
āYears. I may have sent him a congratulations note when his kid was born. Same age as Brittany.ā
āWow. Are you gonna go?ā she asked.
āI donāt know. I wasnāt, and then I thought about it and . . . I donāt know.ā
āThink about it. Brittany will be here this weekend, she may be interested in going out on the boatāI mean, if heās bringing his kid ā¦ā CiCi suggested.
āIāll call him tomorrow about it. Weāll see. More wine?ā he asked, pouring the vintage cabernet into their glasses.
The next day was a busy one for Scotty. He decided that if he didnāt call Paul as he drove into work, the day would get too busy and he would forget, so he commanded the Bluetooth in his car to call Paul. The phone rang twice.
āScotty boy!ā Paulās big, hefty voice said as he picked up the phone. āHow are you, man?ā Paulās smile was contagious, even over the phone.
āIām good! How are you? Was happy to get your message yesterday. Whatās going on?ā Scotty asked.
āMe and my boy, Zach, are in town in Fort Lauderdale picking up a little toy I bought for myself. Got a forty-two footer, center cabin, a real beauty. You free this weekend to take her out? I got enough gear. You got a kid, right? Bring him, too!ā
āWow, forty-two footer. Thatās not a little toy,ā Scotty said, and immediately regretted it. If this Paul was anything like high school Paul, that little comment just inflated his ego even more.
āI have a daughter actually, sheāll be in town this weekend andāā
āBring her, too!ā Paul interrupted. āWe got plenty of lines, plenty of room. I went out a few months ago and saw a great white out there, man! What a sight. What do you say?ā Paul asked, a little louder and more energetic than necessary. Scotty hesitated, but knew that if this Paul was anything like high school Paul, he wasnāt going to take no for an answer.
āYeah, that sounds great. Letās do it. Iām pulling into work now. Can you shoot me an email with the details tonight?ā Scotty asked, putting the car in park.
āYeah, yeah, yeah! Iāll do that. Okay, cool. Looking forward to it, buddy!ā
āMe too. Should be fun! Iāll talk to you laāā
āYep, talk to you soon. Bye bye!ā and with that, it was silent. Scotty smiled and shook his head. Seemed like Paul hadnāt changed much since high school, and now Scotty was wondering what he was getting himself into.
Scotty pulled into the office building and jiggled the key in the front door. He switched on the lights and headed to his office. He sat down and flipped through his planner to todayās date. First up: the 8 a.m. tech meeting. He loved these meetings, as they were sometimes the only part of the day where he could really connect with all the guys (and Tracey, their only female AC tech), and listen to their questions or concerns.
Tech meetings always made Scotty think about his very first 8 a.m. tech meeting with Drew, the founder of Sharkās AC Repair Service, at the local Boys and Girls Club. Scottyās dad was a drinker before his mom died, and her death just sent him spiraling out of control. Scotty dreaded going home from school each day, on edge about whether it would be him or the living room wall that got the brunt of his fatherās grief-induced rage.
He loved these meetings, as they were sometimes the only part of the day where he could really connect with all the guys.
Not wanting to go home as a kid is how Scotty ended up in the backseat of the Jamesonsā car, which is how he wound up in the back of a police car for the first time a few hours later. But that time would not be his last. Finally, a compassionate judge ruled that his poor choices were a result of his unstable home life, truancy, and his āextended periods of unsupervised timeā and mandated that Scotty go straight to the Boys and Girls Club every day after school as alternative to juvenile detention. Scotty had been annoyed but thought anything was better than going home to his dad or juvie.
Scotty looked at the keepsakes on his desk. Front and center was a plaque Brittany had made for him for Fatherās Day with the Sacred Six engraved in silver. There was one photo of Brittany on her third birthday and one of CiCi in the passenger seat of his first car, one of CiCi and Scotty kissing on their wedding day, and one of Drew standing in front of a Sharkās AC Repair Service truck surrounded by all of the techs. Someone must have said something funny because everyone was laughing. The picture was faded, but you could see the sparkle in Drewās eyes. Every time Scotty looked at this picture of Drew, he remembered with fondness the day he met him.
The evening bus had dropped Scotty off in front of the newly renovated Boys and Girls Club. He saw a few people he recognized from school walk in and saw that everyone was sitting down and eating dinner. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadnāt eaten in a while. Iāll just eat and then Iāll go, he thought to himself. Scotty seemed to be a pro at formulating an escape plan, always looking for a way to get out, escape, avoid. He was weighing his options as he stood on the sidewalk. He was about to turn around and leave, and then he saw CiCi, a beautiful senior in his English class who always seemed to brighten up a room when she entered.
Scotty seemed to be a pro at formulating an escape plan, always looking for a way to get out, escape, avoid.
CiCi hangs out here? he remembered thinking to himself, suddenly finding the decision to hang around much more exciting. Free food and CiCi? The choice was suddenly a no-brainer. There was something about CiCiās long brown hair and freckles that drew Scotty in. And the way her shirt peeked up and showed just a tiny part of her stomach was a plus. She was one of those pretty girls at school who didnāt even know how beautiful she was. She was kind to people, always asking others to sit with her at lunch or offering to help someone study after school. He wasnāt sure why a girl like her would be in a place like this; he assumed she lived in one of the local gated communities and went home to parents who loved her and asked her about her day. He walked in behind her, but not too close, and followed her into a brightly colored lounge area. There were guys playing cards on a side table and a couple of girls doing their homework. Some kids from school were playing basketball outside.
He lost track of CiCi when an energetic man came barreling toward him.
āHi! Iām Andrew, but you can call me Drew,ā he said, and stretched his hand out with a smile. Scotty held out his hand in a pathetic attempt at a handshake, and Drew took it force...
