Porn Again, A Novel-Part Twelve

CONTINUED FROM PART ELEVEN...

“What was that all about?” Happy asked, entering his office.

“Um, I believe that was my friends and I getting harassed by those religious whackjobs,” Blake replied. “Are you insinuating that this was all my fault?”

He took a moment to calm down. “Ok here’s the deal Blake. If you want to come in on your day off and hang out with some of your friends in the store, maybe shop around, that’s fine. There’s just ways of doing things.”

“Okay. And your point is?”

“My point is that this is my store now, and I don’t appreciate disturbances like that popping up. Now if you and your friends want to live this ‘alternative lifestyle’, that’s none of my business. However, I do have a business to run here-“

“Alternative lifestyle? Happy, I’m gay okay. It’s not a fucking condition, it’s who I am as a person.”

“You want to watch the language here? I have a store full of staff and customers to think about. I’m just saying that maybe the actions of some of your friends could be toned down a bit. Maybe we won’t attract ‘religious whackjobs’ like those nuts out in the street.”

“Are you serious? We got harassed because of ignorant, narrow-minded sons-of-bitches like those idiots out in the street. Maybe the reason you’re defending them is because you are one of them.”

“Ok, watch yourself, son. You’re taking this way too far.”

“Am I? You know, you never did explain what you’re doing here when your wife is back home. Why did you move to New Orleans? Did she cheat on you? Did you cheat on her and get kicked out?”

“That’s none of your business, and keep in mind the fact that I’m your boss.”

“Understood. You just keep in mind that discrimination is a very, very serious issue that we ‘faggots’ tend to take very seriously...boss.”

He was at a complete loss for words as Blake stormed out of the office. “Fuck my life,” he mumbled, slumping down into his chair.

“Wow, you’re quite the ray of sunshine around here aren’t you?” Danielle stood in the doorway, a pleasant smirk forming across her face. “That’s not normally the way a Store Manager would handle that situation, but bravo.”

Happy adjusted himself in his seat.

“Danielle, I get the fact that you’ve been around here for a while and you’re eager to be a Store Manager one day, but there’s something you need to consider. While you may be a great asset to this store, it’s your attitude that’s holding you back.”

“Are you serious?”

“I checked out your file. You’ve got a pretty clean record here, aside from several issues concerning the way you handle situations in the store.”

“Such as?”

“Such as this condescending attitude you tend to have sometimes toward staff members and even customers; the same condescending attitude you’re flashing toward your boss.”

She had no response for that one. No one had ever been so firm with her in her tenure with the company.

“That’s right Danielle, I am your boss. And as your boss, I expect you to conduct yourself like the Assistant Manager you’re expected to be. You’ve got a lot of potential, but if you want to move up in this company, I need to see some serious improvement on your end. If not, then I will have no trouble wishing you well in your future endeavors.”

Danielle was stunned. “Okay.”

“And another thing. 70% of our sales in this store come from sex toys. That means that from here on out, I need you to spend more time upstairs, working with staff and pushing sales. I understand you’re uncomfortable around sex toys. Well, this is a sex store. Get comfortable immediately.”

She quickly disappeared as Happy tried to calm himself.

“Jesus Christ, what have I gotten myself into?” he muttered.

At that second, loud music blared from the store’s speaker system, pumping a song that couldn’t have come at a more crazy moment.

“It's raining men! Hallelujah, it’s raining men!”

Happy shook his head in disbelief. Fuck you Lucky.

***

“Now there’s a man who looks like he could use a drink.”

Between the events of the night and his disposition, the voice almost didn’t register. The closing crew locked up for the night, and what an interesting night it was.

“Get home safe guys. Thanks for all the hard work tonight.”

Starscream nodded as she and some of the other staff members hopped into her car. The vehicle jumped to life as the hydraulics kicked in, lifting and rocking the car back and forth. During a night filled with strange sights and even stranger people, it was a pretty tame sight by comparison. Happy could do no more than shake his head.

“I think I bought a broken vibrator in your store,” Delphine said. “What’s your return policy, sir?”

He chuckled. “Don’t even start with me now. It has been one hell of a night.”

“Christian Coalition getting you down? Can’t exactly have our new Store Manager catering to the sodomites, whores, and dregs of society can we?”

“Yeah, go ahead and laugh it up. What are you doing out here anyway?”

“I was waiting for you Mr. Downman. I could use a drink. You’ll be joining me.”

***

Blake lit up a cigarette as he kissed a few friends goodnight outside One-Eyed Jacks. Another 80’s night, filled with scores of $1 Rolling Rock beers, great times, and bad decisions to later end up somewhere on Facebook. He tousled his hair a bit, letting the breeze of the night air blow through it as he danced his way down the dimly lit streets of the Quarter, not a care in the world.

So quiet; eerily quiet it was except for stray dogs and a few homeless drunks turning over in their sleep on street corners. A few steps later, he made it to his prized bike that was chained to a streetlamp. Just as he was getting ready to ride off, he noticed the front tire had a flat.

“Shit,” he mumbled. It was going to be a long walk back to the Bywater.

“Need some help boy?” a voice called out from nowhere.

Blake spun around seeing nothing. Only rows of parked cars stood in his field of vision. He stood up, looking around in all directions, and then...

CRACK! Followed by a sharp flash of light, he never saw it coming. The shot from the guy’s fist nearly knocked him out cold.

“Big tough badass. Not so tough now, not without your boss.”

As Blake managed to crawl back to his feet, he could see it was the overly religious asshole from the store.

“Looks like it’s time for us to have a little ‘come to Jesus’ meeting. Ain’t that right faggot?”

Blake rushed the guy with all his might, tackling him to the ground. Just as he was about to get a shot in, one of the others cracked him across the back with a stick.

“Looks like we’re going to have to teach this little pillow biter a lesson ain’t we?”

“Damn right,” another one of them said.

“Father we come to you now asking for your strength and guidance in cleansing this sinner of his evil, wicked ways. Grant him the vision to see right, and to do right. Grant him the ability to-“

“Fuck you!” Blake screamed.

“Oh honey,” the man replied. “Hush now cupcake. This is going to hurt us just as much as it’s going to hurt you.”

***

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns in all the world...she walks into mine...”

The black-and-white nostalgia of Casablanca flowed from the screen as Delphine and Happy relaxed on the couch in his condo. Splitting a bottle

of wine was a much-needed reprieve from decadence central. “Did you love her?”

“What?”

“Your wife. Did you love her?”

“Of course I loved her,” he replied. “I don’t know. Somewhere along the line, things got-“

“Complicated.”

“Exactly.”

He refilled their glasses as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I guess that’s why Joseph and I make such a great couple. We knew from day one that we were in love, yet we were always able to steer clear of...complications.”

“How so?”

“I guess we just had a certain insight, intuition, or whatever you want to call it. We knew eventually there would be others who’d capture our attention. We also knew that eventually, we’d give in to temptation. Let’s just say that I’ve become a firm believer in the idea that if you break down the concept of love in America today, what you come up with is lust and convenience.”

For all the doubt clouding his mind, Happy suddenly found himself agreeing with her.

“Of course, this is not to say that generations prior didn’t deal with issues concerning infidelity and divorce,” she continued. “But something has been lost in translation. We’ve become a generation so indoctrinated with the idea of convenience in our daily lives that it was only a matter of time before it would take control of our love lives. Mr. Devereaux and I see no reason to argue with the inevitable.”

“And it doesn’t bother you that he sleeps with other women?”

“Well, look at the two of us Hap. My husband’s out of town and here we are alone in your condo. Wouldn’t you consider this a bit unconventional?”

“Yes, but we haven’t slept together yet.”

That last word sank somewhere deep inside, rattling him a bit. ‘Yet’. Where did that come from?

“It did cross your mind though, especially considering all the casual flirting back at the store.”

“Tell me something. What do you get out of it? What do you get out of the idea that your husband is sleeping with other women? And vice versa?”

Delphine stroked her fingers along the length of his thigh. “I guess you could say we have a mutual love and respect for each other that leaves one open to experiment as a sexual being.”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t understand that. I just do not understand that at all.”

“I wouldn’t expect it to be something that most people would accept or understand for that matter. Over the years Joseph and I have freely given ourselves to each other in virtually every way possible. Because of that, we feel free enough to allow each other to be fulfilled in ways that others may find unconventional. We’re comfortable with each other enough to allow others to enjoy what we enjoy about each other. Think of it that way. No expectations or judgments, only acceptance and understanding.”

While he certainly applauded her view of things, he wasn’t so sure it was something he could ever conform to.

“Kids?

“Unfortunately not,” he replied. “Looking back on things now, I think maybe it’s best that we didn’t. We tried a few times...just wasn’t in the cards.”

“Everything truly does happen for a reason.”

“Really? Well if that’s true, then I would love to find the reason for how I got here. That, my dear, would be the stuff that books are made of.”

As the two continued to sip wine in front of the screen, Happy began to relax a little. Finding a newfound comfort next to a new friend, he figured it best to just drift for a moment in front of the screen and let the worries pass him by.

“You played it for her, you can play it for me. If she can stand it, I can. Play it...”

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART THIRTEEN...