CHAPTER 11

TUESDAY AFTERNOON

A GAY TIME

 

It was Tuesday afternoon before Kent finally woke up from his drug-induced sleep.  He’d found some muscle relaxants, downed the limit before piling into his bed, forgetting to put an ice pack on his swollen testicles.  Somewhere between the time the paper arrived and the street cleaner made the first pass of the day, he staggered into the kitchen so he could press ice cubes against his groin.  The pain was excruciating.  He didn’t go back to sleep until he took some more painkillers and muscle relaxants.  He kept dreaming about two large men picking him up and throwing him on a cold, steel table where a bright light blinded him as he shielded his eyes from the glare.  He saw the outline of Delmar bending over him with a scalpel in his hand and in the background someone was saying in a buzzing monotone, ‘What a fine specimen.’ 

He abruptly woke up at 2:30 in the afternoon.  The remains of the ice pack had slide to the floor, his body was a soaking mess, and the sheets felt as if he’d wet the bed.  It had not been a restful sleep.  Kent dragged himself out of bed, stumbled into the bathroom to empty his bladder; and the urine stream was a bright red.  It burned like fire and Kent wondered just how much damage he’d sustained.  He didn’t know what part of his body hurt the worst.  He gingerly reached down and felt his testicles; they were still there in one swollen piece, but hey didn’t hurt nearly as much as his kidneys where the two goons had incessantly kicked him.  

Kent steadied himself against the washbasin to splash water on his face.  He attempted to hide from his reflection in the mirror, but his swollen and puffy face was unavoidable.  One cheek had scabbed over where it had rubbed against the asphalt parking lot, and the other was swollen as if he had the mumps.  His face felt stiff, but the pain was slight and more of an annoyance.  Fortunately, his lips had been spared.  Kent found this unusual since his face had been continually pushed against the pavement.

Why would Ed Nash send two goons to work him over?  He had to know that JoEllen had gone out with other men, just as Ed had gone out with other women.  Ed had always been volatile, but he was usually more blow than show.  What happened last night put Ed in a much more dangerous light--a light that might explain the murder of Mary Beth.  Then there was Greg.  Ed could have killed Greg, but why?  Kent wandered into the kitchen, lit a cigarette and started to call JoEllen, but stopped in the middle of dialing after remembering the little episode with Ed’s goons.  He called Joan. 

John, Joan’s husband, answered the telephone.  Kent attempted to sound upbeat.  He made small talk for a couple of minutes, and then asked, “I don’t suppose your lovely wife is about?”

“No, you just missed her.  I believe she was eventually going to meet JoEllen for lunch and I think they went off to the Paradise Diner.”

 “I may crash their party, John.  Tell me, how are you doing?”

“Just so, so.  This getting old sucks.  It seems I have a new pain every morning.”

“Tell me about it.  I had the same problem this morning, but look on the positive side.  You always have something to look forward to and it just makes one glow with anticipation.”

“My, you are a joy this morning,” John replied.

“Hey, I have an idea.  Why don’t you and I crash Joan and JoEllen’s lunch?  I bet they’ll buy.”

“Thanks, but I’m still not 100% these days and I think Delmar is coming over for some chess.”

“Maybe some other time, then.  I would like to see you.  Let’s plan to meet for lunch sometime soon.”

Kent tossed the cordless telephone on the bed as he went into his closet to find something that was presentable, as well as comfortable, for the Paradise Diner.  He found a Polo shirt that had a wide neck and it slipped over his head with ease.  The pants were different, but he finally decided on some baggy Dockers that had plenty of room in the groin.  He slipped some Rocheport loafers over his bare feet, walked downstairs, and gingerly got into his battered Chevette to leave for the Paradise Café.

 

“Kent!” a voice sounded.  “Over here.”

Kent saw Joan sitting by herself at a table.  “Hi, lady, where’s your partner in crime?”

“Oh, she had a meeting.  What in the hell happened to you?”

“I ran into a wall…it’s a long story,” he offered.

Joan reached out to grasp Kent’s hand in order to guide him down beside her.  He felt the firmness of her legs, which caused that typical animal response.  It didn’t surprise him; just annoying since he knew it was futile to think about it.  The softness of her hands as well as the tears welling up in her large blue eyes showed a deep concern and he couldn’t help wondering how their relationship would have developed if John weren’t around.  It was stupid to think about it.  She and John obviously were very much in love and she was only concerned for him as friend.  Anyway, Joan didn’t have any money.  She pulled him even closer while she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.  She gently brushed his hair back from his face so she could see the bruises. 

“Okay, then what brings you here?” she whispered.

“John tipped me off.  He said you guys were going to be here and I decided to butt in.”

“I’m glad you did.  I thought I was going to be forced to eat alone.”

Kent and Joan settled in to eat and caught each other up on the latest gossip.  Kent finally decided to tell Joan about the events of the past evening.  Joan didn’t move.  The muscles in her face tightened and her jaw moved back and forth as she ground her teeth together.  Her eyes were dry and cold as he told her how he thought that Ed could be involved with the Mary Beth’s murder.

“You did call the police didn’t you?”

“Naw, I thought I would wait until I could confront Ed.  I think he owes me an explanation.”  Kent reached automatically for a cigarette and started to light it, but the look on Joan’s face made him lay it down.

“No kidding!”  Joan exclaimed.  “Ed is becoming very strange, but hiring a couple of toughs to work someone over…that’s pushing weird to the max.”

“I agree, but what can I do now?  I don’t think anything is permanently busted, but I sure am sore.  Where’s JoEllen by the way?”

“I should’ve guessed you didn’t come here just to see me.  What’s she got that I don’t?”

Kent looked deep into Joan’s eyes, not knowing whether she was kidding.  “Actually, nothing.  You both are knockouts, but JoEllen got to me first.  Sorry.  Eat your heart out.”

Joan picked up the water glass and slammed it down, sloshing water on the table.  Kent was a little startled by her actions.  “Damn, the story of my life.” 

They sat in silence for a second then she suddenly laughed. 

“JoEllen left a message for me.  Something came up and she had to go.  So, you’re stuck with me,” she said, grabbing a menu.

They ordered their lunch, talked about Mary Beth’s murder, but Kent was careful not to say anything about Greg.  He didn’t know if Joan knew yet and something told him not to mention it unless he was asked.  Joan was as worried about Olin, but both knew there was little they could do to help.  Joan did suggest that maybe a group from the class could take food and clothes over to the family. 

“I’m not sure, but I think you are about ready to confront Ed.”

The table they sat at was in a direct line to the front door of the restaurant and Ed Nash rush in and headed toward their table.

Although Kent was not physically up to taking Ed on, he at least stood up and prepared himself.  Ed ignored Kent and stared hard at Joan.

“I heard on our phone machine that JoEllen was going down to see that faggot, Jay Rothwell.  What the hell does she have to do with him?”

 “First of all, Ed, you are interrupting a conversation between me and my friend, Kent, and second, what JoEllen does is her business and I do not take any responsibility for her actions nor her interests.”

“You two are always in cahoots, and it’s always me that’s the goat.  It stops here, Joan!”

It was all Kent could do to refrain from wrapping his hands around Ed Nash’s fat neck.  Joan must have noticed what was on Kent’s mind because she raised a hand to stop him.

“Oh really, Ed?  What do you think you’re going to do about it?  Send a couple of goons to beat me up like you did Kent last night.”

Ed waved a hand in Kent’s direction.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Bull shit!”  Kent exploded.  “You know exactly what she’s talking about.”

“I didn’t come to talk to you, but I will say this.  I know exactly what you are doing with JoEllen and I will see you dead if it doesn’t stop.”  Ed pointed a menacing finger at Kent.  He started to say something more, but thought better of it, and stormed out of the cafe. 

“Okay, Joan, what was that all about?  What’s the deal with Jay and JoEllen?  She told me she hadn’t seen Jay in years and now she’s going to his house.  Come on, what’s the deal?”  Kent demanded

Joan laid her hand aside his cheek.  “Leave it alone, Kent.  None of us has seen each other for 30 years; don’t expect things to have remained the same.  Our lives have become a tad complicated and you can’t expect our lives to change for you.”

Kent faced straight ahead and nervously tapped the cigarette against the tabletop.  “Look, Joan, the feeling between JoEllen and me gives me some right to ask certain questions.”

“Maybe, but my long term relationship with JoEllen gives me the right to refuse answering some of your questions.  You need to appreciate that, Kent.  JoEllen and I have been good friends for many years, and you have just arrived on the scene.  Charming though you may be, there are some aspects of our lives that we may not be ready to share with you.”

Kent sat back in his chair knowing he had to see JoEllen as soon as possible, but he also understood Joan’s position.  “I know this isn’t easy for you, but it is hard for me, too.  I didn’t come to the reunion to start anything with JoEllen.  It just happened.  So, now we’ve had death, romance, and strained relationships.  Whatever the reason, JoEllen and I rekindled something and I think it is worth pursuing.”

Joan, tapping her water glass, gave Kent a contemplative look.  “Look, Kent, I really don’t want to get involved with JoEllen’s business, and I don’t want to get involved with your business, but I want you to believe me when I say I like you and I think you are good for JoEllen.  I am going to write down Jay’s address and phone number.  You are going to have to decide what to do with this information.  JoEllen would kill me for giving you this, but I do understand your situation, Kent.”

“I appreciate it, Joan.”

Joan scribbled down an address on the back of a napkin. 

“Thanks, Joan”

 

Kent hopped into his car and headed toward Jay’s home.  The drive would take about 25 minutes, so while fighting traffic he tried to piece together all the loose ends.  JoEllen was rapidly becoming a mystery, a chameleon with ever changing personalities.  He thought about the personalities: JoEllen, the happy to see him; JoEllen the over sexed bimbo; JoEllen the karate expert; and JoEllen the wife, mother and duty-bound family woman.  Who the hell was she really?  Kent’s thoughts shifted to Joan and he saw no mystery with her.  She was a devoted wife who was supportive, not only with John, but also with JoEllen and himself.  

 Kent noticed he was in the heart of the garment district.  He pulled in front of a remodeled warehouse, checked the address, and pulled into a parking space marked visitor.  Kent found JoEllen’s BMW parked two spaces down.  He walked over to her car, looked inside the tinted windows, and saw her kit bag that held her karate gear.  He turned to go in the nondescript brick building that overlooked the old airport and the Missouri River.  The new weatherized windows and a brass-lettered sign beside the front door were the only visible indications that the building had been remodeled.  Kansas City had a small garment district and there weren’t a great number of buildings left that could be remodeled into loft apartments or condominiums.  He pushed the intercom buzzer and a voice came over the speaker.

“May I help you, sir?” the voice asked.

“I want to see JoEllen Nash,” Kent responded.  “I know she’s up there.”

“I’m sorry, sir, she’s busy right now.  Leave your name and a number where you can be reached.”

“Listen, asshole,” Kent interrupted, “open this damn door or I’ll break it in.”

Kent emphasized his point by slamming his palm against the door so the loud smack would be heard over the intercom.  There was a pause and Kent thought he heard voices in the background.

“I’m coming right down and I suggest you not be there when I get to the bottom of the steps.”

“In your dreams, Bozo,” Kent yelled.

Kent released the button and waited for the voice to appear.  The door was jerked open and Kent froze as he saw a huge blonde man dressed in tight white pants and a thin tee shirt that accentuated his muscular torso.

“I’m the asshole.  Are you the guy that doesn’t understand English?”

The man’s large frame blocked the entire doorway.  His stoic face indicated that Kent was going to end up in the trash container at the end of the parking lot.  Kent knew where this was going, and considering his already diminished condition, retreat or even an apology was becoming an attractive option.  He backed up one step, took a deep breath, and before he could concede defeat, Jay Rothwell’s timely intervention saved Kent from a potentially humiliating experience.

“Les, that’s okay, I’ve got it,” Jay said, pushing the much larger Les out of the way.

Kent couldn’t help but notice that Jay’s frame covered the entire doorway also, but in a much different way.  Jay stood there silently for a second, dressed very casual in a white Polo shirt and matching slacks.  A diamond earring dangled from his right ear.  His face showed his anger.

“Kent, what are you doing here?”

“I want to talk with JoEllen,” he answered.

 

 

They entered the foyer of the building and Jay silently guided Kent toward a metal stairway partially hidden at the far end of the room.  They were quiet until they reached the second floor, walked into Jay’s office, a large room filled with green plants.  Jay’s massive desk sat in front of a large picture window that overlooked the Missouri River where Kent could see small aircraft taking off from the downtown airport in the distance.  Kent did not see JoEllen at first. 

An attractive woman with long hair that fell very fashionably across her shoulders was seated in front of Jay’s desk.  She looked familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on where he'd met her.  She was trim and lithe like a runner and the striking gray eyes had little flecks of yellow in the pupil.  There was a look of agitation and annoyance on her face, which appeared to be directed toward him.

“Kent, this is Topper Grey.” 

JoEllen silently came into the room and was at Kent’s right elbow, Jay had taken his place behind the desk, and   JoEllen’s friend, Topper, extended her hand to Kent. 

“Topper, this is Kent, the man I’ve been telling you about.  Topper is in real estate, Kent, and we’ve been good friends for quite a few years.”

 “JoEllen has told me all about you.  I think it is wonderful that after all these years you’ve been able to come back into her life.”

There was stiffness in her voice.  Her hand was strong and her long fingers tightly wound around Kent’s before he could comfortably clasp her hand.  The muscles in her jaw tightened as she squeezed his hand as hard as she could without drawing attention to herself.  Kent relaxed and she quickly released his hand.

“It a pleasure, Topper,” he said feigning a smile.

“Sit across from Topper, Kent,” JoEllen instructed.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I’ll stand.  I’m a little nervous,” she answered.  It was then that JoEllen noticed Kent’s face for the very first time.  “My God, what in the world happened to you?”

“I was afraid to ask,” Jay interjected.

While JoEllen crouched by his side and gently touched his battered cheek, Kent responded, “It’s a long story and it’s part of the reason I’m here.  I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“Did Ed do this to you?”  JoEllen exploded.

“It doesn’t matter now,” he answered.

“That son of a bitch!  That lowlife scum!”

 “JoEllen!”  Jay’s authoritative voice stopped JoEllen’s yelling.  “This is one of the reasons we are here today, remember?  What Ed did was disgusting, but Kent seems to be okay, so let’s continue with our business.”

“I’m sorry, Kent.  I didn’t think he would carry things this far.”

“It wasn’t Ed, JoEllen.  He sent two goons to work me over.”

“Ed is not a man to be trusted,” Topper commented.  “I think this is even more of a reason for you to get out.”

“Let’s discuss this later, please.”  Jay said as he gently tapped the crystal of his Rolex watch.  “We can chit chat later.  I have a lot to do today.”

JoEllen sat down on the corner of Jay’s desk. 

“Before we start, I would like to ask one question.”

“Make it fast, Kent,” Jay commanded.

“JoEllen, if you don’t mind me asking, when did you and Jay become such good friends?  When we ran into him at the reunion you implied you hadn’t seen him for many years.”

“That’s a long story, Kent.  We’ll talk about that later.  In the meantime, we need to talk.  Jay and I have been close friends for a long time, Kent, and Topper is a long-time friend.  The reason we’re here today is I am seriously thinking of leaving Ed and Topper has offered to let me come and live with her.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re leaving Ed,” Kent responded, “I know you’ve been unhappy with that relationship and I’m glad you have a place to go.  I am a little surprised you didn’t go to Joan’s, but with John sick, you probably thought this was the best solution.”

“Kent, this deal is a little more complicated than me having a place to stay.  I’m not sure I know how to present this to you…”

“Kent,” Jay interrupted, “can I get you something to drink?”

“Sure, how about a gin and tonic?”

Jay’s rotund figure walked to a bar situated on one side of the room while Kent gazed at JoEllen.  He was confused, and his confusion made him extremely uneasy.  JoEllen sensed his discomfort and attempted to calm him.

“Kent, I know we have just rekindled a friendship that began over 30 years ago, and we both can remember how we felt about each other back then.”

“What about now?  How do we feel about each other now?”

Kent walked toward JoEllen, but she held up her hand for him to stop.  “I’m coming to that.  You see, during that time we have gone our separate ways.”  JoEllen walked around the room nervously rubbing her palms together.  Her back was to Kent when she continued.  “I developed a tight friendship with Topper.  When you arrived back on the scene, you stirred feelings I thought had left many years ago.  Even though I have these feelings for you, I realize that they are feelings embedded in my memories.”

“Kent, sit down! “  Jay snapped.  “Maybe I can help you sort out some of your obvious confusion.”

Kent found an overstuffed chair against the wall next to Jay’s desk.  “Jay, what the hell is going on?  Is there a chance you can shoot straight with me?”

Kent’s remark brought a chuckle from Jay.

 “Kent, I’ve never been straight a day in my life.”

“Okay, okay.”

“What JoEllen is attempting to tell you, my friend, is she and Topper here are good friends--very good friends.”

“I understand that, Jay.  They’re good friends.”

“They have a very intimate relationship,” Jay continued.

“So, let’s get on with it, Jay.”

“Kent, these two women are daughters of Sappho.”

“Sappho?  Sappho of the Greek poems?”  Kent asked.

“That’s it, Kent.  Do you understand, now?”

Kent’s mouth hung open and his eyes narrowed as he turned to face the two women now standing by each other.

“Those were poems about--lesbians.  JoEllen, is he telling me you are a lesbian?  No--JoEllen, you tell me.  Are you gay?”

“Kent, people are not always just gay, just straight, just anything.  What we are talking about here are relationships, friends, and commitments; things you are not too familiar with, Kent,  I realize this is probably a big shock to you, but Topper and I are friends, companions, lovers, and now it looks like, roommates.”

 

 

It was late afternoon and they sat in Jay’s office.  Kent and Jay had a long talk about options and Kent knew he could continue a relationship with JoEllen knowing her bisexual preferences.  He wondered how long Topper and JoEllen had been together and how Topper could share JoEllen with other people.  This was a new predicament for Kent.  He’d competed with other men for women, and had lost many times, but somehow this attacked his masculinity and future pocketbook.  

“Damn!  I’ve got to show a house in exactly 15 minutes!”  Topper exclaimed, leaping up from her chair.  “Thanks, Jay.  I’m out of here, JoEllen.  I’ll call you tonight and we can finalize moving plans.”  As an afterthought, she looked at Kent.  “Sorry about all of this, Kent.”

“Forget it,” he answered, but both of them knew that wasn’t true.

“Okay, Topper.  I’ll talk at you later.  Kent, we’d better go, too, and let Jay get his work done.  I don’t suppose you need a ride.”

“No, I brought my car, although I really don’t feel like driving.”

If Kent’s last statement was an opening for JoEllen to offer him a ride she didn’t bite.  They said their good-byes to Jay and the blonde, Les, escorted them to the front door.  They walked quietly until they reached JoEllen’s BMW.

“Kent, I don’t have to be a brain surgeon to see you’re trying to sort this one out.  Might I make a suggestion?  Don’t try.  Just leave it alone.”

“You’ve got that right, JoEllen.  Here I spent a great night with you, think we maybe are going to take up where we left off, and whammo, I’m hit with this.”

“Got hit with what, Kent?”

“Well…the fact…you’re ah…”

“If you want to be technical, I’m bisexual, although that is my business, not yours.  As to our making love, I make love to whomever I want and when I want and if, for some reason, you think a roll in the sack guarantees a long-term, meaningful relationship, then you’re a schmuk, Kent.”