For a Hero (15 page)

David abandoned his fighting stance and lifted his shirt, showing him that the only protection he had was the coat of muscle that surrounded him like armor. Blaine took the opportunity to strike. David’s defense was down so he threw a powerful cross into David’s cheek. The blow, executed perfectly, caused David to take a step back. It was, Blaine hated to admit, the first good punch he’d gotten in on David all day.

“You cheater.” David was half-playing, for he smirked, but he didn’t like cheating. So he broke a boxing rule and stepped into his cross. The change of stance would not have worked against someone as impeccably trained as Blaine, except that David had a little bit more power behind his punches. Blaine was able to throw his hands up between the punch and his own face, where he would then be able to strike David easily during the transition, but the punch hit his own hands so hard, that his fists crashed into his nose and sent him into a seated position on the ground.

Blaine, hoping to deflect the shame from his first career knock-down, immediately began spouting noise at his friend. “Look, what you could have been doing this whole time? You are so distracted. Will you please tell me what’s going on? You never ask to exercise with me.”

The patrons of Blaine’s gym ooh’ed and aah’ed at their owner, and local league champion, being knocked down for the first time in front of their eyes. He noticed. This is completely unacceptable. “I knew that my letting you knock me down like that would re-focus you, you big softie.” Blaine checked for crowd reaction, but David understood, even if he did think it was hilarious and ridiculous.

“I know; I am distracted. I wouldn’t have been able to knock you down otherwise. I guess we should take a break and get a protein shake to talk about all this over.” David’s voice was sincere enough to get the spectators off Blaine’s back, but just sarcastic enough for Blaine to understand that David was just covering for his friend’s embarrassment.

After they left the ring, and they shed their pads and gloves and got back into some clean clothes, Blaine returned to his friend. “You got lucky. I’ve never been beat. But, umm,” Blaine was not good at this, “I appreciate you covering for me in front of the gym-goers. It’s important I retain my image in front of them. But, just so you know, I would have kicked your ass if this were a real match.”

David smiled; his oldest friend hadn’t changed at all since they first met all those years ago. They walked out together. Many people walked up to David and shook his hand. “Congratulations, Chief!”

“Looks like that story about you saving the congressman’s daughter has garnered you quite a bit of fame. What’s going on that has you so bothered?”

Only after he and his friend had left the gym altogether and were once again anonymous on the street, did he speak. “Some crazy things have been happening at work. I can’t be sure, but it looks like terrorism. Pardon the ego, but it looks like it is meant for me. I think it might be my dad that is doing all of this horrible shit.”

Blaine stopped walking. “David, you NEVER say shit. This must be serious. What is going on?”

“The station was made to watch over the concert at Zilker the other day. Those things are usually uneventful and a waste of time. I’d have rather been at the concert or home than just sitting in the engine all night. But, it wasn’t like any other night. It wasn’t normal at all.”

“I heard the explosions. I did some research of my own, just to make sure that this wasn’t a problem that would cross over into my work, and it wasn’t; it was domestic. So, I let it go. It was three stolen sedans rigged to blow during the concert. No fatalities, no injuries.”

“That’s exactly what it was. But why? Did your research reveal to you that all three cars were the exact same model and year? Did you find out what model it was?”

“No, once I learned that it was not my jurisdiction, I let it go. What was it?”

“All three were 1985 Chevrolet Monte Carlos.”

“Your father’s car. Wow, David. You think it was your adoptive father? Is he capable of doing such a thing? I did a psychological profile on him when you took him to court after the divorce. He seemed hurt and insecure. I don’t remember seeing any indication that he would do something so dangerous, and so carefully executed.”

“I know, I feel the same way. But how else could it have happened? It is too much of a coincidence. It HAD to have been meant for me. But, the thing is: nobody knows about my father’s car except for my adoptive parents and you. This is really weighing on my mind. I don’t feel like my mother is safe at her home all alone. I feel like I am being watched. I was hoping I could cash in a favor.”

“Anything.”

“I was hoping you could get your company to re-open the case for me. Do as much research on the stolen cars as possible. See if you can find any connection between them and my dad. “Of course, it will be my pleasure.”

“I know you don’t usually do work like this, small-fry stuff. I can pay you for it.”

Blaine laughed as they finally reached the smoothie shop and he sat down. “You couldn’t afford us, Boyscout. Don’t worry. We get paid enough as it is. My life is like one long vacation. It won’t be a problem. I’ve already texting the instructions to my task force.”

David joined him, again surprised, like always, at his friend’s ingenuity. “Already? I didn’t even see you do it.”

Blaine didn’t respond to the question, he just smiled and leaned back. “Now that you can put your mind to rest about that, let’s move on to happier subjects. Tell me about Jenna. You two have seen quite a bit of each other these past few days.”

“How can you tell?”

“Come on, Dave. You know what I do for a living.”

“Well, I’m moderately sure.”

“Whatever, anyway, your cheeks are warmer. There isn’t as much tension in your shoulders and pelvis like you usually have. Even this big worry you have about your dad hasn’t added as big of a chip to your disposition as it normally would. As responsible as you feel about the trouble you’re facing, you are happier. That plus the dark circles under your eyes, indicating that you’re not getting your normal 9 hours of sleep every night, tells me one thing. You are obviously having sex.”

David shook his head in disbelief. “It never ceases to amaze me how you do that.”

“I never cease to amaze myself, to be honest. Now, spill the beans. Is she as good in the sack as she looks like she is?”

“Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Haha, I knew it! You like her!” They stopped abruptly when they were prompted to order their smoothies. David got a chocolate shake with protein and Blaine ordered some vegetable wheat-grass mixture with flax, oat and whey.

“Is there any part of your day that is NOT carefully calculated?”

“No, so do you think you are in love with her?”

David felt his face frown warm. His gaze fell down to his chocolate smoothie. “I don’t know. I mean, I haven’t been in love before. I wouldn’t really know if I was in it now.”

Blaine sipped his green, flaxfull concoction loudly; it was his way of telling David that he understood more than what David wanted him to. “That good, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty good.” David’s mind retreated back after he answered. Worries made themselves known on his brow. Silence.

“You’re reserved. What is it, Boyscout? Are you scared? Oh my, have your parents had ‘the talk’ with you? Hey, I know we’re friends but I have to draw some kind of boundary. I can get you a book or someth-“

“No, you dolt.” David interrupted him. “It’s not like that.” David didn’t bother to continue.

Blaine waited enough seconds to know that his friend wasn’t going to volunteer the information on his own. “Ok, then how IS it?”

“She is so vivacious, and so much more loving and wonderful than she thinks she is. She is the perfect combination of beauty, brilliance, compassion and modesty. I can’t imagine a woman better at anything than she is at everything. Except cooking. It would be very easy to imagine a woman that was better at cooking. But I don’t need that. Blaine, she is just so damn perfect.”

Blaine grinned. “You’re right, Dave. That sounds horrible. I would be pensive and cautious, too.”

“Stop it. You don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand. Just tell me.”

“I’m afraid I am going to hurt her.”

“Why would you do that?”

“No, not purposefully. I worry that I may hurt her the same way I hurt Veronica.”

Blaine coughed at the sound of her name. “Do Jenna a favor and don’t compare her to that bitch.”

“I know; there is no comparison. But before I hurt her, Veronica was gentle and nice also. She didn’t strike at me. She didn’t pick fights or humiliate me. Had I not sent her to the hospital that night then maybe she wouldn’t have become the awful person that she is now.”

Blaine leaned in. “I have a secret to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Blaine slapped David on the forehead. “She didn’t go to the hospital, Dummy.” Blaine returned to his reclined position and continued. “She told you that to make you feel bad. She was embarrassed and probably inexperienced. She was looking for a way to feel superior to you, because, let’s face it, David. You are a pretty special guy.”

“That is the gayest thing I have ever heard you say.”

“Sometimes, to be a true friend, a guy needs to say something gay.” Blaine’s face looked mockingly sympathetic as he joked at his friend’s expense.

“You don’t know that, Blaine.”

“Yes, I do. After she hurt you, I did some research on her. She didn’t go the hospital after she left your house that night; she went to TCBY and got a damn ice cream cone. The charge was on her credit card and she hasn’t paid a hospital visit co-pay in years. She is as healthy as a slutty, trashy horse.”

David’s face betrayed a wisp of anger but it was gone shortly. “Either way, Jenna is too sweet and fragile to be hurt by someone like me.”

Blaine tossed his cup at David, getting little green dots of (whatever it was) on his shirt. “That is a crock of shit.” Blaine stood, grabbed his chair and scooted it close to David. “I have something important to say to you, and I don’t want you to laugh it off, or think it doesn’t apply to you. You need to hear it. Are you listening?”

“You’re sitting really close to me.”

“Shut your mouth. First of all, Jenna is going to tell you what she can handle and what she can’t. The world’s population of women is not as manipulative and hurtful as Veronica is, and I promise you, that is what she was. She is not one of the sweet people that you risk your life for. She is vermin. You have to stop being afraid. You have to let go of the pain. Fuck her, David. Don’t think about her anymore. She won’t be coming by the hall anymore so don’t let her cross your mind. Just let go.”

David sat silently for a few moments and thought. He knew Blaine was right. But it was so hard. “I never really let go, you know. I have a dark side that I have to keep hidden.”

“No, you don’t. You do not have a dark side. You have a sweet side, and an assertive side, and you only let your assertive side out when you are being assertively sweet. You do not have a dark side. You have a scar left from a series of unfortunate experiences that makes you feel afraid to show anybody the wonderful man you really are. I know what happened with your parents, and your new dad, and Veronica. I know that you fight every day to protect the people that you can. But listen to me: just because you lost them DOES NOT mean you could have saved them. You are not responsible for every person in the world. You need to start taking care of yourself, and then, taking care of everybody else is going to be a lot easier. It’s what your real parents would have wanted, Gabriel.”

“I forgot you knew about that.”

“Of course I know. I care, David. You are not alone.”

“This is uncharacteristically nice of you. In fact, I am taken back by the profundity of what you said. Did you do a profile on me, too?” David’s eyebrow rose with a bemused curiosity.

“Of course I did. You are a big fella. I had to find out the kind of person that you are. Determine your threat level. Besides, I don’t surround myself with just anybody. If you haven’t noticed, I have few friends, but the ones I have are exceptional.”

“Thank you, Blaine.”

“Yeah yeah. Don’t get sentimental on me. I am saying these things for a reason, Boyscout. I need you to put on your thinking cap. Practice some critical analysis here. I am telling you these things because you hold yourself back. You need to know yourself. Find who you really are. Find out what is holding you back.”

“Holding me back from what?”

“David, you aren’t like everybody else. You are bigger. Your heart is bigger. You are something special. I wouldn’t have become your friend if I didn’t see it. Jenna sees it, too. The tragedy is, you don’t. You have something powerful, wonderful and beautiful inside of you. Something special, more than a normal man. You can change the world, David, in a way that I, with all my resources, never will be able to do.”

When Blaine finished his speech and caught his breath, David’s eyes were wide open. He was severely surprised at this side of his friend he had never seen before. Blaine took a deep breath and recomposed himself. His edge returned and he started to give off his ‘I don’t give a damn’ attitude. “If you tell anybody how sweet and ‘not cool’ this was, I’ll kill you. I have a reputation to maintain. All I’m saying, is that if Jenna is trying to get you out of your shell, maybe you should let her. You might be a beast down there.”

“Funny you end your heart-warming monologue that way, because that is exactly what I am afraid of.”

*****

“Have you ever wanted to be with someone but you wouldn’t, because you thought they would be better off without you?”

“Hell, no.” Miranda was typing feverishly while she spoke to Jenna. Jenna wondered if she was working and leaned over to look. Once she got far enough around to see what she was really working on, she noticed the blue borders that could only be Facebook and some other girl’s name on the screen. “If I ever wanted anything, Girl, I went after it.”

Jenna smiled. “Of course, but this is different.” Unlike her friend, Jenna was trying hard to work. There was only germane material on her screen. But, unlike before, she didn’t feel obsessed to work super hard at it. She finally felt ok working at a comfortable pace. Maybe it was because she didn’t need to be great at her job to get affection from David. She wished her mom had gotten that memo a couple decades ago.