Twenty-four year old Matty Demaret anxiously stepped out of his black Cadillac with his brows creased in worry and an prominant frown on his face. He walked slowly toward his father's restaurant, Gianda's Catering Hole, with his head down as he watched his black shoes step against the pavement, his hands in the pockets of his expensive black slacks. He had always been nervous when going to see his father for personal matters. Usually they only ever saw each other when Matty was bringing his father money from certain people he earned from. He had always been his father's errand boy. But not today. Today he wanted to talk with his father about going out, about doing something together, the way fathers and sons usually did. For most sons, it was easy for them to talk with their fathers and ask if they wanted to spend some quality time together. But Benny was no normal father. He was an underboss, one of the most highly ranked men in the mafia. And after he was put in jail for 6 years, he became colder than he'd ever been. Matty knew it would be hard to ask to spend time with his father but he loved him extremely and wanted to make up for lost time before it was too late. His mother had died of Cancer when he was 8 and he was fully aware of the possibility that death could come very suddenly and his father wasn't getting any younger. And on top of that, his father was in the most dangerous business. He could be shot or sent back to jail at any time. He'd already been taken away when Matty was 11, the day they were supposed to go on a hunting trip together. It made Matty realize that time was of the essence. It's what pushed him past his discomfort and drove him to go and see his father that day.
Matty went up the steps, walked past the people, not greeting them as he usually did because he was going through every possible scenario. Would his father mock him as he always did? Matty figured he probably would, whether he accepted or not. He wondered, would Benny be eager to spend time with him, his only son? Or turn Matty down and make him feel like an idiot? Matty tensed as he walked through the restaurant, past the doors, down the steps and to the basement. He took a breath as he stood before the door to his father's secret room. He swallowed then knocked on the door before he opened it and stepped inside, looking at his father. Benny looked up from his desk, squinting at Matty, taking the cigar from his mouth.
"What? What is it?" Benny asked as if irritated with being disturbed. Teddy was sitting on the couch as he usually did, looking at Matty curiously.
"What are you doin' here, kid?" Teddy asked. Matty walked further into the room, looking around in his discomfort.
"Hey, Teddy..." Matty said softly before looking at his father. "Hey, pop."
"Come on, cut to the chase, Matty. What're you lookin' for? Money?" Benny asked. Matty felt as if he were a disturbance and that his father wanted to get him out as soon as possible.
"No, uh... I was just wonderin'... If we could, uh... You know... Maybe go out sometime," Matty said, his nervousness obvious. Teddy had a hard time keeping himself from laughing. Matty sounded to him like he was anxiously trying to ask a woman out on a date. He knew Matty acting so emotionally would drive Benny nuts and he was curious to see what would be said.
"Are you kiddin' me? He's gotta be kiddin' me right now," Benny said, looking at Teddy as he gestured at Matty.
"I'm serious, pop...! Come on, I mean, when's the last time we actually spent time together, just you and me?" Matty said.
"Don't be queer," Benny said, his expression stoic as he looked down at his desk at a stack of papers, one on which he wrote. Teddy laughed, slapping his hand on his knee.
Matty's heart hammered and his stomach twisted. He needed to push harder, to get his father to at least process what it was he was actually saying, instead of ignoring him and trying to push him away.
"Come on, pop... Hear me out. Think about it, would you? We could go up north like we were gonna go... You know, before you were sent away...? Go hunting, shoot down some deer? Or if you don't wanna do that, we can go fishing," Matty offered, hopefully.
For a minute, Benny looked at Matty, realizing that his son was practically begging just to spend time with him. He pressed his lips together and softened, leaning back in his seat.
"What do you need to spend time with me for? Look, Matty... You're a grown man, now. You're not a kid, anymore. Find yourself a lady. She's the one you should be askin' to spend time with. I'm busy, here. I don't have time for this... quality time bull shit," Benny said. He looked away from Matty, took a drag of his cigar then continued to write. Matty bowed his head, swallowed, hands in his pockets. He almost wanted to ask again but felt he'd been humiliated enough for one day. He pursed his lips and nodded, eyes downcast. He looked up at his father once more before he turned around, despondently heading for the door. He held the knob, slowly turned it, then looked back at his father.
"Some other time, then. I'll see ya, pop... See ya, Teddy," he said, turning back to the door and opening it. He stepped out, his eyes shining as he walked out of the restaurant and got back into his Cadillac. A sadness overcame him but it soon turned to anger as he drove. He hardened his emotions, became stoic. He felt he'd been a fool to ask his father such a thing.
'All he ever sees in me is weakness...' Matty thought. 'Fuck me. Maybe I am weak.'
Matty felt disliked by his father, felt as if he would never be who his father wanted him to be. That his father would only ever look at him like he were a child; a foolish child. As he hoped wouldn't happen, Benny had made Matty feel like an idiot for having emotion. As if it were a crime.
Disappointed and upset, negative feelings overcoming him, Matty decided instead to head to Taylor's. Taylor always made him feel good, gave him that attention that he'd craved from his father. At least Taylor liked to spend quality time with him. At least Taylor cared about him. At least Taylor liked and accept him for who he was. Matty knew the second he saw Taylor, his day would brighten and everything would get better. It always did. Matty didn't know what he'd ever do without Taylor.
Matty started driving off, heading for Taylor's apartment. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and brought up Taylor's number. It rang only twice before Taylor answered.
"Hey," Taylor said in his rough voice. Matty instantly smiled.
"Aaaye, how you doin'?" Matty asked, excitement in his voice. He laughed shyly, memories of Taylor flooding his mind and almost immediately erasing all thought of his father.
"Good. Comin' over?" Taylor asked, his voice questioning.
"Yeah, just pullin' up now," Matty replied as he looked along the crowded street for a parking space. He ended up having to park some ways away from Taylor's apartment and walked over. He saw movement and looked up, seeing Taylor parting the shade and looking at Matty. Matty smiled and waved, then made his way through the apartment, up the stairs to Taylor's level. Taylor opened the door as soon as Matty arrived.
"Hey, man," Matty said, tenderly. Taylor smiled, gripping Matty's bicep and shaking him gently. Matty bent his arm and grasped Taylor's forearm briefly before they both let go.
"Good to see ya," Taylor said.
"Yeah, you too," Matty replied. He followed Taylor into the house, shutting the door behind him. He watched Taylor step into the clean living room, realizing an old Knick's game was playing.
"Knicks, huh?" Matty asked.
"Yeah," Taylor answered. He picked up a beer from the coffee table and took a sip.
"I remember this game..." Matty said.
"Yeah?" Taylor responded.
"Yeah," Matty said. He took his shoes and coat off then walked over to Taylor, so they were standing side by side, hardly a foot away. Matty put his hands on his hips, his elbow brushing against Taylor's arm and his socked foot touching Taylor's.
"The Knick's win?" Taylor asked, taking another sip as he watched the screen.
"You bet," Matty replied, smiling as he turned his head to look at Taylor.
"Thought they would," Taylor said.
"Who else, right? Haha..." Matty laughed.
"You wanna beer?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah, sure," Matty responded, nodding. Taylor walked into the kitchen and came back with a beer. He turned the cap then handed the cold bottle to Matty who took it with a kind smile on his face, raising the bottle to Taylor as a 'thanks' before taking a sip. Taylor raised his as well then did the same. Taylor then sat down on the couch and Matty followed, sitting so close that their sides were touching. Matty loved being close to Taylor. He felt comforted.
As the game played on, Matty had entirely forgotten about his father. The only one in the world was Taylor.
"Look, I was thinkin' of goin' fishin' this weekend... You wanna go?" Matty asked, looking at Taylor. Taylor looked at Matty then back at the TV.
"Sure. You got a pole?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I got a pole... Luers, fishing line, you name it. How 'bout you?" Matty questioned.
"Same," Taylor replied.
"Nice," Matty replied, leaning back in his seat as he was pressed against Taylor, relaxed. It was the first time that day that he felt content.
The end