Jack

"Mr Twist,

You have been invited to the 1972 Farming and Equipment Convention in Cody, Wyoming, to represent L.D Newsome and his business. Please RSVP as soon as possible to confirm your attendance.

Sincerely,

E.M Campbell." Jack read aloud, and looked up at Lureen, who'd been reading over his shoulder.

She raised her eyebrows, "Is this my daddy's doin'?" She asked.

"I dunno, but if it were, it were awful kind o' him."

She chuckled, "That don't sound like my daddy."

"It sure don't," He picked up the letter, "Looks like I'm going to Wyoming though."

xxx

Being back in Wyoming made jack more than a little nervous. He had to keep reminding himself that it was a big state and there was no guarantee that he even lived there anymore.

The plane landed in the early morning and his conference began in the evening, so he got his rental car and, like he was on auto pilot, managed to find himself in the parking lot of what had once been his and Ennis's favourite hotels. His tyres crunched on the gravel as he rolled up in front of the office doors.

"Jack!" He heard his name as soon as he walked through the doors. The woman behind the counter was a busty woman of about 50 years, with platinum blonde hair, and who wore more red lipstick than all of the barmaids in Texas combined.

"Carla!" He greeted her, shaking her hand over the counter, "How're ya?"

"Cain't complain, I 'spose." She shrugged, "And how about you, handsome? What about that business partner o' yours?"

His heart began to pound, "We parted ways a long time ago." He tried to keep the sadness from his voice.

"Aw," she frowned, "That's a damn shame. Seemed like you boys was good together." She handed him the key to the room they once used to share, and he inwardly cringed, "Mind if I take a different room?"

"Jack, you'll never believe it," she shook her head, "That there is the only one we got left. At least until 3pm." Seeing his expression, she added, "There's a neat little inn just down the street, I'm sure they'd have something. I could call ahead for you."

He shook his head, "This one'll do just fine, thank you ma'am."

She gave him a soft smile, "You be sure to call me if you need anythin'."

He touched a finger to his hat and left the office, slammed the door of his truck as he got in ("Goddamn fuck!" He'd cursed.) and rolled the vehicle over to the parking space just outside the door marked with an eight. He took out his bag, slung it over his shoulder and stood outside the door, laying a hand against the peeling burgundy paint.

Stepping into the room was like taking a step back into the past. Nothing had changed. The two beds were still made up with the same greying linen, the drapes were still the same dusty red they'd always been and he could have sworn he could see a stain on the carpet from where Ennis has spilt a bottle of beer during one of their nastier fights in their earlier days.

He sat down on the edge of the bed closest to the tiny, grimy window and tried not to cry.

The conferences official start wasn't until the next day, but there was a welcome dinner in the evening, and he was expected to attend, but it wasn't until the evening and it was still early, so Jack decided to take a nap. He slept fitfully, plagued by dreams of Ennis, on Brokeback, their first night together, desperate for companionship, finding something in each other they would never find in anyone else. He awoke in a sweat and was afraid to close his eyes again.

The first night of the conference, the dinner, was exactly how LD warned him it might be, kissing the asses of companies more powerful than their own, having his ass kissed by the independents, and lots of small talk and chit chat.

"But enjoy it, Rodeo," LD had said, "The two days followin' this'n will just be you and the booth, waitin' for folks to want to buy our product."

He wasn't complaining though, there were performers in very little clothing dancing around the room. A young lady with lots of red hair and freckles seemed to be paying him a lot of close attention, and he liked it.

However, he realised the next day, to his disgust, that LD had been right. The first day of the conference was completely uneventful. He sat in a booth behind a table laden with brochures and catalogues, he consulted with people, they ordered spare parts, consultations at their locations.

He took a bathroom break just after lunch. He put the sign up on his table and sauntered down the walkway towards the men's and he became aware of a tall, lanky cowboy with muddy boots and a sunburn across his nose whose attention he seemed to have captured. He kept walking but the man cornered him just outside the door.

"Rich." He said, extending his hand.

"Jack." He replied, taking it.

Before he could stop it, he was up against the wall of the single occupancy cubicle with his jeans around his knees and the other man inside of him. All he could do was try to suppress the noises coming from deep inside, and hold on and enjoy the ride.

When they were done, Rich handed him a card with his number on it, "Next time you're in Wyoming..."

Jack smiled, but as soon as he was gone, he tore up the card and flushed the pieces down the toilet.

Walking back down the walkway to his booth, he tried to shoo the image of Ennis out of his mind.

Laying in bed that night, he couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened in that room. The love, the hate, the fights, the apologies, the make up sex that was always mind-blowing. He tried to sleep, but found it impossible, so he called his wife.

When Lureen answered, her voice was hoarse and her words were sharp, "You better have a damn good reason for wakin' me up." He could swear he heard a mans laugh in the background.

"Lureen, it's me."

He heard her suck in a breath, "Jack, everythin' okay?"

He hummed, "Just couldn't sleep. I miss you."

"Aw, aren't you sweet," he could hear her smiling, "How's the conference?

His mind wandered back to the bathrooms after lunch with a random cowboy, "It's alright."

"Daddy's real happy that you're there, Jack."

"Happy he got me outta the house, you mean?"

She chuckled quietly, "I gotta go, baby. Bobby's got a game in the mornin', an early one."

They hung up and with something to think about other than Ennis (mostly his suspicion that his wife was having an affair, which he couldn't really complain about, given his recent activities), he was finally able to get to sleep.

Morning came and he dressed in a fresh white shirt, donned his hat and went to breakfast at the convention centre. He was joined by some of the big wigs he'd met at the welcome dinner, and some fellow stall holders. He got in some more ass kissing over coffee and croissants, all the while smirking at how proud LD would be if he knew.

He took his position at his stall just before the doors opened and when they were all ready, a flood of people flooded the centre.

It was a quiet morning for Jack. It seemed that no one was interested in farming equipment. Just like the day before, he took a bathroom break just after lunch and returned to a line at his stall and without even looking at the people in line, he sat down and got to work answering questions, handing out catalogues and filling orders.

He was almost finished when a voice said his name, and he almost dropped his pen. His heart near on stopped, and he knew if he spoke, his voice would crack. He looked up, right into Ennis's steely eyes.

"I..." He started.

"You stayin' at the White Horse?" Ennis cut him off.

Jack nodded.

"I'll be there at 6."

Anger suddenly bubbled up inside of Jack and he cleared his throat, causing Ennis, who was about to walk away, to turn around and stare at him, "Make it 7.30. I have dinner plans."

Ennis nodded and disappeared into the crowd.