"Can you fucking believe that guy, Harley? He practically let us sign a license to kill," sprung the words between Edwards and his muffled laughter.
Unburdening the assorted bottles of Jim Beam, Smirnoff, and Monte Alban's in the apartment was a true relief but we still couldn't shake the events with our new landlord. "What kind of a cop is this guy? All he did was talk about how hot the girls living upstairs were."
"I figure he's some piece of work. Wants to be a real American hero underneath that semblance of law and order. Shit. Where's Benny?"
Edwards looked over his shoulder in the kitchen to the weight room. From behind the door we could hear the bass tonal grunting of a heavy workout. "I figure he's in there. Benny!"
I joined in the chorus of shouts for Benny and, after a few seconds of the chant, the door to the weight room swung open. Out walked Benny in full workout regalia swinging a towel over his left shoulder. He eyed us up and down with a menacing look that sent the FEAR shuddering up my spine, "What the hell do you freaks want?"
Edwards and I looked at each other and then back at Benny with a burst of laughter. "Keg, Benny," I was able to gasp between gulps of air and laughter. "There's a party on the front burner. Can you give us a hand?"
Benny eyed Edwards and I again and began to lose the menacing look, "Well, that depends. I see liquor. You tell me there's a keg but we're missing a couple vital ingredients."
"It's a keg of Red Hook and the rest of the details are being sorted out as we speak," smiled Edwards. "Amy's bringing some friends."
"I love it when a plan comes together," shouted Benny with a raise of his arms. "Let's get to it."
The three of us managed to haul the keg through the drying rain puddles and hardening mud. Over and up down the stairs and into the apartment, over and up down the hallway to the dart room. The keg was strategically positioned towards the entrance near the throwing line for the dartboard so the participants wouldn't need bother wandering the apartment with projectiles. There is nothing as conducive to mayhem as hurled projectiles and alcohol; however, we figured it was a risk worth taking.
Benny looked at me and said with a concerned gleam, "Well, I helped you guys. Are you gonna help me out?"
"Benny, my boy, you're in luck. Go get your shower and the festivities will begin."
Edwards smiled, "You know we've only got about an hour and change before the crew shows up and that crazy Irish bastard will get here shortly. So, you better be ready for a Power Hour in about ten minutes."
"Alright," Benny laughed. "I'm on it."
"Maybe later, jolly green," I added while ducking his flying fist.
"I'll tend to you later, Harley. You little, fucking leprechaun," gurgled the words from Benny's lips as another thought slammed against the front of his head and the outstretched arms slipped down to his side. "On a schedule right now. Edwards, take care of my light work."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Edwards watched Benny leave the room and began eyeing the work laid out in front of us. Screens and tubes that would need serious and deliberate cleaning in the minutes remaining before the righteous college blast could begin. And the thought that, at any moment, Irish Red would arrive to distract us gave a grim determination to the already tedious work. We both continued lighting and scraping, scrubbing and rinsing, until some semblance of order returned to the room.
After what seemed like hours of meticulous labor, the faint jingle of metal became audible. I looked up at Edwards who was finishing taking a pipe cleaner through a hose and said, "Bubba, did you hear the door?"
Edwards looked up in a squint and eyed the empty air between us. It was as if the sound could recreate itself out of the thin air before him if it actually did occur previously. He shook his head to clear that mystic vision and said, "No, but I hear the jingle."
While his words still hung in the air, the beaded curtain parted and a black leather jacket swung from between the strands while landing securely on the sofa next to me. With a pouncing leap, Irish Red was next to the jacket and lighting a Kool. "Well, boys. I see you're up to the same old shit. Where's the beer?"
"Don't you know smoking will kill you," smiled Edwards from across the room.
"So will an elephant when it sits in your lap," choked Red as he dragged heavily on the menthol. "Let's cut the pot and kettle shit for now and get to the matter at hand."
"You already passed the keg, brother. You better get your priorities straight," I grinned at Red. "Fucking Irish bastard."
"What do you red-neck bastards know about the Irish," smiled Red as he pumped the keg with a purpose.
As the foam flowed to the top of his mug, Edwards began to smile. "Send that one out to work for you. I've seen Pub bar-flies who gave less head."
"This keg is tapped," laughed Red. "Get your own damn beer you pot-smoking hippies."
I eyed Red's stunning attire for the evening. Combat boots neatly polished with a shine that reflected all the dim light in the dart room. "Now wait a damn second," I laughed. "Are you putting in on this?" Red feigned fumbling through his pockets for cash. "I didn't think so. Just smoke on your Kool and we'll all be cool. Don't make me loose that monster in the shower on your ass."
At that moment Benny appeared through the beaded curtains right on cue and looked at Red. "If you believe one word this little bastard is saying I ought to string your ass up by the pony tail for shits and giggles."
Would we fall into some strange testosterone and beer frenzy just minutes before the girls arrived? Then the voice of reason came over the speakers and calmed the tenseness that flared to high levels in the soft-glow of back lighting. Phish swam about our forms and the FEAR and DREAD slowly washed away as Fee echoed around the keg and through the tubes.
"Alright, now that we've all caught our breath. The girls are going to arrive shortly and I owe Benny a little something. A pretty face," I laughed questioningly?
"Breathe in and out, kid, while Red mans the door. I'll mix some strong refreshment and get this parted started right," smiled Edwards with his arms spread wide. "Welcome to my world."