BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (65 page)

"Screw the boat! Your lives should come first, as the older of the two, you should have known - had you been raised properly by me-..."

"Shawn - don't go there, okay? Quincy was a good father, he's not responsible for my lapses in wisdom."

"Maybe - but he's not your father! I'm your father - and it pisses me off that he raised you when it should have been me!"

"You weren't around to raise me." Ben returned calmly.

"Aye, I told you before when we spoke about this, I didn't know! I didn't fuckin' run off! I never knew she was pregnant! She fuckin' deliberately kept that from me! So, out of respect for the fact that she is your mother, I won't come back any further on that."

"I appreciate that, because outside of that, she was a good mother to me."

"Good for you, so she did something right."

"Not to mention choosing a good man to raise us, and Quincy was that."

"Quincy, hmph - I had to save his ass a time or two in school."

"I know, he told me. Told me a lot about you. In fact, he's done nothing but praise you, so if you don't mind, don't
dis
him now, okay?"

Lifting his beer as if in a salute, Shawn tipped his head and then finished his beer off, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth when done, clearing the suds from his mustache and beard. Going quiet a spell, thinking he asked, "Tell me, he know I was your father?"

"I believe so, I think its the reason he always talked about you to me. He knew what I was going through, so he, made you - my hero."

Shawn was quiet again, thinking about that.

"He said, that when you all went to school, you were a hero to quite a few that couldn't, or wouldn't fight the bullies back, for whatever reason."

"Emm." Shawn grunted. Deciding to change the subject, he brought up Crystal.

"Why are you taking Crystal to that ball? What's up with that?"

"Angela brought it to my attention-..."

Shawn chuckled shaking his head, "She's been busy I guess."

"Yeah, she brought it to my attention and I decided that it would be a nice thing for her to experience, me as well."

"Don't forget our talk concerning her. I will not, under any circumstances, tolerate anyone - I don't give a damn, who it is, hurting her, in anyway, I mean that."

"I know you mean it - and I gave you my word, that I have no intention of doing anything of the kind. We're friends, really good friends. Her boys, are simply incredible, I can't get enough of them."

"Long as you know what you're doing. You're an adult, so is she. Only difference is, she's been through some real hell - real hell! No more, not while I live, you understand?" Shawn's speech was starting to slow down, taking on a southern quality, Ben noted as he listened and watched him, nodding that he did understand. Shawn went on to say, "She needs - for us to surround her, keep any son'uva'bitch away, or else. 'Cause far as I see her, that young beauty, is a McPherson, know what that means?" He asked reaching for another beer.

"Sure I know - your father, was my grandfather - believe me, I know."

"Shit - you don't know my father - you don't know anything about him, I know him - I know him - like no one else."

Ben froze, accepting the beer Shawn passed him, and popped the cap, "What do you mean?"

Shawn was drinking from his beer and stared at his son a moment, shaking his head, he shut down the thought.

Ben saw him shift a bit, changing the subject immediately.

"You know how to treat a woman? Huh?"

"Of course I do." Ben answered.

"Gail? That your girlfriends name, right?"

"Yeah."

"You think you're treating her right?"

"I treat her good." Ben responded.

"Psssh!" Shawn blew off the notion, "How long have you been with her?"

"Why?"

"Curious - can I be curious?"

"Sure, close to two years - I've been with her."

"But you're not in love, right?"

Ben hesitated, because he wondered what he was getting at, "No, not in love."

"So - why two years, hm?"

"Just - because."

"You gonna fall in love with her? Gonna marry her?"

"No, it's not like that."

"Well -
my son
- if it's not like that, why are you leading her on? Keeping her just for a fuck-buddy - right?"

"Hey, it's - not like that, chill okay?"

"Bullshit, I won't fuckin' chill! If you have no plans for marrying her, you shouldn't still be in that relationship. You've wasted almost two years of that young woman's time. That long in a relationship, they feel they've, invested a lot - what you're doing, could make her bitter. It's not fair. Any woman you don't plan to marry, you don't date for any length of time, at the most, three months maybe, and then, unsteady - you get me?"

"So you've never been with a woman you weren't serious about?" Ben challenged.

"Of course I have, but back when I was out there, tom cattin' - a month in, I was done. Didn't call, only took'em out for drinks, and would just show up from time to time. No promises made, none expected. For instance, there was this stewardess I had an affair with a while back, she was nice - but I kept things pretty cool - didn't give her too much of me and then, following my divorce-..."

"You cheated?" Ben asked, stunned, obviously disapproving.

Shawn made a face, blushed a bit, pausing as he realized the alcohol was making his tongue loose, but it was too late now, he'd spilled it. "Yeah, I cheated. Deidre and I - we weren't happy together, we were always arguing and I was so caught up in trying to build my reputation with work, at the same time - fighting off her mother-..."

"Her mother?! Geez - her mother was after you?" He asked, holding his beer, he took a drink, never looking away from Shawn.

Once more, he'd said a bit too much, "Yeah, she was and I'm not going into that, so forget it. Back to the stewardess, I broke it off with her - and after my marriage is over, I stick to one night stands, that kind of thing. Then on this flight, I run into her again, and - I started it back up, I thought, what the hell - it was only in between her flights when we could meet up."

"How long did that last?"

"Oh - about four or five months. I then relocated to Wisconsin finally, found out she was landing in St. Paul, Minnesota, I invited her to a little party I threw. The next day, I took her back because she had a flight out."

"So when did you meet Sylvia?"

Shawn smiled, grinning devilishly, making Ben chuckle at the look on his face.

"Before I met her, the town had been telling me about her, heard all these stories about how stuck up she was, how nice she was, how - get this - how - no men allowed she was." He grinned, chuckling down and dirty, once more making Ben laugh out. "I couldn't wait to see her. The famous Ms Payne. I was coming back, from dropping her, the stewardess back at her hotel, on my Harley, it was pretty early in the morning, rode up right behind her; oh what a sight she was from behind. Man lemme' tell'yah - the rear view made me come, this close," He held up his index and thumb to measure a pinch, "... to whistling a wolf call, but I controlled myself."

Ben shook his head, "Why do I get this feeling, you're good and drunk."

Shawn was smiling, rubbing his chest, remembering her then, "Not yet I'm not." Shawn winked at him, "Boy, I'm telling you, she - was - hot!"

"Did you know right away, like love at first sight?"

Shawn drank more of his beer, "I don't know - all I know is, she was so fresh, clean, untouchable, snooty with eyes that said,
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
- uppity as hell! It was on - right there dawg!"

Ben threw his head back laughing out loud. "You are like - totally insane, but I like that."

Shawn was cheesing, "Well, to be honest, at first all I could think of was getting her to bed. Only one problem, she couldn't stand the sight of me, avoiding me as much as she could, but it made me want her more. She got me told, two or three times, it took some doing to wear her down."

Ben watched Shawn loosen up, relaxed sitting forward on the bench, nothing but pure pleasure at telling him about Sylvia.

"So when did you know she was exactly the one for you?"

Shawn leaned there, beer in one hand, elbows pressed into his thighs, looking down between his legs at the floor, his head came up, looking like a little boy, with the wrinkling of his nose, he confessed, "You know what I did?"

"What?"

"I stole a kiss! Sweet, so sweet, but she told me off again, she said, act right, or head back out the door. She invited me over to dinner you see, I knew I was in there then. But, I had to work things in my favor just a bit more, so ... I ah, hustled her, in a game of pool, she's good at it you see, but not - better than your dad, me!"

"You hustled her? Have you no shame?"

"A woman like that? Fuckin' no way, I wanted to kiss her again - godalmighty she turned me on. She's smart, she didn't trust me," He snickered, "I won that last game, and then - when she had to pay up..." Shawn went quiet, serious, thinking back to that long ago evening, he glanced up at Ben, "... this look, came into her eyes, she was afraid, I could see it in her eyes. Her playing hard to get with me, wasn't an act - she was real - and she wasn't willing to let me - just - use her. Seeing her, standing, afraid, breathing hard, tears in her eyes - battling to maintain her self-respect - I wanted to protect her even if I was the son'v'bitch after'er. I knew - I wanted that woman." Shawn smiled, sat up straight and finished his second beer.

"You know, Crystal's a lot like that. She's such a strong decisive person, no bullshit with her, none! She will get you told!"

Shawn laughed out loud, "How do you know that about her?"

"Because, she's had a go at me already."

"You're kidding, about what?"

Ben was feeling the effects as well, loosening up the more they sat, drinking, talking, "You! Basically in no uncertain terms she let me know, that if I couldn't deal with the way you are, I could get my ticket, pack my bags and head out."

Shawn roared with laughter, slapping his thigh, shifting on the bench, bragging, "That's my girl! Hey, I've seen her in action, you don't wanna be on her bad side!" Thinking further about her, and that fight, made him come right back down grumbling, "He hasn't a clue about how to deal with her, not a clue. Don't think he's ever had what it takes for someone like her."

"She's still in love with him."

"She tell you that?"

"Yeah - in so many words."

"Bastard called to talk to her before we left, I wanted to tell him to fuck off - in so many words, I did. If it weren't for Isaac and Darren, I'd send her off for a European tour just to keep her away from him until she got over him."

"She's a really strong person, loyal."

"It's just a matter of time before that fades, what she needs is a McPherson." Shawn stated without thinking. "Know what I mean boy? Either way, she belongs to me - but-..."

"You are really drunk." Ben pointed out.

"Maybe, but I know what I'm saying."

"You saying, you want me with Crystal?"

"I'm saying, I want her protected. Taken care of. In truth, I don't want anyone messing with her head, messing with her heart, playing games with her. But - if she is with someone, it should be with a McPherson, that way - I can be sure of how she's being treated. No matter, because I'm putting her, her own place above the new garage, just for her and the boys. In truth, she'll need fuck'all - 'cause you know why? Papah-Shawn! That's me. You her friend - you will not - fuck over her."

"Chill okay, I get you."

"Long as you do, just as long as you do. My girls ... Crystal and my Angela ... mine." Shawn nodded.

"You're a good father to them, the way Quincy was to me."

Shawn smiled, "I suppose I should thank him, huh?"

"Yeah, you probably should."

Shawn gazed at him for a silent long moment, and then out of the blue, "Come work at my studio when it's done and open for business."

"Your studio?"

"That's right, I'll be doing photography, weddings, school photos, all that picture taking shit!"

Ben shook his head laughing at him and his manner while drinking. "I'll have to think about it, I'm freelance mostly."

"Fuck-it! Do what you want." He muttered and stood, and had to freeze or tried to, feeling unsteady on his feet.

"You gonna need some help? Where you going?"

"Take a leak and then, to bed - my wife's calling me."

"Ah, I haven't heard her." Ben stood, grinning.

"You can't, she's my g'damn wife! I hear'er, that little voice of hers... -(he mimicked her black tone)- get yo'drunk ass up here t'bed."

Ben roared, laughing so hard he had to lean against the wall.

Shawn was grinning, nodding, "The truth boy, I see her now, mad at'me - I can't do - shit right." He mumbled on his way to the bathroom, where he stood, took a leak and a moment later, he came out, looking at Ben. "I'm going to bed."