“Absolutely,” she said. “After your birthday, I’m going to take you down to the bar. It’s the best place in town to have a drink and watch games. You’ll love it.”
I smiled.
“I’m sure I will.”
It wouldn’t be like standing on the sidelines but being able to sit back and watch the game that I’d inexplicably loved since I was a tiny little girl in pink dresses would be nice. The distraction from real life would be nice too.
I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to get through all this, but as long as I had Dee at my side and kept my attitude positive, I had a shot. I for damn sure wasn’t going to give up.
2
GERRY
Most people would be delighted to have the freedom I had on the job at the moment. Somewhere deep in my mind I knew that. Yet as I stood in an open field with my equipment in the back of the truck, I found myself bored and lonely.
The fact of the matter was the job itself was easy to me. Sure it was a lot of work, but it was stuff I understood, stuff I had been prepared for since I went to school. For me, doing math was easier than talking or making art. Wendy was great for that, being the one who started conversations and pushing me to talk about things that I was interested in, all while soaking up every bit of information and guidance I could give her about the job.
The people I befriended in this town stumped me. I was told I was good at socializing with people and that they found me charming and fun to be around, but I suffered from imposter syndrome. Who was I? Did I deserve to be talking with most of these people? They were big, burly mountain men. And I wasn’t a hunting-and-fishing kind of guy. While I was friendly with the guys, I didn’t really fit in with them. Not perfectly, at least.
Except Finn, I guess. I fit in well with him. Both of us loved exploring the outdoors, hiking, and enjoying nature. I didn’t feel less manly. I just felt like I was more interested in the aspects of life that were peaceful and serene. I valued quiet, and when things weren’t quiet, I valued friendship and intelligence.
Quebec had been a wonderful place to grow up, but Tennessee was something else. The mountain ranges and the people were beyond anything I had ever imagined. It was everything I ever thought was terrific about America and reminded me again and again why I was glad to immigrate here. People like Finn and Wendy made the move seem worth it all on their own, and that was without counting the gorgeous land and mountains.
I was standing on a hill that overlooked an area I had finished surveying. With the mountains in the distance, I felt a conversation bubbling up in my chest.
But, there was no one to talk to.
Wendy had found Finn, which made me delighted at the combination of two good people in my life making each other happy. Yet when she got pregnant, that meant she was going to have to be out on maternity leave for at least a portion of time, and this left me alone, once again.
I’d gotten so used to Wendy’s energy, her smile and grace. Her zest for adventure and challenge. She made me want to push myself, which was something I wasn’t used to but enjoyed. She was also a great listener, a good motivator who helped me through my own moments of self-doubt, all while having known me for such a short time.
Without her, I was bored, lonely, and way too far into my own head. I was likely to drive myself crazy if I got any more introspective. By the time Friday afternoon came, I was standing on that hill, deciding that I couldn’t do it anymore. I needed people, entertainment, and alcohol.
That meant I was heading to Sergio’s.
I could have gone to Deacon’s or Carter’s. I knew they would be happy to have me over and crack open a few beers. I liked watching football and baseball, and we were getting close to the time where there would be pre-season games of one and the pennant races of the other. But they both had wives and children and I didn’t want to feel like I was interfering with family time.
So, Cheap beer and a corner barstool it was. Sergio’s was good for that. Hell, Sergio’s was good for just about everything. If you wanted to mingle, there were plenty of opportunities. If you wanted to watch the game, there were giant screens and seats with unobstructed views.
As closing time neared, I went back to the office and put my equipment away. I liked the ritual of coming into the office, even though it wasn’t strictly necessary for me. I could punch in from my phone, right as I arrived wherever it was that I needed to be. But I liked the idea of going into an office, getting my stuff out of a locker there, and having my morning coffee with the crew. I people-watched there too.