Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 21 of 37
~ Chapter 21 ~
Infinitá had closed for a couple of days. In that time-span, I hadn't really talked to Aaron. I knew what Becky meant when she told me to apologize and tell Aaron what I was feeling, but nerves got the better of me and I shied away from the topic altogether. While Infinitá had stopped being our default meeting spot a while ago, my legs kept taking me past the building when my mind was elsewhere. Heat-mirages shimmered on the pavement as I found myself returning once again to where I first saw Aaron. Lights were on and tenebrous shades were milling about inside. I headed to the alley.
Parked in the alley was a beer delivery van. I can't say I ever saw a delivery truck at Infinitá before, but I also couldn't say if I had ever wandered near the club on this day of the week at this time. I looked around for a clock briefly, before remembering that there weren't exactly clocks hanging in alleys. Passing a delivery man hauling cases to his truck, I hopped inside.
"Heya, Kit!" A familiar sultry, slightly gritty voice called out to me, "What's your poison?"
"Hi, Kat," I leaned into her embrace as she came out of a storage room, "How's everything?"
Her face tightened and she looked at me seriously, "Not all that great. Marc's in the hospital so I'm going to be running the show for a while."
I gasped, "Is he okay? What's wrong?"
Kat motioned me over to the back office and started pulling papers on the desk. She shuffled a few restlessly, "Some fucktards beat the shit out of him one night at closing."
My brain fuzzed at the thought, "He was mugged?"
"Not really," was all she said. "How about you? And Aaron?"
It was my turn to shuffle restlessly, "Not that hot right now. He's kinda depressed and I'm not sure what to do."
"What's up?"
I exhaled and gathered my thoughts, trying to think of where to start and what should stay private, "Aaron's last boyfriend died last year and he's been thinking about him a lot, recently."
Kat looked visibly startled at the news, "Oh, I'm sorry. Wow..."
I continued at her empathy, "I've been trying to find out more information about it, but I don't think there's really much to go on."
"Was it a random mugging?" Kat speculated. She busied herself by looking down at her papers and making a few marks, but I wasn't sure how much she felt like paperwork.
"I guess so," I shrugged, looking around, "It was down by the warehouses along the river. I don't exactly know why they were there."
"Sounds like you've done all you can, if you've hit a dead end," Kat stiffened, stopping her paperwork. I could feel the rumble of delivery truck as it pulled away. "Maybe take this time to be there for Aaron."
"Yeah," I acquiesced, "You're right."
"Hang up the junior-sleuthing badge at home. You got something to look forward to waiting for you."
I blushed at the comment as she forced a smile on her lips.
I could understand how viscerally upset Kat was for Marc.