Brett Battles - No Return

“Death Valley?” Whatever else Danny added to his protest was rendered unintelligible as Dione pulled her door shut.

“You want me to drive so you can shoot?” Anna said to Wes.

“Maybe in a bit,” Wes replied.

A few moments later they were on the road, air conditioner blasting.

“I think Dione might know,” Wes threw out.

“Know what?”

“About us.”

“Of course she does,” Anna said. “I told her.”

“You told her?”

“Dione’s one of my best friends.”

“I thought we’d decided to keep things quiet for a while.”

“Do you see me shouting about it to everyone?” Anna asked. “Besides, you told Casey.”

“Casey’s my roommate. I didn’t have a choice if you were going to stay over.”

“Well, you had a choice. You could have just not had me come over.”

“That was not an option, either.”

Anna turned so that her back was to the door and she could take a good, long look at him. “Anyone else you tell?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“Maybe I am, but I want to know. I know you haven’t told Alison yet.”

Wes shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He and Alison had hooked up for a short time a year earlier. Anna knew all this, of course. It was the worst-kept secret on the crew. And while he was okay remaining friends, it was obvious Alison was still open to the possibility of more.

“She’ll find out soon enough.”

Anna watched him for a moment, the hint of a smile on her face. “So who else?”

He shook his head. “No one you’ve met.”

“So there is someone else. Now I’m really intrigued.”

Wes brought the Escape to a stop at the intersection of China Lake Boulevard and Inyokern Road. A turn to the right would take them to the front gate of the base, and a turn left would eventually take them to the highway. Wes turned left.

“Who?” Anna asked again.

Wes frowned. “Okay. My mom.”

Silence.

“You told your mom about me?” Anna’s tone was stunned.

“Yeah, I told my mom about you. It’s not a big deal, okay?”

“You told your mom.”

“Look, she always asks me if I’m seeing anyone, and I’m always telling her no. Last time when she asked, it just kind of … slipped.”

“How does something like that kind of slip?”

“You don’t know my mom.”

Wes was afraid to glance over at her, scared of what her reaction would be. Would she think he was some sort of thirty-three-year-old mamma’s boy, or maybe think it was too soon for him to say something to his mom, or, worst of all, realize that he was more serious about her than she was ever going to be about him?

Finally, he couldn’t help himself and took a quick peek at her.

She was still staring at him, but not in the get-me-out-of-this-car kind of way he’d almost been expecting. She was smiling.

“What?” he asked.

She swiveled around so she was facing front again, then she put her arm on the back of his seat and began softly stroking his neck.

“I told my mom, too.”

They all ended up at Delta Sierra’s again that evening. This time, to the surprise of everyone, Monroe joined them.

“I’m still trying to figure out how the hell you ever lived here,” Danny said, already working on his third beer. “I’ve never seen so much dirt in my life.”

“I’m not quite sure how they did it in your family, Danny, but in mine, where I lived was, strangely, determined by my parents.” Wes smirked.

“I thought you were from San Diego,” Tony said.

“He moved to San Diego when he was a junior in high school,” Alison informed everyone.

“Why?” Danny asked. “Your dad get transferred?”

“Divorce,” Wes said before Alison could show off more of her knowledge of his life.

There were nods around the table, several in the knowing fashion of those who’d lived through the same thing.

“Any family still here?” Tony asked.

Wes shook his head but didn’t elaborate. His dad had stayed in Ridgecrest, but had died a year and a half after Wes had left town. The funeral had been held in Whittier, east of Los Angeles, where Wes’s dad had grown up and his uncle still lived.

More pitchers of beer arrived, and the focus moved from Wes to Dione to Danny, and, inevitably, to Monroe.

“I know I’m not supposed to talk about it, but ,” Monroe said, the glaze of alcohol in her eyes, “my agent thinks I have the inside shot at a pilot for ABC.”

“Really? That’s great,” Dione said. “What’s it about?”

Monroe looked around the table. “You’ve got to keep this to yourself.”

“Of course,” Dione spoke for the group.

“It’s an update of Mork and Mindy .”

Danny nearly spit his beer across the table. “ Mork and Mindy ? Are you serious?”

“Why? What’s wrong with that?”

“Who’s going to play Mork?” Danny asked.

“See, that’s the twist. In the remake … Mork’s a woman!”

Everyone stared at her.

“So are you saying you’re going to play Mork?” Anna asked slowly.

“Well, the character’s name is different, of course. I’m not allowed to tell anyone that. But, yeah. That’s the part I’m up for.”

The silence that followed had almost reached the awkward point when Dione said, “Couldn’t be happier for you, Monroe.” Even halfway to drunk, she was able to fake it for the show’s host.

Monroe beamed.

“We should celebrate,” Dione suggested.

A devilish looked entered Monroe’s eyes. “Tequila shots! A hundred bucks to whoever drinks the most.”

There were groans and averted gazes around the table. All, that is, except for Dione. Her eyes narrowed as she announced, “You’re on, Morkette. Tony, get the waitress.”

Six shots arrived a few minutes later and the two women matched each other glass for glass.

As they were waiting for another round, Wes stood up and headed to the men’s room. The bar had filled up a bit more, so he had to navigate around several groups before he entered the hallway that led to the restrooms.

“How do you think you get up there?”

Wes looked back. He hadn’t realized Danny had followed him. “Up where?”

“On the wall. The pictures of the planes and the crews. Think you have to be regulars here?” Danny opened the bathroom door and let Wes pass through. “You know, like the shamrocks at Tom Bergin’s back home on Fairfax. Or do you have to do something special?”

“I have no idea.”

Danny finished first, washed his hands, then headed for the door. “You coming?”

“Go ahead,” Wes said. “I’ll be right there.”

Wes stared into the mirror as he finished washing up. The photos . What if the pilot he’d seen at the crash was in one of them? If he was, Wes could show the picture to Lars as proof that he hadn’t been seeing things.

He exited the bathroom with purpose, intent on closely examining the walls, but was immediately derailed when he found Anna standing in the hallway outside the women’s bathroom. She started shaking her head the moment she saw him.

“Where’s the paparazzi when you need them?” she asked.

“What’s going on?”

She motioned toward the bathroom door. “Monroe is doing a little unintentional weight reduction.”

“Oh, God.”

There was a muffled retch from beyond the door, followed by, “Don’t worry. You’re not going to fall in.”

“Dione?” Wes asked.

Anna nodded. “Best-friend duty. Though she’s not that much better off herself. Help me take them back to the hotel?”

“Sure.”

A few minutes later the door opened and Monroe and Dione staggered into the hallway, but not before bumping into the door frame and breaking out in laughter.