Un2Dead (Book One of the Un2Series)
Chapter Twenty Four

“Okay, ladies, gather up those souvenirs. Time for me to lock up.” The roadie had returned and poked his head through the door.” There are bags next to the register for your selections. I’ll be waiting out here as soon as you’re finished.”

Leslie slid his neatly folded stack of apparel into one of the re-usable fabric bags that hung on a rack near the check-out. Gary tossed a single scarf over his shoulder.

“A scarf? I wouldn’t have pegged you as a scarf-wearing kind of guy.” Leslie felt the end of the fabric and held it closer to Gary’s face in order to check the color against his complexion.

“It’s not for me. I was hoping you would put it on Charisse.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet. No.”

“Why not?” Gary yelped.

“Because it’s heinous and the color is all wrong for her. Now this,” Leslie slid a floral print from the rack, “will go perfect with her flaxen coat.” He pulled the existing scarf from Gary’s shoulder and replaced it with the new one. “That one I will happily allow her to wear.”

“Thanks.”

The two exited the shop expecting to see Wit and Joey waiting for them. What they saw was a lone roadie dragging on a cigarette sitting on the hood of the front car of the tram. He tossed the last two inches of his smoke on the ground and extinguished it with a twist of his boot, blowing smoke out of one side of his mouth as he did.

“The boss says that your buddies are going to be awhile. He suggests you come back in the morning. They’ll text you when they are ready.”

“But . . . “

“No buts about it.” The roadie held up a remote control and pointed it at the gate commanding it to roll to one side. “It will close automatically once you exit. You hop in that van of yours and be on your way.”

He got behind the wheel of the tram and sped off toward the house. The lights in the gift shop flicked off leaving the two surrounded by darkness. Leslie pushed a button on his keychain turning the lights on inside the van.

“Leslie, we have a problem, a couple of problems, actually.” Gary started to pace.

“What problems? We will come back for the boys in the morning. No biggie.”

“You are forgetting about our special set of circumstances. Joey will be fine as long as he can replace a way to stay indoors and out of the sun. I, on the other hand, have no control over what happens to me at daybreak. It happens quickly but I need to be somewhere that I won’t be seen. After I change I will have limited ability to help with much of anything,” Gary whimpered.

“Okay, so we go back to the motel room in time for your metamorphosis. If something prevents us from getting back in time, you can always jump in the van. I’m sure Joey has had to deal with this type of thing before. He’ll be fine.”

“This kind of stuff makes me nervous.” Gary started pacing again.

“You know, it’s not quite midnight yet. Dawn is another six hours away. Why don’t we grab a bite to eat and get to know one another better? It will be a pleasant distraction.” Leslie motioned toward the van with his keys. The two split ways around the hood and entered through their respective doors. Leslie pulled through the gates and headed back toward the motel.

“Charisse was right,” Gary said as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Right about what?”

“That you are a strong alpha male, a pack leader.”

“She said that about me?”

“Yep.”

“So, you two have conversations. I never realized that dogs talked to one another.”

“It’s a telepathic kind of thing. It’s funny, really. We can hear each other in a language that resembles English, yet when we need something from a human we bark.” Gary rolled down the window so he could stick his head into the breeze.

The aroma of pancakes and bacon was all that was needed to persuade the van mates to pull over at the truck stop. The dining room seemed empty compared to the number of semis out in the lot. They took a booth near the window so Leslie could keep an eye on his van. A rather small round waitress wearing rather big round glasses came to take their order.

“What’s it gonna be, boys?”

Gary looked up from his menu, startled by the familiar face. “Granny, what are you doing here?”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s me, Gary, from the other night!”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Gary tilted his head sideways and squinted at the waitress. “Sorry. I could have sworn . . .”

“That’s okay, dearie, no harm done. Now, you look like you might enjoy some breakfast. How about some bacon and eggs?”

“Sounds good to me. How ‘bout you, Leslie?”

“Ditto. Over easy, please. And some pancakes.” He closed his menu and handed it to the woman that Gary still thought was Granny.

“I’ll be back in a jiff.” Her shoes squeaked as she turned and made her way to the kitchen.

Leslie removed the paper band from his napkin and silverware. He arranged the utensils on the right side of his placemat and spread the paper napkin across his lap.

“Gary, mind if I ask you a few questions? You don’t have to answer them if they get too personal.”

“Go ahead. I don’t mind.”

“I know you said that you consider yourself a dog that transforms into a man. Are there any things that you prefer about the human side of your life?”

Gary thought a moment. “Yes. I really like the food. Even the best dog food is still dog food. I like having hands. I like seeing things in color and being able to tell time. I like being able to use a toilet and take a shower. Grooming is definitely something I prefer to handle as a human. I’m not particularly fond of the taste of my balls.”

Gary felt the spray of warm coffee as Leslie tried to stifle a spit take.

“Whoa, that’s a little too much info there Gary!” Leslie used his napkin to wipe Gary’s face, then the table top.

“What? Do you like the taste of yours?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never tasted them. But there was this gentleman I met in Aruba . . . ,” Leslie sighed as he reminisced. ”Anyway, we know that I met the guys at the gym. How did you meet them?”

“You are just loaded with questions, aren’t you? Joey was a friend of my father. I’ve known him since I was a pup. My dad didn’t deal with his condition very well.”

“Being a werewolf?”

“No. Being a drunk. Joey tried his best to get him sober but dad really went off the deep end once I was born. I was a constant reminder of what he had done and it gnawed at him. Joey stepped in and gave me a home. He was living with Wit and Reese and their little one, Sunny. They did all they could do to give me a normal life. We would play fetch during the day and catch at night. They home-schooled me along with their daughter. They were there for every milestone, big or small. I don’t know where I would be without them. They are my family.”

“They are good people.”

“They are. They took care of me until I could take care of myself. Now I choose to watch over them during the day. It is the least I can do,” Gary sighed. “So, tell me about you.”

“My upbringing was far less colorful than yours. I was raised in a small Minnesota suburb by a large Minnesotan couple. My dad claimed we were descended from Vikings. Most of the members of my family have names that sound like things you would buy at Ikea. So, how did I get the name ‘Leslie’ you may ask? My father’s favorite movie is ‘Airplane!’ Thank you so very much, Dad.”

“Surely you jest!”

“I’m not kidding! And don’t call me ‘Shirley’.” The two laughed.

The aromas of breakfast arrived at the table a few seconds before the food. The conversation resumed a few mouthfuls after the plates hit the table.

“Does your family know about your lifestyle?” Gary asked between forkfuls.

“My family has always been supportive in everything I do. When I played high school football, they were at every game. When I tried and failed at musical theatre, they were there to pick up the pieces. Apparently we are not all made for the stage. So when I came out to them, they were there for me. They had tons of questions, some of which I couldn’t answer. They’ve met a few of my boyfriends and actually liked a couple of them. If anything, they might be a little too supportive.”

“What do you mean by ‘too supportive’?”

“Picture this. I’m at the grocery store with my Dad picking up a few things. As we pass the soda aisle we see this good-looking guy bending over to put a case of water under his cart. Dad turns to me and says ‘Check out the ass on that one.’”

“Ugh.”

“The funny part was that he was right. The guy was a prime cut of beef!”

“Well, it must be great to have your Dad there for you. Mine just can’t accept me for whom and what I am. We are who we are, right? I was born this way. I could no more choose to be a dayhound than you could choose to be gay. Maybe someday he’ll come around.” A sense of hope carried through Gary’s voice as he chased the last piece of egg around his plate.

“You know, Gary, you are wise beyond your years.”

“I hope you’re talking people years ‘cause in dog years I’m almost a hundred and seventy-five!”

The Granny-esque waitress returned with a pot of coffee in one hand and a bulging doggie bag in the other.

“How about a warmer-upper?” She motioned with the coffee pot.

“No thanks.” Leslie raised a cheek off his seat and reached for his wallet. “Whatta we owe you?”

“This one’s on me.” She set the coffee pot on the table and patted Leslie on the shoulder as he began to object. “Not another word. It’s my pleasure to provide a hearty meal for such courageous young men as yourselves.”

She handed the doggie bag to Gary with a wink. “A little treat for a man’s best friend.” A quick pat on the head and she was gone.

“Gary,” Leslie started, “what did she mean by ’courageous’?”

“Trust me on this. I don’t think we want to know.”

The two exited the diner and started on their way back to the motel. Gary didn’t bother looking in the bag. He was pretty sure he knew what it contained.