El & Em, page 7
He heard footsteps nearby but didn't open his eyes till a foot gently nudged his leg.
“Hey Luke, you can't sleep?”
“Oh, hey Em...you too?”
Emmett loomed in front of him wearing only shorts, feet bare, skin blending in with the darkness around them.
“I've been walking around, looking to see what they have here,” Emmett said quietly. “Check it out, man – there's a pool around the back.”
“A pool?” Luke perked up. “You kidding me? Where?”
“C'mere.”
Emmett led the way around the side of the motel to the back, where a chain-link fence surrounded an in-ground swimming pool filled with shimmering water that looked cool and inviting in the overwhelming heat. They walked along a concrete path that led toward the gate. As they drew closer, Luke could see the gate was padlocked. He stopped and leaned against the top of the fence, looking at the water wistfully.
“Sure looks comfortable in there,” he said.
Emmett was walking along the outside of the fence. “Gate's locked of course, but there's a place just over here...where the fence is bent...I can easily get over.” He stopped at the spot he'd scouted out and turned to wait for Luke.
For a moment Luke couldn't figure out why he was so surprised. Then he realized: he'd never thought of Emmett as a rule-breaker. Just the opposite, actually.
“Uh –” Luke glanced around, then gestured at a sign attached to the gate. “Says here the pool's only open till ten p.m.”
“Uh-huh.” Emmett didn't seem to be listening. He vaulted over the fence like it was a kid's skipping rope, then gestured to Luke. “C'mon, I'll lift you over.”
“Emmett the Mountain Evans,” Luke said, grinning. “Are you breaking these here motel rules?”
Emmett looked at him blankly. “What are you talking about? The pool's fine, just come over here and I'll get you in.”
“I never had you down for being such a delinquent.” Luke walked over, still trying to process this new side of Emmett's character. “Now me, I've always been a bad kid, you tell me to stop and I'll start. But you...” He stopped abruptly as Emmett, who had completely ignored his prattling, reached over, grabbed him by the waist and swung him across the fence.
Luke landed on the concrete deck, no longer smiling. Something about Emmett had suddenly unnerved him. It was like Emmett didn't realize he was breaking a rule – or, more accurately perhaps, like he didn't recognize that rules existed. Luke, naturally, was all for lawbreaking – his whole life he'd been a rebel, a contrarian. It was part of his identity; he'd always known he was a bad kid. But Emmett wasn't being rebellious or reckless or defiant; he simply didn't seem to notice that anything stopped him from doing what he wanted to.
For the first time since they’d met, Luke’s implicit faith in Emmett was shaken. He'd never delved too deeply into Emmett's moral code, had always just assumed he had one. Of course, Emmett had been brought up religious, with the values his mother had taught him, but he’d never really suggested he believed in those things himself, only that he followed the path of least resistance. Now, for the first time, it occurred to Luke to wonder what Emmett actually did believe in. If anything.
“What are you waiting for?” Emmett was already stripping down, peeling off shorts that were sticky with sweat and tossing them aside. “Let's get in!”
Luke stood for a second, unable to move. Obviously they'd seen each other undress many times, backstage or in greenrooms, but the sudden sight of Emmett planted on the concrete deck in just his briefs – barefooted, his deep brown skin glowing from the heat, muscles creating dark contours in the moonlight – shook him once again.
It took him a moment to gather himself and start removing his own clothes. Meanwhile, Emmett ran to the edge of the pool and leaped straight over in a momentous cannonball that launched jets of water across the deck and onto Luke.
Luke laughed at the deliciously cold shock, pulled off the last leg of his jeans, and jumped in behind Emmett. For a few minutes everything was forgotten in the sweet relief of cool water, and they splashed around the pool together like frolicking porpoises.
Eventually Emmett, always looking for a workout, began doing laps along the length of the pool, and Luke tried to stay out of the way, floating on his back under the stars and pondering. Then they both stood for a while in the chest-deep water and chatted quietly.
“Hey Em,” Luke asked after a minute. “I was wondering. You say you're a Baptist. Do you, like, believe in all that stuff?”
“What stuff? You mean religion?” Emmett shrugged, smiling. “I mean, I guess it doesn't hurt.”
That didn't tell him much. Luke pressed a little further. “What about all the, like, scary parts – the hellfire and brimstone and – and damnation if you don't live the right way?”
Emmett grew serious. “I don't take everything literally. Maybe my parents do, but I don't.” He looked at Luke with a kind of compassion. “You can't take all that too seriously, it'll just mess you up.”
“But...we gotta have some rules, ain't we? Even if we break them sometimes. Otherwise...”
“You have to have your own rules. All those other ones, the ones other people set, those are just to keep us down.”
“So you just...ignore them?”
“They're real, they can hurt you. If the motel manager comes out here right now, he's really gonna kick us out of the pool. But if he's not here, what do we care?”
As always, Emmett answered him easily, with a simple candor. But Luke was starting to think that despite appearances, there were depths to Emmett that he might never be able to see.
“You ask a lot of questions,” Emmett said, smiling again.
“That's how I get my best stories.”
“You gonna write a song about me?”
“Maybe.” Luke pushed back abruptly and dove into the water to do a handspring from the bottom of the pool. “Stand still,” he said, coming up for air. “I'm gonna swim between your legs.”
It was a game he used to play with his sister when they were little; he'd already taught it to Emmett. He dove in again, deep enough to graze the concrete floor, and saw Emmett's spread legs under the water, refracted moonlight making them seem even bulkier from here. Luke propelled himself forward, then pulled his arms in to his sides so he could pass through smoothly. Even so, his shoulders and then his legs brushed the columns of the arch formed by Emmett's legs, and on the other side he paused at the bottom of the pool, still feeling the light touch through his wet skin.
When he broke out of the water a moment later, sputtering for air, Emmett laughed and caught him, scooping him up into the safety of his arms. Luke looked into his face, at his wide smile and bright teeth, the moon and stars shining over his head, and wondered if Emmett felt like he did when he walked through a disco and felt the gazes of all the men there.
“Hey, guys – ”
A voice from outside the fence made Luke jump down into the water. He turned around, expecting to see the motel manager and already bracing himself for Jerry's irritation when they were kicked out. But the stranger was a fellow guest, apologetic, not authoritative.
“I'm in this room right here and it's kinda hard to sleep with all the noise, it really carries at night. I know it's hot but you think you could – ”
Luke half considered refusing him, not wanting to give up their little sanctuary of cool relief. But Emmett was already on the pool deck, gathering up his clothes. “Hey, I'm sorry man, we didn't mean to disturb you,” he said kindly. “We'll get going, no problem.” He put out his hand to help Luke climb out of the pool.
“Hard enough to sleep in this heat, ain't it?” Luke said, grabbing his jeans and shirt.
The stranger waved at them and headed back to his room.
Emmett lifted Luke over the fence, then jumped over himself and they walked back toward the front of the motel, laughing at their adventures. For a moment Luke wasn't sure why he felt so relieved; then it occurred to him that maybe he was starting to understand a bit of Emmett's code after all.
Part II
Chapter 7
“It's okay, man, I understand. No, it's fine. I get it.” Emmett leaned forward on the single kitchen chair, head supported in his hand, listening to his older brother, Michael. “Yeah, later, sure. No problem. See ya later.”
He hung up and sat for a minute glumly, looking around the dingy room. The phone rang. He picked up and heard Clarissa on the other end. “I know,” he said, and after a moment repeated more forcefully, “I know, I hear you. I get it!” He hung up hard, then buried his head in both hands.
The tour had been over for a couple of months, a distant dream by now. After arriving back on the east coast, the band had played a successful week-long gig in NYC that attracted industry scouts and universal rave reviews. Since then, they'd played some sporadic gigs in Philly, and Emmett had joined Luke to sit in with a few friends and local bands. But the rest of his life was a disaster.
The phone rang again. This time it was Luke.
“Hey Em, you wanna check out the Bijou tonight? Eddie's doing some shows there, he wants us to join him.”
“I'd love to, man, but I really can't.” Emmett sighed. “Next weekend for sure, okay? Tell him I said hi.”
“How come? What's up with you?”
“It's just not a good night, Luke, sorry. You know I want to.”
“You ain't workin' tomorrow, right? You quit your job.”
“Yeah, I quit. It's not that.” Emmett stopped, reminding himself for the hundredth time that Luke was a work buddy, not a friend in real life. He didn't need to hear all the details of Emmett's chaotic personal life.
“So what's the deal? Is it because of – ” Luke broke off as though an idea had suddenly occurred to him. “Is it money?”
“Naw, man, it’s not money.” For some reason Emmett heard himself continue talking this time. “I’m supposed to have the boys over tomorrow but Clarissa won't let them stay until I have beds for them...which I have, but I don't want to set up the furniture till I get the place painted, and my brother was supposed to help me paint this weekend but now he can't so...”
He trailed off, and in the silence he heard Luke catch his breath. “Wait, did you and Clarissa...split up?”
“Oh yeah, didn't I tell you?” Emmett had forgotten how far behind Luke was. “She left me when I quit work. Well, technically she made me leave, since she's got the boys.”
“What's your new address?” Luke asked, almost sharply. When Emmett gave it to him, he said simply, “I'll be right there.”
Emmett heard the dial tone and looked down at the receiver, then shrugged and hung up. Was Luke going to come over and check up on him? He was fine, just frustrated and a bit overwhelmed. Or maybe Luke wanted to hear more about the break-up. Anyway, he might as well start work on the apartment. It was going to be a big job without Michael's help, but he couldn't just put it off if he wanted to see the boys. He hadn't settled on a paint colour yet but there was primer and a brush somewhere; he guessed he could start with that.
Half an hour later the doorbell rang. When Emmett opened the door, Luke stood outside with a twelve-pack and two pizza boxes.
“Jerry gave me a ride,” he announced, stepping inside. “Cute threads.” He pointed at Emmett's work coveralls, then looked around the small apartment curiously. “Looks like a nice pad, how much you payin'?”
Emmett told him and followed him into the kitchen, where Luke set down the pizza and looked around for a bottle opener.
“I guess you're still sortin' the furniture situation,” Luke laughed, eyeing the single chair and mattress on the living room floor.
Emmett handed him an opener. “I have a bunch of stuff coming, my family’s got me covered. But I wanted to get the painting done first. We can sit outside to eat.”
The apartment was on the first floor of an old rowhouse in Kingsessing. They took the pizza and beer and sat on the back steps in the fall breeze.
“This is nice,” Luke said approvingly. “Remember that heat in, like, Raleigh?”
Already the tour was a nostalgic memory. “Yeah. Who knew we'd miss Philadelphia weather.”
“Now tell me what's goin' on. So Clarissa didn't want you to quit your day job?”
“Nope, she didn't like that at all. I tried to keep it but there was no way they were going to let me have another week off for that run in New York so...”
“Yeah, you told me you were quitting but I didn't know it ended up like this. I'm so sorry, man.” Luke threw an arm around Emmett and hugged him suddenly. “I know it's not what you wanted.”
“Maybe it always would've happened eventually.” Emmett lifted a shoulder. “The hard part is the boys, but as long as I have a place for them and keep up the payments, I'll still be able to see them.”
“Yeah, so what's the plan? We're just gonna do the bedroom for now and then the rest of the place later?”
Emmett frowned at him, puzzled. “Uh...well Michael and I were gonna...”
“Michael's your brother? But he can't make it, right?”
“Yeah, something came up for this weekend.”
“And you're supposed to get the kids tomorrow, so we gotta get the bedroom done first.” Luke finished off his beer and got to his feet, reaching for the back door.
“Luke.” Emmett followed him inside. “It's okay. I can do it.”
“Sure but it'll be faster with two of us.”
“Eddie's expecting you at the Bijou.”
“I already told him I can't make it tonight.” Luke stood in the bedroom doorway, surveying the scene. “So you started the priming already. Got a colour picked out?”
“I don't know...I was just thinking white...”
“Maybe yellow for the kids' room. You can use some kinda off-white for the rest.” Luke punched Emmett's arm playfully. “Me and Eddie worked as painters for one summer...I painted so many rooms, I'm an expert on colour wheels. You got supplies?” He looked around the small apartment again.
“Michael was going to pick everything up on his way over.”
Luke shrugged. “I'll run to the hardware store for paint and supplies, I know one around the corner. You keep going on the priming. I'll be back in half an hour.”
Then he was gone, and Emmett slowly put the leftover pizza and beer in the fridge. He went back to the bedroom, hardly believing he'd see Luke again that day.
But sure enough, Luke was back before the half-hour was up with a gallon of yellow paint, rollers, trays, brushes, tape and turpentine. They finished the priming, took a pizza and beer break while it dried, and got the first coat of good paint on just before midnight.
Luke stood back to admire their work while Emmett closed the paint cans and washed the brushes.
“It just needs one more coat tomorrow,” Luke said, coming into the kitchen behind him. “If we start early enough, the paint can dry and we'll still have time to set up the furniture before the kids get here. Where did you say the beds are?”
“Michael's storing everything for me. I can borrow his pickup to move things when I'm ready.”
“Cool, it's all gonna work out. But listen, Em – ” Luke turned to him with a slightly abashed grin. “You mind if I stay here tonight? I ain't got a ride and who knows when I'll get back tomorrow if I have to take the SEPTA. I can just crash on the floor if it's okay with you.”
“Well – sure. If you don't mind.”
“Naw. Let's get to bed soon though so we can start early tomorrow.”
They went over to the living room together and considered Emmett's makeshift bed. “You got any extra blankets or somethin’?” Luke asked.
The extra bedding was in storage with the beds. When Luke shrugged and began tossing down jackets to soften the floor, Emmett put a hand on his shoulder. “That's crazy. The mattress is a double, there's room for both of us.”
Luke gave him a slightly questioning look before picking up the clothes. “If you say so.”
Emmett straightened the blankets on the mattress, then went to brush his teeth and change into the pajama bottoms Clarissa had bought him last Christmas, which led to fresh amusement from Luke.
“You really are a dad,” he said.
“What's wrong with that?” Emmett asked with dignity, sliding under the covers on the bed.
“Nothin’, man. But I ain't got any jammies,” Luke said, mock apologetically. “Guess I'll just sleep in my jeans.”
“Those are covered in wet paint, you're not getting in my sheets like that. Take them off.” Emmett moved over to the far side of the mattress to make room.
He watched as Luke undressed and slipped under the blankets beside him, wearing his briefs and an undershirt. Then Luke leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek. “Night, Em.”
“Night, El.”
Luke seemed to fall asleep quickly, curled on his side away from Emmett. The mattress wasn't big enough for them to sleep without touching each other, and Emmett brushed against Luke's back as he shifted positions. He remembered those long nights on the bus with Luke tucked beside him in the dark. For a while now, those days had seemed so far away that Emmett half-thought he'd dreamed them. But all the memories rushed back with this faint touch and Luke's quiet breathing beside him. Emmett turned onto his side, threw an arm over Luke's back, and shut his eyes.
Luke wasn't making a pass with that little kiss, he reflected; he knew when boys were making passes. It was more of a reassuring gesture, like Luke wanted to tell him that things would be all right. And in a funny way he thought now they might be.
In the morning Emmett pulled his coveralls back on and went into the kitchen to make coffee, eggs and toast. By the time everything was ready Luke had joined him, and they sat outside again to eat and chat sleepily in the cool morning air. Then it was back to work, tarps and rollers and Emmett covering the top of the walls and the ceiling, Luke taking care of the bottom half and details around the trim. Luke painted carefully but with enthusiasm. By early afternoon they were finished, and Emmett called Michael to make arrangements for picking up the furniture.
