Two Sides of the Same Coin by Jake Mactire Read Free Book Online Page B

my dick through a hole in the wall to get a blowjob. Hell Jeff, what a fuckin’ loser. No high school diploma, nothing to my name, a fag, and a pervert who has anonymous sex in public places. Maybe prison is where I belong. I sure as hell ain’t any good to anybody at all.”
    “Mike, I’ll tell the sheriff that we stopped at the rest area so Robert could take a piss. We saw you there for the same reason. He’ll listen to that.”
    “Yeah, but that was just a few minutes. What about the rest of the evening?”
    “It’s a hell of a long way around on those forest service roads. If you were at the rest area, you didn’t have the time to get all the way to the back of the ranch.”
    “Can’t hurt. Jeff, buddy, I am just about all talked out now. I need a drink.” He put his hand on top of mine as it rested on his shoulder. “Thanks.”
    “No problem, bud. Let’s go get drunk.”
    We entered One Eyed Jack’s and saw a large table off in the bar area filled with somber people. José and Josh were both there as well as Sandy and Maria. There was a bottle of Knob Creek on the table, and a couple of pitchers of beer. Mike and I sat down, and he introduced himself to Maria. She smiled a sad smile at him, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes, red from crying.
    “Pedro told me about you. You guys got into a fight after he put salt in your coffee.”
    “Somethin’ like that. He was a good guy. I should have more of a sense of humor.”
    “Yeah, he told me you said that to him and said you were sorry.”
    “Yeah….”
    “He told me you were one of the best hands with a rope he ever saw.”
    “I am so sorry, Maria.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Okay, now let’s have a drink.” Mike raised his glass and gave a toast. “To Pedro, may he rest easy and know that we will never forget him.”
    We all repeated, “To Pedro.”
    “Where’s Wayne?” I asked.
    “He said he had some stuff to do,” Josh answered. “I think he’s got a girl in Pateros or Wenatchee. He’s not been around a lot lately.”
    “Why the secrecy then?” Sandy asked.
    “Hell if I know, maybe she’s married or something.”
    I pondered Josh’s reply. Wayne had been around since I could remember. I really hoped that he did have someone in his life, and I hoped she wasn’t married or otherwise attached.
    “So Jeff, where’s your partner?” Sandy looked at me quizzically. “I know he wasn’t acquainted with Pedro, but you’d think he’d be here out of respect and to support you.”
    José and Maria had been talking, and with Sandy’s question they turned to look at me. Both Josh and Mike were staring at me also.
    “Uh… he’s still sore from fallin’ off that horse. Plus he had some proposal for work to get done. He’s stuck on his laptop.” My excuses for him sounded lame, even to myself. Mike said something under his breath, which sounded suspiciously like “Asshole,” and Josh, sitting next to him, nodded. Mike slammed another shot. I thought it was his third.
    “Jeff, I’ve known you since we were kids. He’s not for you. Look at the way he treats your friends.” Sandy definitely had some thoughts on the subject.
    Before I could answer back, José added, “Yeah, he treats us like shit, like we’re less than him.”
    Maria joined in saying, “Pedro didn’t like him. He told me your friend treated him bad too. Pedro said you were his friend, but he didn’t like him.”
    “I understand where you all are comin’ from, and I appreciate the advice from friends. Maybe I could ask you to cut him some slack. He doesn’t understand us, the things we do, how we act around each other, or how we joke around. I talked to him about tryin’ to see the other side and laugh at himself a bit. I talked to him, now I’m talkin’ to all of you.” I looked around and then continued to speak.
    “We’re here to remember Pedro, not talk about Robert. So to Pedro,” I said as I raised a glass of whiskey. Everyone answered and had a