Overnight station shifts often meant solitude while he waited for a call to come in, a trial Scott considered a lonely necessity at its best and a nerve-wracking tedium at its worst. Some of the other men on the squad appreciated the quiet away from wives and children. Not Scott. Noise and commotion had become a part of his life these last seven months, but it was worth it for the blessing of little Emma.
Finchy wasn’t nearly as exciting to be around as his daughter (or his wife), but he was company to keep the silence and boredom at bay well enough. And, he seemed lonely, of late. He was also a more than passable cook, so his offer of bringing supper to the station to hang out was one Scott couldn’t refuse.
“That was great, mate,” Scott said as he eased back a bit from the duty desk. “Thanks.”
“Sure,” Finchy replied easily, and took a long swig from his water bottle.
Looking at his empty plate, Scott chuckled. “I love my wife, but I’m lucky she knows how to use a microwave. You’ll make some lady very happy, some day.”
Finchy blew a snort from around the mouth of his bottle. “I don’t think there’s any woman to satisfy me that much.”
“You just haven’t found the right one, yet.”
“Yeah,” Finchy muttered in a lazy drawl. “Rub my nose in it.”
“Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place,” Scott told him. “There’s a lot more than just this village, you know. I mean, I didn’t meet Venus here.”
“I know,” Finchy said. “I was there, too.”
Scott fell silent, reminded of that flashy, crowded club on the first night of Newquay’s Blue Surf competition almost three years past, where Finchy had spotted that Black beauty with the killer smile and unflappable attitude. Every member of their crew – save Neville – had tried to pull her, with no success. Of course, the next day, they’d found out she was a surfer in her own right: Vee, they called her, “for Victory,” though she’d introduced herself to Scott in particular as Venus Pritchard. Thinking back on it, now, his scores that comp had been shit…but he’d had a hell of a night in her bungalow to make up for it.
Lost in those memories a moment, he didn’t notice Niall swoop in from the outside and plant himself in the other seat across the desk until he opened his mouth:
“Did you know Nev is-” He dropped his voice. “-a poofter?”
Scott looked at him in mild surprise, while Finchy furrowed his brow and said, “Yeah, I know. And don’t call him that.”
“Whuh-!” Niall said, leaving his mouth hang open a second. “You knew? How long have you known?”
Finchy shrugged. “He told me, like, two years ago.”
Niall pointed at Scott. “Did you know?”
Scott nodded, feeling a bit lame. “Yeah. He told me and Venus a while ago, too.”
Niall fell back against his chair. “Did everybody know but me?” He turned to Finchy. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why?” Finchy said, and raised his brow with sudden interest. “Are you gay, too?”
“No!”
“So, if you’re not interested in him, why should you care?”
Niall paused a second, his face gone blank; Scott figured he hadn’t thought that far. Of course, he didn’t usually think at all….
“Well,” Niall struggled out, now. “What if…What if he fancies me?”
“He doesn’t,” Finchy replied readily.
“How’d you know?”
“Because no self-respecting human – gay or straight – would ever fancy you.”
“All right,” Scott muttered, extending one hand. “That was a little uncalled-for. We all have to work together.”
“That is exactly my point!” Niall said, pointing one finger around at them again, as he half-stood from his chair. “I-! I mean, we all are in…very close quarters…a lot, and…well, sometimes, I don’t wear anything under my suit, and what if, you know, when I take it off, that’s, like, too much a temptation for him? Or something?”
“Jesus!” Finchy said, scolding. “He’s not a rapist.”
Niall went from looking ill at ease to pained. “No, I’m not saying that, but-!”
“Listen,” Scott told him in a low voice, leaning across the desk. It felt a bit like speaking with a special needs child, but Niall did have some special need, at the moment. “Nev’s always been this way. You’ve known him for years, and it’s never bothered you before.”
“Well, I didn’t know before!”
“What difference should it make? He’s still Nev. He’s still ace on his board, and he’s still our mate! The way you feel about him shouldn’t change just because you suddenly found out he’s gay.”
Niall paused, as though thoughtful. Scott couldn’t easily tell; the look of contemplation on his face was so foreign.
“Yeah,” Finchy said then. “You’re an idiot, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”
Shooting him a guarded look, Niall murmured cautiously, “How do you feel about me?”
“You’re an idiot,” Finchy repeated, making Scott snort a chuckle under his breath. Then, sitting up from his lackadaisical lean, he added, “And another thing: Whenever you go straight skins under your suit, you don’t take that off in front of any of us. Nobody wants to see that!”
I won’t get into any controversy of marriage – or laws associated with it – here. The news did prompt me to scribble down this bit of free writing, though, which I always appreciate, no matter what the impetus.
I’ve always seen Scott as “the dad” of the crew. Because he is one, but I also thought his perspective – coming from being in an interracial relationship – gives him an extra insight into other less traditional romances. And, I like the idea of hearing from some of the supporting characters in the story.
As for Niall…. Poor Niall. At heart, he’s a good guy. He’s just…not terribly quick. I hope his struggle with his own articulations, here, paints a picture of someone who’s just a little confused, not truly bigoted, especially against a friend.
Now, it’s stiflingly hot, here, so I’m going to grab my own wetsuit and head for the beach. And maybe I’ll go skins, too.
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