Birdman of Greenville Pt. 01

BIRD MAN OF GREENVILLE PART 1

He Flew The Coop

PREAMBLE RAMBLE: I started with a totally different theme for this story. Within the third paragraph, it had changed completely. My ancestors sent me in a different direction. When I write, I always wonder and worry about what people will think or if they would be interested in the story. I'm going to be selfish with this one and write it for me.

As I'm writing this, I find that it's going to be the longest story I've ever written. It currently sits at 39,000 words. So I've decided to split it into several chapters. It wasn't written to be posted like that, so some endings may seem abrupt.

How many chapters will there be? Only God knows, and he ain't talking. I'm hoping to keep it to three, maybe four, and no more than five.

This is my first story not based in Greenville. Which long time readers now is actually based on Gastonia, North Carolina.

I hope you enjoy it.

******ooooooOOOOOOooooooo*******

Alex Keaton was having a horrible day. He found out they gave the promotion he wanted- no, the promotion he had earned and deserved to that knucklehead Marty Cohen. He knew he was more qualified. Only Marty knew how to kiss ass better than he did. He decided to leave work early, telling his boss he wasn't feeling well. He figured he would get home, grab a beer, and sit on the back deck with a nice cigar. He hoped it would help him get over his disappointment. It's not even disappointment; it's the fact that he's put his heart and soul into the job and it never seems to pay off. This was the second time he's been overlooked for a promotion.

Not only that, but the stress he had been dealing with at home. Tracy, his wife of twenty-three years, has been nothing short of a shrew, short-tempered with him over the smallest things. He's starting to think she starts an argument so she won't have to have sex with him. It's been weeks since the last time they had sex. When they did, it seemed like she wasn't even in the room with him. He got mad and yelled at her for the first time. "What the hell, Trace, you lay there like a damn lump of flesh. I had more fun jerking off before!" He said as he got off of her, not even finishing.

"Well, if you feel that way, go ahead and jerk off then! You'll be doing me a favor!" She spat at him. He hadn't tried to touch her since that night. She also had never questioned his lack of affection since the blow-up. They were living as unfriendly roommates.

Not only was his wife giving him problems, but his kids were now at that age that most parents know about. His daughter, sixteen-year-old Mallory. Everything he said was dumb or stupid. The only time she acted respectfully was when she wanted something, usually money.

His son, Steven, fifteen, seemed headed to jail. Grades were getting worse and worse. He's been suspended twice already. He just went back to school a couple of days ago, after being suspended for smoking. All he does is lay around the house. What makes it worse is that Tracy babies him. Nothing is ever his fault. Neither of them was headed to college.

He was looking forward to a little peace when he got home. He turned onto his street. He spotted his wife's car in the driveway. Why is Tracy's car here? He wondered to himself. He didn't notice the red Honda parked in front of the house. She doesn't get off until 5 p. m., like him. She works for an E-Commerce company. It's unusual for her to be home during the day. Maybe she stopped in to pick something up, he thought.

He parked next to her car and walked into the house. He didn't have to walk far when he heard the noise coming from his bedroom. "Oh God, you fuck me so good! I love your cock!" His wife screamed in passion.

"I love your sweet pussy! It feels even better fucking you in your own bed!" The unknown man bellowed.

"You can fuck me here whenever you want. As long as you keep fucking me!" She returned.

"Have I ever failed? I've been pleasing this tight ass pussy for months. I'm glad you cut your cuck husband off. That means more for me!" Alex could hear the flesh slapping, sounding like thunderclaps to his ears. The grunts and moans stripped away the last of his mettle. He heard the noise that had only been reserved for him. Something in him snapped. He always felt that no matter how bad things were, they would always get better. This sapped the last of his ability to care. He suddenly felt tired. Tired of trying to be a good husband, Tired of trying to be a good father. Damn sure tired of being a good employee. What does he have to show for it? Not A Goddamn thing!

He didn't run into the room, screaming and yelling. He didn't get the gun from the closet because he doesn't own a gun. He didn't fight for his honor. He didn't even take a picture or video. He only looked inside and saw that it was a coworker of Tracy's. That's all he needed to know.

He walked back down the steps. He put his briefcase down, took off his suit jacket, and threw it carelessly on the floor. He walked to his Humidor and picked out a Drew Estates Blackened S84 Toro. He had been saving it. Why, looking back, he has no clue. There wasn't anything special on the horizon. At the fridge, he grabbed a Mango Tango Foxtrot IPA from Deep River Brewery. Craft beers and good cigars have become his only pleasure lately. He walked out the back door and sat on his deck. He had it rebuilt five years ago. Two levels with a pizza oven and built-in kitchen. It was made with the newest man-, made materials, which of course, added tot he cost. But, Tracy had to have the best. They used the pizza oven twice. After the first year, he was the only one to come out here. It had become his haven.

He lit up the cigar and took a deep pull. He could taste the slight nuttiness of almond with a hint of citrus. The first third of a cigar is always a tease of what is to come. The mango flavor of the beer goes well with the cigar. It's a bit hoppy, but not overly so. It lets you know it has a nice alcohol content.

He takes his time. Enjoying the cigar and beer, nothing else on his mind. He looks up and sees a bird gliding through the air. It's like he's never seen one before. He marvels that it circles without once flapping its wings. Letting the wind take it where it wants to go. Not caring about its destination. He wonders what it would be like to be that free?

The second third of the cigar gives off a creamy hint of butter with a raspberry taste. The cigar is living up to everything he read about it. The bird is still flying in circles. He wonders what it's looking for. Maybe, just maybe, it's enjoying the air currents.

He thinks for a second that normally he would be scrolling on his phone while smoking. Today, at this moment, he knows it has nothing of interest to offer. He realized, for the first time since he was a child, he is at peace.

He smiles to himself. A smile that begins to cover his whole face. For the first time in months, a smile that reached his eyes. The smile becomes a giggle. The giggle morphs into a belly laugh. He's never laughed so hard in his life. He has to hold his stomach; he's laughing so hard. Tears are running down his face. He doesn't know how long the laugh lasted.

He was interrupted by Tracy at the back door, looking to see what was going on. "Alex, what are you doing home?" She asked guardedly.

He had laughed so hard he was on his knees. He looked up at her. He immediately stopped laughing. His smile gone. The change was instantaneous. "I took off early," he said emotionlessly. He sat back in the chair and reached for the torch to relight the cigar.

"Umm, how long have you been here?" She asked, sounding a little shaky.

"Long enough." Blowing on the end of the cigar, evening out the burn. He still had another third to go. If the reviews were correct, this would be the best part. The pull shorter, and the flavor stronger.

"Long enough?" She questioned. She seemed baffled by his lack of anger.

"Yep." Tracy looked at him oddly. If he was here when Irwin was here, he had to hear them. Why isn't he yelling or mad? She looked at him again. It's almost like he dismissed her, she felt. Like I'm not even here. He sat there looking to the sky. She backed into the house. For some reason, she was uncomfortable with the way Alex was acting. Luckily, Irwin had ducked out while she checked to see what was going on out back. She went back to the bedroom to quickly change the sheets and open the windows to air it out. The kids would be home soon, and she had to get back to the office.

The cigar did live up to everything they wrote about it. He would have to go to the shop and buy some more. He walked back into the house and went to change out of his work clothes. He looked at his wardrobe. It was either suits or khaki and polo shirts. Oh well, He threw on some clothes and walked back downstairs. As he walked down the stairs, he knew he had smelled the faint scent of sex in the bedroom.

He was back on the deck when he heard his children come into the house. "Dad!" He heard Mallory yell for him. "Dad!" She yelled with more urgency. The house was only so big, so it didn't take long to find him on the deck. "Dad, didn't you hear me yelling for you?"

He turned slowly to her. He looked towards her, not at her. "What?" He said blankly

She didn't catch his tone. "I need $20 for a trip tomorrow." She told him, without asking.

"No," He responded and turned away from her, looking into the sky. A pair of birds were flying around. He didn't think one was the same bird he had been watching earlier.

"Dad, I said I need $20. It's for school." She insisted. Her father had always given her what she needed.

He didn't even turn around. "No." Still looking into the sky.

"Come on, Dad, it's only $20. If I don't have it, I'll fail the class." She pleaded.

He said nothing. Looking at the sky, now free of birds. He envied the freedom they had. He heard her huff and storm back into the house.

He thought about going to get another cigar and beer. Before he could decide, his stomach rumbled. He got up and walked into the house, grabbed his keys, and left. He saw his son sitting in front of the TV. He knew he wouldn't do his homework.

He drove to the closest Bojangles Chicken and got a four-piece dinner. He drove to a park and ate it in the car. He watched some ducks swimming in the creek as he bit into a chicken leg, and it dawned on him that he hadn't thought about his job or losing the promotion. Hell, he hadn't even thought about his wife and her cheating. He even had to concentrate to remember what she looked like.

It was getting dark as he drove home. Walking into the house, he was met with a barrage of noise. Tracy was back to her old self. Maybe she thought the best defense was a good offense. "Where have you been? Why were you so rude to Mallory earlier?" Alex didn't respond. He didn't even look at her. He walked to the kitchen, grabbed a beer, and walked back onto the deck. He could hear his wife and daughter talking in the kitchen through the open window.

"See, that's what I'm talking about. He ignores you like you're not even there." Mallory said. Tracy thought he was upset about finding her with another man. She couldn't mention that to her daughter.

"Maybe he's upset about something at work. Just give him some space for a while." Tracy told Mallory. She still didn't understand the way Alex was acting. He's always been an easy-going guy. But it wasn't like him to take something like her cheating lying down. He would definitely have confronted her. The relationship with Irwin wasn't planned. An after-work get-together with too much alcohol and being the last two left alone. Of course, that had been preceded by some innocent flirting between the two. She wasn't looking to cheat. It was a perfect storm of her feeling older, being married for almost twenty years, and becoming bored with their sex life.

Irwin was young and exciting. The first time was wonderful. She hadn't cum so much in a long time. Sure, Irwin was Fifteen years younger than Alex, and had a shorter rebound time. Alex hadn't been able to do it twice in one night for several years. She thought it would be a one-off event. Until the next week, when she found herself alone with him at another after-work get-together. Their affair had been going on for 3 months. Every Friday after work. This was the second time they did it her bed. It wasn't love, just a physical need, an itch that he scratched. She thought it didn't affect her marriage. She never realized that she was losing respect for her husband. How could he not see that she was cheating and unhappy? She would compare Alex to Irwin, not the other way around. She no longer saw the man who helped raise her children and provided a nice, safe lifestyle. A man who took care of the yard. She saw a man who couldn't compete in bed with a younger man. In her self-centered mind, it never occurred to her that maybe Alex was also unhappy.

She looked at him and found him sitting on the deck again, looking at the sky. She shook her head and went to bed.

Alex finally went to bed. Tracy was already in bed and appeared to be asleep. He looked at the bed they had shared for the last several years when they brought the new mattress. He hesitated for a moment before he saw she had changed the sheets. He got into bed and surprisingly had a restful sleep.

*oOo*

The morning was always a beehive of activity with everyone getting ready to go to work or school. Alex dressed and left without greeting his family. They heard the front door close, and Alex's car pull out of the driveway.

"What's that all about?" Steven asked.

"I don't know; he was acting weird yesterday." His sister told him. Tracy kept quiet, hoping things would soon go back to normal. She would try to be a better wife. At least keep her affair outside of the home from now on. She knew it was a mistake, but Irwin kept pushing her to screw on her marital bed. Telling her how much of a thrill it would be. It was a thrill, causing her to cum so much harder. Until she heard someone laughing in the backyard.

Alex walked into the job he had had for the last twenty-six years. A company he had busted his ass for and received nothing in return except a paycheck. He walked in carrying a Biscuitville sausage and egg biscuit and two hash browns. Alex was always a friendly person. Today, he was different. He walked straight to his desk without greeting or even returning greetings of his coworkers. Several people gave me strange looks; some even asked what his problem was as he walked past. He ignored them and sat at his desk.

As he was eating his biscuit and hash browns, his boss came to his desk. He stood there for several minutes without being acknowledged. Finally, "Alex." He says, a little put off at being ignored.

Alex puts down his half-eaten sausage and egg biscuit and wipes his hands on his pants. "Yeah?"

Michael Gross, his boss of the last four years and the man who denied him this last promotion, harrumphed. "Excuse me?" He wasn't used to being spoken to in this manner.

"What do you need Micheal? Don't you see I'm busy?" He grumbled as he put ketchup on his hash brown before taking a bite.

"Busy? All you're doing is eating; you haven't even started work yet!" He bellowed. Now the people nearest him were taking interest in the interaction.

Alex gave an exasperated sigh, the only thing missing from this scene was Alex with his feet on his desk. "And if you keep interrupting me, I'll never finish eating and be able to start doing my job. What is so important you can't wait until I'm finished?" He remarked without a hint of emotion. Michael was now noticing the lack of caring in his demeanor. He looked around and saw several people paying attention.

"We need to finish this discussion in my office." He told him and began to walk away. He expected Alex to follow him. Alex went back to eating his breakfast. It was another five minutes before he finished eating. He went and sauntered into Gross' office.

"Wadda want?" He asked as he flopped down in one of the plush chairs in front of the big desk without waiting to be offered a seat.

Michael Gross wasn't a man to tolerate insubordination. He took a deep breath before continuing. "This isn't like you, Alex. The Alex I know is dedicated and always ready with a smile and laugh. I hear you ignored your coworkers; you come in and start eating at your desk. Is this about Marty receiving the promotion and not you?" He inquired.

Alex was looking out the window. He couldn't see the outside from his desk, only the pale blue walls with paintings that blended in and became invisible over the years. A pigeon landed on the narrow shelf. He looked at it, unafraid of falling. Because it knew it could fly away from danger. Once again, Alex found himself wishing he was a bird. "ALEX," Gross yelled to get his attention.

"Yeah." He responded dispassionately.

"What the hell has gotten into you? Do you need some time off? I know you're upset that Marty was chosen over you. It was a tough choice. I'm sure something will come up sometime soon." He said. He noticed Alex wasn't looking at him. His gaze was off to the right. It was unsettling. Gross looked at him. Really looked and saw nothing. His face was lifeless, showing no emotion or reaction to what had been said. If his eyes weren't open and he could see his chest rising and falling, he would think he was dead.

"Alex, take a couple of days off. okay. Come back Monday." He waved him out of his office. Alex rose without any recognition and walked out of the office.

He kept walking straight out of the building without picking up his briefcase. As he walked out, he began taking off his tie. He threw his jacket and tie into the backseat of his car. It wasn't even ten, and he was free for four days. He started driving. He came to Franklin Blvd. He normally would turn right and take Redfern Road to his home. Today, he turned left. He knew Route 74 would take him past Asheville. He had no plans. He was a bird, or as close to a bird as he could be; he would let the road take him where it needed him to be.

He wasn't in a rush. He drove taking his time and enjoying the scenery. He had his traveling humidor in the glovebox. It only had two sticks in it. Tracy hated the smell of cigars. He keep of cheap Punch cigars in there for the rare times he could smoke. He drove through Asheville, and ended up on the reconstructed highway 40. He remembered the devastation that Hurricane Helene had caused. He kept driving without a care in the world, like a bird in the air.

Three and a half hours later, he found himself in Cosby, Tennessee. It was a little town outside of Pigeon Forge. He stopped to grab a bite at Carvers Applehouse Restaurant It was a small 20 seat restaurant and had some of the best fried catfish, mac and cheese, and sweet potatoes he had eaten in a long time. He was full, so he decided to take a walk around town. He enjoyed the quaint little town. It was peaceful. Unlike many towns that succumbed to Walmart's or worse, Dollar stores, it still had a small thriving downtown. He enjoyed being able to take his time and window shop. Any other time, he would have picked up something for Tracy or the kids. He came across an Army Navy store. He walked in and perused the selection. He was still wearing his suit pants, collared shirt, and dress shoes. He found a tracksuit in his size. He asked the owner if there was a place to buy sneakers. He was told there was a store three doors down. After leaving the shoe store, newly outfitted in the Adidas tracksuit and Puma sneakers, he walked back to his car.

He sat for a minute with the window down, contemplating his next move. He thought about the car he was driving. A 2024 BMW X5. Sure, it was a luxury car; it was also a family car. He had always dreamed of having a two-door convertible. "Now is a good time as any." He thought to himself with a smile. For the first time since he left work yesterday, he took out his phone and googled the best used two-door convertible. He noticed he was down to 10% battery. He needed to buy a charger soon. His search showed that a Porsche Boxster was top of the list. Miata's seemed like a teenager's beginner's car. He decided on a 2023 Mustang. He found a dealer in Pigeon Forge that had one. It was only 30 minutes away.

Two hours later, he was driving out of the dealership in a Sparkling Red 2023 Ford Mustang convertible. You knew there was only one thing messing. He drove up Route 321 to the Smokies Cigar Shop. Once there, he picked up a couple of Drew Estates Blackened S84 Toros as well as 2 CAO LaTraviata's, some Asylum 13 Oblongata's, which are hard to find, and 1 Blackbird Crow.

Lighting up the Crow, he noticed a sign for Dollywood. He sat smoking and thinking. Tracy hated him smoking in the car. She also hated amusement parks. They always had vacations to a beach. The last time he rode a roller coaster was when he was sixteen, during a high school trip. With a grin, he spun the wheel and headed to the happiest place in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He remembered his phone was dying, so he did send Tracy a text. "I had to go out of town. Will be back when I get back. Phone dying, need to find a charger." He didn't care if she would be worried, but he didn't want to have a manhunt out looking for him.

He left his phone in the car and headed into the park. For the next four hours, he rode the Barnstormer coaster twice and the Big Bear Mountain Coaster three times. Of course, he did the Dolly Parton Experience. He got soaked on the Daredevil Falls water ride. He even got on the Frogs and Fireflies and Lemon Twist rides. He finished the day with the Pirates Voyage Dinner show.

Walking out of the park, he felt like a whole new man. He had never once in his life had so much fun. It was like he was a kid again with no worries in life. He even brought a T-shirt with Dolly's face on it. An attendant recommended a hotel. On the way, he stopped at a Quik-Trip to buy a new phone charger. As he was driving, the phone started chirping with texts and voicemails.

They started right after he sent the text until his phone died. Most were asking where he was and when he would be home. Near the end, they were angrier. He thought he would have a little more fun. "I'll be back Sunday, most likely. That will give you time with Irwin." And again he turned off his phone. Before he got to the hotel, he stopped at a Walmart and picked up another shirt, toothbrush, and underwear.

At the hotel, he remembered that bird, sitting on the ledge. Unafraid to fall, because he knew he could always fly away. He was that bird, and slept like a log.

***oooOOOooo***

The next morning, after breakfast at Sawyers Farmhouse Breakfast. He had Mountain-Berry and Cream Crepes. He sat, wondering what he wanted to do. He decided he wanted some BBQ for dinner. He figured with a smile, "I'm already in Tennessee, I might as well go to Memphis and do it right. Hell, it was only a seven-hour trip. He took Route 321 until he found I40 and headed west. Top down, hair flowing, cigar smoke trailing him like a 4-8-4 locomotive pulling a long string of freight cars up a mountain. He glanced up and sees several birds floating through the air. Again, he smiles with genuine glee. He puts his left arm hangs out the window, waving up and down in the wind like you did when you were a child.

West of Nashville, he is pulled over. "Do you know why I pulled you over?" The State Trooper asked.

"Hopefully for speeding, officer. I'm surprised it took this long." He responded with a smile as he handed him his license paperwork and phone showing his insurance.

The officer appeared to be a couple of years younger than he. He smiled at Alex, having seen the temporary tags. "Just got it, huh?"

"Yes, sir, yesterday in Pigeon Forge." He answered.

"Yesterday? The trooper questioned.

"Yep, I even went to Dollywood." He answered with a smile, picking up the T-shirt to show the officer.

"Okay. I get it, I know you're enjoying yourself, but I want you to get to wherever you're going safely. So slow down, okay?' Alex nodded. 'I'm only going to give you a warning this time."

"I appreciate that, officer. Thank you, I'm headed to Memphis, I feel like some barbecue." Alex said as he took back his paperwork and phone.

"Wife or job?" The officer asked.

"Excuse me?" Alex questioned.

"You're a long way from home. So it must be the wife or the job. I've been there; I understand the need to get away." The officer explained without recrimination.

Alex saw a kindred spirit. "A little of both. Okay, maybe a lot of both.' 'I'm not running, just taking a short break." For the first time feeling the grief of his dead marriage. He realized what he was doing. He needed to get away, for himself. He had lived for others most of his life.

"A man has to do what a man has to do. If you're headed to Memphis, try Elwood's. It's not fancy like the Rendezvous Lounge or as well known as others. But the food is good and affordable. You can't go wrong."

Alex thanked the Trooper, and they both went on their way. Alex was a little slower this time. He pulled into Memphis around 4:30. He loved the power of that 5-liter V-8 engine. Traffic was heavy, and he took a couple of wrong turns. He finally found Elwood's at 5:15. Getting out of the car, he saw a line out the door. The line went pretty quickly. He ordered a 3-meat combo plate with Ribs, a chicken leg quarter, and pulled pork. For sides, he got baked beans and Elwood's Tater Salad. He also got a sweet tea; what else would you have?

By the time he was finished, he was not only stuffed but had made some new friends at the tables next to him. A couple visiting from Canada joined him at his table. They laughed and joked with each other. Telling stories about Scarborough, a suburb outside of Toronto. He told them about Greenville. The people on the right were from California, having been there all week. The others were local. When he left, he wished he had gotten the Trooper's name to thank him for the recommendation.

Before he found a hotel, he stopped at a Goodwill and picked up some more clothes. Getting to the hotel room, he turned his phone back on. Again with the beeps and chirps. Tracy had texted him several times, 'I'm sorry, it was only one time. It will never happen again. Please come home.'Mallory sent him a couple of texts, mostly, "What the hell, Dad, Mom is going crazy." Nothing from Steven. The voicemails were more of her pleading, saying again it was only once. His mother had called him also.

He called Tracy. She answered almost immediately. "Alex, where are you? When are you coming home? We need to talk, I'm so sorry." She cried. If he had heard her in this much pain a week ago, he would have moved heaven and earth to soothe her feelings. Now, he felt nothing. "It wasn't the first time. So, that makes you a liar and a cheater. Why should I accept your feeble apology? Hell, Tracy, with the way you've been treating me, why should I even come back?" He said to her. He wasn't yelling or screaming. He didn't even raise his voice. They could have been talking about what to have for dinner from the way he sounded.

He sounded so cold. "Don't you even care anymore, Alex? You sound... I don't understand." She moaned.

Alex laughed, the first emotion she heard from him. "Care, why should I care? None of you really care about me. I have a wife who has been cheating for God knows how long. A daughter who only talks to me when she needs something and a son who you baby all the time and is headed for jail. And on top of all of that, I have a job that shits on me. If I had an ounce of sense, I would keep driving." He finished.

"I'm sorry, Alex, I'll never do it again. Just come home." She pleaded.

"Why, Tracy, for hollow promises. To kids that don't appreciate or respect me? To a job I hate? I've had more fun these last two days than I've had in the last ten years we've been married. I went on a roller coaster because I wanted to. Not to the damn beach, getting sand up my ass, and sunburn every year. I ate the best barbecue I've ever had with a couple from Canada and another from California. I laughed and talked all evening. Not once hearing how I'm embarrassing them, like you always say. And I brought a two-door convertible Mustang!" He smiled knowing the reaction that would bring.

"You.. you bought a car?" She whispered in shock.

"Yes, I did. I'll call you if I decide to come home." And he hung up the phone. She called back immediately, but he ignored the calls.

He called his mother. "Hey, Mom."

"Alex, where are you? Tracy called; she said you haven't been home since yesterday. She called your job, and they told her you left and have off until Monday. She's worried to death." She said in a rush.

"Mom, calm down. I'm okay. I'm taking a little vacation. I caught Tracy cheating on me. So I had to get away" He told her.

"Cheating? What do you mean you caught her cheating? I don't understand. That doesn't sound like her." She said sounding stunned.

"Cheating, Mom. When one partner has relations with someone not in that partnership. I came home early, and she was in bed with a co-worker. It wasn't the first time, from what I know. I had to get away from everything." He told her. His mother always liked Tracy.

"I can't believe she would do that. Where are you?" She demanded.

"You can believe what you want to, Mom. I'm not going to tell anyone where I am for now. I'm safe, and I'm having fun. That's all you need to know. I have to go; I'll call you tomorrow." He disconnected the call. He figured his mother wouldn't believe Tracy cheated. She always put on a different face in public. Friends and family didn't see the shrew she had become.

***oooOOOooo***

The next morning he went back to Elwoods. He knew they had brunch on Saturday and Sunday from the google listing. They were almost packed when he got there. He ordered an Eggs and Debris. It was an open-face biscuit with poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce, and what they called debris. The bits and pieces of Brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. He had never had anything so delicious. Again, he sat and talked with the people who shared his table and those around him.

As he was walking out, he noticed a help wanted sign. On the spur of the moment, he turned around and went to the counter. He asked for the manager. "Help ya." The elderly Black man asked him for a few minutes later.

"I hope so; I noticed you're looking for help." He explained.

The man looked him up and down. "I don't think I pay what you're looking for."

"How much do you pay, and what is the job?" Alex asked.

"A little bit of everything, some food prep, counter help, cleaning the tables. I pay $13 an hour." He replied, knowing the man in front of him made much more than that. He could tell the man worked in an office. It didn't matter if he was wearing old clothes.

"$13, huh?" Alex thought for a moment. He was making considerably more than that. Sometimes it wasn't about the money. "Is lunch included?"

"You're not wanted, or anything, are you? I don't need the police bothering me." The man said, eyeing Alex suspiciously.

"No, I'm not wanted by anyone. I'm just looking for a change, is all. I'm honest and hard-working. You only need to show me something once." Alex explained. The old man looked at him through squinted eyes. "Sir, I'm going to be honest. I caught my wife cheating. I'm trying to get away from her. I just want to start fresh. You give me this chance, and you won't regret it."

"When can you start?" He asked.

Alex smiled, "I can start right now if you want."

"Okay, I'm going to give you a chance, one chance. Don't screw up." He said with a smile. He led him to a dingy office in the back of the restaurant. Alex filled out some paperwork and was given an apron. The man, who happened to be Elwood, called in a Black girl who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, named Keisha, and told her to show him around.

Turned out she was twenty-nine. Tall and skinny with long braids to her butt. As she led him around and introduced him to the other workers, Butch and Junebug, the pit masters, Alice, Candy, and April, who usually worked the counter. Marvin, Carla, and Nichelle, who worked the back counter putting the orders together. He noticed that, besides Butch, Junebug, and Mr. Elwood, he was one of the older employees.

"Why you wanna work here?" Keisha asked as she showed him how to wipe down the tables with the bucket of sanitized water. He could tell she did not beat around the bush.

"Starting over is all." He answered.

"Police, wife, or job?" She inquired.

"You get right to the point, huh? I like that. No police, even though I did almost get a speeding ticket on my way here. What makes you think I'm running from something?"

"You're what, 50 years old? Your hands are smooth, so you probably worked in an office or something easy. You have a good haircut, and your nails aren't chipped from hard work. So something made you leave home." She explained.

He stopped wiping the table. He looked at her. "You're very observant for someone so young."

"That's what I mean, you say observant when most people would say, you notice a lot. Four-year college, right? Definitely white collar. You drive a BMW or a Volvo, huh?"

Alex laughed. He found himself doing that more and more. "Ha, you're wrong, I drive a Ford. Can't a man want to work in a BBQ joint? Is that hard to believe?" He joked.

She eyed him momentarily. "Definitely wife problems." Alex just shook his head with a smile.

During the rest of the day, he found his coworkers fun and friendly. Even though the restaurant was busy throughout the day, they always had a smile on their face, and laughed amongst each other. When he was cleaning the tables, he talked to customers. Finding many of them local, with a few out-of-town visitors. He asked Keisha about that.

"A lot of people have heard about Charlie Vergos, Rendezvous and all those others. We're known more to locals. We don't have influencers coming down here to this part of town. Mr. Elwood isn't big on change. So we don't do any advertising. He's happy with the way things are." She answered.

He spent most of the day watching and learning from the ladies who worked the counter. By the end of the day, his feet hurt and he was exhausted. This was the longest he had ever been on his feet. Besides the people, the other bright spot was eating for free and being able to take a plate home, well, to the hotel he was staying at. He thanked everyone for helping him and headed to the hotel.

Getting to his room, he knew he smelled of smoke and barbecue sauce. He showered and sat at the little table eating some leftover ribs and that delicious mac and cheese. He checked his phone and found more texts from Tracy. "This has gone on long enough. You need to come home so we can work things out. How can you tell your mother that I cheated you?" He laughed to himself, because you did, he thought.

***oooOOOooo***

The last thing he remembered was sitting back on the bed to watch some TV. The next thing he knew, the sun was shining through the window. He looked at his phone and found it was six in the morning. Keisha, who was the unofficial assistant manager, told him he was working noon to eight. She told him to prepare to be busy. The church crowd usually showed up after two.

He took a minute to think about his situation. Did he want to go back home? He was unhappy there. His life had no joy. Every day was drudgery. He had a dead-end job with no future. Sure, it paid well. He was finding that there was more to life than a good paycheck. Between his and Tracy's jobs, they had built a nice nest egg for retirement. It didn't look like the kids were headed to college. They might need some of that money for Steven's Bail one day, he thought sadly. What did he have to look forward to? Retirement at sixty-five, and death three years later?

He looked back on his life in Greenville. He had very few friends, so his social life was pretty much nonexistent. It was work and returning to an unhappy home each day. His kids were ungrateful and disrespectful. He did everything he could for them. He went to school events. Supported them in any activities they were involved in. Recently, he came to realize how much his job thought of him. All the time he's wasted there. The only good thing was the health plan and pay. Today taught him money wasn't everything.

He knew Elwood's was a seven-day-a-week operation. He didn't know his schedule for the rest of the week. On the way to work, he stopped at another Goodwill for enough clothes for the rest of the week. He needed to start thinking long term. Staying at a hotel was untenable. Maybe someone at work could point him to a nice apartment complex.

He pulled into the parking lot in the rear of the building. Butch was out at the pits when he parked. "Damn, Alex, that's a nice ride." He said, walking over to take a look at the car. "T-tags, you just got it?" He asked.

"Yep, a couple of days ago. I stopped at Dollywood and picked it up in town there." He explained.

"Let me take it for a ride." He laughed.

"Tomorrow." Alex deadpanned.

"Come on, man, we all know tomorrow never comes." Butch grinned. "I want to warn you, Ellie is here today." He said with warning.

"Ellie, who's that?" He questioned, wondering why he said it like that.

"Elwood's youngest daughter. She pretty much runs the place, even though Mr. Elwood thinks he does."

Alex thought for a moment. "Anything I should worry about? Mr. Elwood hired me; will she be okay with that?" He asked with some trepidation.

Butch licked a finger and held it to test the wind. "Hard to tell. Depends on what kind of mood she's in and which way the wind is blowing." He told him, looking at the door to see if anyone was coming.

"Thanks for the warning. I better get in there before I'm late. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot." He turned and went into the back door. Elwood's was so old school, they didn't even have a time clock. He found Keisha and asked her what she wanted him to do.

"I want you to work with Marvin, Carla, and Nichelle. I need you to learn how to cut the meats and put together the plates. It's going to be busy with the after-church crowd. Keep an eye on the dining area also." He went and greeted the trio as they were cutting ribs and brisket. Marvin showed him how to cut the ribs since it was the easiest. He had watched them working together yesterday. They worked very well together. Marvin appeared to be in his late thirties, Carla was just out of school and going to community college. Nichelle was in her mid-twenties. Nichelle was a talker; Marvin wasn't, and Carla liked to joke.

"Why you wanna work here? You look like you should be in an office somewhere." Carla asked as she grabbed some catfish and put it in a Styrofoam container.

"Why you working here when you could be a model somewhere?" he said with a smile. He heard Marvin grunt. He would learn that was a Marvin laugh.

"Oh, ain't you sweet, or full of shit.' She laughed. 'You aren't wanted, or something, are you?"

"Don't nobody want me. I just needed a change of scenery, is all." He explained as he handed her another container.

Nichelle gave him the side eye. "That's hard to believe. But I'm telling you, if there's a reward, I'm turning you in."

"Duly noted. Glad I gave a fake name." They had him putting the sides in the containers or on plates while they did the meats and seafood. The crowd did pick up. He could tell when the church crowd came in because everyone was dressed to impress. The men wore their nice suits, and women wore fancy hats. Everyone was working like they had been doing it for years. People were moved through the line without feeling as if they were being rushed.

"Who's doing the dining room?" A woman at the counter asked. Alex had noticed her before, but didn't get a chance to inquire about her. "I am," he yelled out. He ran and grabbed the bucket of water with sanitizer and went to clean up the tables. The dining room was good-sized. Appeared to be able to seat one hundred people. The building looked to be an expanded, old fast food restaurant of some kind.

He didn't know how long he was out there. It would have been quicker except people kept stopping and talking to him. Most of the people knew he was new to the business. Not because he was white, probably because they were regular customers and had never seen him before. He was invited to several churches next week.

"Excuse." He heard a female voice behind him. He turned to see the woman who had been working the counter.

'Yes?" he responded.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Ellie. My father owns this place." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I met him yesterday; he hired me. I'm Alex." He held his hand out. She looked at him for a second before shaking it quickly. "It's nice to meet you." He really looked at her for the first time. She appeared to be in her early forties and was four inches shorter than his five feet, eleven inches. She was medium-built with a pretty face. She didn't wear any makeup except lipstick. Her hair was braided. She had a stern, no-nonsense look about her.

"What have they taught you so far?" She asked.

"Well, yesterday I mostly stayed in the dining room. Today Keisha wanted me to learn the back counter. Mr. Elwood said I would learn a little of everything."

"Why did you want to work here? This doesn't seem like the kind of place I would expect you in." She reasoned.

"What does that mean? I needed a job, and your father was hiring. It's as simple as that." He explained, a little harsher than needed. "Why does everyone ask me that? Is it because I'm white? It didn't stop Marvin or Alice." He was tired of people asking him that question.

She looked at him harshly. "Race doesn't have anything to do with it. You just give me the impression you should be working in an office." She pointed out.

He rejoined, "yes, I used to work in an office. Now I'm working here." They stood staring at each other.

"Do you know how to cook at least?" She nearly taunted.

"Yes, but probably not as good as you or your father. But I'm a fast learner. I'm willing to put in the time."

"Okay, Mr. Alex, I'll see what you can do. My father must have seen something for him to hire you." She snarked.

"It's Alex; I'm not that much older than you are."

"How old do you think I am?" She challenged.

"Oh no, I'm not falling for the okey doke. I'm forty-nine, so I'll say you're definitely a lot younger than me."

"Ha, I'm forty-seven. So you're not that much older than me." She rebutted.

"I guess it's true what they say. Someone told me, you're Mr. Elwoods youngest daughter?"

"Yes, I have three other sisters. None of them wanted to be in the business. So here I am."

"Okay. Ms. Ellie, so one day this will all be yours, huh?"

She looked around at the crowded restaurant. "One day, hopefully not too soon." She said quietly.

"Yes, hopefully not too soon. Your father seems like a nice man to work for."

"He tries to be. Sometimes he's too easy to work for. He's older and lets people get away with some foolishness sometimes." She said, looking at the crew work.

"From what I've seen, they all seem to work very well together. A lot better than where I used to work." He fleetingly thought about his old life. Two days and he had a new life? He was supposed to return to work and back home tomorrow. He felt no desire to do that. Ellie caught him daydreaming.

"What are you thinking about?" She inquired.

"My old life is all. I need to make some phone calls tomorrow and get some business taken care of. Do you know what my schedule will be this week?"

She thought for a minute. "How about you come in tomorrow at 6 in the morning and work until noon? You can do that Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That way someone can teach you how to prep and make some of the sides. I have to ask Mr. Alex: how long do you plan to be here? I don't want to waste anyone's time teaching you if you're going to leave next week when it gets too hot in the kitchen."

"Far question, Ms. Ellie. I'm going to stay as long as you think I'm a good worker. I do have to find some place to live. I'm staying at a hotel right now. I can't do that forever. I know I haven't been here long. So far, it's one of the best places I've worked at. The customers are friendly, and the people working here are fun to be around. I'm not naive and know it won't be like that every day. But it's a lot better than where I was before." He boasted. He could tell she was still skeptical. Maybe that was just her nature. "I better get back to cleaning these tables so I can go back to helping Carla, Nichelle, and Marvin."

The rest of the day was busy until he left. Nichelle, Candy, and Butch gave him some leads on apartments. After eating, he was back in the hotel room and opened a new account in his name only, transferring half of the college fund and a third of the savings account. It totaled a little more than $150,000. That left Tracy with nearly $300,000. A goodly sum; he still would have to be smart with his money. He set his alarm and started perusing apartments before he fell asleep again.

***oooOOOooo***

The alarm startled him at 5 am. He wasn't used to waking up this early. He got himself together and headed to work. He was greeted by Mr. Elwood. "How do you like it so far, young man?"

"I love it so far, sir. Everyone has been so nice and friendly." He returned.

"You met Ellie?" He asked. Alex thought he could see a gleam in his eye when he mentioned his youngest daughter.

"Yes, I did. She's also very nice. We had a nice talk."

He laughed, "She gave you the third degree, didn't she?"

"That and more. I thought she would pull out a polygraph machine for a minute there." Alex laughed.

"Don't let her scare you off; she means well. She's been through a lot. She'll get used to you eventually, if you stick around long enough." They walked into the kitchen, where he introduced Alex to Marcella and Gladys. They were the ladies who made the biscuits and other side dishes. Marcella was a Mexican lady in her mid-forties who spoke very little English. Gladys appeared to be the boss in the back. She was in her sixties and hard to keep up with. They showed him how to make the mac and cheese and tater salad. You can't call it potato salad. He spent most of the time peeling sacks of potatoes. By the time he left, his hands were cramping.

He walked out to his car and jumped in, letting it cool down before he drove off. He checked his phone. He had missed calls from Tracy, of course, even Mallory and Steven. He also had several calls from Marty and a couple of unknown numbers.

Tracy's texts were at first pleading for him to come home, evolving to being mad that he wouldn't talk to her to work on their marriage. Mallory was asking if he could Venmo her $100 for a school project. He laughed at that. Steven actually texted, and asked if he was okay.

He called his boss, well, former boss. "This is Martin Gross."

"Hey, Marty, this is Alex. I'm giving you my two-week notice. I'm going to call HR and use my vacation for those weeks." He announced.

Marty sputtered, "Quitting? Why are you quitting? Is this about the promotion? I told you, Alex, something will be coming up soon. Just give it time." He insisted.

"Marty, this is more than about a promotion. It's about you all shitting on me for years. I've given everything to that company, and it's always something will come up, and I get passed over again. Find someone else to shit on. I have a new job where they actually appreciate the work I do." He informed his shocked former boss.

"What, a new job? How long have you been planning this? You know you have a non-compete clause." He bellowed.

Alex laughed into the phone. "Don't worry about that. I don't compete with inferior competition. I'm in a totally new field. I'll email you a formal letter of resignation." He disconnected, on a surprised Marty Gross. He called Human Resources and requested they use his unused vacation time in place of his last two weeks. His last pay and unused vacation time would be automatically deposited. He gave them his new account information.

He put the top down and took a tour of the city he would be living in. He drove past some of the apartment complexes people had recommended. He had been living in a detached home for more than 20 years. He didn't know how he would feel living in an apartment. He didn't see anything he liked. One thing he did do was change hotels. He found something $100 a week cheaper with a kitchenette. Next, he went shopping. He brought more clothes. And a better pair of shoes and a laptop.

That evening he called Tracy. He knew she wouldn't like what he had to say. "Where are you, Alex? When are you coming home?" She started.

"I'm in Memphis, and I'm not coming home." There was no need to hide where he was. Even if he did, she would always be able to find him.

He heard her gasp. "What the hell do you mean you're not coming home?" She screamed into the phone.

"I mean I'm not coming back to Greenville. I have a new job, and I'm looking for a place to live. It's not that hard to understand. I don't know why you would be upset. You have Irwin to keep you company. He's been doing it for a while now, from what I heard. I still can't believe you had the audacity to fuck him in our bed. That shows the level of respect you have for me."

"I told you, it was a mistake. Come home so we can talk about this. I don't want to get a divorce. I'm sure we can work it out. How can you have a job so fast?" She barked.

"There's nothing to work out, Tracy. I don't know what I did to make you stop loving me. I tried to be the best husband I could. I already split the money in the bank. I left you most of the money in the savings account. I took half of the kids' college fund. We both know they aren't going to college. You might need it one day to bail out Steven, the way he's headed. It's only a matter of time." He advised.

"Two things I noticed, Tracy. You have never once said you loved me or that you're sorry. What you miss is my paycheck, the stability I offered. That's all I was to you three: a paycheck. Mallory only texted me twice, once to ask for money. Steven once. You don't need me." He hissed.

"I'll come to you. I never said I don't love you. I messed up. Tell me where you are. "I am sorry, and I do love you. I don't care about the money. I'll do better; we all will. Tell me where you are, and I'll come today." She begged.

"It's too late for all of that. I've quit my job today. I found a job I like with people who treat me with respect. I have fun there. I'm still looking for a place to live, so there's no need to come down here. You'll just be wasting your time. I have to go, Tracy. I hope you find the happiness I found."

Tracy shouted, "Is it another woman? Is that it? This is all of a sudden. It's not like you at all, Alex."

"Of course you would think I'm cheating. Since that's what you did. I have been faithful since the day we decided to be exclusive. I have never even looked at another woman. Why would I when I thought I had a happy marriage until recently? Even when you started treating me like shit. I still loved you. But it wasn't enough. Stay in Greenville. Don't waste your time coming here. I have to go." He hung up and turned off his phone.

END OF PART 1