Page 109 of The Falcon and the Foe

Behind us, the familiar tumble of blocks echoed in the space. The boys were playing Jenga against Leo’s teenage twins Ari and Lucy. The games were much shorter than our epic match, thank goodness. Mitch’s daughter Ellie arrived with her boyfriend Tim shortly thereafter. She brought a cake that readGoodbye Buzz, Shane, and Anneand had a bee in the corner.

The guys went around sharing stories about Buzz, about all of them. We chimed in with tales of parenthood that Buzz would soon experience. Terrible twos and potty training and kids learning to speak and then using that ability to talk back to their dads.

A little while later, the dads, myself included, shared a corner booth. Ellie and Tim played with Anne while the kids kept going with their ultimate Jenga tournament.

“Two down, two to go?” Shane asked, pointing his glass at Leo and Mitch.

“Mitch, they’re talking about us.” Leo laughed it off. “Mitch is like a brother to me, so you can take that image out of your head.”

“And I’m way out of his league,” Mitch said.

“You wish.” Leo punched him in his bulky shoulder, which didn’t rock him in the slightest.

From what Cal told me, neither guy dated. Mitch was nearly monklike, while Leo favored discreet hookups that he didn’t have to call the next day.

“I’m in a serious relationship with The Tavern.” Mitch looked around at his bar. He kept it up nicely, and it still remained a popular spot in town thanks to his tireless hard work. “Have been for thirty years.”

“But you can’t spoon a restaurant in bed. A restaurant won’t laugh at your jokes,” Buzz said.

“If you ever make any.” Cal laughed into his glass.

“So Mitch is married to his bar. What about you, Mr. Mayor?” Shane asked, leaning back in the booth, fully relaxed.

“I’m busy co-parenting teens and running a town. I prefer my relationships to last one night only.”

“He won’t let a guy come until he secures his vote,” Mitch said.

Leo tossed an ice cube at him.

“Every day, I’m hustling.” Leo said it without any shame. He’d carved out a political career that had survived a divorce and coming out, which was no small feat. “Ugh, enough of all this lovey-dovey shit. Buzz. I can’t believe you’re leaving us.”

“I’m only a plane ride away.”

“A plane ride across the country,” Cal said, stabbing at ice with his straw.

“I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.” Buzz had been recruited by a Seattle-based competitor nearly a year ago; they’d let him work remotely, but as he became more involved, the need to be there in person became more pressing. It was a huge step up, and though we hadn’t known each other a long time, I appreciated our chats about operational efficiency.

Shane rubbed his boyfriend’s shoulder. “We’ll be back for Thanksgiving.”

“And there’s always FaceTime and the Group Chat.”

Mitch laid on an easy smile. “We’re proud of you, buddy.”

The guys went around talking about fun memories from high school, and I found myself bursting with laughter even though I wasn’t there. The good times came to an abrupt end when a woman in a trench coat and no-nonsense bun entered the bar and made a beeline for the table.

“Mr. Mayor,” she said.

“Vernita, you keeping tabs on me?”

“We have a situation. I wanted to find you before the story got out.”

In a split second, Leo hopped up and was in full Mr. Mayor mode. “What story?”

She motioned for him to powwow with her by the window. We watched the tense conversation. A minute later, Leo returned to the table to grab his coat. His face had tightened into a determined scowl.

“Leo, what is it?” Mitch asked.

“Mitch, can you drive the twins home when you’re done?” Leo put on his coat. “Buzz. Shane. I’m sorry to dash like this.”

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