Customer Service

"Oh, thank you for keeping an eye on me."

"My pleasure."

"You really like my legs?" she asked, but he was looking at Tracy just then -- talking with her father by the fireplace.

"Do I like your legs?" he asked. "Are you kidding? If I was twenty years younger, darlin', I'd like to help you curl your toes."

She brightened, turned beet red. "Anytime you want to try, just let me know."

"Really?"

"Um-hmm," she cooed.

"What's with Deke? That man's been staring at your legs ever since you walked in the room."

"Oh? Has he?"

"Has he? Eunice, the man's drooling. I mean positively drooling, every time he looks at you."

She turned and looked at him; Deke was standing next to Stoddard now, staring at her legs.

"See what I mean?"

She did. And she was now an even brighter shade of red, too.

"Well, I've got to get our dinner off the grill right now, but how 'bout I put you next to him at dinner? Think you could, well, handle that?"

She turned and looked at him, her eyes a sleepy kind of sexy -- then she licked her lips.

"Yes, Eunice. I think I'm getting green with envy."

"Good," she said, then she turned and went back to the living room.

Tracy met him at the smoker. "Mission accomplished," she said. "I think he's about ready to explode, matter of fact. How was she?"

"Like a piranha. A hungry piranha."

"Oh, God. My poor father."

"Are you kidding? They're going to be perfect together."

"Uh, you'd better remind Matt those girls are seventeen."

"Eighteen, last month."

"You checked?"

"Of course. Matt's a good friend. Besides, he's getting ready to cast a movie next month, and he needs twins. Girls, as a matter of fact. And guess what, they took drama last year."

"You mean, you planned this?"

"Of course not. What makes you say that?" he said, lifting the lid to the grill, the air filling with dense, hot smoke.

+++++

"Damnit all, Mr Rankin," Donny said from the far end of the table, "this is the best goddamn steak I've ever had in my life. What's your secret?"

"I plug the tenders with garlic, then let them sit in a marinade of orange zest, soy, honey and ginger. Once the tenders are on the fire, grind a bunch of fresh peppercorn all over everything. Smoke until the meat hits 165, and that's it. Deke? How's yours? Too well done?"

"No sir. This is the perfect steak. Hope you don't mind if I borrow your recipe, though."

Tine, one of Donny's waitresses was sitting beside Tom Stoddard, and she apparently had matters well in hand, while Matt was talking to the twins about his next project. Ben was talking to Bert about the merits of mixing alfalfa with summer grasses, though Eunice had barely touched her filet -- she seemed preoccupied with something under the table, and Deke seemed a little preoccupied, too.

Indeed, Deke wiped a line of perspiration from his brow, his eyes crossed a little.

"Deke, you pull a muscle this afternoon," Rankin asked.

"Oh, Bob, you have no idea."

"I hate it when things stiffen up after the sun goes down."

"Do you?" he grimaced. "Well, I know just how you feel."

"Yes, well, the trick is to just let things go, try not to hold back."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, just stretch out that leg -- then let her fly, maybe give it a little rub to get the circulation going again."

"Oh, God..."

"Eunice? Think you could help him massage that out?"

"Certainly, Bob. Deke, where's it hurt?"

"Oh, GAWD!"

"Tom? How's your steak?"

"Just great."

"You know, there's a big hot tub out back. Maybe you could take the twins out there, relax for a while before you go home."

"Wish we could, but we didn't bring bathing suits..."

"Matt, could you show 'em where I keep the spare bathing suits?"

"Dad? Could we come too?"

"There's plenty of room," Rankin said. "Enough for a dozen or so, anyway," he said as he handed Eunice a spare napkin. Deke's eyes were hooded over now, his breathing deep, while Eunice looked around the room, smiling and contented. "Eunice? How's that arm? Feel like a swim?"

"Hmm?"

"Want to sit in the hot tub for a while? Or would you like some dessert?"

"If you've made those bourbon-pecan pies," Matt said, "I ain't goin' nowhere."

"Well, I'd better get to slicing," Rankin said. "Donny, can you give me a hand?" They walked to the kitchen, and Tracy did as well.

"I'd say mission accomplished, one more time," she said as she got some dessert plates out from the cupboard.

"Yes, a sticky situation."

"What is?" Donny said.

"How's that wife of your's, Donny?"

"Hmm? Oh, fine. What can I do here?"

"Could you slice a few pies?"

"Sure could."

"Great. I always make a mess of it. What do you think? Think your wife would like some time in the tub?"

"I dunno...I think she's had to much to drink?"

"Ah, well, maybe she could just dip her toes?"

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Hell, no," Rankin said as he took the first few slices out to the table. "I just asked her," he said when he came back to the kitchen, "and I think she's ready."

"Ready?"

"For some hot tub fun, Donny!" he added as he and Tracy carried the last plates out to the table. 'Yup,' he said to himself as he looked at Eunice, 'things are heating up nicely...' He looked around the table as he sat, and said, "Well, bon appetite, y'all...dig in!"

Donny's wife chimed-in first: "This is so good!"

"It's the pecans," Rankin said. "Have to soak 'em for a few hours in bourbon, then I take 'em out and roll 'em in honey. That seals in the bourbon, helps give it a little kick. Eunice, you be careful now."

"If it was baked, there's no more alcohol," she said knowingly. "Not enough to hurt, anyway." She took a bite, and sighed. "This is heavenly. Where'd you get this recipe?"

"Oh, I just looked at a few and combined the best of this, a little of that. You like it?"

"It's so rich, but so light," she said.

"Just like you, darlin'," he said, and he watched her turn red again. Deke seemed to look up at that, his eyes taking on a possessive note, and Rankin smiled. "Deke, think you can convince Eunice to hit the hot tub?"

"Well, I don't know about that..."

"Dad? Robert's got something downstairs you really need to see."

"Oh, no," Matt said, grinning. "We've lost Robert for the night."

"What's that?" Deke said.

"Come on, Robert, let's show him..."

"Show him what?" Eunice said. "Can I come, too?"

"Yes, Eunice," Rankin said, "I think you need to come."

"Ooh, goody. I love a surprise!"

Rankin stood. "Matt? Think you can herd all these people down to the hot tub?"

"Sure. Is the pool heat on?"

"The indoor pool is set at 85, the outdoor at 75."

"Splendid!"

"Y'all have fun. Eunice...Deke, follow me." He led them to the main staircase and down to the train room, then he opened the door...

And the room filled with the deep rumble of a locomotive, a conductor calling out "All aboard!" Then across the room a headlight came on, then all the windows in the passenger cars lit up -- and all New York City's lights came on, then her street lights . The sounds of people on sidewalks, cars and trucks rumbling down streets, and the room shook as the 20^th Century Limited pulled out of Grand Central Terminal...

Deke and Eunice, even Tracy -- who'd never seen the display come fully to life -- looked on in awe. Street cars ran, subways crossed town on an elevated line, and Long Island Railway commuters crossed bridges over the East River.

"My God in heaven," Deke muttered as he came over. "You built all this?"

"Yup," Rankin said, his eyes full of pride. "Started when I was seven years old."

"This is impossible!" Deke added, his eyes taking on a faraway, searching look. "I always wanted to do something like this..."

"Come with me," Rankin said, and he led Deke and Eunice to the next phase of the project in the next room. The bare bones of the next expansion had been formed in this room, but nothing was visible aside from markings where future tracks would be placed.

"What is all this?" Deke asked when the scope of the project became apparent.

"Three main lines will leave New York, come through here on their way to Chicago, over there. In the next room, down here," he said as he walked across to the far room, "the lines will continue, on to San Francisco and LA." He turned on the lights in the last room, revealing another bare bones layout -- though the Rocky Mountains were complete, and all of the track had been laid. "So, I was wondering. What I need, Deke, is another set of hands. Interested?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I need help. Wanna come over, anytime you feel like it, of course, and help out?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yup."

"Well, hell yes, I'd like to help out!"

"Outstanding! Well, look, there's something I need to ask you."

"About Eunice? Are you interested in her?"

"Are you?"

"Well," Deke began, "I didn't think so a few hours ago, but right now, well, I'm not so sure."

"I think you two look good together."

"You do?"

"Yup. But I need to ask you about Tracy."

"Tracy? What about Tracy?"

"Well, she wanted me to ask you, well, for permission, for us to get married."

"She what? Oh, did you ask her?"

"I did."

"And she said yes?"

"She did."

He looked away, wiped a tear then turned back. "Well, Robert, you have my permission. When? When do you think you'll tie the knot?"

"Soon as we can, I reckon. No time like the present," he said as he looked at this room full of his past -- and maybe his future, too.

"No, I reckon not," Deke said, clearly thinking about that woman in the other room.

"So, what about the hot tub, sir."

"Oh, I don't know. I think I ought to get on home."

"Well, Eunice needs a ride, in case you want to take her -- into town."

"Does she, now?"

"That's a fact."

"Hmm."

They walked back to New York City, to Tracy and Eunice still standing trackside -- looking at men's obsessions and laughing at the folly of it all, perhaps -- but looking in awe nonetheless at what had been accomplished -- so far.

And Eunice looked at Deke as he came to her: "Deke, what about you 'n me? Want to hit the hot tub?"

"I was thinkin' I'd drive you home now, Eunice."

"Oh?"

"Yes, before it gets too late."

"Oh. Well, alright. Let me go get my things."

They all walked upstairs together, and while Rankin helped Eunice on with her coat he leaned close and whispered in her ear. She smiled, kissed him in the cheek, and Deke walked her out to his truck. They watched him drive down to the main road into town, but he didn't turn that way. No, he turned to the other way, and drove on to his house, and Tracy turned to him just then and smiled.

"I'm curious," she said. "Did you have all this planned out?"

"Who? Me?"

"Yes, you?"

"Well, one more more piece of the puzzle I want to help into place."

"Oh?"

"Those girls."

"Tom's girls?"

"Yup."

"Is that why you invited..."

"Yup."

"I didn't want to ask, but what did you say to Dad in the other room?"

"Oh, I told him I could use some help. With the next phase of the railroad."

"Oh."

He smiled. "And I asked him about us."

She turned to him, looked into his eyes. "And?"

"Oh, all he seemed to want to know was when and where."

"When and where?"

"Where we're going to do it."

"Ah. Well, we're going to do it in there," she said, pointing to his bedroom, "right now. I think he's going to miss this performance."

"I reckon we better tend to our guests first, don't you think?"

"They can manage for a little while."

"Oh, well, okay -- if you think so."

+++++

He went out to the pool deck a while later, saw Matt and Ben still talking to the twins, this time with Tom listening carefully, so he walked into the hot tub grotto and found Donny and his group sipping wine with Ronnie Higgins and his wife. He walked over and dangled his legs in the water, and noticed they were all staring at him now.

"How's your evening been?" he asked.

"Just something else, Mr Rankin," Donny said.

"Like some kind of dream," Donny's wife added.

"Oh? Well, I hope this isn't the last time I see you all out here. Matter of fact, Tracy and I have decided to get married, and we'll probably have some kind of reception here. I hope you know you're all invited, but we'll get invitations to you soon."

There were congratulations, invitations to come to the diner -- "Anytime! Anytime at all!" -- and Rankin basked in their glow for a while, then walked out to see how things were going with the twins.

"So, what do think, Matt? Find them an agent yet?"

"Yup."

"I thought they'd be perfect for the parts," he added. "You too, I take it?"

"Yup."

"Tom, once you get to know Matt a little better, you'll see he can speak more than one syllable at a time."

"Yup. Figured that one a while ago. Plays it pretty close to his vest."

"He does at that. If it gets too late, Tom, just bunk out in one of the spare bedrooms."

"Thanks, Mr Rankin. Appreciate your hospitality."

"My name's Bob, Tom. Ben, I'm off to bed. Think you can shut things down?"

"Yup."

"God, it's catching."

"Yup," all five of them said.

"Monsters...I've created monsters..." he said as he trudged off to the kitchen, then back to his bedroom. She was still there, waiting, and he'd never felt happier.

*

So, let's speak of endings.

Right after graduation the twins, the twins flew to Boston and started on Matt and Ben's latest movie, about two girls -- twins, of course -- at Boston College in the sixties. Tom Stoddard was nervous as hell when he watched them leave, but he busied himself training his new pup, Lucille, for the coming bird season. Tina, the waitress from Donny's place, started spending nights once the girls left, and Tom started putting on weight. Too many chicken fried steaks, he said.

Becky, another gal from the diner, moved into one of the spare bedrooms at Rankin's place. She still worked evenings at the diner, but worked mornings at Robert's helping clean house. She'd developed a crush on him, a bad one, and was biding her time, waiting for an opening. Who knows, she thought from time to time, maybe she'd have to make an opening?

Eunice Gibson? Oh, where do we start?

She developed an oral fixation. And Deke had never been happier.

Most days he finished up work in time for lunch, then he showered and drove over to Robert's. He was concentrating on the western lines in the far room, modeling the Feather River run the California Zephyr made on it's way into Oakland, and when he finished up what he was working on he'd get in his truck and drive into town, where he'd find Eunice -- upstairs in garters and stockings and heels -- ready and waiting.

Robert got his snake proof boots at the dry goods store, and had an early breakfast most days at Donny's. When he walked the sidewalks downtown, the locals said 'Howdy' when he passed, and he finally began to feel like he belonged.

And Tracy still worked the customer service desk, still took care of people who needed taking care of, which is why, of course, she decided to marry Robert Rankin. They set a date for next Christmas, and she could hardly wait. She still had her apartment, of course, but she spent most nights at his place, and she didn't care if people talked.

One night, when she was over at her father's after work, he was sitting at the piano playing In the Still of the Night once again, and he remembered that night. The night he'd decided to change keys, the night he shifted from a major key, to a minor. The same music, but different. The same life, yet nothing like it was.

Just a little shift. So funny. So unexpected.

He looked across the valley, looked at the Tomberlin ranch and smiled as he played, then he felt a gentle tugging on his socks and reached down, picked up the little Springer and held her close.

*

(C) 2016 adrian leverkühn | abw | this is a work of fiction, and although there are slight inferences to a few real world characters sprinkled about, these references in no way represent any events, real or otherwise. hope you enjoyed this little ode to small town America.