Riding With Brighton(13)

He just smiles at me, though, then shoves his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, Brighton, I do.”

Okay. I’m gonna call that encouraging. “So now I’m the hottest guy at school and the most intriguing guy you know.”

“No, I’m the hottest guy at our school. You’re just more interesting.”

I smile. “I can’t argue with that.”

His face tightens, and his nostrils flare. Shit. I just took it too far.

“Come on,” I tell him. “I’ll introduce you to Betty and Doc. You can add them to your list of interesting people you met today.”

“I got a list now?” he asks, following me.

“Yup. It’ll be a page long before the day’s done.”

I open the door and walk through. “Brighton!” Betty calls out from the register.

I raise my hand as I walk over to her. “Hey, darling.” I flash my most charming smile. “You look nice today. Is that a new dress?”

“I haven’t got myself a new dress since the seventies. You’re too sweet.” She reaches over the counter to grab my hand. I look down at her wrinkled skin and the thin gold wedding band that sits on her ring finger.

“You’ve had this petite little figure all your life, huh?” I ask, flirting with her.

“Been skin and bones since the day I was born. Luckily, Doc likes me that way. Who’s your friend?”

“Jay Hall, I’m delighted to introduce you to Mrs. Betty Olson, proprietor of Olson’s Drug Emporium and wife of Dr. Olson.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Jay says, reaching over the counter to offer her his hand.

She shakes it. “He’s a charmer just like you, and handsome as all get out. I bet you two boys drive the girls crazy.”

“I’m the brains, he’s the beauty. Together, we’re pretty much irresistible,” I tell her with a wink. I’ve explained to Betty, more than once, that I’m gay, but her dementia’s getting worse. Or she’s in denial. Either way, I just go with the flow now.

“I bet you are. You should have seen Doc back in the day. My goodness, he was a looker. Still is, though, isn’t he? I told you about the first time we met, didn’t I, Brighton?”

At least ten times. It makes her light up when she tells the story, though, so I say, “I don’t think you have.”

The glow is already creeping up her cheeks as she smiles at me. “Well, you know Doc’s daddy built this building. When he came to this town, there was nothing here but a motel and a bank. That sign you painted? The original was the first piece of advertising this town ever saw.” She pauses to smile at me. She’s happy to have that sign back on the building. “Back then we were all country folks, so when the Olsons came to town, all the way from Chicago, it was big news around here. I’ll never forget that first day my mama brought me to town so we could see what all the fuss was about; it was magical. They had rock candy on a stick. I’d never seen such a thing. I held it up to the light and watched it sparkle. Of course we didn’t get treats like that, they were too expensive, but Mama let me hold it and look at it. I’d never wanted anything more. And then the most handsome young man I’d ever seen came walking up to me and told me I could have it—”

“Oh, Betty, are you boring poor Brighton with that story again?” Doc asks, walking up to us and patting me on the shoulder.

“Why would hearing about how the two of you met bore me?”

Doc gives me a knowing smile, then introduces himself to Jay before walking around the counter and standing by Betty’s side, grabbing ahold of her hand that’s still resting on the counter.

“I’d never seen such a beautiful sight. I fell in love with her right then and have been in love with her every day since.” She leans a shoulder against his arm and looks up at him like she’s that young girl and she’s seeing him for the first time. He gently runs a hand over her hair, and I want to cry. I wonder if I’ll ever grow old with someone. If one day I start having dementia, will I have someone to hold my hand and remind me of the day we fell in love?

Doc pulls an envelope out of his back pocket. “Now, I’m only going to give this to you if you promise to still come back and visit us. Betty’s already lonely without you around.”

“I’m already missing her too,” I admit.

“What about those windows in front? You could do something with those to snaz ’em up, couldn’t you?”

“Sure,” I tell him. “I have a couple of jobs lined up that I’d have to get done first, but we can definitely do something with the windows.”

“Perfect,” Doc says, handing over the envelope.

“Are Mary Ann and Josie here?” I ask about their daughter and granddaughter, who run the lunch counter in back.

“Head on back. They’d love to see you.”

“You hungry?” I ask Jay.

“Yeah… starving.”

I shake Doc’s hand and reach over the counter to hug Betty before heading across the store. “So what’d you think? Interesting or no?”

“Betty and Doc? Yeah, for sure. They’re sweet. And man, you know how to charm the ladies, huh?”

“Over seventy is my specialty. They all love me.”