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Benny & Ray 101 8 Years Dee Gilles Rated PG-13

Can't believe it's been eight years that me and Benny's been together. Eight years of almost perfect bliss. Lately, not so much, but hopefully that's in the past.

Yeah, so we had it out last month, after Francesca beat the shit out of me, then she laid into Benny when he got home, and then she woke me up out of a dead sleep so she could smack me around a little more. She even ratted me out for drinking. We both owed her big. Things have been much better.

I promised Benny I'd dry out. We promised each other a new beginning. We promised to make time for each other. We promised that nothing would get in the way of us.

Benny was meeting me here at Scarpetti's. I checked my watch. It was three past. I was starving; I hoped he got here soon. Pat had seated me at a table in the back that was nice and private, dark. It faced the door, so I could see Benny when he came in.

Ma had Carie for the night, so Benny was all mine. I grinned. I had all kinds of plans for us. Maybe I could even get him into those leather chaps I bought him in Texas. Maybe we could rent a dirty movie and get off on it together.

I had a surprise for Benny. I had bought us first-class tickets to Yellowknife. Cost a fortune, geez. But I thought it'd be nice if the two of us spent a couple of weeks up in the cabin. We haven't been up there in a long, long time. I had it set up for the last two weeks in May. I'd already gotten Ma and Maria to take Carie for a week, and Frannie would take her for the other. I only hoped that I could get Benny to agree to go without her. That was the big unknown. If he really insisted, we would take her, but my first choice was that the two of us go on our own. We had such a nice time together, makin' love whenever and wherever we wanted--in the woods, in the cabin on the floor, in the back yard, wherever. Now Carie was at the age where Benny didn't want her to see or hear anything we had going on between the two of us, so `wherever sex' was not going to happen if we had to bring her along.

Pat checked up on me and asked if I wanted to go ahead and order an appetizer, and I said no thanks, I'd wait until Benny arrived. I asked for a San Pellegrino water. He bought out some warm rosemary bread with garlic olive oil, and I scoffed it up. It had been hours since I'd had lunch. I had begged Angie to switch shifts with me today, even had to bribe her with some of Ma's homemade tortoni, so I could get off at five, go home and get showered and cleaned up, and meet Benny here. I wore my black wool Armani blazer, Benny's favorite. I patted the airline tickets in my breast pocket again. I couldn't wait to see Benny's face when I told him. I thought I'd wait until dessert to surprise him, but maybe I'd tell him right after we ordered our dinner. I found myself grinning like a moron all of a sudden. I shook my head at myself.

I glanced at my watch again. Ten past. This was not like Benny to be late. Or at least not call in advance and let me know he was running late. It occurred to me I'd better check my cell phone and make sure the thing was on. I whipped it out and checked. Yeah, it was fine. Battery charged. No messages.

As I sat there staring at it, it suddenly lit up, startling me. Benny. I flipped it open.

"Hey!" I said.

"Ray, I've got some bad news," Benny said.

I let Benny ramble on and on for a full five minutes before I finally ran out of patience and cut him off.

"So, long story short, you're not gonna make it?"

He meekly agreed with me.

"Well, that's great, Benny! Just great!" I hung up on him.

I stood and snatched up my overcoat, stuffed my arms into the sleeves and headed for the door.

Pat looked startled as I walked past him. "Catch ya later, Pat." I didn't even give him time to say anything.

Outside now, I stood on the sidewalk and looked up and down the street, not sure of what I wanted to do next. It was early, I had the night to myself, and I didn't feel like going home and sitting around with the dog.

I wanted some company, and I didn't feel like going home to deal with Ma lecturing me about falling off the wagon. I didn't need to hear Maria agreeing with her. Tommy was probably still at work. Benny had the car, and I hated taking the El, so I wasn't going very far tonight. There was no place for me to go.

So I stuffed my hands in my pockets, put on my leather cap, and headed north, toward Greektown, where I knew I'd be welcome.

FINIS