Volunteering for any and every small task possible, D kept himself busy until it was time to fly to Iowa. He wished he didn’t have to sit next to Brian on the plane because that was sure to be an awkward flight. Upon boarding, he was delighted to hear that Brian asked to switch seats with someone. To his dismay, stepping into the cabin, he saw who his seatmate would now be. It was the boy often referred to as the mediator. He was known for his cool head and his ability to work out any and all problems. If something was bothering you, he’d get to the bottom of it and make it right.
Not wanting to talk about it, D put on his headphones as soon as he sat down. Five minutes after take off, he began to hear a gentle voice calling his name. He tried to pretend he didn’t hear it, but it kept calling until…
“D… D… Hey, D! Daniel!!! Look, we need to talk.”
With anger in his dark eyes, D turned to Howie and growled “I told you never to call me Daniel. As you know, that was my Dad’s name and I don’t even want to be reminded of the abusive bastard, okay. If you want my attention, you know my name. It’s D. That’s it. Nothing else. Never call me that other name again.”
Looking rather surprised, Howie apologized, “Jeez! I’m sorry. I didn’t know it meant that much to you! I just… You were ignoring me, so I used your full name, hoping it would get your attention. Apparently it did, but I’m sorry I offended you.”
D mumbled an apology and started to put the headphones back on, but Howie stopped him.
“Look, we really need to talk. Something’s going on and Brian won’t tell me anything about it. To tell you the truth, I’m a bit worried about you. You’ve never let things go like this. I mean, Bri got hurt the other day because you didn’t want to accompany him to the arena. And you’ve been avoiding him like the plague. I see you doing anything and everything but your job. And you know how important security is for us right now. A few years ago, we could’ve gotten away with just a small security team, like Bri had, but now, we really rely on our personal bodyguards. You’re really important to Brian. Not only are you a good friend to him, but your protection is what keeps him alive and well. You are the best in the business. You know that as well as I, so why aren’t you acting like it? Please, can we talk about whatever’s bothering you and get things back to normal?”
D looked at Howie and sighed. All his troubles began pouring out, accompanied by mixed emotions and the occasional tear. For the next couple of hours, they talked. Howie always had a way of working things out and making it all better. As they stepped off the plane, D hesitated for a second, waiting for his friend to emerge. As soon as he stepped down, Brian and D embraced, apologizing profusely and promising to always be there to support each other.
“D, um, I have to ask you to do something,” Brian said in a slow Southern drawl. “Ask no questions, but go to Gate 3. You’ll find a surprise waiting there for you. Please, make the most of it. Here’s cab fare back to the hotel. Good luck.”
Brian pressed the money in his hand and hurried to the waiting van.
Just
what had he done? D didn’t know what he was up to, but he was about to
find out. He turned toward the airport to find the gate.
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