the papers.”
“What?”
He straightened up and turned to her, holding a thick sheaf of paper. “I signed them. Today. After I saw you.”
Her mouth hung open, waiting to hear something that would make sense of what he was saying. “I thought you weren’t…you said you’d never…you love the army.”
“Yeah, well, I thought about it.” Guy leaned against the back of the office chair, his feet crossed casually, but the fingers that gripped the pages were white. “I changed my mind.”
“You changed your mind.”
“Yeah, I changed my mind. You know, it’s a good offer. A really good offer.” Ellie stepped backward unsteadily, reaching behind her for the cot she knew was close. She sat down hard on the edge of it, not caring that she was naked beneath the shirt. Guy tapped the rolled-up papers against his palm. “I thought maybe you’d be, you know, happy about it.”
“I’m just…shocked. You said you’d never sign those. You said those guys were toy soldiers. What did you call them? White-collar mercs?”
“What, are you wearing a fucking wire or something?” Guy hurled the pages at her, his anger making his Boston accent thicker, and Ellie jumped at the sudden rage. “You recording every word I say? I don’t need a goddamn transcription of what I said before. I changed my mind. If you don’t like it, get the fuck out. Is that what you want? Huh?”
He turned around and slammed his fists down on the desk, hanging his head and breathing deeply. At her feet the pages unfolded themselves and Ellie could make out the large type portions of the contract that Guy had signed. The easiest part to read was the red Feno Chemical letterhead. She didn’t need to read any more. She waited until Guy turned back to face her, leaning once more against the desk, composed. She chose her words carefully.
“Can you tell me what made you change your mind?”
He shrugged, looking down at the ground. “It’s a good deal. I get my full army pension, full retirement benefits. It would take me another fifteen years of service to get that. There’s a signing bonus, and then, on top of that, I’ll be making a shitpot full of money. For doing the exact same thing I’m doing now.”
“Only now you’ll be doing it for Feno, not the army.”
“Same shit, different uniform, right?”
Ellie nodded. He sighed and pushed off the desk, coming to sit next to her on the bed. He rested his elbows on his thighs and stared down at the floor. “It’s not just the money, you know? My nephew Tommy wants to go to Boston College, got a scholarship and everything, but it’s not enough.My sister can’t afford the rest, and this money will go a long way to helping him out. I don’t want him to have to do what I did—join the army to pay for school.” He laughed and shook his head. “Join the army and see the world.”
Ellie leaned against him. “You saw Iowa.”
“Yeah.” Guy leaned back into her. “Seven and a half miles of it.”
They sat that way in silence for a long time, touching but apart in their thoughts. Ellie couldn’t understand what had prompted Guy to sign the contract with Feno. He had always been adamant in his disdain for the private security forces of the chemical company. He had called them amateurs and implied more than once that it was only the U.S. Army that was really protecting the residents of Flowertown, that nobody should expect the criminals to guard the prisons. He had called Feno’s enormous salary offerings proof that they had something to hide, and once, when they’d both been very drunk, he had said they were trying to buy a get-out-of-jail-free card, should criminal charges ever arise from the spill. And now, with less than two months left on his tour of duty, he had signed with Feno.
Guy broke the silence, squeezing her thigh. “I guess you’re stuck with me. If you want me, that is.” Ellie still could not wrap her head around what she was hearing and said nothing.
“What?”
He straightened up and turned to her, holding a thick sheaf of paper. “I signed them. Today. After I saw you.”
Her mouth hung open, waiting to hear something that would make sense of what he was saying. “I thought you weren’t…you said you’d never…you love the army.”
“Yeah, well, I thought about it.” Guy leaned against the back of the office chair, his feet crossed casually, but the fingers that gripped the pages were white. “I changed my mind.”
“You changed your mind.”
“Yeah, I changed my mind. You know, it’s a good offer. A really good offer.” Ellie stepped backward unsteadily, reaching behind her for the cot she knew was close. She sat down hard on the edge of it, not caring that she was naked beneath the shirt. Guy tapped the rolled-up papers against his palm. “I thought maybe you’d be, you know, happy about it.”
“I’m just…shocked. You said you’d never sign those. You said those guys were toy soldiers. What did you call them? White-collar mercs?”
“What, are you wearing a fucking wire or something?” Guy hurled the pages at her, his anger making his Boston accent thicker, and Ellie jumped at the sudden rage. “You recording every word I say? I don’t need a goddamn transcription of what I said before. I changed my mind. If you don’t like it, get the fuck out. Is that what you want? Huh?”
He turned around and slammed his fists down on the desk, hanging his head and breathing deeply. At her feet the pages unfolded themselves and Ellie could make out the large type portions of the contract that Guy had signed. The easiest part to read was the red Feno Chemical letterhead. She didn’t need to read any more. She waited until Guy turned back to face her, leaning once more against the desk, composed. She chose her words carefully.
“Can you tell me what made you change your mind?”
He shrugged, looking down at the ground. “It’s a good deal. I get my full army pension, full retirement benefits. It would take me another fifteen years of service to get that. There’s a signing bonus, and then, on top of that, I’ll be making a shitpot full of money. For doing the exact same thing I’m doing now.”
“Only now you’ll be doing it for Feno, not the army.”
“Same shit, different uniform, right?”
Ellie nodded. He sighed and pushed off the desk, coming to sit next to her on the bed. He rested his elbows on his thighs and stared down at the floor. “It’s not just the money, you know? My nephew Tommy wants to go to Boston College, got a scholarship and everything, but it’s not enough.My sister can’t afford the rest, and this money will go a long way to helping him out. I don’t want him to have to do what I did—join the army to pay for school.” He laughed and shook his head. “Join the army and see the world.”
Ellie leaned against him. “You saw Iowa.”
“Yeah.” Guy leaned back into her. “Seven and a half miles of it.”
They sat that way in silence for a long time, touching but apart in their thoughts. Ellie couldn’t understand what had prompted Guy to sign the contract with Feno. He had always been adamant in his disdain for the private security forces of the chemical company. He had called them amateurs and implied more than once that it was only the U.S. Army that was really protecting the residents of Flowertown, that nobody should expect the criminals to guard the prisons. He had called Feno’s enormous salary offerings proof that they had something to hide, and once, when they’d both been very drunk, he had said they were trying to buy a get-out-of-jail-free card, should criminal charges ever arise from the spill. And now, with less than two months left on his tour of duty, he had signed with Feno.
Guy broke the silence, squeezing her thigh. “I guess you’re stuck with me. If you want me, that is.” Ellie still could not wrap her head around what she was hearing and said nothing.
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