Jake & Bill pick up Bill’s check

Jake and Bill Marks pull into the parking lot of the bakery. Saturday half shift, so there are plenty of spaces. Usually Bill tells Jake to stay in the car, but this time he says, “You coming?”

If Jake knew how to use the word prelude in a sentence, he’d describe this invitation as a prelude to a gathering. Bill doesn’t usually keep his promises, so Jake appreciates this.

Jake’s only met two guys who work with Bill. Seemed nice enough. Bill’s always talking about his best buddy, a guy named Jeff—“short for Jefferson Davis, motherfucker!”—who’s worked there for, like, ten years and showed Bill the ropes when he started working there two months ago. Jeff can’t be in the wedding party because he’ll be out of town or something. Jake’s never met him, but he hates him because Jake’s supposed to be Bill’s best buddy. Jake knows Jeff’s working today because Bill talks a lot about Jeff’s bright yellow short-bed pickup truck and the truck is parked diagonally in the corner of the lot across four spots. It has an Iron Cross decal on the cab’s tinted back window and a small symbol on his license plate holder that says he donates to the Fraternal Order of Police.

“What’s up, fuckers?” Bill says, high-pitched and loud when he walks in, so everyone in the place can hear him, even with the exhaust fan whirring.

Jake’s stomach twitches. How many guys here know?

A bunch of guys grunt back at Bill and keep working. Jeff stops what he’s doing and approaches with his hand out. They shake hands arm-wrestling style, and Jeff doesn’t take his eyes off Jake.

He knows.

“Hey,” Jake says.

“Been looking forward to meeting you, son,” Jeff says, and Jake doesn’t like it because Jeff is only five years older and he’s acting like he’s some old man.

Jake knows what Jeff’s done. Jake knows Jefferson D. Kirwin is on the registry. He knows Jeff brags—more where that came from. Only got caught on two.

Jake hasn’t been caught on one yet, and the minute Jeff calls him son he’s sure there won’t be a second. Wishes he could go back in time and undo the first. Bill knowing was one thing, but this is different.