ODDS OF LOVE

Episode Nine

The moment he stepped outside the house Spencer felt as though he were about to melt if that was actually physically possible. He quickly made his way to his compact light blue hybrid car.

Summer in Maryland was always hot but today had to be some type of Climate Change record. The moment he slipped into the driver's seat the first thing he did was toss his battered worn briefcase onto the passenger seat and then put on his seatbelt. Then he peeled off his usual beige sweater vest from over his button down white dress shirt and cotton candy pink bow tie, tossing it in the backseat. Then he switched on the AC with a sigh of relief. He hated when the weather changed. It made him have to divert from his usual routine. DuBuis teased him that he was just a creature of habit. He could not help it though. Having a steady stable routine in his life was something he had always strived for. It gave him a sense of comfort. It was no different than DuBuis maintaining his old childhood friendships with the Mullins brothers Mark and Scout even though they had little in common besides where they grew up and the pick up basketball games on Saturday. It was no different than his sister in law Faith who still had the very last gift from their murdered father; a very ratty looking but beloved and well played with rag doll she called Granny Bee Bee. And Faith was now a uniformed patrol woman with the PG County Sheriff's Department who went to University of Maryland Global campus online to get her bachelor's in criminal justice. Faith wanted to join the FBI. Yet Granny Bee Bee still graced her own bed in her small studio apartment in Takoma Park. Of course his other sister in law Sylvia, the one he didn't like, was the owner of three hair braiding salons in New Jersey and watched too much Oprah type TV shows and had once self diagnosed him as " anal retentive with Daddy issues".

( " And you gone have sore bottom issues if you don't back off Spencer," DuBuis had warned as he waved a half gnawed on turkey leg at her platinum blonde wigged head.

Sylvia snorted inelegantly and opened her mouth to retort something probably rude and nasty as always just as Nessa retorted brusquely," Hush up Sylvia Sue. Put some of that dry stuffing you made in your mouth and chew. ")

" If you don't have to go out today, " droned on the voice of the perky radio announcer," don't ! It's looking to be a killer today with major temps. Expect to hit ninety nine but it'll feel more like one hundred thirteen. "

He swallowed back an irritated sigh as he switched the radio news channel to his favorite classical music station. But not even Mozart could tame the wild beast of discontent building within his own body.

DuBuis was working too many hours and he had not been able to feed him that morning.

His latest book on mathematical theory in the modern age was at a dry point of no return and stalled on Chapter Two.

And he was hot. He didn't like being hot. He didn't like his routine being changed or disturbed.

He needed water but the only place on his current route through Maryland rush hour traffic was a tiny hole in the wall Mom and Pop neighborhood grocery store called Mabel's. Except Mabel's had been robbed several times. At least four according to Faith and the police had no real leads on the robbers. They just said they were teenagers. DuBuis had cautioned him to stay away from the store especially when he was alone. Of course DuBuis went to that same shopping plaza regularly especially on Sundays when he got his slightly greying jet black hair cut by Mark Mullins in the barber shop he owned with his brother Scout. Faith regularly went to that plaza ; to both Clara's Bows and Mabel's. Even Nessa had went there before she retired to Orlando after her husband Sam passed away of a heart attack while shoveling the walk. Nessa had actually gone to school long ago with the owner of Mabel's , Mabel Brown ; she had preferred it to shopping at Giant or Safeway.  Even though she was now in Florida she still had DuBuis buying and shipping her certain items from Mabel's that she couldn't find in Florida. Like King's syrup and Old Bay seasoning and Mumbo sauce. 

If they could have the place so could he , he suddenly thought rebelliously as he made a detour into the strip mall parking lot and parked beside a beat up old pickup truck with a cracked passenger side window. Besides how likely was it that the place would get robbed again ? What were the odds ? 

( " Spence , stay away from that store , ok ? Least until they catch these punks , " DuBuis said in his usual gentle soft spoken voice that always seemed odd coming out of such a big man. Yet his voice was DuBuis to a tee and the very rhythm melted over him like a cascade of warm butter. 

" Stop worrying so much , DuBuis , " he said as he reached for the remote control on the coffee table. " Mathematically speaking , there is far less chance of that particular establishment being robbed yet again. Even the criminal element is not that stupid. Now let's stop discussing such depressing topics. Jeopardy is on. You know we never miss it. " )

The store was practically empty and nearly as stiflingly hot as outside with few people inside , one  being Miss Mabel  , as DuBuis called his godmother , who perched  her three hundred pound body atop a metal folding chair behind the counter. She fanned herself with an ancient People magazine and eyed him as suspiciously as normal. The other was a very pregnant young Latina woman who was mumbling under her breath and loading up her hand held basket with boxes of frozen food from the freezer in the back. Miss Mabel sniffed at him , grunted under her breath and lit up one of her disgusting little cigars. For some odd reason the older woman had taken an intense dislike to him especially after he had married DuBuis. He always attempted to be nice and polite to her whenever he encountered her but it never worked. He could understand it. He had never had friends except for his husband. Nobody actually liked him. People just tolerated him because of DuBuis. 

" Doctor , " Miss Mabel bellowed out gustily with the full force of her word nearly shaking the small cramped beyond its capacity store. 

" Mrs. Brown , " he replied politely as he stumbled back to the back freezer where the bottled water was kept. The pregnant woman was trying to force yet another Hot Pocket box into her already overflowing basket. To his dismay she was wearing far too much perfume. It was cheap and overwhelming to the point that he wanted to sneeze. Why had he left his handkerchief in the car ? He reached into the freezer for his brand of water and remembered DuBuis always urging him to make conversation with other people. He said politely , " Good morning , ma'am. Research has noted that women of your immense childbearing nature should eat less processed food and more of a healthy quality. It's best for the unborn baby. " The pregnant woman narrowed her eyes at him meanly and almost growled , " Screw off , Shrimp ! Unless you want my processed food shoved up your bony ass ! And I'm not pregnant ! "

Spencer highly doubted the woman could actually shove the boxes up his ass but nevertheless quickly went back to the counter to check out. He placed the water bottle down on the counter and watched as Miss Mabel wiped it off with a tissue before picking it up. She scanned it and huffed out , " Six dollars. " 

His eyebrows rose in disbelief. " Six ? Dollars ? Are you serious , Mrs. Brown ? I saw this same brand at Giant and it was only three dollars. Do you price match ? " 

" No. I do not. Buy your water and fly back outside.  Nessa might tolerate your kind but I don't. DuBuis is one thing but you..... Pay or swish your cheap behind to your precious Giant. "

Spencer didn't like to cause scenes. It was hot. He needed a drink. This was closer to the college. He was going to be late. Yet a stubborn part of him wanted to throw the bottle of water at the woman's sneakered feet and march out with his head held high. It took all his usual control to paste a demure smile upon his plain angular face as he pulled out the black leather wallet that DuBuis had gifted him last Christmas. As he pulled out and counted six dollar bills he caught sight of his wedding ring. In his mind's eye he saw the two of them standing before the minister at the UUC church DuBuis loved so much on their wedding day. DuBuis was smiling so widely. He looked so happy. Happy to be marrying him. Why ? 

The memory calmed him to the point that a genuine smile lifted his thin lips just as the store's front door opened so fiercely that it almost shook violently on its hinges.