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bored.”
    I gesture toward the men who are spread about the room, talking
robustly as they swill their thirty-year-old scotch.
    “What’s going on, Dad?” I smile. “You sound
like you really don’t want me here.”
    Just when I’m about to tell him all the
reasons he should let me stay, another man walks in. My father’s eyes go wide
and panic takes over his usually calm features. That’s when I notice the girl
following behind the new arrival.  
    At first I think it’s just a normal woman,
perhaps his younger girlfriend, and then I see what she’s wearing. I suppress
the urge to gasp. Her body is mostly exposed, apart from a tight leather
crotchless thong and a leather halter top that bares
both breasts. She can’t be much older than twenty. Her eyes are fixed on the
floor with her shoulders slumped forward as if she has no hope left.
    I look back to my father whose face is now
red. He looks as though he’s about to have a heart attack and I wonder if that
would be such a bad thing.
    “Ahhh, Cal.” He clears his throat.
    I cross my arms over my chest. I have to
admit I’m looking forward to hearing his explanation for this. He’s practically
squirming before me.
    I force myself to smile, gritting my teeth
as I do so.
    “Dad, what is this…and who is she?”
    I let my eyes trail to the girl. I openly
look her up and down as if she’s a complete turn on, but really I’m in shock.
It can’t be more than forty degrees out and this underweight girl must be
freezing.
    “Who is she?" I question again.
    “Cal, I don’t think…”
    “Dad, whatever’s going on here, you’re not
getting rid of me now, not after seeing that piece of ass.”
    I hate myself. I’m a horrible person. I force my lips up into a smirk and watch my father’s face change
from horrified to somewhat pleased. It’s the happiest I’ve seen him since my
return to this godforsaken town.
    “Well, I’ll get you a drink then.” He
wanders over to the bar in the corner of the room and I let out a sigh of relief
while quashing the need to vomit
back to where it came from.
    Casually, I hang my hands out of my pockets
as I study the men around me. Most are in their fifties, grey hair, rounded guts, dressed in designer suits, wedding rings
prominent on their ring fingers. If I saw them outside of this room I would
think they’re just ordinary middle-aged men, but now I know better. I recognize
a handful of them while others I have never seen before and don’t care if I
ever see them again.
    Dad walks back to my side, handing me a
glass of scotch. “Gerry brought his pussy tonight too.”
    I take a swig and let the amber liquid
slide down my throat without wincing. I hate the stuff.
    “His pussy?” I try not to show my distaste.
    “That’s what he calls his girl, Pussy,” he
explains, his mouth turning into a crooked grin.
    You make me sick, I say with my eyes, but my mouth obeys me. “Cool,” I let out as
nonchalantly as possible.
    “Well, look who it is,” my father roars
from my side. “Harry, how are you?”
    Harry? I
look at the man who I would never have recognized if I passed him in the
street.
    My uncle. The
chief of Merling’s one and only police station and the reason I knew I couldn’t
trust the authorities in this town. The sick fuck is in on this too. It seems all the men of Merling are tarred by the same perverted brush .
    Harry shakes
my father’s hand and then looks to me. His expression changes when he gets a
good look at my face. I sense something. Surprise? Shock? I can’t tell.
    “Cal?” He
takes a step toward me, his hand perched in front of him. “Cal, is that really
you?”
    I take his
hand and force a smile on my face when all I really want to do is punch him in
the guts.
    “Hey, Uncle
Harry.” I do my best to sound genuine. “It’s been a long time.”
    My father
claps Harry on the back. “Let me get you a drink, brother. Scotch, okay?” he
asks.
    “I’d prefer a
bourbon,” Harry