My sister and I drove to Manny's party in silence and Manny himself met us at the door. His eyes raked my sister and she smiled at him and let him kiss her hand. It was like a knife in my heart. I hated seeing them so close to each other.
I did my best to be sociable. Linda was a big hit with all my colleagues, although their wives regarded her with obvious suspicion. Manny's eighteen-year-old son, Brad, looked great in a tux and followed Linda around the party like a fanboy. I was sure they'd end up getting together, and the thought made my heart feel heavy. I sipped my whiskey and tried not to glare at Brad.
After an hour of avoiding Linda and Brad, I lost track of them. I asked Manny if he'd seen them and he said they might be downstairs in his man cave. Manny's wife talked to me for a while about how expensive the caterer was, then I finally managed to extract myself from the conversation so I could go to the basement and check on my sister. I didn't find them in the game room.
Both the basement bathroom and the one on the main floor were occupied and I desperately had to pee. I took a chance and went upstairs. I found the bathroom and did my business. When I came out, I could have sworn I heard Linda's voice. Curious, I walked down the hall and stood by a door that was about an inch open; then I heard them clearly.
"Stop it, Brad," Linda said.
"Come on," he said. "Why did you come up here if you don't want to play a little?"
I peered through the sliver of door opening and saw a little of Brad. I pushed the door wider carefully, just enough that I could see both of them. He was holding her arm and she was trying to pull away. She had a game console in one hand and the television behind them showed some shoot-em-up game.
"I was bored," Linda said. "I just want to play video games. Let me go."
He dragged her closer to him and forced a kiss on her. She brought the hand up with the console and smacked him, nearly knocking him over.
"No!" she said.
What happened next felt like it was in slow motion.
He recovered and swung at her.
Linda's eyes widened but she didn't move fast enough and his fist connected with her jaw.
She went down and I flew into the room, rage blocking all sense from my mind. I grabbed Brad by his lapels and head-butted him, possibly breaking his nose. He screamed and I threw him halfway across the room, into his closet, where he stumbled over his shoes and fell.
I got between him and Linda with my fists clenched, ready to take him apart.
Then, Manny and his wife appeared in the doorway and saw me standing over their bloodied and cowering son.
"Jacob!" Manny yelled. "What the actual fuck are you doing?"
I pointed at Brad. "He attacked my sister!"
Brad blubbered and cried. "He hit me out of nowhere. We were just playing games and he came in and hit me!"
"That's not true!" Linda got up and stood with me. "He punched me!"
Her jaw was very red and puffy, the beginning of a huge bruise making its way across her face.
"The bitch brained me with a game console," Brad said.
"Get the fuck out of my house," Manny said, his voice low and dangerous.
"Gladly," I said, the last of my rage still affecting my reactions.
I grabbed Linda and we pushed past Manny and his stunned wife, thundered down the stairs, and slammed the front door after ourselves, leaving the guests in the living room wondering what the hell had happened.
* * *
My sister and I were about a mile from Manny's place when the realization of what I'd done hit me. I'd hit my boss's son and wrecked any chance I had at keeping my job. Panic gripped my chest and my vision tunneled so I had to pull over on the side of the road. I was hyperventilating, pouring sweat, and my heart felt like it would hammer its way out of my chest.
"Jacob," my sister said. "Take a deep breath."
I couldn't speak, I was so freaked out. I was having a full-blown panic attack. I'd never had one this bad before. I had to get out of the car.
When I opened my door, a passing pickup truck nearly took it off the hinges, honking as he raced by. I got out, slammed the door behind me, and paced on the side of the road. Linda got out as well and followed me, doing her best to calm me down. I was inconsolable.
"I've lost my job," I said. "I fucking killed my job. I'm going to be fired. I'm going to starve and lose the apartment. I fucked my sister and I got myself fired. Mom and Dad are going to kill me."