Page 138 of The Bartender Special

But then something small happened.

Marcus pushed Benny's hair behind his ear to place the small earpiece and microphone. It was quick. It was innocent. It made sense.

However, Benny smiled.

Jack’s self-pity shifted into pure jealousy.

And that’s when Carol went for the jugular.

“Benny sure does look happy,” she said, smile ringing her lips. “I'll sure miss him when he goes back home. Won't you?”

That's when Jack knew two things for certain.

One.

Carol had been playing chess since the first night he'd kissed Benny in the bar.

Somehow, she knew Jack wasn't Guy and, what's more, she somehow knew her brother was. Instead of using the information to out them, she'd decided to toy with them instead. To apply pressure to the crack that was their lie. To remind Jack, without saying a word, that Benny had loved Marcus since he was seventeen and had still loved him less than five months ago.

That, at the end of it all, even though Marcus was marrying Felicity, Benny would go back to where he belonged.

To a life that didn't include him.

And Jack couldn’t stop it.

Two.

Carol had won.

That pressure she had applied created a chasm out of that crack. And Jack couldn't fake it anymore. He shook his head just as Benny turned and met his eye.

In less than a month, he’d become one of Jack’s favorite sounds.

And Carol was just standing there, happy to muffle it.

Jack looked back at the devil debutante.

“Fuck you, Carol.”

Then he jumped off the stage and walked away.

* * *

“Jack?”

Benny's voice came through the speakers at the edge of the stage, but Jack was already on the other side of the auditorium doors.

Carol hurried over, already talking fast.

“I don't know what happened, but he seems really upset.” She grabbed for the little control box clipped to Benny's belt loop. “Let me turn this off so you can go chase him!”

Benny didn't understand what was happening, but when Carol stepped back, he was running. His bartender made it to the lobby doors before he caught up.

“Jack, stop! Jack! What's wrong?”

Benny’s heart was galloping, but it still managed to pick up speed when the man whirled around and answered within the space of a breath.

“I quit.”