Tommy always wore his Carling jacket. It was a kind of charcoal color, or maybe it was just faded black, with breast pockets and a name tag. His name was written in cursive and was pretty worn out. The letters actually looked like “Tammy” instead of “Tommy,” which I thought was quite funny. I asked him about it once and he told me to fuck off. I asked Dan about it and he didn’t say anything, but was more polite about it. After that I just let it go, and though I didn’t really care, the strange fact that they didn’t say anything about it made me curious.

Whenever I saw Dan and Tommy together, they each always had one eye on the other, as if at any moment one of them might combust and neither wanted to miss it. And for the short time I’d been at the brewery, the only conflict I saw was between those two. So I was rather surprised when an angry girl in her twenties stormed in looking for Tommy.

Glen was helping me move bottles, and by helping I mean talking about cars, but I didn’t mind. It was rather noisy with all the equipment running, so I didn’t hear the heavy steps of this girl on a mission, but when I saw her, I imagined the sound of her steps must have been loud. She approached us and searched around. I breathed a little easier knowing I wasn’t the one on the other side of her wrath.

“Who’s that?” I asked Glen as she approached.

“That’s Lourdes,” was all he said before she cut him off.

“Where’s that son of a bitch?” Lourdes said.

She was fuming. She was also smoking hot, but I caught her glare when she turned to me and I swear I nearly jumped out of my shoes.

“Who?” I asked.

“Tommy.”

“Oh, he’s not in yet, should be here soon. Is everything ok?”

“No! That good for nothing—”

Just then Tommy arrived and Lourdes pounced on him.

“What do you think you’re doing coming to my house drunk? You can’t do that!”

“Aw, Lourdes, I’m awfully sorry.”

“That doesn’t cut it. This is the third time. It was all I could do to dissuade Mike from calling the police and getting a restraining order. Are you out of your mind?”

“Who’s Mike,” I whispered to Glen.

“Her boyfriend, keep up.”

I pulled a face that said, “As if I’d know that.”

Tommy spoke under the sound of the machines, so I couldn’t hear what he said. But he motioned to go outside and she stormed out first with him following behind her.

“Uh oh, the outside talk,” Glen said. “Wanna go see if we can hear?”

“Jeeze Glen! You’re a little gossiper, aren’t you?”

“So glad you said little,” he said, sucking in his gut. “Come on.”

He pulled me over to the window where we could hear Lourdes in full flight, but Tommy spoke rather quietly.

“Don’t give me that bullshit about her, I know the truth. You stop coming to my house drunk or else.”

“What does she mean she knows the truth about her?” I asked Glen.

“Don't know.”

“And who is ‘her’?” I asked.

“His wife, maybe.”

“He has a wife?”

“Had.”

Tommy must have said something bad for Lourdes hauled off and whacked him across the face. He grabbed both her arms aggressively and held her still. He wore a very pained expression on his face, like he was angry and confused and holding back tears all at the same time.

“Oh fuck, better go break them up, John,” Glen said, giving me a shove.

“What, me?”

“Come on.”

We rushed out and the moment Tommy saw us he pushed Lourdes away and let go. Then he mumbled sorry to her and walked past us inside. The look on his face was writhing in agony. Lourdes was turned away from us, facing the road, so, with a nudge from Glen, I walked up to her.

“I’m John,” I said as I put my hand on her shoulder from behind. She wiped her eyes and turned to me. Her makeup was running and her round cheeks were ruddy. She met my eyes once or twice but avoided any significant amount of eye contact, I suppose she was embarrassed or felt shameful. I gave her a hug as consolation and she took it thankfully.

“Are you ok?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m John. I started here a month ago.”

“How do I look, John?”

Her makeup looked like an undertaker, or Alice Cooper.

“Still look gorgeous,” I said, and then immediately regretted it and felt like an asshole.

She looked up at me, surprised it seemed, at who I was. She scanned my eyes as if searching for the truth, and I could see she knew I wasn’t lying. She smiled.

Dan drove in and parked. He got out and saw Lourdes and me embracing, and Glen standing near the entrance as if spying on us.

“Glen, you perv!” Dan said good humouredly.

“What? I wasn’t doing nothing,” he said.

Lourdes broke away from me and ran up to him with her hand cocked as if ready to thump him but he scurried off inside. And by scurry I mean move at his normal walking pace but with a look on his face like he was gunning it. Lourdes followed after him.

I turned to Dan who had on a rather goofy looking smile.

“Lourdes just needed a hug, so I was just helping.”

“Sure, John. No problem. I’ll come around to see you when I need one too.”

He slapped me on the back and guffawed. What a laugh he had! It was percussive, like a “k” sound but there was too much saliva in his mouth so it had a hint of gurgling in it.

“Now, get back to work,” he said.

I scooted inside ahead of him.