Howard's Way (1)

By Wolfie Steel

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In a rundown shack that is situated in a boat building yard, a tall Doberman stands looking out of a window while rubbing his temples with his paw.

"You know Jack there was once a time when the team here were building boats worth millions, now we'll be lucky to be asked to build a canoe"

A tired looking Fox slowly walks over to his lifelong friend and places a gentle but shaky paw on his shoulder.

"That's the way of the world now Tom, folks can no longer afford to buy luxury yachts, hell some of them struggle to put food on the table"

The Fox opens a desk drawer and takes out a bottle of Gin; he pours himself a large glass knowing that his Doberman friend would not join him.

"Jack, I can't for the life of me work out how you can just stand there and get drunk while I stand here wondering where our next commission is coming from, I mean come on, you are a partner in this business, so if I go down so do you"

A weak smile plays across the old Fox's muzzle.

"You see Tom that is the difference between you and me; I know when to stop flogging a dead horse and to just accept the inevitable"

The Doberman storms out of the office and out onto the boat yard, he stares at the last huge luxury yacht that the team had built, still waiting in dry dock for its owners to come and complete the sale. Deep down inside though Tom knew that the owners would not complete on the deal, the build had been completed for close on two years now and despite constant assurances that the owners would complete the sale, the yacht is still standing there, slowly rotting away.

The now demoralised Doberman slowly climbs into his old and beaten car and begins the drive back to the place that he laughingly calls home, a static mobile home that rests on a patch of wasteland just two miles from the boat yard. Once inside he sits on one of the slightly damp sofas and allows his mind to wonder back to where the best times started turning bad.

He once had a loving wife and two adoring kids and lived in a mansion worthy of the Sultan of Brunei, a different expensive car for every day of the week, and then commissions started to dry up, the mansion was mortgaged to the hilt, the flashy cars had to be sold but it still wasn't enough to keep the business in the black, and then came the day where he had to do the hardest job of his working life, he had to let go of most of his highly skilled work force.

All that is left now is Tom, Jack and three other extremely loyal workers who agreed to stay even though they couldn't be paid. Soon after the bombshell of having to let go of most of his work force, Tom's wife who he had been married to for fifteen years added another sharp knife to the Doberman's body in a bitter divorce, she got the kids and a payout that practically bled Tom dry.

Tom.

"Well now you know what I have been through, and some of you may ask how the hell I have managed to keep my head together, the truthful answer is this, I haven't, oh sure when I am around the guys at the yard I have to put up a strong front, but when I am here at the caravan and all alone it's all I can do to stop myself taking my own life"

A mobile phone rings.

"Great, please excuse me, I must just answer that"

I pick up the phone and press the accept button.

"Jack it's unlike you to call me while I'm at home, what's wrong?"

A very excitable Fox makes his reply.

"Tom, get your ass back to the yard"

I frown a little but then I ask the question.

"Why? What is happening?"

By now the Fox has calmed down a little, but not by much.

"Remember that dead Horse that I said you were so fond of flogging, well it turns out that it is not quite as dead as I thought it was, I have just got off the phone with a guy called Mason DeLuth, apparently he is some high roller from Formula One Motor Racing and he wants us to build him a huge speed cruiser, he has even agreed to come to the yard and pay us a down payment of five hundred thousand pounds, Tom from what Mr. DeLuth has told me, I think the cruiser would be worth well in excess of two million pounds, that would sure breathe new life into our Horse"

I am silent for a few seconds before I make my reply.

"Jack, I'm on my way in, if I find out that you are yankin' my chain I will break every bone in your body"

I end the call and quickly run from my caravan making sure that I lock the door behind me, I jump into my car and just hope to god that it starts, fortunately it does and I drive off the wasteland and speed my way towards the yard.

After a two mile drive I see the once proud sign announcing the Mermaid Yard, I pull into the yard and stop just outside the office. I quickly clamber out of the car and rush into the office, I see Jack sat behind the desk smiling with his feet up on the desk, a cigar in his muzzle, and a glass of Gin in his paw, I also notice another glass of Gin on the desk.

"Tom Howard, I know that you don't drink, but I think you need to make an exception just this once"

Jack is right, usually I don't touch alcohol, but if Jack is prepared to share his beloved Gin with me then this must be the real deal, and so, against my better judgement I take the glass in my paw and take a couple of tentative sips.

Once I am about half way down the glass I rest it back on the desk in front of me.

"Okay Jack, you mentioned that this guy is going to come to the yard to pay us the down payment, did he say when he would be arriving?"

Jack just smiles and throws the keys to his jaguar at me.

"You have two and a half hours to get yourself smartened up and then to get your butt to Gatwick Airport, he is on flight BA1445 from the States, which lands at 17:30 hours"

I drive back to my caravan using Jack's car, it may be old but it is in a far better state than my old clunker, and I want to give Mr. DeLuth a good first impression. Once I arrive home I quickly head inside and grab my black suit and a white button down shirt, I hang them on my bedroom door as I head into the cramped shower cubicle.

After a ten minute shower in almost freezing water I head back out to my room and dry myself off, I then put my suit on, man the last time I wore this suit was when I had to go to court to sort out my divorce.

Now that I am dressed and looking at least moderately respectable I make the long drive to Gatwick Airport. I make it to the airport with just ten minutes to spare; I find a parking space and then rush into the airport arrivals lounge. I quickly head to the arrivals desk and speak to a female Hyena.

"Hello, my name is Tom Howard; I'm here to collect Mr. Mason DeLuth, he is coming in from America aboard flight number BA1445"

The Hyena checks her computer screen.

"Ah yes, the plane has just landed and the passengers will shortly be disembarking, would you like me to put a Public Announcement call out for Mr. DeLuth to meet you here at the front desk?"

Considering that I hadn't had time to make up a name board I needed some way for Mr. DeLuth to find me.

"I would be most grateful if you would please"

The Hyena pulls her PA microphone in front of her; she presses the button and begins to speak.

"This is a passenger announcement, would Mr. Mason DeLuth on flight number BA1445 from America, please make your way to the arrivals desk as soon as you have cleared customs, thank you"

I stand and wait at the arrivals desk for what must be close to five minutes, and then a smartly dressed Husky arrives, he addresses the Hyena and instantly I can't help but notice his American accent.

"Hello there ma'am, my name is Mason DeLuth, I heard my name over the address system"

The Hyena looks towards me and I stand ready with my paw extended towards the Husky.

"Mr. DeLuth, my name is Tom Howard, it is me that asked for your name to be called, and I'm the part owner of the Mermaid Boat Yard"

The Husky smiles and instantly thrusts his paw into mine and shakes it.

"Mr. Howard it is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but before we get down to business I need to fill up on some real food"

I slip my paw from the Husky's paw and then check my wallet to see what I can afford, the Husky instantly growls at me.

"Mr. Howard, please put your wallet away, I have done my research and I know that the Mermaid Yard is pretty well broke, so please just take us somewhere where we can get a decent piece of steak and I will worry about the cheque"

I give out a gentle sigh but I nod my head, I pick up his suitcase and then I lead him towards the car, once at the car I put the suitcase into the back of the car.

"Believe it or not sir I know of a real nice place that puts on a steak dinner that would make even a vegetarian jealous"

The Husky guffaws at my joke, and then he replies.

"Ah you Brits and your dry humour, I have been over here many times but I'm still trying to get a handle on it, anyway, take me to this sainted place and don't spare the horses, otherwise I might mistake you for my steak"

Thankfully the blush does not show through my black fur as we climb into Jack's jaguar. After we have been driving for forty five minutes I pull into the parking area of the Steakhouse aptly named Steak and Stay.

We both enter and are seated at a table by a young looking female Labrador, once we are seated the Labrador takes our order and then hurries off to place it, with the Labrador gone the Husky begins to talk business.

"Okay Mr. Howard, you are probably wondering why I chose your boat yard for my commission, well to put it plainly, I have seen the quality of the work that the Mermaid Yard can turn out, in fact one of my business associates has had one of your yachts for five years now and he is very happy with it, I only hope that I can count on getting the same quality"

The waitress brings our drinks and a small appetiser and then turns back to attend to another table.

"Well Mr. DeLuth, the Mermaid Yard may well be in dire straits when it comes to money but one thing I as part owner pride myself on is that I don't skimp on the quality of my workmanship, and I will follow whatever you want design wise to the letter, if you tell me that you want a Yamaha 380 turbo jet engine powering your yacht, then I will get you a Yamaha 380 turbo jet engine, if you want all of your decking done in marine grade oak, then I will use the finest marine grade oak possible"

With the appetisers now finished the waitress clears away the plates and then brings out our main course, two sixteen ounce steaks both cooked to perfection, accompanied with a side salad and fries, we both immediately tuck into our meals and remain silent. As we eat I can't help but allow my eyes to sneak little glimpses of the Husky that sits opposite me and I cannot deny that I am starting to feel a distinct tingle deep in my groin area.

I keep sneaking glances when I think that he is not looking, but unfortunately for me it seems that he knows more about me than I really would feel comfortable with.

"Mr. Howard, no actually scratch that, Tom, for the past few minutes you have been sneaking glances at me, now that to me means one of two things, either I have got some steak sauce or some other hideous mess adorning my muzzle or shirt, or that you are seeing me in some other light"

I let out a deep and resigned sigh as I know that I have been caught red pawed. My eyes fix firmly onto the Husky's as I make my reply.

"Mr. DeLuth, there is something about me that you should know, it is something that may make you think twice about giving the Mermaid Yard your commission, but I believe that honesty is always the best policy so here goes, the thing is sir my wife divorced me eighteen months ago, and I went into a deep depression, one night I found myself in a gay bar and got hit on by a couple of guys, well one thing led to another with one of the guys and I found that I actually enjoyed it, so what I am trying to tell you is that I am gay and the reason that I have been looking at you is well to be brutally honest you are quite good looking"

The Husky giggles softly.

"So I have a big Doberman after my sweet tail huh? Relax Tom, like I said, I did some research before I chose the Mermaid Yard for my commission, so trust me, I know of your troubled marriage and the fact that you now prefer a well groomed bit of male tail, but you also notice that I am not running for the hills, the truth is that I too am gay, oh sure I have so much money I could get any bitch or male that I wanted, none of them though would match up to you, I mean let's face it, you have been through a bitter divorce, lost your home, wife and kids, you fell into your depression, became gay, at the same time your business was going down the toilet, and yet you are still here to tell the story. I have to tell you, that impresses the hell out of me, and I would be honoured for you and the Mermaid Yard to build my yacht, and who knows, maybe there will be more besides"

We finish our meals and Mason pays the bill, we then continue our journey back to the boat yard, with my hopes held high that like a Phoenix the Mermaid Yard will take flight once again.