I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. To the best of my knowledge they are owned by Disney.
I do not own Disneyland, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, or any of the other Disney Characters.
I am making no money from this story.
A/N: This story was written for a special friend. I hope that it makes you smile.
Julius Weinstock's Irish Pub
"Come on," Racetrack said as he and Mush carried cases of beer from the stockroom. "We've been best friends since we were ten years old and my dad caught us looking at male models in the Sears underwear catalog. I know everything there is to know about your personal life from the time you got a woody in the fifth grade sex education class, to the first time you got laid including date, place, time, and with whom."
That's because you were on the other side of the door listening, you perv."
"The point is that I know everything else about you, so why won't you talk to me about what happened between you and Evan."
"Let me put your mind at ease, Race. I know that my sex life is very important to you, but the problem between Evan and me has nothing to do with sex."
"That was cold, Mush. You know that I'm not asking about Evan because I want to know about your sex life . . . You've already filled me in on that. It's just that you've been mopin' around since you and he broke up three weeks ago. I thought that if you talked about it you might feel better."
"Thanks anyway, Race. I know that you're only trying to help, but will you get of my back already? This is something that I have to work out for myself, okay."
"Does anybody wanna know what I do when I wanna get over somebody?" Spot asked from behind the bar.
"We know what you do," Race huffed. "That's how you got me, remember?"
"How could I forget?" Spot smirked as he patted Race's bottom.
"Jeese, guys!" Jack huffed. "Will you cut that out? I'm trying to eat over here!"
"McSweeney's," Crutchy said when he answered the phone. "Oh. Hi, Dave . . . . Sure, I'll tell him . . . .Hey, Jack. Dave said that he's leaving work right now and that he doesn't want you to eat anything until he gets here."
"Oh, crap," Jack mumbled through an enormous mouthful of food.
"What's the mater with you?" Spot asked.
"Dave says that I eat too much junk-food, and he's been watching me like a hawk."
"He's right," Blink said as he removed the plate of food from in front of Jack."
"You keep out of this, Shortie. Nobody asked for your opinion!" Jack hissed as he thumbed through his wallet. "Take the money for the burger out of this. I don't need Dave seeing that on the bill."
"He's gonna know that you ate already," Blink smiled. "I can smell the onions on your breath from here."
"Is that so?" Jack smirked. "Bring me a salad with lots of onions on it before Dave gets here."
"You're a piece of work, Jack," Race grumbled shaking his head.
"No, I'm just smarter than I look," Jack replied.
"You'd have to be!" Blink grinned as he gave Jack the salad.
"I told you to shut-it, Shortie!"
"Quit picking on the new guy, Jack," Mush laughed. "Just because Dave won't let you eat everything you want is no reason to take it out on him."
"Stop worrying about me, and worry about your own love life," Jack hissed.
The entire room went silent as everyone looked from Mush to Jack and back again.
"Damn, Mush. I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it. I was just foolin' with you is all."
"I know, Jack. Don't sweat it."
"Hi, fellas! What's going on?" Dave called from the door.
"Oh, nothin'," Race called back. "We're just sittin' around watchin' Jack trying to pry his foot out of his mouth!"
"Well, better he should have his foot in his mouth than one of those greasy hamburgers you serve in here," David said taking a seat next to Jack. "And get rid of this salad, Jack. You already reek of onions, and you're not coming home with me if you eat any more of them."
"Sounds like Jackie-boy ain't getting any tonight," Spot laughed.
"Well, if he thinks he can fool me by eating that pile of onions he's sadly mistaken. I know that he ate a hamburger because I saw the ketchup and grease stains on his shirt when I walked in here."
"Quit callin' my food greasy!" Crutchy huffed. "We serve nothing but the best food here at McSweeney's."
"And what kind of a name is Crutchy McSweeney's Irish Pub anyway?" David huffed. "Your name is Julius Weinstock for God sake!"
"This is an Irish neighborhood, Dave. My uncle named this place McSweeney's back in 1957. As my sainted Irish grandmother always said, 'If ain't broke, don't fix it!'"
"Your sainted Irish grand mother's name is Evie Greengurg, and she's still alive! . . . . Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd bring us each a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with a salad on the side."
"I want blue cheese dressing on that salad." Jack huffed.
"Well, you'll have low fat dressing and like it," David replied.
"Jeese," Blink said shaking his head. "I've been working here for a month now, and it's the same routine every night with those two. It sounds like they can't stand each other."
"Well, you're wrong there, pal," Race said slapping Blink on the back. "Arguing is like foreplay for Jack and David. Take a good look at them, kid. That's what love looks like."
"Blink watched as David cleaned the spots from Jack's shirt with a napkin and some club soda. Jack smiled and whispered something to David, who blushed and whispered something in return."
They do look awfully happy, Blink mused.
"Race is right," Mush said interrupting Blink's thoughts. "Jack and Dave have been together since high school. They've always talked to each other like that. It's the way they communicate. The rest of us should be so lucky to have a relationship like theirs."
Blink studied the expression on Mush's face as he watched David and Jack.
"You're having a tough time of it right now aren't you?" Blink asked.
Mush didn't answer. He walked back into the stockroom and began stacking cases of beer.
"Sorry, Mush. I didn't mean to go sticking my nose into your business. It's just that you looked so down when you were watching Jack and Dave. I'm sorry I mentioned it."
"It's okay, Blink."
"Well, do you mind if I ask you how long you were with this guy, Evan?"
"About a year."
"That's tough. I was with my ex for two years before we split," Blink said as he handed another case to Mush.
"Two years? That sucks."
"It doesn't matter if it's two years or two months. Either way it sucks."
"Do you mind if I ask you what happened, Blink?"
"Nah. I don't mind. We met when I was working at a hotel in Arizona. He was a geology student working on a research project in the area. We hit it off and the next thing I knew we were living together. It was pretty good while it lasted."
"So what happened?"
"Well, he finished his research and earned his degree. We left Arizona and moved to New York when he was offered a job as a geology professor. It wasn't long before he started going to fund-raisers and faculty dinners without me. He said that I wouldn't fit in. Eventually he told me that I was an embarrassment because I never went to college. He said that I was no longer his equal, and that he had outgrown me."
"You mean that having a relationship with a hotel worker was good enough for him when he was a student, but it wasn't good enough for him when he became a professor?"
"That's about the size of it, but I wasn't a hotel worker then. I was the personal assistant to the director of programming at a local radio station."
"How did you go from having a job like that to working here?"
"Well, I'm enrolled in Queen's College, and I start in about four weeks. I'm only taking three classes, but I couldn't do that and keep the job at the radio station. This way I can work, and go to school."
"So now that you're going to college you'll be on the same level as your ex?"
"Hell no! I'll never be on the same level as that ass. I was borne three levels above him. Besides this has nothing to do with him. I'd always planned to go to college. I grew up in foster care, so it's not like I had a college fund waiting for me when I graduated high school. I never had a real vacation, so I figured that I would travel around the country and see the sights while I worked to save money for college."
"Did you grow-up in Arizona?"
"Nah. I'm a New York boy. I just happened to be in Arizona when my ex came along. I've had a lot of jobs over the past five years. I worked on a fishing boat out of Maine, I taught Latin dance to senior citizens in Florida, and I worked as a cook on a ranch in New Mexico. I even learned how to ride a horse while I was there. But out of all the jobs I had my favorite was the summer I worked at Disneyland."
"What did you so there?
"I was one of those characters that you see walking around and greeting people."
"What do you mean, you were a character?"
"You know. They have people dressed like Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and the rest of the Disney characters. You go around and shake hands with the kids and let people have their picture taken with you."
"What character were you?"
Blink didn't answer. He continued checking the beer inventory sheet.
"Blink, did you hear me? I asked what character you were."
Blink fidgeted with his eye-patch and made no attempt to reply.
After a moment, Mush burst into laughter. "You were Dopey weren't you? That's why you won't answer me. You were Dopey!"
"Keep your voice down, Mushie. If Jack finds out about that I'll never hear the end of it."
"Okay," Mush said trying to contain his laughter. "Your secret's safe with me."
"So what about you, Mush? You feel like telling me what happened between you and that Evan guy?"
"Well, I guess that it's a lot like what happened to you. He was real happy with me when we were still in school together, but he graduated last year. He got a job working for one of the big fashion houses in Manhattan. After a while he said that being hooked up with a college kid wasn't good for his professional image. Now he lives with a seventeen year old fashion model."
"So what your saying is that you ex is a pig with bad manners and bad taste."
"He's not that bad," Mush said defensively. "And the guy he's living with is gorgeous. I keep seeing his picture on billboard advertisements. They're pasted on almost every subway car and bus in town. I feel kinda like the guy is haunting me. His picture is everywhere. I can't get away from him"
"Is that the one where the guy is stretched out on a marble floor wearing nothing but a pair of boxer-briefs?"
"Yeah. . . That's him," Mush sighed as he flopped down onto a stack of cases."
"That proves it. Your ex is a pig with bad taste."
"Oh come on, Blink. You can't deny that Evan's new boyfriend is gorgeous!"
"Gorgeous? That kid is emaciated! It looks like a good meal would kill him. You are so much better looking than he is."
"Knock it off!" Mush snapped. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better. I don't need your pity!"
Blink whipped around and started poking Mush in the chest.
"First of all don't call me a liar! I'm not about to take that from you or from anyone! Second of all maybe the reason Evan left you is because you are just plain stupid!"
"Excuse me?" Mush snapped as he got to his feet.
By this time, Race, Spot and the others were all gathered at the far end of the bar. They were trying to hear what was going on in the stockroom.
"I said that you're stupid. Too damn stupid to realize how good looking you are! You're one of the reasons I took this job!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"When I came in to apply for the job I noticed you stacking cases just like you're doing now. I figured that even if the job sucked I'd have something nice to look at while I was here. I always prefer a man with a little meat on his bones."
"Thanks, Blink," Mush said uncomfortably.
"Don't thank me," Blink grinned. "Thank your mother and father. The must have one hell of a gene pool!"
Mush could feel his face getting red. Suddenly the temperature in the room seemed excessively warm. Mush wasn't sure if he was feeling hot because of the hard work he was doing or because of the way Blink was looking at him.
"Um, Blink? . . . . Are you flirting with me?"
"That depends," Blink said wiggling his eyebrows. "Is it working?"
Mush knew that his entire body was now blushing. He stood shuffling his feet while he stared at the floor.
"So . . . Um, Blink? Maybe you'd like to go out sometime? . . . . With me I mean."
"Sure," Blink replied. "How'd you like to go out for coffee after work tonight?"
"I'd like that," Mush smiled glancing up at Blink's face then quickly looking back at the floor.
Blink was getting quite a rush. He thought Mush's shyness was absolutely adorable. Wow, hot and shy wrapped up in a damn good-looking package, he thought. Jackpot!
When they emerged from the stockroom, the others all scurried back to their places so Mush and Blink wouldn't know they'd been listening.
"Here's an idea, Mushie," Blink said slinging an arm casually over Mush's shoulder. "How about we stop on the way home and draw a mustache and beard on any of those billboards we see with that stick figure in his underwear?"
Mush laughed and gave Blink a playful shove, and then Blink went to greet the family that was standing at the entrance.
Mush leaned against the bar watched as Blink escorted the family to a booth. Mush's stomach fluttered a bit when Blink threw back his head in laughter over something that the little girl had said.
He's not only hot, he's positively charming! Mush thought.
"Looks like Blink could be just what you need to help you forget about Evan," Race whispered.
"Evan? . . . .Evan who?" Mush replied.
End
Thanks for reading. Your reviews will be appreciated.
A/N: This was written for a friend, but it may or may not turn out to be a chaptered story.