I looked at him, at Mr. Marinaro -- sitting at his desk before I entered his office, he looked so sad. He knows I mean business with the lawsuit. I never wanted to hurt this guy but he's protecting his son and his son needs help, in a major way.

I put my hand on the knob.

Five years.

Of working here.

Five long years.

*****

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Marinaro. I hear you're a great guy to work for."

The old man seems nice enough and Jessie Balta said they were hiring cater waiters here and the pay was good. Jessie told me they love blond boys too, very California lookin' like me, even though I know damn well I still sound like a true blue Southerner.

"Come in, Andrew, come in."

It's a nice looking catering company, pretty high on the level of these kinds of places -- more than than, I've never worked in catering and this place was hiring -- I needed a job, fresh from Atlanta and --

"I've heard you're the best in town, Mr. Marinaro. I can start immediately and I'm a whiz with a wisk!"

He laughs. I'm in.

Later, he's introducing me to the staff, a bunch of gay boys, a nice group of women that don't all look like fag hags and have weight problems, and then, Rudy. His son, a pimply faced guy far too old to warrant pimples. He leered and I knew within the first week, this dude would be asking me out on a date.

*****

"You're a great guy, dependable and wonderful to have in this company, Andrew. I'm promoting you to Assistant Catering Manager, taking you off hourly and I'll double your salary over the next six months."

I didn't know what to say.

"Say, yes, dummie!"

I said, "yes."

*****

"I'm sorry, Mr. Marinaro. But you know why I'm here..."

"I do, Andrew. I understand."

"Mr. Marinaro, I was just thinking of when I first started here five years ago... you were so great to hire me with not a single bit of experience... you were the one who made the move to L.A. so easy... and now, here I am..."

"But I understand, Andrew. And you have to understand too. He's my son, he's my little boy, and he always will be. I have to be his father here, at home, and in court of that's where this winds up. We'll miss you, Andrew. We'll miss your jokes and your ability."

Weird. I'm quitting, I'm walkin' out the door and may sue this old man, and I had tears in my eyes... but I did it.

I just quit.