The Allure of LA

By Hutchlover

Rating: nothing implicit

Genre: implied pre-slash

Description: 2008 Secret Santa gift for Laura. Married & living in Duluth, Hutch ponders his life choices and future

~~**~~

22-year old Ken Hutchinson sat in his car as it faced Caribou Lake.

He wasn't watching anything in particular. Not that there would be anything or anyone out on the lake at night in March. He just stared out over the cold, white, monotonous landscape, a bottle of Schlitz in his hand, with the rest of the six pack nestled in its cardboard container on the passenger seat beside him.

The gray sky and cold air seeped into his soul; a restlessness seemed to permeate him. Of course, this feeling of dreariness could just be his reaction to the path his life was currently on. Nancy, he could blame a lot on, he thought.

But, if he was honest with himself, it wasn't completely Nancy's fault that she got pregnant just after graduation, just as it wasn't Nancy's fault she lost the baby. Neither could he blame her for the shotgun wedding. She didn't want to get married any more than he did. That was both their fathers' insistence that they get married anyway since he 'ruined' her.

His father-in-law was happy to be related to the William Hutchinson family, he offered his new son-in-law a job as a salesman in his appliance store. To his way of thinking, a handsome young salesman was sure to get the bored housewives to buy into the latest fads and features of washers & dryers.

Instead of finishing his aborted education — after three years of attending college part-time they just couldn't afford it anymore — he felt trapped in a boring, dead-end job 'wasting his mind and bringing down the family name', as his father put it.

Now he was stuck in a dying marriage; a wife who all of a sudden had 'bridge meetings' several times a week and no interest in sex or keeping house; and a job that bored him to no end. His father barely spoke to him, so disappointed was he with Ken's choices.

Tipping the beer bottle slowly as he took another mouthful, Ken pondered if he had the courage to make a change.

His one time best-friend Jack Mitchell had written recently of his parent's excitement at finishing the first leg of medical school. Instead of going right on to his doctorate, they were allowing him some time off to enjoy himself and he wanted Hutch (as Jack called him) and Nancy to join him this summer in L.A. to experience life outside the confines of "potlucks and church socials".

"Dancing, plays, beaches, sun, music, good-times!" Jack had written. It sounded compelling. A chance to re-group both his career path and his marriage.

Now all he had to do was convince his wife to go and his father-in-law to give him some time off.

~~**~~

"Divorce? I don't understand?"

Ken's younger sister Kathy — still living at home — looked bewildered and confused as she sat across the dinner table from her brother.

"It's simple, we don't love each other; we never did."

"That's no excuse. You make it work." Ken's father took another slice of roast beef from the meat platter as if his son's news held no more interest than the mating habits of the gray wolf.

Ken ignored him as he continued, "I want to go to Los Angeles. She doesn't."

William Hutchinson snorted. "You made the bed, you can lie in it."

"You're real good with the clichés, aren't you?" Then Ken turned away, stunning both himself and his father, as for the first time in his life he stood up to his paternal tyrant. "And I suspect she's cheating on me. Pretending to she's meeting with her girlfriends when I suspect she's shacking up at Doug's."

<bang>

All three Hutchinson's looked over to the end of the table where Agnes Hutchinson had slammed a serving spoon loudly.

"We will not discuss this matter. Especially at the dinner table."

"Discuss what?!" Ken was becoming outraged. "That my life is in the crapper? That my wife — who I never wanted to marry in the first place — is screwing around and making the Hutchinson name a laughing stock?!"

Agnes paled at her son's vehemence and choice of words. But she deferred to her husband, who finally showed a spark of interest in the conversation.

"First of all, you will refrain from using that kind of language around your mother. Second of all, if you had shown some restraint, you wouldn't be in this position. Third of all, if anyone is embarrassing the family name, it's you. Working in some low class field, married to a common…." He paused, unwilling to say anything vulgar, and to continue his tirade. "And if she is cheating, then it's your fault for not being an attentive husband." William Hutchinson turned to address the whole table as Lord & Master: "Now, I would like to continue my dinner and the rest of my evening in peace!"

Ken and Kathy just stared at their father, dumbstruck, while their mother kept her eyes lowered to her plate and her hands busy.

"More peas Kathy?" She held out the bowl to her daughter.

Without another word, Ken pushed his plate forward and his chair back and walked out of the dining room; straight out the front door, slamming it on the way to his car. Apparently the Crown Prince is now the Court Jester.

~~**~~

Same circumstances, different week, thought Ken as he once again sat in his parked car staring over the darkening view of Caribou Lake.

This evening's dinner went over just as well as he figured.

His father's stern, "you'll mind my rules" attitude — never mind that he didn't live in his house; his mother unfocused and need to be blinded of reality. Only his sister's love and concern for him kept causing him to go back to his parent's house, he just realized. Kathy and I mean nothing to them. I don't think we ever have. We were just another status symbol to brag about at the Country Club.

He was in no hurry to return to his empty apartment; Nancy having moved back with her parents. Nor did he desire to seek out any friends to help drown his sorrow or celebrate his freedom. If he was honest with himself — and right now Ken knew he needed to be — he really didn't have many real friends.

Only Jack would listen and just be there for him, instead of offering any advice or solution — not that Jack was good for that anyway — but he'd tell Ken to buck up and fix the mess that his life was currently and quit moaning about it. To enjoy himself while he could, but to get a damn goal and stick with it.

So Ken took that first step this week, first with Nancy and then his family. Now he would follow through with his first impulse since he got Jack's invitation and travel to California. Hell, he might even stay there if he liked it and figure out what to do with his life.

Because honestly, there was something in that notion that intrigued him. Not Jack's invite, but something else he felt deep down that was pulling him toward the west coast.

Jack's note was only the catalyst Ken now realized. He'd been feeling a pulling away from his job, his family, his wife, toward something else for the last few months. But he'd be damned if he knew exactly what it was.

Maybe I will stay in California with Jack. Go back to school, get a job. Jumping back into a lovelife wasn't in the picture, at least not at the present. There's really nothing here for me. If I get settled, maybe I can convince Kathy to break the chains binding her and join me out there.

~~**~~

Ken called his parents to let them know when he would be leaving. He felt he owed them that much courtesy and he had had respect drilled into him since before he even understood the word.

When the time came, only Kathy showed up to say good-bye and wish him luck.

She parked at the curb and ran to give him a hug, where Ken stood by his car. "I'm glad I picked up the phone when you called, otherwise I might not've gotten the message."

"I'm sure Mom or Dad would've told you, if not Carmella."

Biting her quivering lip and shaking her head so her blonde ponytail bounced, she sadly informed him, "I'm not so sure. When I told them you were leaving today, Mom didn't seem to believe me, and Dad just blew it off. He's so sure you're not going anywhere. He even told Carmella that your name was not to be spoken if you dared to disobey him. Then he smirked and said something like 'Tell your brother that. Then we'll see if he dares to go against my wishes.' I'm sorry Kenny."

He didn't know what to say. It wasn't like he was surprised with his father's attitude. But it hurt to think that his father thought he was a wimp, instead of a man. "I guess that's that, then."

"So you're going to go? You're actually moving out there?" Kathy asked, as if her father's attitude had influenced her belief as well. "I still don't understand."

"I don't either, Kath. And I don't know if I'll be staying out there permanently. It's just something I know I have to do." As he usually did when worried over something, Ken rubbed the center of his forehead. "It's like the siren's call from Greek mythology. I feel like there's something out in California calling to me and it's mesmerizing me. I have to find it."

"Just remember, Kenny, that the siren's call was a call of death." She touched his sleeve lightly, as if in warning.

Ken kissed his sister on the cheek lovingly. "I'll remember and I'll let you know if I find it. Maybe it's just my friendship with Jack, maybe it's my career, maybe it's my future."

Jokingly Kath added, "Or maybe it's your soul mate calling to you."

Putting his last bag — travel size personal bag — in the passenger front seat, Ken chuckled. "I don't think so. I think I've had enough with the relationships; for now anyway."

"Well, you never know." The petite blonde paused, "I'll miss you, big brother. Even for a month. And you call when you get out there. Keep us informed."

"Us?" One blond eyebrow lifted questioningly.

"Us, me. You know what I mean."

He kissed her cheek again. "I know. You take care of yourself. Don't let them get to you." And he got into his car.

Kathy watched her brother drive off into the fading sun, toward his future; sure he'd find what he needed.