It had been another long day for Dave Talbot, better known to the patrons of Lady Arminta‘s House Of Oddities And Wonders, as the Lobster Man. He had spent the whole day showing off his claw-like hands, letting people test his strength. Being around a thousand people, but never really being part of their lives.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like his job; he did. He was just lonely. He had friends and all; in fact, he was friends with several of the performers. Still, he wished he had someone to come home to, someone to love, and to love him back.
#
As he made his way to his trailer, he watched everyone else mingle around him. Heading to dates, to their homes, just enjoying the night.
The show’s conjoined twins, Ruby and Sapphire, quite literally connected at the hip and sharing a leg and a liver were walking hand in hand with their boyfriends. One, a young man covered in increate, rune -like tattoos, the resident sword-swallower, was dating Sapphire or perhaps it was Ruby. Presumably he knew which one he was dating, but it was difficult for everyone else to keep the twin’s straight. Kirk, one half of their show’s knife throwing act, a young man with tawny hair, was dating Ruby, or perhaps it was Sapphire Either way he was laughing at something she had said, whichever one she was. That was when Kirk’s sister, the second part of the knife throwing act, came up to the group. Dave had it on good authority that she had just started seeing one of the stagehands, but no one better tell Kirk that. He was more than a bit overprotective.
Squaring his shoulders, Dave trudged on.
As he walked, he nearly missed the voice calling out, “Hey, Dave!”
Turning at the sound of his name, he saw another couple behind him. A young man, his face an visible body covered thick, medium brown hair, so his facial features, save his lips and eyes, couldn’t be seen for it. The other, a willowy young woman with her hair died the same beigey pink as her maxi skirt.
“Oh, hey Cato.” Dave greeted the boy, “Lady Armita.”
From what Dave understood, she was actually the fourth Lady Armita, and he was pretty sure her name was actually Amy. In fact, he was fairly certain the only ‘Lady Armita’ who had actually been named Armita was Amy’s great-grandmother.
“It’s just Armita after office hour.” Lady Armita, or Amy, or whatever her name was said, before holding out her hand. “Look.”
Dave leaned in and saw on Lady Armita’s finger was ring, the sliver band shaped like two angels, their wings meeting in the middle around a ball of turquoise.
It was on her left hand.
Dave balked, pleasantly surprised, looking up at Cato. “She said yes?”
“I said yes!” Lady Armita beamed.
Dave gapped a minute before getting out, “Con-congratulations, guys!”
“Thanks, man.” Cato said, going in for a hug.
“Thank you,” Lady Armita added, “We’re both thrilled.”
As the hug broke, Cato said, “Hate to break this up, but gotta go. We set up a call to tell her parents. See you around man.”
“You, too.” Dave said, waving goodbye.
As he walked up Dave sighed. He was happy for them, really, he was, but seeing them, their joy at the new stage of life they were about to enter together, just drove home Dave’s loneliness.
#
As Dave trudged on, he couldn’t help but think. About the others, their happiness. Their love. Surely there had to be someone out there for Dave!
It was then he heard a female voice saying, “Get away from me, leave me alone!”
Realizing someone was in trouble, he turned towards the noise and went to find it. His eyes quickly landed on a rather large man with a buzz cut with his grip tight around the wrist of an Asian girl with waist-long dark hair in her mid-twenties. There was a fresh welt on her face. The brute raised his hand, about to go for another blow.
“Hey!” Dave shouted, marching over to the pair, an intense look on his face. “The lady wants to be left alone.”
“Stay out of this small fry,” The thug snapped, pushing Dave, “This is none of your business!”
Like hey, it isn’t. In response Dave reached out and clenched his claw around the man’s free hand with all his might. Despite his deformity, or perhaps because of it, he was quite strong. Suddenly they could hear the man’s bones crunch. When Dave let go, the man ran away in terror. Now that, that was dealt with, Dave could take care of the girl. “Are you alright?” He asked.
“I think so.” The woman said, “It could’ve been a lot worse.”
Dave’s heart sank. “What’s your name?” He asked, trying to distract himself.
“Joy,” She said, “Joy Wang.”
“Well, Joy,” He began, “I’m Dave. Nice to meet you despite the circumstances. Now, why don’t we get you somewhere safe?”
#
Dave took Joy to the Lady Armita’s office where she called her mom, who -surprise, surprise-Chad, the man who Dave had rescued her from, had been keeping her from seeing. She said that Joy could stay with her, and they’d get things straightened out.
Dave never expected to see Joy again, so you can imagine his surprise when he saw her once again on his way home from the show.
“Joy,” He balked in surprise, “W-What are you doing here? You’re not in trouble again, are you?”
“No,” Joy assured him, “I just wanted to find you, because, I realized I don’t think I ever thanked you.”
Dave blushed to the point he looked like an actual lobster. “You don’t have to do that.” Dave said, “Anyone would have done the same.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Joy said, shifting anxiously, “You don’t know how much I appreciate what you did. If you hadn’t stepped in when you did, I don’t know what would have happened.”
“It was nothing, really,” Dave replied, then trying to change the subject, said, “Hey, as long as you’re here, you want me to show you around the show?”
“Sure.” Joy replied, taking his claw, “That would be great.”
They didn’t know it at the time, but they would take several walks like that for the next year and half. Then on one of those walks, he would give her ring, and she would say yes. And neither of them would ever be lonely again.