“No,” Linda said, “not the game as much as–”
“Don’t–” Andre tried to interrupt.
“–addicted to Silvia,” Linda continued.
Andre reddened while the others laughed. “It had nothing to do with her. I loved that game.”
“Sure,” Linda said as she turned to Gemma. “We were twelve, vacationing in Spain. Mister Andre here had a major crush on this redhead, Silvia. He literally stole money from my dad and shared quarters with her. It was pitiful.”
“I was trying to be neighborly,” he said.
“Each evening, we went to the cafe in the center. Like us, Silvia was a fixture there. One day, before heading to the cafe, Andre rushed into the bathroom. He was there much longer than normal. When he came out–”
“Will you stop already?” he said.
“When he came out,” she continued, giving Andre the evil eye, “his hair looked odd and smelled weird. Our own child-genius here had used Vaseline on his hair.”
The room exploded with laughter. Through tears, Linda went on. “He had slicked back his hair, this afro of his, with Vaseline to look handsome for her.”
Gemma wiped at her tears. “Vaseline? Andre, what were you thinking?”
He dropped his head for a few moments. Eventually, he peered up. “But she was so pretty. I had to try something.”
Gemma placed a hand on his shoulder. “You are a geek.”
“I need a drink.” He went to the refrigerator and grabbed a Corona.
“Beer will slow you down. I don’t want to hear excuses afterwards.”
“We’ll just have to see about that. Dan, are we ready?”
“Nearly.”
“Come on.” Andre walked her to the den. “Time to be taken to school.”
The television screen lit up. Gemma was confused for a moment, then it all made sense. “A bloody video game? Wii Tennis? Seriously? This is what you’re challenging me to?”
“Is Miss Tennis Star afraid of playing?” He whipped the motion-based controller in air. “Are you going to bring your A-game or what?”
She stood, studying him. “That’s the only game I bring.”
Gemma loved watching Andre panic–he had miscalculated. He clearly had not considered that she was also an avid gamer. Even so, the battle was epic in its own right. Not because it was a close match, but because Andre, who fancied himself “the man” at the game, was being trounced. He had yet to earn a point and she liked it like that.
Match point. She glanced at him. Perspiration dripped down his forehead.
“Are you ready to be a man of your word?” she asked.
He spun to argue, to renegotiate the terms, discuss, which is exactly what she thought he’d do. With him distracted, she served.
“Wait–” he yelled out, but it was too late.
Ace.
He collapsed to the floor. The audience cheered, while Sandy took her winnings from Dan.
“You cheated. You distracted me,” Andre said.
“Yes, I did.” She twirled the controller like a gunslinger. “Well?”
He rose and tossed the controller on the couch. “I’m a man of my word.”
She didn’t budge. “And I say we stay.”
He beamed. “Best of three?”
“The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else.”
~Martina Navratilova
veryone tried to beat Gemma at Wii Tennis, all hoping to be able to loosely declare they had defeated Gemma at tennis. But they all lost. Badly.
Lunch, board games, early dinner, and dessert; it had been a full day of bliss. She met Andre completely by chance, a coincidence. Here she was, spending the day with him and his extended family, and loving every moment of it. With each passing minute, her feelings grew stronger. Like a tree, his roots were taking hold.
Andre was on the balcony with his friends, while she was at the kitchen table with Linda. Dina and Dan were putting Haley to sleep. Gemma and Linda were nearly inseparable. As improbable as it was, they were already building a solid friendship. Linda was honest, a straight shooter, and easy to talk to. Gemma was saving Linda’s contact information on her mobile when she noticed that Linda’s email address was from a well-known high school in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood.
“How long have you been teaching?” Gemma asked.
“Three years. I must admit, my kids have taught me more than I’ve taught them.”
“High school students? Hard to imagine.”
Linda sipped tea. “Has Andre told you about Rob?”
A beat. “Was Rob your fiancé?”
Linda nodded. “He was one of Andre’s childhood friends. We fell in love in high school and went to college together. We had recently graduated, getting into our careers. We were also planning our wedding on a detailed spreadsheet he maintained with the diligence of a squirrel. It was his way of contributing to the chaos called wedding planning.”
Gemma instinctively placed her hand on Linda’s.
“One evening, when I came home after a parent teacher conference, all the lights in the house were still off. When I flicked the switch I found him curled up on the couch in the den. He’d been crying. He was unable to talk, despondent. The results of his routine tests had come in. He’d been told he had melanoma, and it had spread. He was given months. Just like that, everything changed.”
Gemma’s tears streamed uncontrollably. Why was life like this? Unfair and random. Just like her birth parents, they had found love, the perfect love, and in an instant they were torn apart.
“Four months was all it took. This young, vibrant, powerful man was taken away from me.” Her voice was hoarse. “I had my friends and family, but it wasn’t until I went back to school that I found the healing power of love. My students came to my rescue. Surrounded by their love and energy, I made it.”
Gemma thought of the passion and electricity she experienced when surrounded by her fans in the stadium. On some level she understood. The game was her sanctuary.
“We were supposed to marry on Memorial Day weekend. Today would have been our first anniversary.”
Gemma’s throat constricted. “I can’t find the proper words. All I feel is loss and profound sadness. Like a hole in my chest.” Her words choked in her throat.
Linda took Gemma’s hand and held it tight. “I didn’t mean to make you sad. You’re comfortable to talk to. It’s your eyes I think… you disarm the most guarded person.”
“Both you and your cousin seem to be under the spell of my eyes,” Gemma said, smiling through tears.
“What’s that saying? ‘With great power comes greater responsibility.’ Use it with care.”
Andre and Chris were outside cleaning the grill when Dan showed up.
“Is Haley asleep?” Andre asked.
“I hope so,” Dan said. “Dina told her if she doesn’t sleep soon, I’d go in there with the guitar and sing all night.”
“That’s cruel,” Chris said.
“Thanks, bro.”
Andre glanced inside. Dina joined Gemma and Linda.
“So…” Dan said.
“Yeah…” Chris added.
Andre glanced at them. “What’s on your birdbrain minds?”
“Nothing. We’re good,” Dan said. “Everything’s the same, right Chris?”
“Yup, all’s copacetic here. Just like you, right, Andre? Nothing new with you?”
“Yup, you got it,” Andre said. “Nothing new. Just hangin’ out–”
“Dude,” Chris nearly yelled. “How could you not tell us about Gemma? For the love of all that’s awesome, how did this happen?”
“Nothing has really happened,” Andre said. “We’re friends… or something.”
“Is that right?” Dan said. “So what happened when you guys summited? Why did you both suddenly disappear up there?”
“I have no recollection of said events,” Andre kept his eyes fixed on the grill, grinning stupidly.
“I told you,” Chris said to Dan. “Einstein here had us all fooled. I’m too busy, I’m flying, I’m in meetings, I don’t have time for a personal life. Yeah, sure looks like it.” Chris bore into Andre’s eyes. “You know what, bro? I’m so freakin’ happy for you.” Chris dropped a hand on Andre’s shoulder.
“Hear hear,” Dan said. They all clinked their near-empty bottles. “You are finally with someone who puts a legit smile on your face.”
“We’re not together, guys. We’re just starting to know each other.”
“No, it’s more than that. You two look like you’ve been friends for a long time. Even with us, it’s so natural. Like she was always here.”
That’s exactly what it felt like. Like they’d always known each other and were somehow separated.
“She gets me. It’s like she’s always been a part of me.”
“From the way she looks at you, I bet she feels the same way,” Chris said. “I am so glad you and I are best friends.”
“Hold on,” Dan jumped in. “Andre and I were best friends first. You were an afterthought.”
“Too much time on the beach has softened your brain…”
The guys went on, but Andre turned his attention to Gemma, sitting with Linda and Dina, smiling and chatting. She was what had been missing in his life. A partner.
Gemma watched the sun as it danced with the ocean. Nearly sunset. The shadows grew long and the air turned cool. One by one, the friends left. The next day was a work day. When they hugged Andre, they held on, as if unsure of the next time they’d see each other again. It seemed this circle of friends had always been, and would continue to be, each other’s support structure.
“When will we see you next?” Dan asked Andre.
“Soon. The worst is almost over.”
Gemma wondered what he was talking about.
“What’s going on?” Dina asked. “How can we help?”
“Don’t worry. It’s all under control.”
Dina frowned then extended her arms to Gemma who leaned down to embrace her. “Thank you for trusting us,” Dina said. She whispered into Gemma’s ear. “He’ll move mountains for us, but won’t ever let us help him.”
“I didn’t realize he was so stubborn,” Gemma whispered back.
“Like a mule.”
“Hey, what are you two whispering about?” Andre asked.
“You,” Dina said.
Gemma’s eyes opened wide. “You’re honest to a fault.”
“That’s the only way this group operates,” Dina said. “Always the truth.”
They drove with the top down, the cool air soothing.
“Slowly,” Gemma said then glanced at him. “Drive slowly.”
Andre reduced speed, the car practically gliding through Pacific Coast Highway.
She placed her hand on top of his. He glanced at her.
She mouthed, Thank you.
“Maybe you can have a normal life after all.”
For the first time, she had tasted the possibility. “Today was lovely.”
“Nearly perfect,” he said.
“Nearly?”
“It had to end.”
She reach out and caressed his hair. “Then don’t let it end. Take me somewhere you’d want me to see.”
They drove past Santa Monica into Malibu, farther north than her home. Some time later, he pulled a U-turn and parked on PCH on the ocean side.
“Leo Carillo,” he said. “Have you been here before?”
“Never.”
He grabbed a blanket he had from the beach, took her hand, and led their way to the sand. “To the lifeguard shack,” he said.
“Are we allowed to do that?” she asked.
“Yes, absolutely. So long as nobody catches us.”
They climbed the ramp and leaned against the rail in front of the vacant lifeguard’s viewing tower. He draped the blanket across their shoulders.
Gemma hooked her arm through his and squeezed tight into him. She laid her head on his shoulder, certain the warmth of his body would stop her from shivering.
“During the day,” he said, “if the skies are clear, you can see Point Dume from here. At night, it’s just serene. The ocean is lit by the moon and the stars. Unfortunately we already missed the sunset.”
“It’s so beautiful here,” she said, but the cold was a bit too much. Her teeth rattled for a few moments. The minutes drifted while they listened to the crashing waves.
“It was near that cave,” he pointed to some boulders in the distance. “I was visiting from MIT. Dan drove me out here to catch up. We were hanging out when Dan told me he and Dina were dating. I told him I was happy for them and even told him I had been over her for years.”
“You lied to him.”
He nodded. “I had to. I wanted him to be happy and chase his heart.”
“Then this place doesn’t hold fond memories for you.”
“I’m about to change that,” he said.
His lips met hers. His mouth thawed her trembling lips when his warm tongue found hers. She grasped his face as she tasted his mouth forcefully, and backed him against the rails. She stepped into him, sliding her leg between his, pressing tighter. His hands slid into the back pockets of her shorts. She needed air, she needed him.
What are you doing? You’re in a public place.
Between kisses she said, “Wait.”
His lips latched on to hers again, but she took a small step back. His eyes opened. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Not here. What if–?”
“What are you doing up there?” A booming voice startled both of them, and a flashlight beamed in their faces.
Andre spun around, keeping her behind him. “Good evening, officer,” Andre said. Gemma put out a hand to stop the blinding light, but also to hide her face from the officer.
“What the–?” the officer said.
She was done for now; he had recognized her.
“Is that you, Dr. Reyes?”
Gemma’s eyes widened. What the hell?
“Yes?” he said cautiously.
“Oh, sorry,” the officer said as he dropped the light and lit up his face instead.
“Sheriff Bonelli. How are you?”
Andre walked down the ramp and shook hands.
“I’m fine,” the sheriff said. “Didn’t mean to startle you. The park is closed, so when I saw a parked car near the entrance, I came to investigate.”
“We didn’t realize the park was closed,” Andre said. “We’ll leave.”
The sheriff waved his hand. “You don’t have to. It’s a beautiful night. Just mind the path in the dark.” They shook hands again, then the sheriff tipped his hat to Gemma as he left.
Andre started to climb up when Gemma met him halfway. “Can you take me home?”
“Sure. Did the cop freak you out?”
“A little. I’m worried. I don’t want to be found here.”
“Right. Pictures and newspapers.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be. I get it. I want you to feel comfortable, not scared or worried.”
As they strolled the path back to the car, she squeezed into him. “How did you know the officer?”
“I’ve done plenty of work for the various police agencies here. I am connected, my dear.”
“CIA, FBI, police… who are you?”
“To protect the innocent, it’s best we leave some secrets unearthed.”
Once inside the car, he blasted the heater, but it didn’t seem to warm her fast enough.
“Bugger! It’s freezing!” she yelled. “Look at my legs. I have gooseflesh all over.”
He laid his hand on her knee. “I can help with that,” he said then slid his hand along her inner thigh.
She gasped and slammed her hand on his. “You better not do that,” she whispered.
“Do what?” He squeezed.
“That!” She closed her eyes. “Take me home before something bad happ
ens to you.” She wrapped her hand around his.
“I was only trying to help,” he said as he pulled the car out of the parking spot.
“I bet you were,” she said. Her body rumbled. She wanted more of him. All of him. “What am I doing with you?” she asked through a flirtatious smile.
“Anything you want.”
She gave him a sly look and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
They fell silent for a few minutes.
“Come over tomorrow,” he said as they neared her home. “Breakfast, lunch, dinner, anything. I’ll prepare us a meal.”
“You cook?”
“I make a killer paella–my grandfather’s recipe. What do you say?”
“I’d like that. But to be clear, were you inviting me to breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Or were you giving me an option?
“You can have it all.”
The crowds were long gone by the time they pulled up to her private gate. Security opened the doors, but before they were fully open, she stepped out of his car.
“Let me drive you in,” Andre said.
She jogged around to his side and leaned on his door. “What you did for me today I will never forget. I am indebted to you. Go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
He put his hand on hers. “Tomorrow.”
Her eyes faltered. “I’ll call you,” she said, then quickly ran up her driveway as the gates closed. If she hadn’t run, if she had hesitated, she would’ve dragged him out of his car and into her room. What was wrong with her? With him, her self-control was anything but. She wasn’t ready to make the same mistake she had with Georg and Johnny. Even with Johnny it had taken weeks to open up. She had to be smart this time.
As he drove back home, Andre pulled his phone from his glove compartment and studied the missed calls and messages. Practically one per hour. The convertible’s top rose as he listened to his voicemails. Ten from his assistant and the last two from Roger.
“Roger here. We need to talk. You have to be in D.C. Wednesday morning. That means you have to leave tomorrow. I’m looking at the 9:00 a.m. flight. I need to hear from you so we can book the trip. Call me.”
Game of Love Page 11
