The Game Changer: The Final Score

by Trio, L. M.

  David stays for as long as the guard allows. After the initial conversation is put aside, I realize that David is here as my friend, not as my ex-girlfriend’s father. We discuss David’s job and catch up on sports, which has always been one of our favorite conversations and debates.

  After my time is up, I say goodbye to David and thank him for the visit. I wonder if he is going to tell JJ that he visited, somehow, I doubt it.

  ***

  The first year crawls by. I often feel as if time is standing still and I will never leave this place. I begin to scribble in my yellow legal notepad…

  “When I first got here, a few of the guys told me I would get used to being in jail, but I don’t know how that is possible. It’s been over a year, and every morning that I wake up, I’m still surprised that I am here. I still feel as if I’m stuck in a nightmare, unable to wake up. Do you ever think of me? I know I have no right to ask. All I ever do is think in this shit hole. Some days, I wish I’d get jumped while walking down the hallway. Maybe I’ll end up with brain damage and my previous life will be erased from my mind. I think it will make things easier for me, not knowing what I lost. As you can see, I’m having one of my bad days. Maybe next week I won’t feel so beaten down. It gets harder, not easier. I miss you. I love you always… Luke”

  Chapter 3(Jesse)

  The smell of Cuban coffee from the nearby café and the heat from the morning sun feel good against my skin as I stroll down 7th Avenue towards The Blue Martini. I love living in Ybor City. The exotic blend of aromas, flavors, sights and sounds of this city make me feel more alive. There are plenty of galleries, shops and restaurants nestled among the red brick buildings with their wrought iron balconies and cobblestone streets to keep me busy. Mya and I moved here immediately following our freshman year.

  We heard about Ybor City from a couple of our classmates that were in the art program along with us. We found a cool studio apartment on top of a cigar shop. We fell in love with it the second we saw it. The light that pours in through the huge wall-length windows is perfect for Mya while she’s sculpting, and me while painting. There is plenty of space for the two of us and all of our supplies. We each have our own room on opposite sides of the apartment, which are enclosed by huge sliding wooden doors for privacy. In the center of the two private rooms is a large living area that opens to the kitchen.

  The studio is decorated with our own paintings and sculptures. We agree the final outcome is pretty awesome, giving the apartment an artsy edge to it. It’s our own personal gallery. We visited antique shops and yard sales on weekends, searching for unique pieces of furniture, and we refurbished everything to our liking.

  I began my hostess job at The Blue Martini shortly following my move to Ybor City. My manager, Cheryl, and I hit it off immediately. She’s willing to work around my class schedule, and I make a decent amount of money.

  Cheryl was kind enough to let me use The Blue this year for my annual fund raising event at no charge. The Blue Martini is a trendy restaurant/lounge in town. Last year, I held a small, last minute fundraiser at my school, with the help of my teacher. I somewhat dropped the ball, but managed to bring in a little under five hundred dollars for the Olivia Martell Foundation. At the time, I was having a hard enough time keeping up with my studies; not to mention, I spent a good part of my year reeling from my break-up with Luke.

  As time goes on, I find myself in a much better place; starting with moving into our own apartment and landing my job at The Blue. I felt so confined, living in that small dorm room Mya and I shared. At first, it didn’t matter to me, but as time passed, I needed to get out. I’m finally getting myself back on track. I’ve been hoping to expand the fundraiser and The Blue Martini will be the perfect spot to reach my goal.

  My art professor is helping with the plans, giving me some tips, and several of the art students are donating their work for sale at the event. It’s a win-win situation for the students. We will make twenty-five percent profit from any art work that is auctioned and the rest will go to the foundation. It’s a way for the students to get their work out there to the public, and it’s also exciting anytime someone is willing to pay for something you create. The paintings and sculptures are being auctioned off, while jewelry, pottery and other donated items will have sale tags attached with part of the proceeds going to the foundation. I was touched by the many local businesses willing to donate their services and gift items to the fundraiser. Mikey was able to get tickets to several Rays’ games, along with some autographed MLB memorabilia to add to the items up for the Chinese Auction.

  He was recently promoted to the Double A Montgomery Biscuits and will be leaving soon. It’s great for him. He’s doing so well and the way things are looking, he’ll be in the majors in no time. I’m sad that he won’t be spending his season in Florida like he did last year.

  Spring hasn’t gotten any easier for me. That’s why I’m thankful to have a lot of things occupying my mind. It’s hard sitting around feeling sorry for myself when there is so much to do. Between studying for finals, organizing the fundraiser, and working on my paintings to sell at the event, I have definitely overextended myself. To top it off, I work three nights a week at the Blue and spend one afternoon a week volunteering at the Washington Elementary School for an after-school art program for students.

  I’m looking forward to this evening. A lot of planning went into this night. I step into the restaurant and Bo, the afternoon manager, greets me by the door. I stop in to say hello to the crew prepping in the kitchen before heading up to the VIP lounge. The lounge has been reserved for me this evening. Some of the students stop by to drop off their work. Tickets were sold through school and many of the local businesses in town and I’m expecting a decent turn out.

  I check my watch, anticipating Deanna’s arrival from Phoenix. She’s flying in for the weekend and she’s bringing her new boyfriend. She met him right before winter break and they began dating soon after. She seems to be happy and she’s thrilled for me to meet him.

  I miss Deanna terribly. It seems as if it’s been forever since the last time I saw her. Talking three times a week isn’t the same as spending time together. I’ll admit, I’m mostly to blame. I keep myself so busy that I’ve been slacking off in the frequent communication department. While I take one last walk through the remainder of the restaurant just to be sure everything is in place for tonight, I receive a text from Deanna, stating that she just arrived at her hotel.

  We meet up at my apartment and head to the Green Iguana for lunch. Jeffrey, Deanna’s new boyfriend, seems nice enough. He’s friendly, but may be just a bit uptight for someone like Deanna. He’s pre-med and comes from a family of doctors. Deanna has a bit of a silly side, and although they seem to enjoy each other’s company, I’m not convinced it’s in his nature to let loose every once in a while. She seems to go for the serious, straight arrow kind of guys. They’re very nice and seem to adore her, but they just don’t seem to be a match for her personality. Mikey will hate him, I decide, but, it should be fun to watch.

  “So, what’s my job for tonight?” De asks enthusiastically as we finish our lunch.

  “You don’t have to do anything, just enjoy the night. I’m so happy you’re here, you have no idea,” I reply. Just the fact that she flew in to be with me for this important night is enough. She did the same thing last year, even though the event was much smaller.

  “I want to help. This is our thing, it’s our fourth fundraiser. I love being a part of it,” she says with a look of disappointment.

  “De, I didn’t mean to upset you. I would love for you to help me. I’m just so grateful you are here that I didn’t want you to be tied up working.”

  “I want to,” she demands.

  So I assign her and Jeffrey to the job of collecting the tickets at the door and she seems to be happy to have an assignment. I figure they’ll only have to sit there for about an hour and then they can enjoy the party.

  After lunch,
they head back to their hotel to rest up and I head home to do the same. With the excitement of seeing Deanna, though, and in anticipation of the evening, I’m too wound up to rest. My mind drifts, remembering our first fundraiser at the bowling alley, which in turn, makes me think of Luke and the night he came up with the idea. Unconsciously, I wipe my dampened cheeks. It’s been awhile since I shed tears over Luke. I busy myself so much that I don’t think of him nearly as much as I did.

  That first year, it consumed me day and night. I hurt so badly. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t pop into my mind at some point, but it’s not nearly as painful as it was then. It seems as though it’s a world away. I struggled for a long time. As much as he hurt me, I still held out hope that he would try to get in touch with me. I expected an explanation. I even thought about writing him, but I never followed through. No, he’s the one that destroyed what we had. It’s been nearly two years. If he loved me, he would have gotten word to me.

  Mikey and Deanna never mention his name anymore. It’s a request I made clear early on, they honor it to this day.

  I grow angry at myself for thinking about him now. I have a big night ahead of me, and things have been going pretty well lately. I even managed to go out on a couple of dates this year, nothing serious, but an occasional dinner or movie.

  I must have dozed off because the next thing I know, I’m being awakened by Mya barging into my room. “Why are you still sleeping? Get up. Can I borrow one of your dresses?” she asks casually, as if she always wears a dress.

  “Why, what time is it?” I ask, jumping from my bed. Glancing at the clock on my nightstand, I realize I better get moving. “Yeah, sure. Take what you want. Just not the one hanging behind the door; I’m wearing that,” I say as I leave the room, heading for the shower.

  “Shit. That’s the one I want.” She laughs, searching through my closet.

  “Too bad,” I holler back, pleasantly surprised that she is wearing a dress. I know better than to question her. She’ll change her mind in a second if I make a big deal out of it.

  I’m shocked when Mya steps out of her room into the living room later. She’s toned it down quite a bit, even if it is just for the night. I can’t help noticing how very attractive she looks, although I know better than to tell her.

  “You look nice,” I say casually as we head out the door. She smiles at me appreciatively as she holds the door.

  We arrive at The Blue around six; an hour before the start time. My dad flew in for the occasion and is already sitting at the bar, waiting for my arrival. He looks rather handsome in his blue dress shirt and sport jacket.

  “Hi, Sweetie… Hi, Mya… You girls look beautiful tonight,” he says as he greets us.

  “Thanks, Mr. Martell,” Mya responds.

  Now that Mya and I have been friends for so long, my dad and Deanna have gotten to know her better and have come to accept her for who she is. Once they learnt more about her, they realized she’s basically a nice girl with a few issues, but hell, who has more issues than me?

  Deanna and Jeffrey arrive shortly after. My dad is thrilled to see Deanna. He misses the days where we girls hung out at the house. The thought gives me a jolt of guilt for leaving him alone the last couple of years. To brush the negative thoughts away, I walk them around and introduce them to several people that helped make this night happen. My art professor for one, he is in charge of auctioning off the art work tonight, and Cheryl, my boss who’s allowing me to use the beautiful VIP lounge for the night.

  Mikey arrives shortly after seven, bringing along two of his old teammates from the Stone Crabs. Of course, he lights up like a Christmas tree as soon as Deanna comes into view.

  “So what do you think of the Bozo De is with?” Mikey whispers to me the second we have a minute alone.

  “He’s nice. We had lunch this afternoon… He seems like he really cares about her,” I answer.

  “Really? I talked to them earlier… Seems like an asshole to me. Where does she find these guys?” he asks while staring in her direction.

  Deanna glances over at us at about the same time, almost as if she senses we are talking about her. Mikey raises his glass to her and smiles.

  “Be nice. We’re going out afterwards, right?” I say, reminding him of the plans we made earlier in the week.

  “I don’t know. I’ll see,” he says, quickly changing the subject. “J, see the guy with the gray shirt I brought?” He points in the direction of his two former teammates. “His name is Ian; he asked me to introduce you to him. He’s been eyeing you up all night.” He laughs. “He remembers you from one of my games last season when we hung out after. He’s still with the team and he lives locally.”

  “I’m not sure, Mikey. You know… the whole…” I stop myself before saying, the whole baseball thing. I don’t need to finish the sentence, Mikey knows what I’m about to say.

  Thankfully, we’re interrupted by Mr. Sinclair, my art professor, informing me that the auction is about to begin. Every piece of artwork has a minimum bid of fifty dollars.

  The sculptures go first, followed by the paintings. Most of the items are selling in the hundred to two hundred dollar range, some slightly higher. The last painting up for auction is one of mine. It’s my favorite; an oil painting of downtown Ybor City at night. The bidding starts at fifty dollars, upped to seventy five, then one twenty five. The price creeps up.

  “Two hundred,” Mikey bids, someone calls out three. Mikey raises him to three fifty and I laugh, knowing Mikey hates to lose, but besides that, he knows it’s going to a good cause. The person hollers out… five hundred dollars.

  “Who the hell is willing to pay five hundred dollars for one of my paintings?” I whisper to Mikey and Deanna.

  “I would, but this guy must really want it, you’ll paint one for me, right?” Mikey laughs as he lets the guy outbid him.

  Everyone congratulates me on my sale and the crowd begins to clear. I’m excited to celebrate with my friends, but then, Mr. Sinclair calls me over. He’s standing next to a well-dressed, very handsome man, who looks to be in his early to mid-thirties.

  “The man that bought your painting has asked to meet the artist. Jesse Martell, this is Frank Simone. Mr. Simone owns the Frank Simone Gallery on 8th Avenue.”

  “Yes, I know it well. I’ve been there several times.” I stick my hand out for him to shake. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you so much; you’ve made my night,” I say appreciatively, honored that a man of his stature in the art business purchased my work. Not to mention, he owns one of my favorite galleries in the city.

  “No, thank you. You’re work is beautiful. I bought another of your pieces earlier in the night. You’re very talented.”

  I can feel myself blush. We talk awhile longer, discussing our love of art. He asks questions about school and my studies and I tell him about my internship at the Cape May Museum. I must admit, he seems quite impressed with my knowledge of Art History.

  When we finally have a lapse in conversation, I realize that the place is almost emptied out and my poor friends are cleaning up. “I’m sorry. I’m holding you up. I didn’t realize it was so late. I better help my friends with the clean up,” I look over at them. “They’ve already done so much to help me with this. Thank you again, Mr. Simone, for purchasing my paintings. I hope you enjoy them,” I say as I turn to leave.

  “It was nice meeting you, Jesse.” He pulls something out of his jacket pocket. “Here’s my card. Stop in to see me. If you’re interested, I probably can use you in the Gallery.”

  “Really? Great. Thank you,” I reply, taking the card from his hand before I make my way towards Deanna, who’s been watching me from across the room.

  “JJ, he is hot! Do you know him?” Deanna asks, meeting me halfway.

  “He owns the Art Gallery around the corner. I’ve been there several times, but I’ve never seen him there,” I answer, glancing back over my shoulder to steal another look. He’s in the process of having my portraits
wrapped and carried out for him. “I cannot believe he just paid that much for my work.”

  “I can. You’re great. This is so awesome,” she responds.

  “Who the hell was he?” Mikey asks protectively as he watches him exit the room.

  “He owns the Art Gallery around the corner,” I answer, while De pulls my arm to rush towards the window to catch another glimpse of Mr. Simone as he leaves the building. Two waiters are placing the portraits into the backseat of a black convertible Mercedes that is parked in front of The Blue. Mr. Simone tips them and climbs into the driver’s seat.

  “He gave me his card. He said he may be able to use me in the gallery.”

  “You’re going to see him, right?” De asks as we watch him pull away.

  “Probably. I’ll wait a couple of days… I don’t want to seem over anxious.”

  After cleaning up, we decide to head over to the Green Iguana again. My dad and Cheryl seem to have hit it off and are downstairs having a drink at the bar. I thank Cheryl and kiss my dad goodbye after making plans to meet up tomorrow.

  The rhythms of the Latin music coming from the various clubs, fills the warm air as we walk the streets to head to the Iguana. Mikey’s friends left earlier in the night, due to an early practice in the morning, which forces him to bond with Jeffrey since it’s just the two of them tagging along with me, De and Mya.

  The music fills the room as people crowd the dance floor. A table opens up just as we arrive and we quickly snatch it up. As we finish our second round of drinks, a slow song fills the room.

  “Come dance with me; we need to catch up,” Deanna says, grabbing a hold of Mikey’s arm as she drags him to the dance floor. Mya, Jeffrey and I watch as the two of them dance and talk intently on the floor as if they are the only two in the room.