The Game Changer: The Final Score

by Trio, L. M.

  I take in the colorful scenery as we drive the familiar route to my condo. Once I arrive, I turn my key in the lock and slowly open the door. I step inside and notice that everything seems exactly as it was when I left. Mikey and I made it our home while we were here and it’s still comfortable, familiar.

  I feel jittery as I head to my bedroom, I wonder if Mikey made any changes since I left, especially since I had the larger room. JJ was a frequent visitor back then. Again, I open the door to my bedroom slowly, halfway expecting it to be Mikey’s room now, but as I look around, I note that everything remains in its place; just as it was the last day I was here. I can tell the room is freshly dusted and cleaned, but not disturbed. It’s strange to see clothes I wore then, laundered and folded neatly on my bed. The walls are still covered with sketches and paintings from JJ, notes she had written on post-its are still pinned to the bulletin board. My hand traces over her handwriting. Framed pictures of the two of us are scattered throughout the room.

  The check I gave to Mikey that day in Atlantic City sits on the bureau untouched. There’s a small envelope on top. I empty the contents into my hand. Out falls the sparkling ring I had given to JJ, here, on her eighteenth birthday. I thought it was gone for good the night she had thrown it at me in the crowded bar. I roll it around in my hand as I read the inscription on the inside of the band, “I’ll love you always, Luke.” I sit down on my bed, clenching the ring in my fist. Those words are just as true now as they were then.

  I slowly walk to my closet and open the door. Sitting on the floor is one of my old equipment bags. I rummage through the bag, remembering my season with the Stone Crabs. Mikey and I were having the time of our lives, living on our own for the first time, fulfilling our dreams. JJ visiting every chance she got and the two of us planning our future. I look up at the clothes hanging in the closet. A few of her things remain hanging. I reach for one of her dresses, hoping to catch the scent of the perfume she used to wear.

  Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, I sit back on my king size bed, taking it all in. A while later, distracted by the growling of my stomach, I head to the kitchen to search for a menu to order something to eat. On the counter, I find a note scribbled from Mikey.

  “Glad you’re back. I stocked the fridge. See you in a couple of days. Don’t do anything stupid (like stalking someone). We’ll talk when I get back. – M”

  Mikey’s away playing for a couple of days on a road trip, and that’s exactly what I was planning on doing. It sucks having someone know you so well. I laugh out loud, thinking about it. I don’t care, I’m doing it anyway. I have to see her.

  I rummage through a huge pile of mail stacked on the counter. I come across an invitation to the Frank Simone Art Gallery, my heart races as I read the invitation:

  Please join us to honor the works of our local featured artist: Jesse Martell.

  A reception will be held on Saturday, October 6th at 7:00 pm,

  8th Avenue, Ybor City. Hor’s d’orves and wine will be served.

  Other artists’ works on display: Christopher VanHorn and Elizabeth Goldman.

  The chills run up and down my spine as I read the invitation over again, “local featured artist: Jesse Martell.” October sixth is only a couple of days away. Mikey has an early afternoon home game that day. I’m assuming he’s planning to attend.

  I immediately pick up my cell and dial De’s number. Just as I’m about to hang up, she answers. I ask about the invitation, De says that she is flying in to attend with Mikey.

  “You mean you are both planning to attend and you didn’t tell me?” I ask.

  “We didn’t think you would be back so soon. You just told Mikey you were coming back two days ago.”

  “You still could have mentioned it.”

  “Mikey was planning on talking to you about it when he got home. He was supposed to leave you a note,” she says, sounding annoyed.

  “He did leave me a note, it says, don’t go stalking anyone, and that he’d talk to me when he got back.” I laugh.

  “He is such an ass. Before you go and do anything stupid, talk to him first,” she pleads.

  “Why, what’s goin’ on?” I ask curiously, my heart suddenly drops at her quietness. “De, what’s up?” I ask.

  “Nothing, Luke, but it’s her big night. You can’t just pop in on her. How do you think she’ll react?” I’m silent. I didn’t give much thought to the fact that she might not have the reaction I’m hoping for. “I’m sorry, Luke. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but remember, she hasn’t heard from you in over two years. She doesn’t know that you are in town. It’s not easy on Mikey and me keeping this from her.”

  “I know. You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry. I know I put you in a tough spot. I just had to prove to myself that I’m the same person she thought I was. I’m going to make this right, De, whether or not she wants to be with me. Hopefully, if nothing else, I can give her closure and she can really move on if that’s what she wants. It’ll kill me, but at least she’ll know how I felt all along,” I say.

  “I know, Luke. I hope it all works out and everyone is happy.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll see soon enough. I’ll wait till after her show.”

  After we hang up, I think about what she said. It never crosses my mind that she may be on a whole different page than me once she sees me. Now that Deanna put it in perspective, I realize how insensitive it would be to show up at her art show, and what, just expect her to greet me with open arms? The person that almost ruined her life for the second time. I shudder at the thought of what she must think of me. Even though I agree to wait until after her show to talk with her, I know I can’t wait a few more days to see her. It’s already killing me knowing we are in the same city. I can sneak a peek in the mean time, right? Sure. Who will know?

  The next day, I have a light practice with the pitching coach, followed by an intense workout in the gym. I thought I worked out my nerves about seeing JJ, but after jumping in the cab after practice I’m still feeling fidgety. I happen to pass a Harley dealership on the way home and I get this crazy idea in my head. Without thinking twice about it, I ask the driver to make a u-turn. I pay him after he drops me at the front doors of the shop. I’m feeling a little spontaneous and figure I found the perfect toy to ease some anxiety and spend some money.

  I’ve been locked up for so long I figure it can’t hurt if I spend some of my money. Besides, one is a gift and the other is a necessity. After all, I need transportation. I can’t keep driving around in cabs everywhere, right? I’ll bet the salesperson that greets me at the door has no idea just how good his morning is about to get. I pick out two brand new Harley V-Rods, one for me and one for Mikey.

  “That one,” I point to Mikey’s bike, “you can deliver and that one,” I point to mine, “I’ll take with me,” I say, handing my card to the salesman.

  By the time I leave the dealership, it’s after noon. The bike leads me in the direction of Ybor City. As I drive through the town, I can see why she likes it; why an artist chooses to live here. I smile proudly, knowing that she did this on her own. I drop in and out of a few of the shops trying to guess which ones I think would be her favorites. I drive past the gallery, but don’t tempt to go inside.

  I wrote down her address awhile ago from my mom’s address book and stuck it in my wallet. I Google directions from my phone and find an inconspicuous spot across the street from her apartment. I hope to catch a glimpse of her as I hide behind my dark sunglasses. “Just a little something I picked up from my convict friends; the art of stalking someone,” I mumble to myself as I wait for her like a complete psycho.

  I probably wait for close to two hours, maybe more, when I finally spot two girls turning the corner, heading in the direction of her building. I pull my hoodie up over my head.

  My heart stops.

  I know instantly that it’s her by the bounce in her step. My first instinct is to jump off my bike and rescue her because the girl she is with
looks scary as hell. Maybe even scarier than some of the guys I’ve been away with, but then I see them laughing together.

  As she gets closer, I think to myself that she is more beautiful than I remember, if that’s even possible. She’s older, more mature, like the day I had seen her at the museum working. What was the word I used? Sophisticated. Yeah, that’s it. My stomach twitches, hoping that she didn’t completely outgrow me. I get a better look at the girl she is with. Beneath the black, the piercings and the purple streaked hair, she’s actually kind of cute in a strange sort of way. Besides that, they seem to enjoy each others’ company as they talk comfortably together. Not a mugger, I conclude.

  Her smile melts me. It takes everything I have not to call out to her. I hang back and watch her until she enters the building and is no longer in sight. Seeing her today makes it that much harder to wait any longer.

  As I pull into the parking lot in front of our condo, I’m happy to see that Mikey’s bike has been delivered and is sitting in the visitor space. I pull in next to it.

  Mikey’s back from his road trip and greets me as I enter the house.

  “Hey, how does it feel to be home?” he asks, pulling me into a bear hug.

  “It feels great. Thanks man, for everything… my room… awesome. It felt good to come back to something familiar. I appreciate it. You could have packed up my shit and took the bigger room.”

  “Nah… What’s the difference? I had the whole place to myself.”

  “It means a lot, you know? Everything you’ve done for me. The ring… how’d you—”

  “I picked it up off the floor, after she…” He pauses.

  “Thanks for keeping it for me. You’ve done so much—”

  He holds up his hand, cutting me off again. “C’mon, we’re brothers. That’s what brother’s do. Where were you? I’ve been tryin’ to call,” he asks.

  “Uhhh… My phone was off… I forgot to turn it back on,” I answer, not ready to elaborate on where I just came from. “Oh, by the way, I picked ya up a little somethin’ today to try and somehow thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” I turn away to try and hide the grin on my face.

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Here. For you.” I pull the keys from my pocket and dangle them in front of him.

  “What’s this?” he asks, taking them from my hand.

  I lead him outside and across the lot to the two shiny new bikes, sitting side-by-side. I sit on the midnight blue bike I picked for myself and motion for him to sit on the solid black.

  “What the hell did you do?” Mikey asks, looking at me as if I’m nuts. “Did you fuckin’ lose your mind again?”

  “Maybe a little. I don’t know. I was feelin’ a little irritable after practice, and on the way home the cabbie drove past the dealership. I made him turn around and drop me off. I don’t know… I just had the urge to do something…”

  “You felt a little irritable, so you figured you’d just buy a couple of Harley’s?” Mikey asks, laughing.

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “I love it. That’s something I would do,” he says, shaking his head. “Holy shit! This is awesome!”

  “So anyway, it’s my way of sayin’, thanks. Remember when we talked about getting them that summer?” Mikey nods, remembering the conversation. “Let’s go for a ride.” We rev up our engines and cruise along the highway.

  When we finally arrive home, I remember that Deanna is flying in.

  “Yo, are we supposed to be picking De up at the airport?”

  “No. I talked to her earlier. She should be here any second. I took care of it. I have a limo waiting for her.” He laughs. “The guy’s gonna be holding up the sign with her name and everything.”

  “You’re nuts. Why’d you do that?” I ask, laughing.

  “I was planning on waiting around the airport for her to get in, but I was beat from my trip. I didn’t feel like sitting in the airport for three hours, so I got her a limo. I was planning on coming home to rest up, but then you walked in with your awesome gift.” He laughs. “Anyway, it’s funnier this way. You know her, she’s going to come down the escalator and see some guy holding a sign with her name. She thinks she’s meeting me.”

  Not even ten minutes pass when De comes bursting though the door.

  “Oh my God, did you guys get me the limo?!” She’s hysterically laughing. “I didn’t know what to tip him. I gave him twenty dollars, is that enough?”

  I point to Mikey, not wanting to take the credit.

  “Tip him? You didn’t have to tip him. I tipped him enough! Did he have the Barbeque Twisted Frito’s and Arizona Green Tea?”

  “Yes, my favorites,” she says excitedly.

  “No shit,” Mikey says as she runs up and gives him a huge hug.

  “I’ve missed you,” she says, kissing him on the cheek as he lifts her off the floor. “…and I’ve missed you, too.” She turns to give me a kiss as well. “It feels good to be here with the two of you again. I’ve missed everyone so much!”

  The three of us head out to grab a bite to eat. As we are seated, JJ calls De to see if she’s landed. I’m getting closer. The shock runs through my veins, just knowing she is on the other end of that line.

  I wish I could pull the phone from De’s ear just to hear her voice. I tap my foot on the floor while my fingers nervously tap the table, listening to their conversation. One more day. I can do this.

  “What’d she say?” Mikey asks while I hang on every word.

  “She wanted to know if we felt like coming over and hanging out. She said she didn’t mind if we didn’t, she knows you’re probably tired.” She looks at me sympathetically. I know she feels bad leaving me out. “She’s coming to the game tomorrow, but she’s nervous about it running late.” Mikey has a 1:00 game, JJ’s show is at 7:00.

  “She’ll be fine,” Mikey answers. “Are you coming?” he asks, turning to me.

  “Yeah, but I’ll keep a low profile and stay out of sight. De and I talked about it yesterday. I don’t want to ruin her night tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, it’s probably a good idea,” he agrees.

  I change the subject before I begin to feel sorry for myself. “Yo, by the way, I thought I was going to have to save her life today. Who’s the Gothic lookin’ chick she was hangin’ with? I thought she was about to get mugged.”

  They both bust out into laughter and answer at the same time. “Mya!”

  Then, I realize my mistake when everything gets quiet and they are staring at me as if I have six heads. “What?” I ask innocently.

  “How did you see her and Mya?” Mikey asks while they both stare me down.

  I’m embarrassed that I got myself caught. “I said I wouldn’t approach her before tomorrow, but I had to see her. God, she looks good,” I say, shaking my head. “What are you lookin’ at?” I ask as they continue to stare at me. “Okay, I admit, I stalked her. I got her address from mom’s book, and I stalked her. I waited across from her apartment for over two hours until she finally walked down the street. She never saw me,” I confess as if this is normal behavior.

  “Wow. You’re scary,” Mikey says.

  “That is creepy,” De adds.

  I can feel my cheeks getting flushed. I shrug my shoulders. What can I say? They’re right. “It was worth it.” I laugh.

  I’m feeling more relaxed now that the two of them are here with me, and I’m having fun talking about her. I decide to ask more questions so I have a better idea of what I’m up against.

  “So, tell me the truth, do you think I have a chance? Did this other guy make his move?”

  “I think they may have just started to see each other. I mean, I’m talking a week, two tops. JJ’s not good at trusting… sorry,” Mikey says, referring to the fact that I’m the one to blame for that. “I think she’s trying really hard to like him. He’s a good guy… sorry… shit, I keep puttin’ my foot in my mouth, don’t I?”

  I laugh. “It’s fine. I’d rather know what
I’m dealing’ with. De, what’s your take?”

  “Luke, I’m sorry, too, but Frank is great. They have a lot in common, he takes her to a lot of nice places, introduces her to a lot of interesting people, but I agree with Mikey. I think she wants to have feelings for him, more so than a friend. I think she may have herself convinced that she does, but I just don’t see it happening.”

  It stings hearing the mention of another guy’s name, but what can I do, I’ve been out of her life for so long. I’m somewhat thankful she’s not in a serious relationship.

  “Alright… that, I can deal with. She’ll either hate me for not being able to love anyone again or she’ll want me back, right?” I answer trying to crack a joke, but really my stomach is swirling inside.

  Chapter 9(Luke)

  The afternoon of JJ’s showing at the gallery, I head to the stadium with Mikey. I love the atmosphere of being here for playoffs. I hang back and watch the game from the locker room. The last thing I need is for a reporter to interview me now that I’m back in Tampa. For some reason, knowing that JJ is here makes the stadium suddenly feel much smaller; knowing we are in the same place at the same time. After the Rays win another game, Mikey and I head home on our shiny new toys.

  ***

  (Jesse)

  Deanna and I hurry home after the game to get ready for the evening. I’m feeling anxious and excited as I slip into the new dress I bought from the boutique on 7th Avenue. Deanna is across the room, getting her new dress on as well. I’m so happy having my friends and family to support me. My dad flew in this afternoon and is attending with Cheryl. Dad’s trips to Florida are becoming more frequent. Cheryl and he have seen each other quite a few times over the last several months. I’m happy for him. There was a time or two over the last couple of years that I thought he may be ready to start dating again. Yet, nothing ever came of it other than friendship. I’m hoping that this thing with Cheryl turns into something more serious, I really like her and they seem to enjoy each other’s company. The last thing I want is for my dad to be alone for the rest of his life. He was too young when my mother was taken from us.