Subtle Reminders

by D. J. Pierson

  “The place isn’t falling apart, is it?” Panic laced my voice. Could they honestly not handle things for a few days?

  “The office is fine. It’s me who has trouble functioning without you.”

  “Haven’t you asked for Laney’s help? She knows what to do.”

  “She isn’t you, Brielle. Have you forgotten what I asked you to think about?”

  “No.”

  “That’s a good sign,” he remarked. “If we get a chance, maybe we can discuss it this weekend.”

  “Okay.” My response was low and cautious.

  “I’m pulling into the hospital parking lot. Can I call you once my office hours are finished?”

  “Absolutely. If I’m not buried in chores, I’ll answer.” I heard his amusement on the other end. “Don’t laugh! I’m not going to be able to walk down the aisle on Saturday.”

  “Something tells me you’ll be just fine.”

  “Easy for you to say,” I mumbled. “I hope your day goes well.”

  “Thanks. Good luck.”

  Not expecting more calls, I left my phone on the nightstand and went to join my family in the kitchen. It was going to be a long day.

  Seven hours later, Mom finally gave her approval. We were all exhausted and fed up with one another at that point, so I retreated upstairs to grab a refreshing shower. By the time I returned, Lex had left with Vince and it was time to start dinner. While the water heated, I prepared the cheese mixture, then chopped the vegetables for the salad I’d been craving. Once it was tossed in Mom’s large bowl, I cleaned up the mess and began setting the table.

  My parents were coming down the stairs when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” Mom yelled.

  Not thinking anything of it, I continued working in the kitchen, hearing voices and laughter from the foyer. Curiosity piqued, I rested the plates on the counter, then peered down the hall. Before I took a step, a big black ball of craziness rounded the corner and plowed into my legs. Completely unaffected by the collision, Maddie danced in place, waiting to be petted.

  “You silly dog!” I commented, appeasing the pup. She licked my arms as my hands ran through her velvety fur. She still wore the sparkly collar.

  “Good girl, Maddie,” Joey praised. “I knew you’d find her. Hey, BC.” He leaned over, kissed my cheek, and handed me a white box with the name of a local bakery scrolled across it. Even though it didn’t have the clear plastic on the top to see the contents, I knew what it was. A chocolate peanut butter silk cake. My absolute favorite.

  “Thank you,” I gushed. “What are you doing here?”

  “Barb told me you were cooking dinner.” Joey plucked a cucumber out of the salad and popped it into his mouth, then reached for a green pepper. “Figured I’d stop by and see if you needed me to call my buddies down at the fire station. I can have a truck here within three minutes. Your mom and dad fixed this place up nice. I wouldn’t want it destroyed.”

  “Funny.” He winked and smiled at my sarcasm. Trying to hide the fact I was checking out how handsome he looked in his khaki shorts, baseball t-shirt, and hat, I rolled my eyes and reached for a fourth plate. “I guess you’d like to eat?”

  “Sure. Why not? I’m already here.” His cocky grin was enough to knock me on my ass. I held on to the cabinet door for balance. “What are we having?” Joey inspected everything from the stovetop to the counter to the table. “Lasagna! I’m so glad I came to the rescue.”

  “What would we do without you?” Mom added, handing Joey a beer as he joined my dad at the table. They tapped their bottles together.

  “Watch your house go up in flames.” Joey smirked again. I grabbed a cherry tomato from the bowl and tossed it at him. He caught and ate it, grinning. My parents laughed along with the arrogant bastard. Traitors!

  “Don’t throw food, Brielle. It’s not polite,” my mom jokingly reprimanded.

  When I gave Maddie a carrot, Joey frowned. I stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to shake his head. “You’re going to make my dog fat.”

  “One tiny carrot isn’t going to make her fat.” For good measure, I gave her another one.

  After dinner finished cooking and we ate, the conversation was casual. Dad talked to Joey about his job and the car restoration. It reminded me how Joey always went out to the garage with him, and they’d be out there for hours. By her third glass of wine, Mom was finally calming down.

  However, the best part of the whole meal ended up also being the worst. As the final bite of creamy peanut butter mixed with rich chocolate slid down my throat, I recalled the last time I had that same cake. Even though he preferred vanilla, we bought it for Jack’s birthday party. The very same night my angel was conceived. Realization struck hard. Staring at the plate in front of me, I quietly set down the fork, my chest constricting. Not here! I pleaded with myself. Please, please don’t do this right now.

  “Hey.” Joey nudged my fingers with his. I faced him to see a concerned expression on his face, then he smiled. “Don’t worry. After we clean this up, we’ll go work it off.”

  “What?”

  “You’re thinking fitting into the dress may be a slight problem after inhaling that huge piece of cake, right?” I didn’t say anything. He knew that wasn’t it. “We’ll take care of it.”

  “You don’t have to–”

  He cut me off. “Oh yes, I do.” Joey stood, collecting empty plates and taking them over to the sink. “You’ll go to get ready on Saturday morning and you won’t be able to get the dress over your ass.” Dad coughed, covering his laugh. Joey shrugged and continued rambling. “Then I’ll get a phone call telling me it’s all my fault because I bought the cake. Sorry, BC, but now we have to go do something. There’s no way in hell I’ll be able to sleep for the next two nights worrying about this shit.” I sat speechless, watching him open the dishwasher and start to load it. On his second trip to the table for more dirty dishes, he glared at me. “Why the hell are you just sitting there?! Go get your sneakers. I don’t have all damn night.” He gestured at my bare feet, then went back to his task. Glancing at my mom, she found the situation quite comical and gestured at me to do as I was told.

  “Joseph, my dear, I’m not sure if you’re brave or stupid, but I’ll take care of this. Go on ahead,” my mom whispered to him as I left the kitchen.

  “Please. She doesn’t scare me.”

  Plopping on my bed to pull on my socks, I forcefully exhaled. Being home was a bad idea. Too many things reminded me of all my life could’ve been. Staying away helped tremendously. It was the right decision. Moments like that were proof. All I had to do was make it through one more week.

  My phone buzzed on the nightstand.

  Aidan: Sorry. Been a crazy day. Call me when you can.

  A knock at the door prevented me from responding. Joey stood there, leaning against the door, his arms crossed. “How long does it take you to put on shoes?” He looked past me and smiled. “I have to fill that vase. One rose seems so lonely.”

  “It’s beautiful just the way it is,” I told him, getting to my feet. “We don’t have to go anywhere. I’m pretty exhausted from cleaning.” As if confirmation was necessary, I yawned.

  “Get your second wind, BC. You’re going to need it.” He wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so I slid my feet into my sneakers. When he held out his hand for mine, I took it without a thought. It felt nice, slightly easing the tightness in my chest.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Joey headed for the front door. “Where’s Maddie?” I asked, looking around.

  “She’s hanging out with your dad for a bit,” he said, leading me outside. We climbed into his SUV.

  “Why isn’t she coming?” I wondered as he pulled out of the driveway.

  “Why do you care so much about my dog?”

  “Why can’t you just answer a question?”

  For a second, he lowered the volume of the music. “I don’t know what was bothering you at dinner, but if you need to talk, I’m here.”
Not pushing, he turned the music back up and asked me who the artist was. There was a time I could tell him absolutely anything and he’d help me through it. I had wished for those days again many, many times.

  It shouldn’t have surprised me when we pulled up to the batting cages. He always went there when he needed to blow off some steam or get his head on straight. Not allowing time for questions, Joey turned off the truck and jumped out, walking to the passenger side. Just as he did at my parents’ house, he opened the door for me. It was a gesture so sweet, I couldn’t keep from smiling. When he pushed a button on the key fob, the tailgate lifted and he went to retrieve his bag. As expected, he brought his own gear. Taking my hand again, we walked over to the clubhouse.

  “Hey, man. Haven’t seen you in a while,” the young kid greeted him. He put down the stack of papers he held and shook Joey’s hand.

  “What’s up, Lou? How’s the family?”

  “They’re good. Thanks. I saw Jack a week or so ago. He said you guys were all doing well,” he laughed, stealing a peek at me. Joey noticed.

  “Yeah, we’re all hanging in.” His tone sharpened.

  “I think your normal spot is open. Let me check.”

  “Actually, could you check for cage seven instead, please? My friend wants to get in a few swings.”

  “Uh… No, I don’t,” I corrected.

  “Yes, she does.” Joey winked. Arrogant bastard.

  “Are you sure you want seven? That machine is set for fast-pitch. She doesn’t look like the type.”

  Joey chuckled. “Trust me. She can swing better than anyone you know. Except me, of course.”

  “If you say so.”

  Joey dropped a few bills on the counter. “Thanks. Tell your parents I said hello.”

  “Will do,” he concluded with a nod.

  Joey adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, then steered me toward the batting cages. “Why did you bring me here?”

  “You like coming here.” He sounded offended.

  “I haven’t swung a bat in a really long time, Joey. I’ll just watch.”

  “Watching isn’t any fun, B. Stop being ridiculous.”

  “I’ve forgotten how.”

  “You forgot?” Joey groaned at my pathetic excuse. “It’s just like riding a bike, B. You’ll be fine.” He stopped outside the last cage and set his bag against the fence, unzipping it. “Besides, once you hold this gem in your hands, you’ll have to swing it.” Joey pulled out the best bat I’d ever used.

  “You still have it?” I whispered, immediately taking the iridescent beauty out of his hands and wrapping my fingers around the grip. It felt as good as the day he gave it to me.

  “Damn right, I do. That thing cost me almost a month’s pay back then.” We chuckled. For months, I had begged my parents to buy me the newest bat that year. The morning of my seventeenth birthday, they brought me breakfast in bed, along with my gifts. None of which were the bat. I was so bummed. Then Joey came over an hour later with seventeen red roses and my bat. He had told them not to buy it for me because he had preordered it the night I showed him.

  “She’s still so pretty,” I marveled, spinning it in the sunlight so the colors glistened.

  “You know you want to.” Slowly, I lifted the bat above my shoulder and swung. “If that’s all you got, these balls are going to fly right past you.” He shook his head, retrieving one of his many batting helmets. “It’s the smallest one I have. Hope it fits.” He gently set it on my head, then patted it down to make sure it was secure.

  “Ouch!” I teased, and he laughed.

  “Well, go on. Get in there already.” I hesitated as he held the gate open. This was happening whether I went in voluntarily or not. Defeated, I took the easier route and walked through myself.

  “I’m telling you, this isn’t a good idea,” I mumbled as he shut the gate.

  “We’ll see,” he grumbled, closing the latch. While I got in position, he examined every move I made. It felt as awkward as trying out for a new team where no one was familiar.

  During the minute before the first pitch came out of the machine, I stretched my arms. Between the cleaning, yardwork, and now this, they were going to be awfully sore the next morning. The beep indicating the first ball was on its way sounded and I raised the bat. The ball came so fast, I barely saw it, let alone swung. I turned to Joey.

  “What the hell are you looking at me for? Keep your eye on the ball and choke up a bit.”

  “This is useless.”

  “Knock off your shit, BC.” He plopped down on the iron bench and sat back, as if I were his entertainment for the evening.

  Refocusing, I watched another pitch go by. Before the next one, I moved my hands up about an inch. Seeing the third pitch was much easier than the prior two, and I even got a piece of it. In a game, it would’ve gone foul over the dugout.

  “Bend your knees. Christ. You are as stiff as a fucking board. Loosen up a bit.”

  I wanted to hit him over the head with the bat, but figured it was much wiser to listen to his advice. On the fourth ball, my swing directed it downward, but making the correction was second nature. A couple pitches later, the ball was striking the tarp where right-center would be. The only way to describe how I felt after the round was liberating. Sure, I was out of breath and sweating, but it felt good.

  Walking out of the cage, I removed the helmet and shook out my hair, the soft sound of laughter catching my attention. Joey’s arms were draped over the back of the bench, his long, muscular legs extended out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He looked like a god sitting there. Summer hadn’t yet arrived, but a tan had already perfectly tinted his skin. In my head, a scene played out that had no right being there.

  I strolled over, crawled up the front of him, and straddled his lap. Our lips tenderly touched, my hair falling along his face, his hands gripping my waist. He never could keep them still very long, so when they started to glide over me, the kiss deepened. Joey had the patience of a saint. It took some time but, eventually, he grew restless and carried me back to the truck. The only thing preventing him from taking me on the bench was the other people present. He couldn’t stand anyone else to see me like that. I belonged to him. Joey Sullivan was the only one to see me come apart in the way only he knew how to accomplish. I’d heard him say it more times than I could count, and he was absolutely right.

  Forcing myself out of the delusional state, I dropped the helmet on top of Joey’s bag and rested my bat against the fence. He was still grinning when I sat down beside him.

  “Go ahead. You know you want to say it,” I mumbled.

  “Say what? That I told you so?”

  “Yeah.”

  His arm wrapped around my neck and he tugged me toward him so our sides touched. Those handsome eyes merely inches from my face were so much clearer up-close. They revealed love, want, desire…and pain. “I would never say such a thing to you, BC.” Joey spoke softly as his eyes traveled to my lips. When he pulled back, putting distance between us, each broken piece of my heart fractured once again. To prevent him from witnessing my sorrow, I tried getting up, but he grabbed my hand, keeping me next to him. “B?” I shoved the sadness deep down inside before looking at him. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, giving himself a minute. “How about a round of miniature golf?”

  That threw me. I hadn’t expected it, nor did I know how to reply. Joey gestured toward the course behind us. We had played it many times in the past. “I should probably go home. I’m a mess.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “My hair is tangled after being in the helmet, and it feels like I just played nine innings.”

  Joey sighed. “Do you ever look in the fucking mirror? You’re absolutely beautiful every single second of every single day. How do you not know this by now?” In typical Joey fashion, he angrily ripped off the hat and ran a hand through his hair. He was sometimes predictable in the same way I was gullible.

  “F
ine. I’ll play one round, but you’re not allowed to let me win.” I stormed past him to pack up the stuff. Once the bag was closed, he took it from my hand.

  “Let you win?” he questioned, directing us back down the path toward the truck.

  “Don’t give me that innocent bullshit, Joey! I know you used to let me win. I also know you’d purposely walk me whenever we played ball against each other.”

  His head fell back as he laughed. “That’s what you think, huh?”

  I stopped following him and he slowed, looking at me. “That’s what I know!”

  “Sorry, Buttercup, but that’s not how it went down. Not even close.” Joey took my hand and held onto it until we reached the clubhouse again. “I’m going to run this to the truck,” he whispered to me. “Hey, Lou. Mind if we play a round?”

  “Not at all.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I watched him jog to the parking lot, thinking how there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

  “I heard plenty of hits coming from over there. Guess you’re as good as Joe says after all.”

  I looked at Lou. “How do you know him?”

  He looked down, ashamed. “I got into some trouble a few years ago. Jack and Joe could’ve locked me up and threw away the key, but they didn’t. Instead, they taught me a valuable lesson I’ll never forget. They changed my life. Now I’m going to college, working here for my parents when I don’t have class or need to study. They own the place,” he indicated with a wave of his hand. “I’m forever indebted to the Sullivan family.”

  “They’re pretty amazing.”

  “You know Jack, too?”

  “I’ve known the family for a long time.”

  “Well, then, you understand what I’m talking about.”

  Joey’s footsteps pounded on the concrete as he made his way back. I offered him a smile when he came to a stop. Again, he made me proud of everything he had become. Everything he was meant to be. And, most importantly, everything he wouldn’t have been if he knew.

  “Fuck! I shouldn’t have left you with him. You aren’t telling this fool how you always beat me, are you?”