Hotbox

by Delia Delaney

  Then baseball season came again and I was gone more, leaving my dad to turn to his booze more often—and, I later found out, gambling. He pushed me around now and then, but I was pretty much able to avoid any serious altercations with him. Until one day I told him he should stop drinking… He nearly hit the roof that night, screaming and cursing at me. It probably made the top five of his worst drunken moments and I have the scar to prove it.

  I had plans to move out the day I turned eighteen, so for two years I worked my butt off and saved my money, dreaming for that day to come. My dad still had his moments of being a decent person. We’d still spend time in the garage working on the Nova now and then, so I found it hard to hate him entirely. I wished there had been some way I could have kept him away from the alcohol, but I just didn’t know what to do. I tried as hard as I could to keep him occupied, but I wasn’t always there to head off some of his binges.

  “Honey? Are you asleep?” Jayden turned her head to see me.

  “No, I’m awake,” I replied, kissing the side of her face. “What did you ask?”

  “Nothing. You’ve just been so quiet, I thought maybe you were asleep.”

  “How could I sleep when I have your beautiful body in front of me?”

  She laughed and replied, “You tell me. You’ve done it before.” She fully turned to face me with a smile, pulling herself as close as she could. “Am I not interesting enough to keep your attention?” she asked, kissing me just enough to tease me.

  “Oh, you don’t even have to be in the same room as me to keep my attention. I get a little distracted at work sometimes just thinking about you.”

  “Yeah? What do you usually think about?” she wondered, kissing me a little more.

  “Usually this…holding you and kissing you. It occupies my mind quite a bit.”

  “Mmm,” she smiled, and we continued to kiss. She pulled back after a while and said, “I’m so excited for tomorrow.”

  My mind was scrambling to remember what tomorrow was…

  “I get to have you for an entire day,” she added.

  That’s right, it was Independence Day. Lou was closing the garage and Jayden had the day off. We had lots planned to keep ourselves busy. Besides Christmas, the 4th of July was Jayden’s favorite holiday because of the fireworks. She loved fireworks.

  “Remind me what the schedule is,” I said to her.

  “There is no schedule. We can do whatever we want. But the first thing I’ll do is make you breakfast, and then we’ll go from there.”

  “Oh, so you’ve got this all planned out, do you?”

  She laughed. “Mmhmm. You, you, and more you; baseball, the barbecue, maybe some festivities at the lake tomorrow, and some fireworks…”

  “Hmm, how ‘bout we make some of our own fireworks right now?”

  Chapter Twenty

  It was a holiday but I figured I should take a chance and make the call, hoping I could somehow get a hold of someone. I sat on the couch and dialed the number.

  “Hey, is Marty around?”

  “Sure, one moment please.”

  I waited until Marty’s voice came on the line. “This is Marty.”

  “Hey, this is Tyler Huntington. I wanted to talk to you about the job. I’d like to reconsider it.”

  There was silence on the other end and I was about to ask if he was still there.

  “Uh, I’m sorry Ty, but the job… The job isn’t available anymore.”

  “It’s not? I thought you weren’t filling the position until next week. Isn’t that what you said?”

  “Uh, yeah… It’s not exactly filled… Uh, it’s just not available to you. I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t afford any trouble. I’ve got a family. I’ve- I’ve been threatened not to hire you. I’m really sorry. Like I said, I don’t know what you’re mixed up in, but I wish you the best of luck. I have to pretend this didn’t happen, okay? I’m sorry, but don’t call again.”

  He hung up.

  I was numb. Yes, his influence could reach anywhere. My option of leaving town for another job had been taken away from me, and now I was stuck. Kristof Olevsky knew what he had to do to keep me here, and he did it.

  As angry as I was, it was probably just as well. Taking away a job opportunity was nothing compared to the things I had heard him do to others. He kept my body parts in tact so I could still work and carry out my new “assignment.” Bobby could still hardly move his arm after it had been so severely dislocated two months ago because he had missed a major deal.

  My relationship with Olevsky was a little different than most of the guys that worked for him. He had an absurd fantasy that I was like a son to him. It’s a very sad and disappointing story of how he worked his way into my life, but he did, and I was naïve to believe he really was a good friend of my father’s. He had always been really nice to me, treated me with respect, and even helped me apply for my first job.

  I turned eighteen the September of my senior year and I moved out on my own the very next day. Kristof found a great apartment that happened to be pretty inexpensive and I lived there for almost three years until I completed my final year of high school and two years of college. My own father hadn’t helped me with anything, so it was a nice change to have someone care about me. But I had no idea he was basically grooming me for the future, planting himself in my life so he could be in my good graces for later. Had I known then what I knew now, I would have avoided him like the plague. Once he got his hooks into you, there was no way to break free. But on the other sad side of it, if he really wanted you, you literally had no choice.

  When the day came—the first time I ever had to bail my father out—it didn’t take long for me to understand what I had gotten myself into. I realized Olevsky had influence over almost everything I did throughout the previous few years—where I lived, where I worked, the pay I’d received. He’s a masterful liar and has a way to make you believe anything, but there are some things he is very honest about, just to keep things “real.” Sometimes he tells me things I really don’t want to hear…

  “What do you feel like having for breakfast?” Jayden asked, coming through the front door. She had on shorts and a t-shirt and looked pretty sporty with her hair in a long ponytail.

  “I don’t know. You look so cute I’m not even thinking about food right now. I don’t think you should take those legs in public.”

  She looked down at them and frowned. “I shouldn’t wear shorts?”

  I laughed and said, “I think I’ll have a problem with all the guys that are gonna stare at you.”

  She scowled at me. “You’re wearing shorts. Maybe I don’t want girls to stare at your legs.”

  “Ah, I’m used to it,” I replied with a smile.

  She laughed as she came to the couch and sat on my lap. “Well, aren’t you full of yourself,” she told me.

  “I think the proper term is ‘confident,’ ” I corrected.

  “Well, whatever it is you want to convince yourself of…”

  “It’s your fault. You’re the one that always tells me how good I look, how hot I am, what an amazing smile I have—”

  “Oh, poor baby! Maybe I should stop. Sounds like you’re ‘confident’ enough and don’t need to hear it anymore.”

  “No, I need it, I really do,” I pleaded. “I need to hear you tell me all kinds of wonderful things, even if they’re not true. I’m just an insecure fool that needs his ego babied…”

  She was laughing by then and we had fun joking back and forth for another minute. We ended up lying on the couch with each other when she said, “I could get used to this.”

  “What’s that?” I asked, kissing her neck. “Making out on the couch?”

  “No,” she laughed, playfully pushing me away. “Being able to see you every morning. It feels very…natural.”

  I paused for a moment as I looked at her closely. “Are you talking about moving in with me?”

  “Well, that depends. If you th
ink it’s a good idea, then yeah, that’s what I mean. If you think it’s a terrible idea, then no, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I had to laugh. “Anything that involves spending more time with you is a fantastic idea,” I assured her. “But I don’t know if moving in with me is something you’d want to do just yet.” Her father would probably kill me.

  “Do you like having me here? I mean…”

  “Of course I do. I love being with you more than anything. I’d love it if you didn’t leave every night.”

  “Okay. I’m just throwing it out there…just in case you’d consider it.” She removed herself from the couch and said, “I’m going to make breakfast.”

  I watched her leave the room, still slightly surprised by her suggestion. Jayden was so conservative; it wasn’t something I expected her to propose. I wondered if she was worried I would never marry her, and moving in with me was the next best thing. It made me feel awful.

  After a minute of thinking about it, I got up and followed her into the kitchen.

  “What happened to your plans with Cali?” I asked, leaning against the counter near her. “I thought you have a house you’re going to rent together.”

  She sighed and her mouth revealed a partial frown. “Cali wants a one-way ticket out of here. She’s going to be moving to L.A. before long.”

  “L.A.? Are you serious? What’s down there for her?”

  “Some fancy salon that her boss’s sister owns. When her boss leaves town in the fall to go work there, she wants to take Cali with her.”

  Jayden kept busy with starting breakfast, but I could tell it bothered her. I had to admit I was really stunned. The two of them were pretty close and I couldn’t picture how it was going to be with Cali being so far away.

  Maybe it was the right time to make a few changes…

  Nine o’clock found us on a baseball diamond at Jayden’s former high school. Apparently it was a long-standing tradition for some of her friends to play ball every 4th of July. Shawn and Josh played high school baseball, and so did Matt, but Jayden said they were dying for me to play with them too. I wasn’t sure if that was exactly true, but I was thrilled to play ball again and looked forward to it. She also invited Jack and Megan, and Jesse came from two hours away to play with us as well.

  Jayden claimed she didn’t always play, but today I convinced her she was going to.

  “Maybe I should have made you take me to the cages first,” she told me. “Shawn’s a big jerk sometimes and thinks it’s funny when I strike out. He has no mercy.”

  “You’re not gonna strike out,” I told her. “You’re a seasoned slugger now. Just pretend it’s Shawn’s ego you’re aiming at and you can’t miss.”

  She laughed really hard. “You’ve only been around Shawn a couple of times and you already know how arrogant he is?”

  “Guys just look at each other and we can tell.”

  “And there’s no mixing up arrogance with confidence?” she teased.

  “Nah, we just assume we’re all arrogant.”

  Shawn called everyone out to play and the teams were split. There were just barely enough people to make two full teams, but we made it happen. There were four girls playing: Jayden and Stacie were on the same team as Matt, Jesse, and me; Megan and Aubrey were with Jack, Shawn, and Josh. Silvia and Cali came, but they weren’t willing to play. I didn’t know the rest of the guys so Jayden introduced everyone before we started.

  Jack, Jesse, and I dropped the extra baseballs we brought behind the backstop and Matt asked, “What, you guys bring your own spares?”

  “This is a high school field, isn’t it?” Jesse grinned.

  Our team fielded first and Matt had me catch. Jayden was sent to the outfield, so Jesse took his usual spot and went with her. Matt was actually a pretty decent pitcher. He sent them in really well for the guys that could hit, and he eased up nice and accurate for the girls. Megan was up to bat so I was trying to help her out. She got a partial hit but it rolled right to Matt, so he tossed her out at first.

  Jayden wasn’t even in right field anymore. She had moved closer to the center and I could tell she was talking to Jesse. When Jack was up to bat Jesse must have said something because Jayden returned to her spot and Jesse moved deeper into the outfield. Jack pointed his bat to center field and I saw Jesse smile, motioning for him to “bring it on.”

  “Maybe I should hit to Jayden,” Jack said to me. “Can she catch?”

  “I have no idea,” I admitted. “She looks bored, though.”

  “I don’t want to make her feel bad if she misses it.”

  “Nah, she’s easy going. But let’s just see if Jesse’s already out of practice.”

  Jack laughed and stepped up to the plate. He hit a blazing grounder between center and left, and Jesse ran and dove to retrieve it in no time. He quickly threw it in to second to cut off a double, so Jack smiled and back-peddled to remain safe at first.

  “Sheesh, did they purposely separate us into the furthest positions possible?” Jayden asked when she came in from the outfield to bat.

  I laughed and said, “I think I’ll make you play infield next inning, just so I can see you better.”

  Jayden was the batter just before me, and Shawn was teasing her before she even made it to the plate. She just smiled and gave me a look that said, “See? Told you so.”

  “No worries,” I said to her. “Just get up there, watch the ball, and swing. You hit this ball, and I’ll let you give me a massage later on.”

  She laughed and said, “Okay, sport, sounds like a plan.”

  She wasn’t kidding when she said Shawn wouldn’t ease up on her. He threw it in there just like he did for the guys.

  “Give her a break,” Matt said to him.

  “No way,” Shawn said from the mound. “She’s too fast. She gets on base and you guys will score.”

  Matt turned to me and said, “All you have to do is threaten him and he’ll listen. He knows better than to throw like that to Stacie.”

  Jayden stepped away from the plate and gave me a look. I mouthed “Shawn’s ego” and pointed her back to the plate. With a smile she returned to the plate and waited for the pitch.

  And she hit it. Hard.

  Matt swore and then added, “Nice hit!”

  The ball was scooped up by the left fielder, but Jayden was already halfway to second.

  “Holy crap,” Jesse said. “I think she could outrun me. Did you know she was that fast?” he asked me.

  “Not really,” I replied with a smile. “I’ve never seen her run. I’ve been jogging with her and she’s got great endurance, but I’ve never seen her speed.”

  “I think my pride is wounded. I might have to race her to the fence to prove to myself that I’m faster.”

  I looked at her on second base and hollered, “Great hit, Jay! You ready to run home?”

  She gave me two thumbs up and said, “Just hit it over the fence so I don’t have to work very hard!”

  “But Jesse wants to time you from second to home!”

  She smiled with a shrug as I stepped up to the plate.

  “You’re pretty confident, huh?” Shawn quipped from the mound.

  I shrugged and said, “If the girls can hit against you, I think I’m okay.”

  I heard a few people laugh and so did Shawn. I was glad he was nothing like Chris; I might’ve ended up being pegged with the ball. But Shawn was pretty laid back and he was ready for the challenge. I let him throw a few pitches before I chose one to my liking and swung the bat. After it went over the fence between center and left, Jayden stepped off second base and jogged home. When I crossed the plate I heard Jesse trying to convince her to race him to the fence.

  “Nah, I wouldn’t want to make you feel bad,” she teased.

  “Very nice hit,” I told her.

  “Thanks. I have a pretty good coach. I think he has the hots for me, too.”

  “Well, I certainly can’t blame him,” I smiled
. “He has excellent taste.”

  The game continued until noon. Between Jack, Jesse, and me, we hit a total of nine homeruns. Matt even hit one towards the end of the game. When most of the people left, we took the remainder of the balls and just hit for a while. When Matt was done pitching to us he asked, “Hey, Ty, you’re coming over, right?”

  “Yeah, we’re planning on it.”

  “What about your other friends? Do they want to come, too? They’re more than welcome, you know.”

  “Oh, thanks. I think Jack and Megan have plans, but I’ll ask Jesse. I’m sure he might wanna come.”

  “Sure. We’ll see you later, then.”

  “See ya, Ty,” Stacie said.

  She waved to Jayden in the outfield and Jayden hollered, “See you in a little bit!”

  Jayden had me take her home so she could change her clothes, but she ended up showering too, just as I knew she would. Jesse met us back at my house and he said it felt like it’d been longer than just a few weeks since he moved out.

  “I was expecting girly pillows on the couch and flowers and stuff,” he joked when Jayden was in the kitchen.

  I smiled and said, “The only thing here that’s actually hers is a guitar.”

  “So…what’s the plan? Are there wedding bells in the near future? You guys gonna move in together? What’s going on?”

  I was a little hesitant to answer because I wasn’t really sure myself. “I don’t know. It’s kind of complicated.”

  “Yeah, she’s kind of reserved. The idea of living with you probably freaks her out,” he chuckled.

  “Actually she was the one that brought it up this morning.”