immediately went off, and when Jake reached the living room, Al Mercado had already stood up from the couch. His thin gray hair was a mess, and he was tucking a wrinkled pin-striped button-down shirt into gray sweatpants.
‘Hey, Jake, what a surprise . . . Wow, this is really great.’
Al came around the coffee table to greet Jake. He wiped his palm on the seat of his pants a couple of times before shaking hands with Jake, but his hand was still sweaty. Jake noticed about a quarter of the
Racing Form
sticking out from underneath a couch cushion.
‘So what’re you up to?’ Jake asked.
‘What? Oh, nothing, just watching a little TV. So how’re you doing? You look great, really great, and you had another big year, huh?’
‘I did all right.’
‘Look how modest he is. The best baseball player in the world and he says, “I did all right.” That’s why you’re such a great guy, Jake - that’s why everybody always tells me how lucky I am to have you as my future son-in-law.’
‘Thanks, man,’Jake said. ‘That’s really nice of you to say. And I’d be lucky to have you as a father-in-law too.’
Christina looked away, shaking her head.
‘Hey, that’s really something - wow,’ Al said. ‘Well, I don’t want to get in your way. I mean, I know you haven’t seen each other in a long time and probably have a lot of catching up to do, so I guess I’ll—’
‘Jake’s just coming in to use the bathroom,’ Christina said.
‘Oh,’ Al said. ‘Well, that’s too bad. You should stay - have something to eat. I don’t have anything to offer you right now, but I can go out and, um, pick up some stuff, or—’
‘You know, that sounds like a great idea,’ Jake said.
‘No, it doesn’t,’ Christina said.
‘Why not?’ Jake said. ‘I’d love to hang for a while.’
‘Great,’ Al said. ‘I’ll just run to the store and pick up some—’
‘Jake isn’t staying,’ Christina said firmly. ‘He’s using the bathroom, then he’s going home.’ She turned to Jake and said, ‘Go ahead,’ stepping aside to let him continue onto the staircase.
‘Be back in a sec,’ Jake said, smiling.
Jake went upstairs, along the wall-to-wall-carpeted hallway, and then right into Christina’s room and turned on the light. The room smelled like Christina, like Eternity - Jake made a mental note to buy her a classier perfume - and it looked pink and girlie in a Marcia Brady, Barbie-doll kind of way. The wallpaper, carpeting, and bedsheets were all pink, and she had the same pink dresser opposite her bed that she’d had since high school, with a large pink-framed mirror hanging over it. In the corner near the window there was a vanity, also pink, with all of her makeup, perfume bottles, and combs and brushes spread out.
Jake turned on the stereo and Enrique Iglesias started crooning.
Perfecto,
he thought. He dimmed the light to the level of candlelight, then undressed and got into bed.
A few minutes later Jake heard Christina in the hallway, outside the bathroom, say, ‘Jake?’
‘In here, baby,’ Jake called out.
Christina entered the room and saw Jake in bed, then looked away quickly.
‘Get dressed right now,’ she said, turning on the light to its full brightness.
‘Come on,’ Jake said.
Christina shut off the stereo. As she was walking away, Jake said, ‘Whoa, hold up,’ and got out of bed.
Christina stopped near the door with her back to Jake.
‘Look, I know I’ve been an asshole,’ Jake said, ‘and I should’ve called you more. But the past is the past. I grew up - I matured.’
‘Come on, Jake—’
‘I know you don’t want to break up with me. If you did, you wouldn’t’ve kissed me the way you did before.’
‘I was surprised—’
‘You liked it. Besides, if you really wanted to break up with me, you would’ve dumped me years ago. But you didn’t, because you know we were meant to be together.’
Christina didn’t say anything. ‘I mean, come on,’ Jake went
‘Hey, Jake, what a surprise . . . Wow, this is really great.’
Al came around the coffee table to greet Jake. He wiped his palm on the seat of his pants a couple of times before shaking hands with Jake, but his hand was still sweaty. Jake noticed about a quarter of the
Racing Form
sticking out from underneath a couch cushion.
‘So what’re you up to?’ Jake asked.
‘What? Oh, nothing, just watching a little TV. So how’re you doing? You look great, really great, and you had another big year, huh?’
‘I did all right.’
‘Look how modest he is. The best baseball player in the world and he says, “I did all right.” That’s why you’re such a great guy, Jake - that’s why everybody always tells me how lucky I am to have you as my future son-in-law.’
‘Thanks, man,’Jake said. ‘That’s really nice of you to say. And I’d be lucky to have you as a father-in-law too.’
Christina looked away, shaking her head.
‘Hey, that’s really something - wow,’ Al said. ‘Well, I don’t want to get in your way. I mean, I know you haven’t seen each other in a long time and probably have a lot of catching up to do, so I guess I’ll—’
‘Jake’s just coming in to use the bathroom,’ Christina said.
‘Oh,’ Al said. ‘Well, that’s too bad. You should stay - have something to eat. I don’t have anything to offer you right now, but I can go out and, um, pick up some stuff, or—’
‘You know, that sounds like a great idea,’ Jake said.
‘No, it doesn’t,’ Christina said.
‘Why not?’ Jake said. ‘I’d love to hang for a while.’
‘Great,’ Al said. ‘I’ll just run to the store and pick up some—’
‘Jake isn’t staying,’ Christina said firmly. ‘He’s using the bathroom, then he’s going home.’ She turned to Jake and said, ‘Go ahead,’ stepping aside to let him continue onto the staircase.
‘Be back in a sec,’ Jake said, smiling.
Jake went upstairs, along the wall-to-wall-carpeted hallway, and then right into Christina’s room and turned on the light. The room smelled like Christina, like Eternity - Jake made a mental note to buy her a classier perfume - and it looked pink and girlie in a Marcia Brady, Barbie-doll kind of way. The wallpaper, carpeting, and bedsheets were all pink, and she had the same pink dresser opposite her bed that she’d had since high school, with a large pink-framed mirror hanging over it. In the corner near the window there was a vanity, also pink, with all of her makeup, perfume bottles, and combs and brushes spread out.
Jake turned on the stereo and Enrique Iglesias started crooning.
Perfecto,
he thought. He dimmed the light to the level of candlelight, then undressed and got into bed.
A few minutes later Jake heard Christina in the hallway, outside the bathroom, say, ‘Jake?’
‘In here, baby,’ Jake called out.
Christina entered the room and saw Jake in bed, then looked away quickly.
‘Get dressed right now,’ she said, turning on the light to its full brightness.
‘Come on,’ Jake said.
Christina shut off the stereo. As she was walking away, Jake said, ‘Whoa, hold up,’ and got out of bed.
Christina stopped near the door with her back to Jake.
‘Look, I know I’ve been an asshole,’ Jake said, ‘and I should’ve called you more. But the past is the past. I grew up - I matured.’
‘Come on, Jake—’
‘I know you don’t want to break up with me. If you did, you wouldn’t’ve kissed me the way you did before.’
‘I was surprised—’
‘You liked it. Besides, if you really wanted to break up with me, you would’ve dumped me years ago. But you didn’t, because you know we were meant to be together.’
Christina didn’t say anything. ‘I mean, come on,’ Jake went
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