“You would have told me already,” Tony said, not bothering to look at me.
I took Kenneth’s menu and handed his and mine to the waitress, who couldn’t take her eyes off Tony.
“Is she even old enough to work here?” I asked after she walked away.
“She’s my cousin,” Tony said. “You have a woman, Kenny?”
“It’s Kenneth,” the frail man said. “But no, I don’t right now. I’m waiting for the right woman.”
Kenneth turned to look directly at me, not even trying to hide it.
Is he really in love with me?
“Well, Kenny,” Tony said. “You should find you a woman or a man, doesn’t matter to me as long as it isn’t Andrea. She’s mine.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I protested.
Both men stared each other down with me in the middle.
Why the hell did I do this?
“You heard the lady,” Kenneth said, surprising me. “She doesn’t belong to anyone yet.”
“No,” I said, scooting my chair back. “I meant I don’t belong to anyone. Period.”
“She would never be with someone like you,” Tony snarled.
“Excuse me. I’m still here. Can you two stop acting like I’m not around?”
Neither of them stopped looking at the other. The tension between them was reaching intolerable levels.
I have to stop this before it gets worse
.
“Kenny, why don’t you stop trying to hit on my woman.”
“What?” Kenneth asked, scooting his chair back.
“You know what I’m talking about,” Tony said, standing up.
Kenneth got to his feet.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I glanced around. Several people at other tables were watching us.
“Don’t do this here,” I pleaded to Tony. “Your parents are watching.”
He didn’t say a word, keeping his eyes trained on Kenneth.
“I’m going to take him home,” I said. “Let’s go, Kenneth. This isn’t working out.”
Kenneth flashed a smile, acting like a two-year-old who thought he had won a fight, not realizing everyone involved was a loser.
“You’re leaving with him?” Tony asked.
“I drove him here, and you two can’t seem to act like adults,” I hissed as quietly as possible. “Come on, Kenneth. Let’s go.”
“Where you going, Andrea?” Tony’s mother asked as she walked up.
“I’m sorry, but I need to take my friend home,” I said, knowing I couldn’t explain everything to her but hoping she understood.
“Okay,” she said, studying my face.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said while looking at Tony.
“Unless I get lucky,” Kenneth said out of nowhere.
What the hell? He talks up now? Now?
Before I had a chance to react, Tony closed the gap between him and Kenneth. I saw his hand swing back then push forward, knocking poor Kenneth to the ground with just the one punch. I put my hands over my mouth, unable to believe what was happening.
“You don’t talk to her that way,” Tony yelled.
His mother took his arm and dragged him away while I bent to check on Kenneth.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“Call the fucking cops,” he said, this weird smile on his face.
“Please don’t,” I begged. “He doesn’t need this right now.”
“And I need this?” he asked.
I offered a hand to help him off the ground. He pushed it away, standing on his own. Blood flowed from his nostrils.
“He broke my fucking nose,” Kenneth said.
“I’ll break more than that if you don’t stay away from her,” Tony shouted from across the dining room.
While it may have been partially my fault for bringing the two together and thinking they would act like adults, Tony had no excuse for getting physical. His anger terrified me. Would he hit me one day if he got too angry to think about it first? The thought scared the hell out of me.
“Let’s go, Kenneth,” I said.
“I’ll take a fucking cab.”
He stormed toward the front door. I looked at Tony then Kenneth.
Ugh!
I sighed then rushed after Kenneth.
“Hold on,” I said. “Let’s talk outside a minute.”
I caught up to him outside the front door of the restaurant. He had his phone in his hands and was frantically swiping and tapping at the screen.
“Can we talk?” I asked.
He didn’t look up from the screen of his phone.
“It’s a free country.”
“Are you calling the police?”
“I should,” he said, turning his head to look me in the eyes.
“You probably should, but I love Tony. If you care for me, you won’t do this.”
“I’ll do it for you,” he said.
“You’re going to call them?” I asked, confused.
“No,” he snapped. “I’ll let him sucker-punch me without any hassles.”
“Oh, I’m going to hassle him about it,” I said. “But if he goes to jail now, they’re going to throw him off the team again. I really appreciate you helping to get him back in the game.”
“Yeah, well, I did that for you too.”
“I’m sorry, Kenneth,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “Sometimes people just like different things. You’re not a bad person.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard all that before.”
“Don’t be mad, okay?”
“Look, I have a cab coming. Go back inside. Enjoy your dinner. I shouldn’t have come.”
“Thanks, Kenneth.”
I stepped forward to hug him then thought better of it and stuck out my hand awkwardly. He peered down his nose at it then snorted and shook his head.
“You’re something else.”
While he waited for his ride, I went back inside to smooth things over with Tony’s parents. He didn’t ask about Kenneth the rest of the night, and I didn’t bring it up.
‘Tis the Season…
THIRTY-ONE
Tony
The next morning, I woke up after she had left for work already. Before I talked to the coach about when they were going to let me play, I wanted to talk to the bookie and do something even more important.
Over the years, many people had recommended anger management, but I’d always laughed off the idea of needing it. My anger was what allowed me to do so well on the field, or so I had thought.
With things getting even more serious with Andrea, I didn’t want to take a chance of my temper ruining the relationship we were building, and I figured talking to a professional wouldn’t hurt any.
As I showered and got ready, I thought about asking Andrea to marry me. Would she say yes? With so much else on my mind, I pushed that thought aside, at least for the time being.
Surprisingly, Jackson Cash hadn’t bothered me since I’d lost the last bet. I still had time to pay them back, but I wanted to assure him the money was coming as soon as I got paid.
I still planned on selling both my vehicles and a bunch of jewelry I’d bought myself, but it would take time to liquidate everything and have money in my hand. I hoped he would wait.
After dressing, I went outside. The Maserati was parked in her garage, so I climbed into the Escalade even though it ate gasoline like a petrol beast.
I dug out my phone and hit Jackson Cash’s number in my contact list. Sitting behind the steering wheel in her driveway, I waited for him to answer.
“You better have good news,” he said.
“Calm down. I’ll have your money soon. You might have heard I’m back on the team.”
“Of course I heard, but that doesn’t change your deadline.”
“Come on, Jackson. How long have I been placing bets with you? I’m good for it, but it might take me some time. I’m getting ready for the playoffs.”
“They going to let you play?”
“Hell yeah,” I said. “And I’m going to take the team all the way to the championship.”
“We need to talk in person.”
“Really? I’m kind of busy today.”
“If you want an extension, you’re going to get your ass to the pool hall and talk to me before dinner.”
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll drive over now, but I can’t stay long.”
He chuckled.
“Your woman got you running errands?”
“No, it’s not like that. I’ll see you in a few, okay?”
He ended the call without saying anything.
I dropped my phone into the center dash then fired up the engine.
What does he want to talk to me about in person?
The question bugged me on the entire drive over.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
After parking in the lot next to the Dusty Kim pool hall, I got out of the SUV and hit the button to turn on the alarm. It wasn’t the best of neighborhoods, even for a bookie.
I walked inside, showing no fear as a few tough looking dudes looked me over. On the far side of the long room full of pool tables, I saw Jackson Cash sitting on a bench against the wall.
The sound of balls hitting each other and general cursing and laughter hit my ears as I made my way over to him.
He better not do anything stupid
, I thought.
“Tony, my boy,” he said as I stopped a few feet in front of him.
Two women, barely dressed, clung to him, one on each side.
“Let’s go to my office and talk,” he said, standing up.
I glanced around and saw Big John lurking in the distance. Jackson walked over to the bathroom door with my close behind. Once we were in the men’s room, he turned to me.
“You want to get out of the million you owe?”
“Sure,” I said. “What do you want? An autograph or something?”
He laughed.
“Funny man. I want something that will make me and the organization money.”
“Go on.”
“If you happen to make it to the championship game, I want you to lose.”
I stared into his soulless eyes, not saying a word as the consequences of getting caught ran through my mind. At the same time, I thought about all I would be able to do with the money instead of paying it to him. Jackson stared back at me, not flinching or blinking.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Be a smart man and not a funny man.”
“Throwing a game would not be smart. If I got caught…”
“How the hell are you going to get caught?”
He patted my shoulder with his hand.
“It’s not worth it. I’ll have your money in a few weeks.”
“Alright,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s your loss. Think about it. We’ll talk more later.”
“I’ll think about it and call you as soon as I have the money.”
“Suit yourself. You want to place a bet on any upcoming games?”
“No. I’m not betting anymore.”
He laughed.
“That’s what they all say. You’ll be back to me.”
No, I won’t
, I thought but said nothing.
We walked out of his office, aka the bathroom. He walked back to the arm-candy waiting for him on the bench while I made my way back outside. Would I be able to throw a game without being caught?
I considered the idea as I drove to my next stop, a flower shop. The only thing that gave me pause was Andrea. If I got caught fixing a game, my life would be ruined. Our life together would be trashed.
Still, a million dollars for throwing a single game sounded good. The money would pay for an intense wedding and honeymoon. I didn’t think I would be able to live the rest of my life without telling her.
And if I never told her, kept the secret to myself, our relationship would never last. I loved her and wanted something real. A relationship built on a secret would never last. As I drove to the nearest florist on my way home, I pushed the idea of fixing the championship game out of my mind.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Last on my list for the day, I called an anger management center and made an appointment on my way home. I felt relieved that they couldn’t fit me in that day. Apparently, quite a few people in America sought help with their temper. I wasn’t alone.
Seven dozen roses sat in the back of the Escalade. Flowers were old school, but I wanted to exert a bit of extra effort to show her how much I cared. Andrea had gone the extra mile to love me despite my temper and other problems. She deserved the very best.
I tore the petals off a few dozen roses, making a trail to her bedroom with them. Next to the bed were the only three vases she owned, all filled with the rest of the roses. Candles burned around the room, helping create a romantic mood. The only thing missing was her.
She arrived half-an-hour later. I laid on the bed, completely naked and waited for her.