Jugador: The Mendoza Family, page 14
“Can you bring it to me, baby?” I had no idea who’d be calling me, unless it was a vendor who wanted to discuss an order. In my business, it wasn’t unusual to talk to people at any hour of the day, any day. Usually, vendors were either on the East Coast or West Coast, and since it was late, I assumed it was one of my vendors on Pacific time.
Eric pulled my cell out of my purse, checking out the screen as he took another bite of his cookie, clicking the passcode in, and answered it, putting the phone to his ear.
Oh no. He had answered my phone before when it was one of my family members calling. If this was a business call, I didn’t want to lose any ground or upset anyone. “This is Eric. Who are you?” I heard him say. I snapped my fingers, signaling for him to hand me my cell. I did hear Emilio snort in jest. Of course, he probably would’ve done the same thing. My family didn’t understand the concept of boundaries. Maybe because we basically lived on top of each other for years.
“Are you my tía’s boyfriend? How come I’ve never met you?”
“Eric,” I warned about to climb over the couch and wrestle the phone from him.
I heard Emilio brag, “That’s my boy.” Sofí nudged him in the ribs.
“Okay, here she is.” Finally, he handed me my cell.
“This is Lily,” I answered, hoping this wasn’t a pissed-off vendor.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” My brows scrunched together. “Can I help you?”
“Do you still take photos for inspiration?” What the heck?
“Who is this?” I stood up and walked out of the living room to the darkened hallway, not wanting everyone in my business. The voice was familiar, but I didn’t believe he’d…
“The unemotional shell.”
“Marco?” I breathed in disbelief.
“Glad I left such an impression.” He chuckled. “Yeah. It’s me.”
“How did you get my number?”
“It’s the same number you had in high school.”
Right. “Okay,” I answered slowly. “But why are you calling me?”
“I wanted to know if you still remembered the day we went to the arboretum. When you took the pictures.”
How did he go from not remembering me to remembering that day? Yes. I remember. “What do you want?”
“It’s a yes or no question. Do you remember?”
Why was he asking me this? Why was I even talking to him on the phone? He’d been such a cold, unfeeling, dickhead at the gala who was obviously graced with whatever he wished. No matter who was used in the process to fulfill his boredom. “Yes,” I breathed tightly.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that day lately,” he said quietly as if in deep thought. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot, too.”
I sat silent, while I could hear the muffled sound of bass through the phone.
“Look, I’m sorry about the other night. I—”
Banging on a door through the phone caused me to jump, and a deep voice rumbled, “Yo, Marco, your girl is looking for you…and damn, bro, you’re on the phone hitting up another mamacita!” Whoever it was laughed out loud over dramatically.
“Get the fuck out, man. I’ll be down in a sec,” Marco growled.
“You got balls, playa!”
“I need to go.” I felt like a big fool. I didn’t even know why I entertained the idea again that Marco Cruz would be the guy I always dreamed he would be when I was a naïve teenager. Clearly, the joke was on me.
“Wait, Lily,” Marco rushed, and the comedian who was still in Marco’s vicinity dosed me with a reality check and called out, “Lily! Holla at your boy!”
Marco spewed out some curse words at the guy. I clenched my phone tighter, wishing it was his throat. “This has been very uneventful,” I began, keeping my voice detached. “Look, Marco, please don’t contact me again. I don’t know why you did, but I really don’t enjoy being someone’s punch line.” I clicked the red button ending the call before I heard any more bullshit of his. I stared into space. Why? Why? Why? I did refrain from banging my head against the wall. Small victories.
“Tía, are you okay?” Eric stood in the hallway before me with concern in his little dark eyes. He was such a sweet child who fell right in line with all the men in our family. “Did you break up with your boyfriend?” he asked, and I tilted my head as he watched me with a serious face. Where was he hearing all of this? Boyfriends and girlfriends. Obviously, at school. Emilio told me about one of the girls in his class having her lip gloss confiscated because she whipped it out in front of the teacher and said she needed to put it on so that Eric would want to kiss her. Jeez. In Kindergarten.
I shook my head. “No. He’s not my boyfriend, baby. Just an old friend.”
He stepped in and hugged me around the waist in a bear hug. Eric was like his father and never did things in half measures. “Wanted to make sure you were okay before I went to bed.”
“I’m fine, sweetheart. I love you so much.” I held him tight.
“I love you, too, Tía Lily.”
Marco
“Mr. Cruz, can you sign my football?” A boy who looked like he couldn’t be more than twelve was standing in front of me with a pigskin laid out in his palm. He had on a Wildcats’ jersey with the number twelve, my number, and inky unruly hair. His deep brown eyes were raised in a mixture of uncertainty and hunger. I knew that look so well, son.
I’d come back to Dallas for a fundraiser for a charter school, raising money to give scholarships to kids who were less fortunate. Back to my roots. Fuck that. This city left a sour taste in my mouth I hadn’t tasted in years. Well, I still felt salty when I had to come here to play an out of town game against the Lobos. My former favorite team when I was a kid, but your loyalty was with the team you were with. We played them at least two times a year. Our division rivals. Out of character for us, we had a shitty season last year, a losing season, while they made it to the playoffs. Whatever. I’d been here for over an hour, slotted for a two-hour spot and hadn’t had a chance to come up for breath. That’s how it was when I made appearances at signings. Didn’t matter what city or what charity I did. The fans showed. I was still amazed by the following I had. I always dreamed of meeting my idols, and it humbled me to no end when it happened to me.
“Sure. What’s your name?”
“Mario,” he said and added, “I’m your biggest fan.” I took the ball from him and started signing with my Sharpie.
“I knew you would be a star.” I heard a female voice and glanced up at the older woman who had dyed black hair and grayish-brown eyes, like me. She was both so forgettable and memorable at the same time, and it took me a second to see the blot I made from the marker I’d pressed into the football as I stared. The woman I’d tried to avoid.
I rolled my lips together, wondering how the hell she got in here in the first place. For years, my entourage knew to be on the lookout for this crazy-ass woman who’d essentially tried to ruin my life. I had the wherewithal to hand the football back to Mario calmly. “You play football?”
“Yeah, I wanna be a baller like you,” he beamed.
I tapped his shoulder in encouragement, keeping my composure intact. “Work hard. Keep your head down. Grind. Don’t worry about what’s going on around you.”
He conceded, and I expected him to walk off and find his parents. To my surprise, he took two steps back and sidled close to the woman I’d found questionable. My insides turned, wondering what the hell was unfolding. I turned my head, moving on to the next fan, but I heard, “Wait. Marco. Let me properly introduce you.”
What? I wanted to ignore this bitch and have her ass arrested for harassment, but I wouldn’t make a scene in front of a line of people. She added, “Just five minutes of your time. That’s all I ask.” Funny how she could act so innocent and humble in front of people. Unfortunately, we both knew it was a bullshit act.
I glanced her way. Okay, Mother. I wanted to throw up, but I would never show her how she’d affected me in any way, if ever. I nodded imperceptibly.
She graced me with a wide smile. “This is Mario. He’s twelve and loves football like you. He’s your brother, Marco.”
I stood stone cold with a little fury buzzing through me because…what the fuck? This evil woman was like Jason from Friday the 13th. She just wouldn’t die. Why? She knew she was the center of attention and ate it up, gazing lovingly down at the boy who looked like me, but then again, he didn’t quite look the same. Whether it was a fake show or not, I wanted to upturn the table and be my angry self but knew I couldn’t. Too many people were watching. Don’t fuck up your image.
Instead, I put on my insured million-dollar smile because I had to. I gripped the table, goddammit. I strengthened my resolve and forced myself to stand tall as my absentee mother approached.
“Marco, this is your younger brother,” my mom reiterated and curled her arm around Mario’s shoulder as though this was so natural to have a Maury Povich fucked-up family reveal at a charity event. Because who didn’t?
Mario stuck out his hand timidly. He was embarrassed, but it wasn’t his fault. I reached out and shook his hand awkwardly. His palms were sweaty, and he glanced at his mother—my mother—who stepped in like a vulture. I glanced behind her at the line of people still waiting. However, mommy dearest commanded my attention. “Finally, we’ve been reunited, baby.”
“She slipped in somehow.” A young blonde, one of the project planners who coordinated the event, raised her eyes to me. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Cruz. I don’t know where the system broke down, but believe me, we’re looking into it.”
“Yeah. Work on that.” What did it matter what I said now? It’d already happened. It’s not like I was coming back here again anytime soon. Fuck, I wish my agent Brian was here. He always handled this crap for me, but he was on his honeymoon in Antigua. Considering he catered to my every need twenty-four seven for the past seven years. No matter whether he thought I sounded like an egomaniac or not, he was there for me. Brian Callahan earned his money, but he also made a helluva lot too. Now, he was one of the top sports agents in the business. Thanks to me because I took a chance on a dorky suit guy who was still paying off college loans from Stanford (from ten years ago) and had no skins on the wall or repped any superstar when I came out of college broker my deals.
Phone in hand, I glanced around the event center, wary that my mother could be lingering around somewhere. Not that I was afraid of her. I just didn’t want to have a confrontation with her with Mario around. He seemed like a good kid, and I truly did wish the best for him. Regardless, if he seemed to be dealt a better hand with parenting than I had. At least she hadn’t deserted him. Wasn’t his fault what my mother did to me. Wasn’t his fault what my mother was still doing to me.
This day had been uneventful, and I didn’t have my usual entourage around to keep me distracted. I stepped outside and saw my car waiting; the driver was already at my door opening it for me. “I can get my door, thanks.” It always felt weird having someone drive me around, but it didn’t suck either.
“Back to the W?” It was the hotel near downtown where I was staying.
“No. Take a right up here. I need to make a quick stop.” We headed down the busy street where there was a high-end shopping center over to the left. “Hang a left.” I scanned around at the Tesla, Mercedes, BMWs, and Range Rovers that filled the parking lot. Even saw a few Ferraris sprinkled in. We were in the ritzy area of Dallas. Not that I didn’t see this shit wherever I went, but I couldn’t help feel a sense of pride. She made it.
I directed the driver to drop me off in front of Gitana, the same place where Lily started off working when she took that summer job after high school. Now, she owned the place. How did I find this out? Did I not say I recently stalked her on social media? Besides, I had Brian do some recon on her, too. It wasn’t hard to figure it out. Lily bought it from her previous employer.
“I got the door.” I jumped out before my driver could do it. I paused as I heard the car pull away, ran my hands through my hair, and tried to get my shit together. Old habits were hard to break. Whenever stuff felt weird (aka my family), I’d turned to Lily in the past. Again, old habits, and I was obviously a creature of habit. I never shared my bullshit with the girls I dated since I didn’t ever feel compelled to. No reason to analyze. My father was in prison and my ma was a cold bitch who was stalking me relentlessly and extorting money from me. I gripped the handle on the door and pulled it open. I was flying by the seat of my pants here. I’d dialed Lily’s number a few more times since that night I called her in my room, but she never answered.
I stepped into the cozy place, and there were a handful of women browsing around in the small boutique, but I didn’t see Lily. As I was about to turn around and leave, I heard her singsong voice, “Here’s our latest arrival. It will go perfectly with the silk skirt you already have.”
I twisted my head to see her draping a top over her customer and explaining how and why this piece would be perfect for her. After she sent the lady off to the dressing room with the blouse, she turned and saw me. She looked like the Lily I remembered in high school. Her unique style was one of many a comforting memory I’d held onto. She also turned away quickly. Buzzing from one customer to another. Not acknowledging I was here.
I was watching her like a crazy person, lost in my thoughts until I realized she was once again gone. Where did she go?
My tolerance for what I wanted when I wanted it was low. Where the fuck is she? Guess I said it out loud because one of the customers flashed a smile and pointed to the back. She even added a, “You’re my favorite player even though I hate the Wildcats” reference. I smiled and mumbled thanks on repeat and stalked to the back.
I pushed through the door and saw Lily on the phone looking at her laptop as she spoke. “Adrian, I’m so excited about the new development in Frisco. This is going to be the store that sends me into legit business. This area is growing so fast that businesses can’t keep up.”
I closed the door behind me silently, but she glanced my way and gripped her phone tighter. Lily’s eyes narrowed as she said quietly, “I have to go, primo. We’ll talk later, ’kay? Love you.”
She clicked off her phone and watched me with a wary look. “What are you doing here?”
Good goddamn question. I scrutinized my shoes like a twelve-year-old thinking of my alibi. It all probably seemed foolish, but Lily had seen me act the fool years ago. I leaned back against the wall behind me. “Saw my mom today.”
I knew it’d been years. I knew I was in a different place now financially than I was in high school. Lily was too. Everything had changed and the statement hung in the air for several seconds as we were both squared off in silence. She finally answered, “And?”
“Never mind.” I felt like a fucking idiot bringing this up in front of her, and evidently, she wasn’t interested in hearing my overblown drama. “I don’t know why I’m here.”
“I don’t know either. I’m not going to sit here and blow sunshine up your ass, Marco.” She sounded like one of my old coaches. “I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to have sympathy for someone who has more money than most of the US population, but chooses to conduct himself as an asshole.”
I raised my head, not used to anyone speaking to me like that in recent years.
She continued, “I told you not to contact me again, and I meant it.” She eyed me like I was a despicable person. “I don’t know what you hope to gain from this, but I’m not the same girl I was years ago.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t. You don’t know. You didn’t even remember me at the gala, and what you did.”
“I get it, Lily.”
“Do you? I don’t think you do. Why are you here? I’m not your entertainment just because you happen to be in my city, and you’re bored, nor am I your…”
“Therapist,” I filled in for her.
She ran her fingers over her temples. “Just leave, Marco. Leave me alone. We’re not kids anymore.”
“No, we aren’t, are we?”
She didn’t even grace me with a response. Lily pushed her way around me, grabbing the handle of the door leading out to the store. Without thought, I reached out and stopped her. “What if I told you I can’t stop thinking about you?”
“Then, I’d call you the biggest liar.” She ducked around me, but I pulled her back to face me.
“It’s the truth.”
“Just stop.” She yanked her wrist out of my grasp. “You say that while you have a slew of women at your beck and call.”
“It’s not like that, and I’ve never been serious with anyone.”
“Of course, you haven’t. Are they all overzealous groupies?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“What are you talking about?”
She laughed humorlessly. “You don’t even remember saying that?”
What the hell was she talking about? “No. Fill me in here.”
“Besides saying some disgusting things to me at the gala, you called me an overzealous groupie.”
I winced, feeling like complete shit. I was fucked up that night. Not an excuse, but I didn’t remember all I said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too,” she agreed, straightening her shoulders. “Sorry I was so wrong about you. Now, please leave before I call security and have you escorted out. And don’t contact me anymore.” She ripped the door open and slipped away, leaving me standing alone. Just like I deserved. Like always. You got what you wanted, Cruz.
Lily
“Here’s your coffee.” I plucked out a cup from the carrier and handed them out to Tía, Tío, and my cousin Adrian and took my own and sat down beside them. “Any update?” Sofía had gone into labor a few hours ago.
“No news yet,” Dani said across from me. She raised her eyes to me briefly before shifting them back down to study her laptop. “What do you think of this bamboo floor, baby?”
