Hector (Season One: The Ninth Inning #3)

by Lindsay Paige

  “She’s the only reason I’m going home. She’ll be bummed she won’t spend more time with you while she’s here.”

  “Maybe you two can sneak away and come see me at the bar tonight. If you want to.”

  “We’ll try. If I can’t, I can at least send her without me. She wants to meet your aunts, but I think that’ll have to wait until she comes next time.”

  “Okay.” I sound a little sad, so I change the subject. “Do you still want me at the game tomorrow night? I know you want me to sit with your family, but I’m not sure about that.”

  Hector thinks for a moment before answering. “What if I get you, Carissa, and your aunts tickets together? Then she could meet them, you could come, and you all could avoid my mother.”

  “I would like that a lot. My aunts will be back this afternoon and they are already asking about you. I think they might like you.”

  He grins at me. “Like me? They love me. I’m probably the best thing since sliced bread.”

  I laugh loudly at his words. “Well, I’m not sure about all that, however, you’re pretty awesome.”

  WHEN I WALK into my front door, I see Carissa first. She doesn’t look optimistic. A quick glance around doesn’t reveal my parents just yet.

  “How mad is she?” I ask, knowing she’s probably pissed beyond reasoning.

  “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen.”

  I nod, not feeling the least bit guilty over upsetting her because she was overstepping, being mean and judgmental. I sit down on the couch next to my sister and before either of us can say anything else, I hear my mother’s angry voice as she walks into the room.

  “I guess you finally decided to join your family today.”

  “You should call Zoey and thank her for convincing me to come back because I almost didn’t.”

  “Hector, you have always made wise and smart decisions in your life, but I don’t know what you are thinking right now. She works in a bar, claims she’s an artist but has only sold one painting, and on top of that, she has lesbians for a family. You’re a baseball star. What will people think?”

  “They’ll think I’m with a good person who is independent and makes me happy. Why don’t you give her an actual chance instead of looking down on her from your pedestal? I left with her last night. I didn’t stay with my family. That should tell you something, Mom.”

  “It tells me you’re not thinking straight. She has to be brainwashing you in some form. My son wouldn’t leave his family for some tattooed bartender.”

  “What do you want me to do? I’m not leaving her.” God, does she honestly think I’m being brainwashed? Come on. “I’m the one who spent all my free time trying to get her to tell me her name. I asked for her number. I asked her to hang out. I wanted her before she ever gave me the time of day. I actually know who she is. You don’t. There’s not a sane person who would have sat through that bullshit last night except Zoey because I asked her to and unlike you, she decided to be open minded and nice to someone she knew wouldn’t be. Zoey isn’t going anywhere unless she decides to walk away,” I finish, my temper rising with every word spoken between us. I knew it wouldn’t go smoothly, but my mother blew my expectations out of the water.

  “I gave you a list of lovely girls. Girls who understand our culture, our religion, our heritage. Instead, you picked up some tattooed, lesbian-raised, white girl. Was she the only girl in Memphis you saw? I’m sure I can find someone who at least has a college degree and you can have a long-lasting marriage with. This Zoey will run probably run off with some biker after she empties your bank account. How much money have you spent on her? Have you bought her a new car? What about a house?”

  “She has a degree; it’s in art history. I haven’t spent any money on her. I haven’t bought her anything but dinner. She understands all of what you mentioned. She doesn’t have to believe in the same things or be from the same place to be a good person!” I shout. “I knew you wouldn’t like certain aspects of her life, but you’re going too far with this. I’m not some teenager wanting to run off and marry the first hot chick I’ve ever met. I’m grown and you raised me well. All I want is for you to give her a chance and if you won’t do that, then be satisfied with the fact that I’ve never been happier than when I’m with her.”

  My mother settles her glare on me, letting what I’ve told her hit her hard. “Are you going to stand there and tell me, your mother, you will pick her over us?”

  “Yes,” I reply without any hesitation whatsoever. No way am I letting Zoey go because of her close mindedness.

  “How dare you, Hector? I’m your mother. I gave you life and you’re going to tell me you’d leave this family, never speak to me again, for her! Some tattooed whore!” she yells.

  “You’re going to make me choose instead of giving her a chance!” I shout right back. “You’re in the wrong here, Mom, not me and not Zoey. If you want to force me to walk away because you’re judging her, then yes, I’ll walk away. This is my life and I should be able to be with the person I want to be with.” I’ve had enough, so I turn to Carissa. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

  She quickly stands and disappears down the hall, probably to put on her shoes. I don’t wait for her, needing to get away from my mom. A few minutes later, Carissa comes outside, holding my car keys in her hand.

  “We may need these,” she says as she tosses them to me.

  “Thanks.”

  We get into the car and I drive away.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I was thinking I could take my baby sister shopping. How’s school been?”

  “It’s been better. I think my weekend here really helped me. When I got back to Miami, I had more energy and was more focused.”

  “Good. You know you can always come visit. Even if I’m out of town and you need to get away, you could come. Just don’t do anything too exciting.” I give her a quick stern look.

  “Oh no, I’m leaving that to you.” She pauses. “You know, I’ve never seen Mom mad at you. It’s usually me.”

  “Maybe she’ll leave you alone for a while then. She’ll probably be pissed again when she finds out you’re not sitting with her at the game tomorrow. I’m getting you a ticket to sit with Zoey and her aunts since you want to meet them.”

  Carissa grins. “I can’t wait to meet them. As much as you and Zoey have talked about them, I feel like I already know them. Mom may not come to the game, but Dad will. I did hear them talking last night loudly.”

  “They were arguing? Really?” I can’t believe it.

  “I know, right? Dad never says anything, but he was so pissed when you stormed off last night. He really was.” She sounds as shocked as I feel. Dad is usually the calm one.

  “Pissed at me for leaving or pissed at Mom for causing it?”

  “Not at you, at Mom. He even snapped at her to stop talking on the ride home because she was still going on about Zoey. I’ve never heard Dad speak to Mom like that before.”

  “Me either. Wow. I wonder if there’s a chance for her to come around then since he’s not on her side.” Maybe there’s hope yet.

  “Come on, Hector. She’s the most stubborn woman in the word. It’s her way or no way. I don’t see her and Zoey having lunch together in our lifetime.”

  “She doesn’t have to be friends with her, but she could be nice to her at least,” I say as I park. “Enough about that though. Let’s walk around the mall and see if we can find you something new to have.”

  “I like that idea.”

  Carissa seriously walks into every single store, dragging me with her. By the like ninth one, I’m starting to wonder what in the world was I thinking. She likes to look at everything, even if she has no interest or intention of buying it. It’s good to spend time with her though. Once I suggest she find something to wear to the bar tonight, she squeals and I spend almost an hour sitting outside of a fitting room, judging outfits. I’ve vetoed most of them so far.

  “I know it’s still
warm, but we’re not in the desert or at the beach. You need more cloth that that,” I tell her after she walks out and spins to show off shorts that might as well be those boy shorts underwear and a tube top.

  Carissa huffs. “You’re such a big brother. I bet Zoey would love this outfit.”

  “No, she wouldn’t. Try something else.”

  She disappears inside the stall once more. “This is my last one,” she calls. “If you don’t like this one, then that means more shopping.”

  I don’t reply. A few minutes later, she finally comes out wearing something decent. “Do you like it?”

  She grins and nods. “I saved the best for last.”

  “Go change, so we can check out then.”

  We do more shopping anyway. Carissa finds something she insists would be perfect for one of her friends back home, so I end up buying that for her too. Once we’re all done, we decide to eat.

  “We’ll go home and once we’re ready, we can go ahead and leave for the bar. Sound good?”

  “Yep. Is Zoey doing okay after last night? I assume so since you stayed with her.”

  “She was somewhat prepared for what was coming, but she’s fine. She didn’t dump me, so there’s hope. Are there any new guys I need to worry about with you?”

  “No more than before,” she grins.

  We enjoy our meal while Carissa talks nearly the entire time. Getting away from my mother and spending the day with my baby sister was exactly what I needed. I’m already wishing Mom hadn’t come. I feel a little guilty at the thought, but then I remember what Mom said and the guilt goes away.

  When we get back to the house, I don’t see Mom, which is good. Dad is sitting on the couch, watching TV, and Carissa goes off to start getting ready.

  “We’re going out tonight. There’s food in the fridge if you want to cook or there’s some takeout menus on top if you want to order something,” I tell him, still not quite able to believe he was angry and said something to Mom.

  “Okay. Your mother is lying down, resting.” He pauses long enough that I think he’s done and I’m about to walk away to my room when he adds, “Zoey seems like a nice girl, Hector.”

  “She’s the best,” I tell him honestly.

  “I’m glad she seems to make you happy.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to get ready.” I leave him and disappear into my room.

  Even though I was just with her earlier, I’m anxious to see Zoey again. Plus, I know Carissa will have fun since she really likes her. By the time I finish showering and getting ready, Carissa is done as well. Both of my parents are in the living room with her. I don’t even glance at my mother. I don’t have to since I know she’s probably glaring or pouting.

  “Let’s go, Carissa.”

  She stands and we leave without another word spoken. It doesn’t take us long to arrive at Big Blue. We take a seat at the bar, a grin instantly appearing on my face when Zoey walks over to us.

  “How’s your night so far, beautiful?” I give her a quick kiss.

  “Better now. How was your day?”

  “Wonderful,” Carissa answers her. “He took me shopping. Best big brother ever.” She leans over and kisses my cheek.

  “I can’t see Hector shopping all day.”

  “It was better than staying home. Besides, I couldn’t see me skydiving and I still did that.” I shake my head. “The things I do for you women.”

  “I don’t care what you say, you liked skydiving.” Zoey pokes my chest with a smile.

  “You’re delusional. Did you talk to your aunts about tomorrow? Are they coming?”

  “Yes. All I have to say is your name and they burst with happiness.”

  I grin. “Told you they love me.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She rolls her eyes.

  “You two are adorable,” Carissa says.

  “We know.” I laugh.

  AUNT LANNY AND Aunt Minnie pick me up and the three of us are off to the game. On the drive over, I tell them everything about the other night at dinner. My aunts don’t say anything; they only listen to my complaining. I leave out the part about having the most amazing sex of my life with Hector but tell them he stayed over.

  “Seems like you had an interesting evening, dear.” Aunt Lanny takes my hand as we head into the ballpark.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet Carissa. She’s a doll, and you’ll love her.” I hand over our tickets and we stroll in. I didn’t want to talk about the dinner, or Hector’s mother anymore.

  “Zoey.” I turn in time to see Carissa’s dark hair cover my face as she hugs me tightly. This girl loves hugging.

  “Hey.” I laugh and we release each other. “Let me introduce you to my aunts.”

  As I introduce them, Carissa hugs my aunts and the three of them are already cracking jokes. I knew they would get along. My aunts take Carissa and me to the concessions stand and we buy junk food. Carissa tries to buy her own items, but Aunt Minnie won’t let her.

  “You’re a college girl. You need to save your money,” she tells her. She always told me the same thing.

  We find our seats and settle in. Carissa goes on and on about skydiving and my aunts tell her about when we went zip lining in the Amazon.

  “We were down there with a charity group,” Aunt Lanny explains. “And then they took us up a large hillside, strapped us in, and shoved us off. Oh, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” She laughs.

  “You’ve been to the Amazon?” Carissa eyes are wide.

  “We’ve been just about everywhere,” Aunt Minnie says. “We love to travel all the time. Sometimes it’s for fun, or helping out a charity, or just because we want something new.”

  “That’s amazing.” Carissa sighs. “I wish I could do something like that.”

  As my aunts go on and on, telling her of our adventures, I look out on the field. The lush green grass, the rich brown dirt shines under the bright sun. I’m lost in my thoughts when someone touches my shoulder. I look up to see Manuel, Hector’s father.

  “Zoey.”

  I stand up. “Mr. Rodriguez, um…” What do I say?

  “I had Hector change my seats. Do you mind if I join you and your family?”

  “Um…” I’m not sure if I’m hearing him correctly. Maybe I’m dreaming. Luckily, Aunt Lanny is quicker on the draw than I am.

  “We would love for you to join us. I’m Lanny Purvis, Zoey’s aunt, and this is my girlfriend, Minnie Whitlock.” Aunt Minnie stands and they all shake hands. Carissa hugs her dad tightly and says something to him in Spanish I don’t understand.

  When everything has settled down, we sit. I thought Mr. Rodriguez would sit by Carissa, but he sits on the other side of me. I’m nervous because I’m not sure if his wife is coming. I don’t want to cause a scene here. This is Hector’s job. I know it’s baseball, but it’s still his job. On top of that, we’re all wearing Hector’s jerseys. I could see our alleged fight being on the evening news.

  “Zoey, I heard Hector say you have an art degree,” Mr. Rodriguez begins.

  “Yes, I have a bachelor’s in art history.”

  “Why art?”

  “I’m good at it and I love history. I learned so much in college to hone my techniques and the history of the art consumed me. It’s a passion of mine,” I explain.

  “Always following your passion is a good thing.” He nods and we watch in silence as the Angels take the field. I know we are sitting too high up for Hector to see us, but I lock eyes with the number thirty-five white baseball jersey.

  “You know,” Mr. Rodriguez leans over to me. “My son has never defied his mother.”

  “I’m not sorry for what I said to your wife,” I quickly reiterate what I told Hector.

  “You should never say you’re sorry for something you believe in.” His tone is firm. “However, I also feel you shouldn’t be rude to people when expressing those beliefs.”

  I hang my head. “Maybe I—”

  “Not you, Zoey,” he cuts me of
f. “I’m speaking of my wife. She needs to apologize to you. You did nothing wrong. I’m impressed you held out as long as you did. I thought you would have yelled at her in the airport.” His face remains stone and I can’t tell if he’s joking or not.

  I’m not sure how to answer him. I turn back out to watching the warm-ups. Hector seems to be pushing on Blake’s shoulder and I think Blake might hit him, but Hector is laughing at him.

  After the national anthem, we get ready for the game. Mr. Rodriguez and I chat a little more, but nothing about his wife. He tells me how much he loves selling homes and being in real estate. It’s his passion because when he and his family came to America, they didn’t have much. He only knew that he wanted to give his children the opportunities he didn’t have.

  It’s sweet to hear his story. He cares for his family and is nothing like his wife. Hector is nothing like him either. Where Hector is outgoing, Mr. Rodriguez is more quiet and brief with his answers. He even interacts with my aunts and the five of us laugh a few times, although, Mr. Rodriguez’s laugh is more of a soft chuckle.

  The Angels win the game by two and Hector does well, earning two more RBIs. We all walk out of the stadium and wait for Hector by his car. Even though my aunts parked on the other side of the lot, they want to see Hector.

  When he comes out of the door, my heart skips. Man, he looks good in a dark suit and even though I’ve talked about him all day, I have missed him.

  “Hector.” Aunt Lanny makes a beeline to him, hugging him tightly. “You did so well today.”

  “Thanks, Lanny. I’m glad you could come. I see you’ve met my sister and my father.”

  “We had an amazing day, Hector. Thank you again for inviting us.” Aunt Minnie hugs him.

  “Any time you want to come, there will be a ticket for you both.” He grins at them.

  “Stop spoiling them, Hector, or they’ll never leave,” I tease him.

  “And why would that be a problem? They’re pretty and funny; they’re my kind of people.”

  “Manuel, you raised a good boy.” Aunt Lanny pats Hector’s dad on the back. “Now, us pretty people are hungry. Would you like to invite you mother? Minnie and I would love to take you all out to the steakhouse.”