CodeY

by Lamar Rutherford

  “Okay, so no new news there,” replied Pele. They all knew the risks.

  Radi continued, “Second, I reviewed the data and realized that if we loosen up the standards by a small margin, just 10%, it should considerably improve the odds of Cole and me finding matches. We may not find the perfect fit, but odds are we will still have good results.”

  There was a pause while this news sunk in, then Pele, with a bit of a smirk, trying not to look too much like he thought they were about to embark on some ridiculous mission, held up his glass to cheer. He knew by this time there was no dissuading Radi, and he was willing to go along simply for the lark of meeting a girl Cole thought he might like. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  They clanked glasses in solidarity, and then Pele asked, “So, what’s next?”

  Cole with a disarming wink to Pele, “Well, Casanova, methinks you're up. You gotta convince the lovely lady you’re her Prince Charming.”

  They all laughed, and then Radi asked more seriously, “What about the questions? Do you still have them?”

  Pele rolled his eyes, “Oh yah, the ones that are supposed to make any woman fall madly in love with me? How could I lose those?” he replied sarcastically.

  The questions Radi referred to were from an experiment that Radi found in an article many years ago. The theory was that if two people asked each other these progressively more intimate questions, that by the end, they would fall in love. Of course, no serious science had proved this correct, but it had worked for the journalist who wrote the article.

  “Clearly, they’ve worked wonders for me,” said Pele joking about his obvious single state.

  Radi shook his head, “I’m not sure the questions were to blame. My recollection is that there seem to have been many candidates willing to fall for you. Despite our warnings,” he added as a side note with a grin in Cole’s direction.

  “Well then, maybe you should slip her the questions,” Pele grinned. “By-the-way, what’s her name?”

  Radi replied first, “Yeah, let’s hope she’s interested enough to want to ask you any question!”

  Pele clearly playing at being offended, “A no-confidence vote again! Seriously, Dr. Kapur, you need to work on your bedside manner!”

  Radi laughed, “Oh, don't you worry. I have great faith in your romancing abilities…although she does seem to be quite smitten with your competition.”

  Cole nodded in agreement. “I do think you might have to step up your game. By-the-way, her name is Keece, Keece Riley.”

  “Keece, Keece Riley. Okay,” replied Pele. Then with a slight frown, “And what do we know about the competition?” He was now fully engaged in the game of it, not thinking for a minute he might actually fall in love.

  “Not much. I didn’t want to pry too much. It was, after all, a doctor’s appointment,” Cole responded playfully.

  “Hmm…And how am I supposed to meet her?” asked Pele.

  “Yah, we gave that some thought. I can’t just introduce you because I think that would be weird. How often does your doctor offer to set you up with his buddy? So, we have a plan B,” replied Cole.

  “We thought we could conveniently run into her,” added Radi. “How are your polo skills?”

  “Oh, you know I’m taking you down in Patron Polo!” Pele answered with a bold swing, “but I’m not sure how that’s gonna help me meet the future mother of my children…Wow, that sounds weird,” he joked.

  Radi laughed. “You might just have to get used to that. Who knows, you might even fall in love with her. Anyhow, apparently, she’s a polo fanatic, the real thing. She plays about three times a week. So, we figure she’s bound to go to the polo matches on Sundays in Del Mar.”

  Pele paused mid-swing, looking surprised. “She plays polo? The real thing? On a horse? That’s hot! I can’t imagine how tough that must be! We can barely stay on our barstools! I’m starting to like this girl.”

  “Yah, we know how ‘stationary’ that barstool can be for you,” taunted Radi.

  All of them chuckled, remembering the time Pele took such a big swing he and the barstool both took an unceremonious digger, the number of cocktails he’d consumed quite possibly contributing to his stylish dismount.

  Once the chuckles had subsided, Cole commented, “I only met Keece the one time, but she seemed very cool.”

  Pele knew Cole would truly have his best interest at heart, but still couldn’t resist teasing him, “Maybe you should date her?”

  Cole laughed and then replied humbly, with a tinge of sarcasm, “Oh right. Like Radi’s going to let me date the one chick that meets your criteria.” Then he added with his biggest grin, “But you know if I thought I had a chance, I might have skipped a few of those tests.”

  Pele poked him. “Yah right. You know she’s as likely to be into you as she is me.”

  Pele was charming and handsome but often seemed surprisingly unaware of his good looks, possibly because he had an older brother who was even more handsome. His brother, Beckham, had been spotted and recruited in his late teens to be a model for Hugo Boss and still enjoyed a lucrative career traveling the world, posing for the top brands. Pele, never too enthralled with the celebrity circles, was much more into sports and the sciences than his brother. He often worried his brother was too caught up in the “fast life.”

  Cole, shyer and more reserved than both Pele and Radi, was often more of a hit with the ladies than he realized. Women loved to open up and share all their stories with him, possibly because he was so comfortable talking with women after growing up with three older sisters. Or maybe because of his musical talents. Cole’s father played the bass in a band and his mother was a soul singer in the local church. His sisters were into musicals. As a result, he spent more time than most boys in the theater. One time, the drama teacher heard Cole singing to himself and suggested he try out for the school play. He was about eight at the time. Cole was an immediate star. He had a beautiful clear baritone, a charismatic stage presence and the ability to dance and jump with rare rhythm and flair. Pele and Radi went to one of the few performances Cole did while in medical school, and both were astounded by his talent.

  Cole sarcastically, “Good point! I might just give you a run for your money.”

  Annoyed, Radi cut in, “Stop it you two.” As always, taking the experiment much more seriously than the others. Pele was surprised how much meaning it still had for him. It had been so many years with no success.

  Cole interrupted Pele’s thoughts, replying on a more serious note to him, “You know dude, you better be careful. I think you’re gonna like this one.”

  Pele replied playfully, clearly still not taking the adventure too seriously, “Hopefully! I mean, if we’re gonna have children together. Hopefully, there’s a little chemistry!”

  They all chuckled and agreed to go to the polo match the next Sunday. Cole and Radi decided to bring dates, so they didn’t look too much like three guys on the prowl.

  Radi’s parting shot as they left the bar, “By-the-way lover boy, wear red. That’s the theme for the afternoon game to help raise awareness for the Heart Association. A bit ironic, don’t you think?”

  Pele waved his hand as he walked away and summoned his Tesla.

  Chapter 3

  The manicured velvety green field stretched out before Pele as he entered the gates to the polo match. Brightly colored floppy hats and well-dressed spectators stood out in stark contrast to the white cloudlike vendor tents and stacked grandstands.

  He parked and walked towards the crowd. The match was in full swing. As he reached the entrance, the ground shook as players and horses thundered by, chasing a small white ball at a breakneck speed. The intensity and sheer athleticism of both animal and player stopped Pele in his tracks. They flew by him, jostling each other for position and a swing at the ball. The one in the lead reached forward and made an impressive shot under the neck of his pony for the goal, the others rapidly in chase on his heels. Pele paused in awe. Wow! This is a v
ery different game in real life than in virtual reality! He could not imagine what it must feel like to reach for a ball that way on a 1000-pound horse racing down the field at close to 30mph. The power, speed, and coordination needed to control the animal, beat out the opponent and still hit the ball was inspiring! You could see and feel the high energy as the players pushed their horses into their opponents and also leaned hard themselves into the opposing player to try to push them away from the ball. Not quite the same as leaning over on a stationary bar stool.

  The flag at the end of the field flew up, the announcer yelling over the loudspeaker, “Oh, what a first goal! A neck shot right past the defender by Luca Perez! He’s got his team off to a flying start!” The teams slowly cantered back to the center for the next throw-in.

  Pele continued toward the stands seeing Radi, Cole, and their dates waiting for him. He waved and hurried in their direction. Catching up, he greeted his friends and met their dates. Both seemed nice enough, but neither particularly interesting. He suspected he would not see them again anytime soon. Radi suggested they get drinks before they sat down. He had arranged for seating in the VIP section of the Grandstands.

  Pele, noticing Radi looked sharp as usual in a crisp shirt with fine red pinstripes, replied, “Nice dude. Nothing but VIP for the live Polo match!”

  Radi smiled.

  As they started to move toward the bar, he dropped back next to Pele and said conspiratorially, “Our table is right next to hers. She’s here with a couple of her girlfriends. She’s got dark blonde hair and blue eyes. I’ll point her out after we sit down.”

  Pele came to a standstill. “She’s blonde?”

  Radi chuckled. Pele had always preferred dark beauties. “Maybe you can talk her into dyeing it,” he said with a wink. Then continued, “Nice touch with the red by-the-way.”

  Pele had on a white shirt, light slacks and a single red rose in his lapel.

  Pele gave Radi his best cheesy grin and tapped his pocket, “Thought you’d like it. Good for making an impression, don’t you think?”

  Radi shook his head. “Oh, you always do…make some kind of impression... Let’s just hope it's a good one for a change!” Pele jabbed him in the ribs as they joined the others and ordered drinks.

  They moved into the stands. Pele followed Radi’s lead to the table and sat closest to the four women at the next table. All of them were intensely focused on the match, which gave Pele a chance to study them unnoticed. They were all attractive. Not in a typical, plasticky California way, but naturally pretty, all with their own unique style. Who knew you would find so many attractive women at a polo match, Pele thought to himself. He would have attended the events long ago if he'd had any idea or taken up the real sport. The VR game was exciting, but nothing like the excitement and energy you could feel in this game.

  He noticed that out of the two blondes at the table, the lighter blonde had a ring on her left hand, confirming that the other one must be Keece. He had to agree with Cole, she was attractive. The two women with darker looks were more his type, but he was not disappointed. He glanced up at Radi for verification and saw the subtle nod in her direction. As he turned back to look at her again, she caught his gaze. They locked eyes long enough for her to give him a slight smile with almost a quizzical look, but just as he was about to break the ice, she spotted Cole behind him.

  Her face lit up into a full grin as she greeted Cole, “I know you. Dr. Janson, it's good to see you out of your lab coat.” Then, laughing sheepishly, she caught herself and said, “I mean out of your office.”

  Cole laughed, “They do let me out once in a while, of the office that is. Never out of the lab coat.”

  Keece laughed as well, appreciating Cole’s humor. “Well, I’m glad I could witness one of those moments,” she said with a warm smile, adding, “Great to see you. Did you come to learn some of the tricks of real polo? I hope you left your Patron Polo competition behind so you can have a leg up the next time you play.”

  Pele watched as Keece and Cole bantered. Her smile was beautiful. Her whole face brightened with it, there was such warmth and sincerity, and her eyes twinkled with mischief as she teased Cole. She clearly had a good wit about her. This little adventure might not be so bad after all.

  Cole shook his head, “That would have been smart, but unfortunately, the competition came with me, these two knuckleheads,” pointing to Pele and Radi, “Maybe you can distract them or give them some bad advice to help a brother out? I could use a win in our next round of Patron Polo.”

  Keece giggled again and responded, “We'll certainly do our best! Maybe just teach them a few fouls. I’m sure the consequences in virtual reality are much safer than on a real pony.”

  Pele chimed in at this point, “Have you seen this guy play? He can barely ride a bar stool!”

  Cole playfully slugged Pele in the arm, “Look who’s talking! Dude! You know I took you down last week. And, by-the-way, I don’t believe I was the one who had an unexpected dismount off his bar stool.”

  Keece was clearly amused. “You actually fell off the barstool?”

  “We were a few beers in at that point…” Pele said with a sheepish grin.

  “Keece plays the real game. She’s a polo expert,” Cole said to Pele as if he didn’t already know.

  “Really?!” Pele feigned surprise, “Do you love it? It looks like quite a rush.”

  “We all play,” Keece pointed to her girlfriends. “And, yes, we love it. Completely addicted. We call each other the “enablers” because if one of us plays, we’re all “I’m in too.” It’s not so good for our finances, but we have such a good time we rationalize it’s worth it,” she continued with a guilty grin.

  The petite dark brunette next to her chimed in, “I don’t know how much help we’ll be with tips for you guys. We've all only played a couple of years, so we know just enough to be dangerous.”

  “Perfect. Just the kind of help we need,” replied Pele.

  Cole interrupted, “Oh, by-the-way, these are my friends, Pele, Radi, Susan, and Chantel.”

  Keece followed with introductions of her friends; Jess was the petite dark beauty, Sidney the lighter brunette, and Layla the thin blonde.

  As they finished introductions, the horses thundered by the grandstands. One rider who was barely in the lead reached over and swung for the ball, hitting it forward right in front of the other player. He then shot forward after the ball for another hit toward goal. The ball was to the left of the posts, but he got there in time to angle it back. It grazed the goal as it sailed in for another score.

  Keece and her friends jumped up, cheering and high-fiving each other.

  Sidney almost screamed in her excitement, “Did you see that shot! Luca is on fire today!”

  Keece looked proud. “I know! I don’t know how he can hit those”

  “Right?! We’ll have to get him to teach us that!” replied Sydney.

  Jess chimed in sarcastically, “I think he’s been trying.”

  They all laughed.

  Jess, sitting nearest to Pele, explained, “Luca coaches us when we play in the lessons. He’s one of the pros from Argentina. Many Argentinian players come to the States to play on teams here.”

  “Is it anything like the Patron Polo VR game?” asked Pele with curiosity.

  Layla answered, “You’ll have to ask Keece that. She’s our VR expert.”

  Keece, who was distracted by the game again, came back into the conversation, “I’ve only played Patron Polo a couple of times, but I think, minus the feeling of actually being on a moving, live animal, it gives you some sense of the game. When I played, it helped reinforce a few of the rules—in a much safer environment! I should really try it again. It would be interesting now that I know the real game so much better.”

  Pele noted this as a future opportunity to ask her to play. He couldn’t ask her now. Too soon. He had to play this one right. Instead, he answered eagerly, “We love that game,” nodding to his frie
nds. “It must be wild to play it for real.”

  Sidney, “Do you want to play sometime? The first lesson is free.”

  The four of them exchanged knowing grins.

  “We joke it’s the most expensive free lesson you’ll ever take because you get hooked,” Keece explained. “But, you should definitely try it.”

  Pele thinking this might be the best way to get to see Keece again, responded eagerly, “I’d love to.”

  He added to his companions, “What about you guys? You in?”

  Radi gave Pele a look like he was insane, he was the least adventurous of the three. His idea of playing a sport was lifting weights in the gym.

  But Cole was game, “I’m definitely in. Do I need to know how to ride?”

  “It helps, but you don’t need to. Lots of players, especially guys, have never been on a horse, but they pick it up pretty quick because they can hit. The girls can often ride better, but need more practice hitting,” Layla explained.