Page 38 of Moonshot

Driving straight home, I knew I’d have to visit the other clinics on the day’s calendar tomorrow or the following week. I was too riled to continue to work. I’d had a history of being reliable, so I knew if I needed some impromptu time off, no one would question it. What I really wanted was a stiff drink. But I had the boys to coach tonight, so it’d have to wait until afterward.

Arriving home, I contacted the office and advised I haven’t been feeling well and planned to take tomorrow off. I also tell a white lie and say I’ll need the Thursday off, two weeks from now, to make an appointment. Boy, I seem to be telling a lot of these lately. All for what?

The office thanked me for calling and wished me a speedy recovery. Well, at least I won’t have to see that shallow, lying Ava for a month or more. I decide to hit the gym and take a long shower before meeting the boys. Hopefully, their losing streak will finally come in handy and distract me from the gut punch I just took, watching the girl I thought could bethe onewith her boss.

“All right, boys. Gather round. We need to come up with a game plan. We have three weeks before we have to play the Devil Dogs again, and we need to be in top shape.”

“Coach Mick. Did you get hit in the head? We got beat so bad last time I thought they stopped keeping score.”

“Yeah, you must have known how ugly it was going to be. I wouldn’t have shown either if my dad didn’t make me get in the car.”

“Boys, that was on me. I’m sorry. You’re my priority from now on, I promise. Nothing short of a hospital visit will ever make me miss another game. I know that team is tough. And I’m not saying we can beat them, but we can certainly bring it better than we have in the past. We just need to take this seriously. For the next two weeks, we’re going to do drills at the beginning of each practice, and then we’ll play. For anyone who can come more often, we can meet on the fields over there…” I point to the tattered old baseball fields that remain in the distance after the newer ones were constructed. “I’ll be here every evening I’m in town, including Sundays.”

“I’m in, coach.” I hear from the back of the group.

“Thanks, Tommy. I know a lot of it will depend on your parents’ ability to get you here, but for anyone who can make it, I’m happy to work with you.”

“You got it, coach.” I hear a few additional players toss out.

Sure, I want to see these boys improve. Hell, I’d give anything to give Coach Dillon and the Devil Dogs a run for their money. But I have to admit, this is to keep me occupied so I don’t have time to sulk over once again being two-timed by a beauty queen.

* * *

It’s been three weeks, and I’m in no better mood than the day I walked in on Ava and her paramour. I was able to finish up early, given Central Orthopedics was no longer on my roster for the day, and so decide to drop by to visit my mother before Emmaleigh arrives home from school. I admit I need to decompress over recent events. And she’s always been one to have my back.

“Hey, Mom,” I greet as I walk into the kitchen, my mother standing at the stove.

“Oh no, what’s wrong?” she asks, knowing me better than anyone. “You look terrible, Mick. Are you eating or just drinking? I’m making you a sandwich, and then I want to hear everything,” she says, finger pointed at me like she did when I was twelve.

“I’m just having a rough few weeks. My boys have lost every game but one. The only reason they won that one was because half of the other team had been out sick. They had enough boys to play, but the way the poor kids kept running to and from the portapotty, odds were good they shouldn’t have been there either.” I reach back to massage my stiff neck, shaking my head at the recollection.

“And the travel is starting to get to me. It gets tiring in these hotel rooms all alone.” I admit I’ve tried to return to my old routine, picking up women to while away the hours, but I’m just too bitter with the female race to enjoy their company right now.

“And what about your girl?” She eyes me knowingly. I can’t put anything past her. I think I hear something behind me and turn to look over my shoulder, only to see Bruno scamper in. The chihuahua gives me a solemn look with his big brown eyes as if he’s sending his condolences.

“Yeah, that didn’t work out. It’s my fault. I think I just got tired of all the different women and saw something there that wasn’t. Hell, Mom. They’re all the same. You think you know someone, just to find you had it all wrong.”

“Mick. I feel like there’s a big chunk of this story you’re leaving out.” She lays the sandwich, chips, and a glass of water in front of me and crosses her arms in indignation. I’m not sure I can even eat this. I’ve had no appetite. At least, not for anything but beer or something harder.

“Ava seemed sweet, honest.” I reach over to take a bite of the sandwich before continuing. “The office she works at is full of some real smug people. A lot of the providers I meet with treat me like I’m an inconvenience. Even some of the other physician assistants, not just the surgeons.” I pop a salty chip into my mouth and follow it with a gulp of water. “But Ava was never like that. She actually went out of her way to set up a standing appointment with me, so I didn’t sit idle in the waiting room each time I came to the office.”

“Well, that sounds nice. She didn’t have to do that, right?” My mother sits down at the table with me, bringing her coffee with her.

“She’s like that with everyone, though. It isn’t just me. But her boss, the surgeon she works with… he’s the worst of all of them. So condescending. He’s a real asshole. Anyway, we’d had a few dates. Nothing big, just lunch. Then I took her to the Nationals game recently, and things seemed like they were getting serious. Mom, I’m pretty sure I fell in love with her that night. But after we got back to town, things seemed different. I didn’t hear from her, and then when I showed up at her office, I found her and her asshole boss together.”

“What do you mean, together?”

“I went back to her office, and the door was cracked, the lights were off, and he was rubbing her shoulders and whispering in her ear.” I notice my mother’s expression is blank. “She was smiling, Mom. She liked it.”

“Well, what did she say when you asked her about it?”

“I didn’t.” I crunch on another salty chip and then reach down to give one to Bruno. Not sure why salt always tastes so good when you don’t have an appetite for anything else. Salt and beer.

“Mick. So, you just walked away and didn’t say anything to her? Has she tried to call you?”

“Don’t know. Blocked her number.”

Slam!

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