Bringing the 'A' Game

Deputy Tom Lawton rattled the door of the doughnut shop. It was almost 5 a.m. and Billy usually had the coffee ready by now. Tom circled the building. His boots crunched on the desert sand, and his eyes caught glints from his flashlight off the chrome and stainless steel inside, but the scent of coffee and fresh doughnuts was absent. He got back in his car and headed up Route 2 to intercept Billy, who invariably road in on his bicycle.

About two miles up the highway his headlights illuminated a shock of blond hair from the head of a young woman waving her arms from the middle of the road. He saw a car parked at the overlook at the roadside and two people lying in the sand.

"What happened?" Lawton asked as he illuminated the woman's face with his flashlight. He recognized her as Phil Clark's daughter, Heather. The pale skin of her face was dirty and tracked with tears. Her dress was torn, and her undergarments exposed.

"Deacon wouldn't take 'no' for an answer." She was visibly shaking. "I said 'No Deacon' like a dozen times. I hit him and pushed him away, but he wouldn't stop."

Lawton kneeled to check the bodies as she spoke - both had strong pulses. Deacon was near the driver's door. Billy was just behind the rear bumper and was beginning to stir. Lawton called for ambulances and then took out his note pad to get a detailed statement.

Heather's story was that Deacon had tried to force her into sex. They had struggled in the car. Heather escaped and started to run into town, but Deacon caught her and dragged her back to the car. Before he got her into the car Billy road up on his bicycle and intervened. Deacon had at least 50 pounds and 5 inches on Billy, so Lawton surmised the intervention didn't last long; however, it did give Heather enough time to fish a baseball bat out of the backseat of Deacon's car and go to work on his back.

Billy was alert by the time the first ambulance arrived. His story aligned with Heather's, but he was more concerned with getting to work than anything at the scene. "Can I go now?"

"You should really have those gashes on your face looked at, and I have a few more questions I'd like to ask."

"Wouldn't you rather ask them over a hot cup of coffee?"

"Why don't you just get in the ambulance, and we'll talk at the hospital."

"I've got to open up the shop." Billy grabbed the handlebar of his bike and said, "You know where the coffee is." as he mounted the bike and cranked down on the pedal. The generator headlight whined and its brightness pulsed with each stroke of the pedals.

Coffee and doughnuts were late that morning. Mr. Gresham, the owner of the shop, burst into the kitchen ready to crack heads, but when he saw the state of Billy's face he realized that would be redundant. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Gresham, I was late this morning."

"No, what happened to your face." Mr. Gresham pointed to where the wounds would be on his own face.

"That's why I was late."

"Yea, I figured that, but what happened?"

"Can we talk about it later? I'm really busy."

Billy was working is ass off trying to make up for lost time, so Mr. Gresham let it drop. He saw that everything would soon be under control, so he poured himself a cup of coffee and got out of the way. "Jane gets home this morning."

"I thought she got home yesterday."

"Her plans changed. She's bringing some guy with her." Mr. Gresham had no finesse. He knew how Billy felt about Jane, but couldn't keep from going straight to the point. "Mrs. Gresham says that you'd better bring your 'A' game to dinner tonight."

"She's bringing a guy home from school, and I'm still invited to dinner?"

"Mrs. Gresham is still pulling for you kid. You are not out of this by a long shot." With that Mr. Gresham dropped his empty cup into the trash. As he walked out the door he said, "You can tell me what happened to your face tonight at dinner."

Billy had always liked Mr. & Mrs. Gresham. Mr. Gresham was thin and balding with a grouchy resting face. He knew the value of honesty and hard work, and he was a straight shooter. Billy had been on his good side since he'd started making doughnuts for him.

Mrs. Gresham had a healthy head of prematurely gray hair. She had high cheek bones and green flecks in her brown eyes. She wore loose-fitting cotton dresses, and she accented her weathered skin with silver and turquoise jewelry. She was always calm, rarely direct in conversation and more than made up for Mr. Gresham's lack of finesse. With Mrs. Gresham on his side Billy thought he still might have a chance.

Deputy Lawton stopped for coffee not long after Mr. Gresham had left.

Billy poured two cups and joined him at a table. "You get everything sorted?"

"Mostly. It looks like Deacon's hurt really badly. His back is totally fucked up."

"Well, that wasn't me. I'm doing most of the hurting from our interaction."

"No, it was Heather and that bat. She went apeshit on him."

Lawton asked, "Why did you get mixed up with those two?" It would be hard to find a half-dozen people in town that would feel sorry for either Heather or Deacon. Most would be happy to hear that they were beating each other up.

Billy shook his head. "Mistaken identity."

"You thought she was Jane?"

"Yea. Stupid me, right?"

Lawton chuckled and then pulled out his note pad and asked a few questions. After about ten minutes he refilled his coffee and stood to leave.

Billy asked, "Hey Tom, could you give me a ride to Jane's house tonight?"

Tom smiled. For an instant he thought about teasing Billy, but quickly put that thought to rest. "I can do that. Are you still living in Bob's camper?"

"Yes. Is 7:30 okay?"

"I will see you then." With that Lawton donned his hat and left.

Billy lived in a camper in the backyard of one of his mother's ex-boyfriends, who he called 'Uncle Bob'. The camper once fit into the bed of a pickup, but now it was held up by an arrangement of cinder blocks. It was too hot to sleep in during the day, so Billy laid down in a hammock strung up between the camper and a mesquite tree.

He gazed up at the sky through the leaves of the mesquite tree and wondered what he had for an 'A' game. There was one dress shirt and a pair of slacks that were a little too small in the camper. There wasn't much in the way of wild flowers in the desert this time of year, the only chocolate nearby was candy bars at the gas station, and he was too young to buy alcohol. Nothing he could think of sounded like an 'A' game. He pondered it for a while then drifted off.

After a nap and a shower he bought a pint of guacamole and a bag of chips at a nearby restaurant. He had heard they were good and hoped they would be good enough for his 'A' game. He was as ready as he was going to get so he sat on the curb and waited for Tom.

"Well, don't you look sharp," said Tom as Billy opened the door of his patrol car.

Billy smiled and gently settled into the seat; he was starting to stiffen up.

"Are you alright?" asked Tom.

"Yea, that dust-up this morning is starting to catch up with me."

Tom snatched some flowers from the seat before Billy sat on them. "My wife picked these for you to give to Jane." Tom handed Billy a small bouquet of budding roses.

Billy was pleased. His 'A' game was starting to look respectable. He settled in as Tom started to drive.

"So, I guess Jane brought some guy home from college that I get to meet." It had been on Billy's mind all afternoon.

"What's that all about?" Tom asked.

"...and Mrs. Gresham told me to bring my 'A' game to dinner."

Tom thought for a few moments then said, "If Jane didn't want to see you she wouldn't invite you to dinner."

"Maybe her plans changed, and she forgot to tell me. What do I have for an 'A' game anyway?"

"Are you kidding? Your 'A' game is what kept Bob alive long enough for the paramedics to get there, and it kept Heather from being raped by Deacon. It's what won Jane the first time, and I'm sure it can do it again."

Bob's heart attack happened the last night Billy and Jane had together before she left for school. It had transformed their romantic evening into a night in the lobby of the emergency room. Billy pushed it from his mind.

Tom had planned to drop Billy off, but when they arrived he got out of the car to size up the situation.

Billy rang the doorbell. He could hear Jane yell, "I've got it," followed by a thunder of footfalls as she descended the stairs. The door swung open and she ran out with a big hug for him.

"Wow, you are even more beautiful than I remember," Billy was in awe. He had forgotten how Jane flooded color into his gray life. Her smile and enthusiasm cleansed the grime of his early-morning grind at the doughnut shop.

Jane beamed at the compliment. Her blond hair was loose around her shoulders, and her body had filled out in the most appealing way possible. She wore just enough makeup to look enticing and a little black dress that fit like it was custom made.

"And you look like you got hit by a bus. Are you alright?" She held him out at arm's length and inspected him.

"Please be gentle."

She followed the hug with a kiss for each wound on his face and then led him in by the hand. Tom followed.

"These are for you," he said as he handed her the flowers..

"Oh, they're beautiful." Jane took them into the kitchen and put them in a small vase with water. She showed them to her mother as she placed them in the middle on the dining room table.

Mrs. Gresham washed and dried her hands before giving Billy a kiss on the cheek and a tender hug. "It has been much too long," she said. She then greeted Tom with similar warmth.

Jane then lead Billy into the living room to meet Chad.

Chad was about the same height as Deacon, but was dressed in nicer clothes. As they shook hands Chad asked, "What's the other guy look like?"

Tom jumped in, "He's really messed up. I bet he'll be in the hospital for a week or more." Tom's words came with the endorsement of his police t-shirt and uniform trousers.

There was a collective request for more information, so Tom dished some details. He said that Deacon was attempting to rape Heather, that Billy at intervened, and that Deacon was seriously hurt. He failed to mention how Deacon had actually gotten hurt.

Chad asked, "How big is this guy?"

Tom casually sized up Chad and replied, "He's about your height with about 15 extra pounds."

"Deacon is big and strong and mean." Jane expanded.

Billy smiled to himself. So far his 'A' game was playing itself.

The living room was decorated in a modern southwestern style. The furniture was leather and substantial. Large paintings of single flowers in bold colors were on the walls. On the living room table was a large bowl of guacamole and chips sitting next to the biggest bouquet of flowers Billy had seen outside a funeral home. "Did someone die?" he asked.

"Chad brought those. Aren't they just lovely?" Mrs. Gresham responded. "I think though, that they should be in the corner, so that we can appreciate them without blocking our view. Chad, do you mind?" Mrs. Gresham had him put the flowers under the stairs, where Billy could almost see them.

With the flowers out of the way, Chad, Billy and Jane sat down. Mrs. Gresham went back into the kitchen, and Tom bid his good byes and went home.

Jane took it as an opportunity to talk about how fun college was. She talked about rushing sororities, parties with fraternities, how many friends she had made and how drunk she had been. She was sitting close to Chad, who was holding her hand.

Chad chimed in, "It must be tough being a townie, stuck here knowing all the fun is happening away at college."

Billy's face flushed. He racked his brain for something to say or do that would wrest Jane from Chad, but everything he could think of seemed desperate. On a deeper level, Billy feared that Chad was adding color to Jane's life in a way that he never could. He feared that he could never be the man that she wanted or needed and that he was going to lose her, or worse, had already lost her.

Mr. Gresham came in from the kitchen with Billy's guacamole and chips. "Did you bring this from that place over on Route 2?"

Billy was relieved to have the distraction.

Mr. Gresham continued, "You guys have to try this. They've mixed in roasted green chili peppers to add a little zing. It's fantastic."

They all compared the two guacamoles, and everyone agreed that the one Billy brought was the best.

By Billy's count he had scored with both the guacamole and the flowers, but holding hands had put Chad well in the lead.

Mrs. Gresham soon called them in to dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Gresham sat at the ends of the table, Chad and Jane were on one side and Billy was on the other. Mrs. Gresham had cooked a lovely French meal of beef in a sauce made with red wine. Billy rarely at this well, so he savored every drop.

They all complimented Mrs. Gresham on the meal and made small talk about the way it was prepared.

Eventually, Mr. Gresham changed the subject, "How is college going for you Billy?"

"It's going okay. It's a lot of work but I think I'm up to the challenge."

Mr. Gresham smiled. "You are the one youngster at this table that I'm not worried about."

Jane took the dig as it was intended, but tried to steer the conversation back to Billy. She knew he was at the local community college, but didn't remember the details. "What are you taking?" she asked.

"Lower division stuff. Math, history, English, chemistry, psychology, you know the drill. I'm trying to catch up, so I'm carrying 20 units."

Jane had just dropped from 12 to 9 units. She suspected the conversation was about to take a nasty turn.

Mr. Gresham pressed her, "Billy is working full time, carrying 20 units and getting good grades." He was clearly pissed off at his daughter. "...and he's not paying through the nose for his education either."

Jane knew that Chad's grades were no better than hers, so she didn't care what he thought. Billy was a different story. She had always admired his ability to take control of his life and somehow felt like a better person by association. Now her father was exposing her as a lazy fraud.

Mr. Gresham pressed further, "Billy, do you have a fancy car that you drive to school?"

"Mr. Gresham, could we please change the subject?" Billy pleaded.

"I think that is a good idea," Mrs. Gresham agreed.

Jane looked to gauge Billy's expression and misinterpreted his anger as disappointment. The wounds on Billy's face led her to ask, "How did you get mixed up with Heather and Deacon? You should have let those two have it out."

Billy looked at Jane. He didn't know how to answer the question without appearing foolish.

Mrs. Gresham said to her daughter, "Heather is a blond now sweetheart."

"...and Billy thought you were getting in yesterday." followed Mr. Gresham.

Chad burst into laughter, "Prince Valiant saved the wrong princess!!"

Jane looked from Billy to her mother and back. It was completely in character for Billy to rush to her defense and completely in character for Chad to act like an ass. Why had she brought him home?

"Well, there it is," said Billy. "I have to open the shop tomorrow morning, and you have company. So, I should be going."

Mr. and Mrs. Gresham protested, but Billy insisted.

"I'll give you a ride," volunteered Jane.

After riding in silence for several minutes Billy said, "I don't know which was worse, getting beaten up by Deacon this morning or getting beaten up by Chad this evening."

Trying to defuse the situation, Jane chuckled and said, "Oh Chad wasn't that bad."

"You're right. I forgot how much I enjoyed watching you two hold hands."

A bolt of panic hit Jane. What had she been thinking? She pulled up to Billy's camper before she had a chance to think of anything to say.

As they opened the gate into the yard, Bob's rear porch light came on and he came out the back door. "Hey you two," he called. Bob always came out when Jane visited.

Bob hobbled through the yard and gave Jane a hug. "I never got a chance to thank you for saving me." He reeked of stale cigarettes and beer.

Jane smiled and said, "You're welcome. I'm glad to see you are doing well"

They talked for a few minutes and then Bob went back inside.

Billy opened the camper door and climbed in. He let the door close behind him. Jane opened the door and followed him in. The bed was made and the dishes put away, but plywood was visible through holes in the linoleum, and the pattern was worn off of much of the counter top. The table was covered with school books and half-finished homework. A greeting card with a condom that she had given Billy three months ago had been framed and hung on the wall. Also on the wall was a drawing of Billy's face that she had drawn from memory and mailed a few weeks ago.

Jane touched the framed greeting card. She had planned to lose her virginity that night with Billy. The card and the condom showed that she had thought it through, knew what she wanted, and let Billy know that he should be prepared.

"You don't get a break do you?"

"I don't need your pity. Thank you for the ride home. You should go entertain your company."

She sat down, but she still didn't have the words ready.

"Look, I have to get up early, so if you don't mind," Billy indicated that she should leave.

"Okay, I'll go, but I'm going to pick you up tomorrow after work. We can talk then, okay?"

"If you insist."

"Please, just say 'yes'."

"Yes."

Mrs. Gresham pulled into the parking lot the next day. Billy was standing at the front of the doughnut shop talking to Heather, who was dressed as nicely as Mrs. Gresham had ever seen. Heather and Billy shared a few laughs, Heather kissed him on the cheek and then she left.

Once Heather was gone, Mrs. Gresham got out of her car and approached Billy.

"I thought Jane was going to pick me up."

"I need to have a word with you. We can talk on the way if you don't mind."

Mrs. Gresham started driving in the wrong direction. "Have you ever thought no one was watching you and found out later that someone was?"

"I suppose so."

Mrs. Gresham drove for a few moments then continued with a non sequitur, "Have you ever watched a bird hatch? It seems like an impossible task, but slowly the chick breaks through the shell. The poor thing is just exhausted, and you want to help, but you don't because you might do more harm than good. It takes hours and then eventually task is done, and it was no big deal."

"Well, when your mother left you at Bob's a lot of us were watching. We thought about calling Social Services, but decided against it. A group of us got together every month or so to talk about you. We discussed how you were doing in school and work, socially, and, well, everything. We wanted to help, but Mr. Gresham and Deputy Lawton were against it. They were certain that you would make it, and, of course, they were right. You grew to be an independent young man, and you might not have had that independence if we had helped."

Billy was more than a little surprised by this revelation. He started to speak, but Mrs. Gresham cut him off.

"I'm almost done. Let me just finish and then you can say anything you want."

Billy made himself comfortable and waited.

"There were some unintended consequences. For example, we were disappointed in your grades until we realized that you were getting 'C's on purpose. I think you were trying to fly below the radar, but you would have been much better off with better grades"

Billy nodded.

"Personally, I was most disappointed that you had so few friends. While Mr. Gresham would have liked to see you lead a successful life without anyone's help, I doubt happiness is on that path, and it isn't the path Mr. Gresham chose for himself. I think you need to do more to include other people in your life, preferably people that care about you."