The Ones That Got Away Page 14

  There was part of Scott that wanted to argue with her, but what did it matter? He didn’t have any feelings for Tonya. He liked her as a person, but she was just someone he had met on his journey. Now she was going to go off on her own journey. “It’s been fun. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” Scott offered his hand.

  Tonya stared at his hand for a moment, then let out a sarcastic laugh. She shook his hand. “Yeah, okay. Good luck, trust fund baby.”

  She got out of the car and slammed the door.

  Scott watched her for a moment walking toward the house, then he pulled out of the driveway and drove away.

  Chapter 39

  March 1985

  He didn’t want to feel guilty, but he did. He wasn’t interested in a relationship, but Tonya didn’t know that when she agreed to hit the road with him. He should have been more up front with her. At least he’d know next time. He tried to put her out of his mind.

  His priority was getting a bet down on Kansas City to win the 1985 World Series. Vegas had put 10-to-1 odds on them to win, and he needed a big pay day—bigger than his Super Bowl bet—to fund his life. There would be no job during this lifetime. He wasn’t going to build a business. So, he needed the gambling money to survive.

  He drove to Bally’s and placed his bet. It was almost 10:00 pm, and he didn’t have anywhere to stay. Part of him wanted to get out of Las Vegas, but where could he go. The easiest thing to do was get a room at Bally’s and, in the morning, figure how where he should go next.

  In his room, he lay in bed thinking about his next destination, but he didn’t think long. After a few minutes, he was asleep.

  When he awoke, it was nearly 8:00 am. He needed to get moving, but to where? Then the idea hit him. Go see Dean. In his previous two lives, he and Dean had lost contact. He had the opportunity to change that.

  Dean was in San Francisco. After college, he had gotten a job in the Group Sales Department with the San Francisco Giants. Scott picked up the phone and, as he dialed information, a smile spread across his face.

  *

  Dean answered the door eating a bowl of ramen. He wore a T-shirt with a food stain on it and a pair of gym shorts. When he saw Scott, his jaw dropped open and he nearly spilled his dinner.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Dean asked.

  “It’s nice to see you too, Dino.”

  Dean shook his head. “Why didn’t you call?”

  “I did, but there was no answer. Don’t you have an answering machine?”

  “It’s broken.”

  Scott looked down the hall in one direction, then the other.

  “Do you think I could come in?”

  “Oh, yeah, yeah. Come in.” Dean moved out of the way so Scott could pass.

  The apartment was bigger than it appeared from the outside. It sat on the second story of a building on Thomas Street that housed a neighborhood grocery store on the first floor in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood. It had a living room with French doors that led out onto a balcony, a small kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.

  “This is bigger than I thought it would be,” Scott said.

  Dean nodded and looked around the apartment. “It sucks, but it’s all I could afford.”

  “Why do you think it sucks?”

  “The neighborhood is rough, parking can be impossible, and you really don’t want to go out at night. But it’s an easy drive to the stadium, so there’s that.” Dean took a final bite of his ramen, then rinsed the bowl out in the sink. Scott walked around the apartment, examining Dean’s things and looking out windows.

  “Let me try this again, what are you doing here?”

  Scott laughed. “I quit law school, and I’ve spent the past few months just bumming around the country. I was in Las Vegas and thought I’d head here to see you.”

  Dean sat on the couch and looked up at Scott, who had pulled the curtains aside and was looking out the French doors onto the balcony. “Why’d you quit law school?”

  Scott turned away from the French doors. “I decided I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Once I made that decision, it didn’t make sense to stay.”

  Dean tilted his head and pursed his lips. “So, you just quit, with no plan of what you would do next?”

  “My plan was to travel the country and have fun. And that’s what I’m doing.”

  “Sounds like a well thought out plan.”

  Scott looked out onto the balcony again. “Why don’t we grab a couple of beers and sit out on the balcony?”

  “You don’t want to go out there at night.”

  “Why not?”

  “Hookers congregate down in the alley after dark, and there are occasionally gun shots coming from somewhere in the neighborhood. That’s strictly a daytime balcony.”

  “Hookers?”

  “They work down on the corner, but they come behind the building to get high or take a leak.”

  “You’ve really moved up in the world.”

  Chapter 40

  May 1985

  They went to Candlestick Park to watch the Giants play the Cubs on a Wednesday night. Despite his job with the Giants, Dean remained a Cubs fan, although he had to hide his fandom at work. Scott felt no such constraints, cheering loudly when Ryne Sandberg hit a home run, and when the Cubs won behind a complete game performance by Rick Sutcliffe.

  After the game, they parked three blocks away from the apartment, singing and laughing as they walked.

  “Look who finally made it home,” a tall, black woman said.

  “We’re out past curfew,” Scott said. “Don’t tell on us.”

  The black woman laughed. Her name was L’Nita, and she was one of two hookers who frequented the corner where Scott and Dean lived. “You best get inside lest I tell your mama.”

  “Unless you want to stay out here and party with us,” the shorter hooker said.

  “If I’m going to party with anyone, it’s going to be you, Lolly.”

  Lolly laughed and grabbed L’Nita’s arm.

  “We need to get inside,” Dean said. “I have to work tomorrow.”

  “You better go, boys,” L’Nita said. “Sweet dreams.”

  Inside, Dean made sure the door was locked. “Why do you encourage them,” Dean asked.

  “Why are you so worried about them?”

  “They think we’re gay.”

  “Who cares? I like them. They can be fun.”

  “You wouldn’t think they were fun if you saw them pissing behind the building or getting smacked around by their pimp.”

  “Their pimp? How do you know he’s their pimp?”

  “Whatever he is. I’ve seen him hit Lolly out back.”

  “What kind of guy would hit a woman, especially one so small?” Lolly was barely five feet tall and looked even smaller when she was standing next to L’Nita.

  “A pimp.”

  *

  A few nights later, they went to another game, this time against the St. Louis Cardinals. San Francisco took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first, but St. Louis came back with two runs in the top of the third, and two more in the top of the fourth, to take control of the game.

  Watching the Cardinals made Scott think about Randy. And thinking about Randy naturally led to thinking about Melanie.

  “I think you dodged a bullet when you and Melanie broke up,” Dean said. “She was kind of crazy.”

  Scott laughed, thinking Dean could read his mind. They had been talking about old girlfriends, new love interests, and the possibility that either of them would get married. Thinking and talking about Melanie made Scott wistful, more for the kids than for his former wife.

  “She had her problems,” Scott said. “But she was a good woman.”

  “Have you dated anyone since then?”

  “There was a woman named Holly I dated in law school, but that was it. I’m really not interested in being in a relationship.”

  “Now or ever?”

  “Ever,” Scott said.


  “Really?”

  “I like the sex, and it’s nice to have someone around to be a friend and a companion, but I don’t want all the emotion and commitment that goes along with it.”

  “It sounds like you want someone like Lolly or L’Nita. Someone you can pay to be there when you want them but will go away when you don’t.”

  Scott laughed. Maybe that was what he wanted. Not with Lolly or L’Nita, but someone he could go to dinner with when he wanted a companion, someone he could sleep with when he wanted sex, and someone who would leave him alone when he wanted his space. He thought about the replicants in the movie Blade Runner. They were bioengineered androids that looked and acted just like humans. Maybe that’s what he needed, a replicant.

  “What about you?” Scott asked. “Why aren’t you dating anyone?”

  “The only people I know out here are the people I work with. I haven’t gone out to meet anyone else.”

  The beer vendor went by, and Scott ordered two beers. He took a gulp of his, then put it in the cup holder.

  “You need to get out more.”

  “There is one woman at work I’m interested in. Her name is Michelle. She works in the Community Relations Department.”

  “So, ask her out.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see.” Dean took a pull of his beer.

  When they got back to the apartment, Lolly and L’Nita were on the corner. Lolly raised her hand for a high five. Scott obliged.

  “How are the boys tonight?”

  “A little drunk,” Scott said.

  A car pulled up and stopped in front of them.

  “You better go,” L’Nita said. “Time to work.” L’Nita and Lolly turned away from them and talked to the person in the car.

  Scott and Dean walked inside. “That must be a shitty way to make a living,” Dean said. “Why do you think they do it?”

  “Who knows? They’re both probably on drugs, maybe no education. Hell, they might just like the life, although that’s hard to believe.”

  “I used to watch them out the window, back before you got here. I’d think about what their life would be like if someone gave them enough money to start over. And I wondered if they’d end up living a normal life or if they’d end up right back on that corner. Part of me thinks with just a break or two, they’d get jobs, get married, have kids, do all the things most people do.”

  “They might,” Scott said.

  “But a part of me also believes that this is just the life they were cut out for. That no matter what someone did for them or how much opportunity they had, they’d always end up whoring for a living.”

  “That’s a depressing thought, but you might be right.” Scott looked out the window at the corner. Lolly was gone, but L’Nita was still there. He walked into the kitchen. “You want a beer?”

  “I think I’m going to bed. I could use some sleep.”

  Scott opened the beer. “I’m going to stay up for a while.”

  Chapter 41

  June 1985

  Scott looked in the mirror and admired the colorful Hawaiian shirt he was wearing. Throughout his two previous lives, he avoided such shirts, feeling they were too loud and garish. But now, he had to admit that he liked the shirt.

  “Are you almost ready?” he asked Dean, who was in the bedroom.

  “Just one second.”

  When he came out, Dean not only wore a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, he also sported a pair of sunglasses with parrots on them. “How do I look?”

  “Fantastically gaudy. I just wish I had a cool pair of sunglasses like yours.”

  “Ask and you shall receive.” Dean pulled a second pair of colorful parrot sunglasses out of his pocket and handed them to Scott.

  “For me?” Scott asked in a high-pitched voice. He put the glasses on and looked again in the mirror.

  “We’d better get going if we want to have a couple of beers before the concert.”

  “With these glasses, Jimmy Buffet is going to want us up on stage with him.”

  *

  The group they were meeting was all set up in the parking lot. Several coolers held cold beer. There was also a table full of chips, cheeses, and other snacks. A large man in a chef hat was cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.

  Dean introduced Scott to several of his co-workers. Every third person wore the same parrot sunglasses Dean and Scott wore.

  “Is Michelle here?” Scott asked.

  Dean looked around and spotted Michelle through the crowd. He pointed inconspicuously. “She’s right there.”

  “Let’s go talk to her.”

  “We can’t just make a beeline to her.”

  “Let’s head over that way. We don’t have to be obvious about it.”

  They made their way toward Michelle, stopping periodically to talk to other of Dean’s co-workers. When they finally got to Michelle, Dean introduced Scott.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Scott said.

  “Those are great glasses,” Michelle said. “I wish I had gotten a pair for myself.”

  Scott took his glasses off and gave them to her.

  She put them on and struck a pose. “What do you think?”

  “You look marvelous,” Dean said, mimicking Billy Crystal’s Fernando character from Saturday Night Live.

  Michelle laughed and handed the glasses back to Scott.

  “Oh no,” Scott said holding his hands out in front of him. “You look better in them than I do. You keep them.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. I need to find a port-a-potty. Are you two going to be okay by yourselves?”

  “I think we’ll manage,” Dean said.

  “I need another beer,” Michelle said, holding up her empty.

  “I’ll help you with that,” Dean said. Dean and Michelle walked off in one direction. Scott walked off in another.

  Scott only wanted to give Dean and Michelle some time together. He didn’t need a port-a-potty. Even so, he had to make himself scarce for a while. He walked around the parking lot at Candlestick Park and marveled at the number of people who dressed up in bright colored clothing to come out to tailgate prior to a concert. He was familiar with Jimmy Buffet in his previous lives, but never really followed him. Even so, he had to admit he liked the laid-back, fun, vibe that seemed to surround Buffet’s fans.

  He walked around for several minutes, taking in the sights and enjoying the atmosphere. When he got back to his group, Dean and Michelle were off by themselves, talking. He didn’t want to interrupt, but Dean saw him and called him over.

  “If you’re going to eat anything, you’d better do it now. We’re going to head inside soon.”

  “I think I’ll have another beer,” Scott said. He reached into a nearby cooler and pulled out a can of beer.

  “Can you keep Michelle company while I run off to the little boy’s room?”

  “Of course,” Scott said. He watched Dean walk away.

  “How long have you known Dean?” Michelle asked.

  “We met when we were freshmen in college. We lived on the same floor that year. The next year we got an apartment together and we’ve pretty much been together ever since.”

  “Dean said you came all the way out here to live with him.”

  “Well, that’s not quite true. I came out for the summer, but I’m leaving in October.”

  “Leaving? Does Dean know that?”

  “He knows I’m just here for the summer. I don’t think I’ve told him when I’m going to leave.”

  Michelle looked distressed. “That’s too bad. You too make a good couple.”

  Scott had been drinking his beer, but he stopped and tilted his head. “Do you think we’re gay?”

  “Well, yeah. I mean, you lived together for several years, and you came all the way out here to live with him in his one-bedroom apartment.” She suddenly blushed. “Are you guys not gay?”

  Scott laughed and covered his mouth. “I don’t mean to laugh at you, but t
his is hilarious. We’re not gay. In fact, Dean has the hots for you.”

  Michelle covered her mouth. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I just thought. . .” She stopped speaking and dropped her hand from her mouth. “He has the hots for me?”

  “I sort of just sprang that on you, didn’t I? Yeah, he’s interested in you.”

  “I told another woman I work with that it’s too bad Dean is gay because he’s cute and funny. Oh my gosh . . .”

  Dean came through the crowd to where Scott and Michelle were standing. “Did I miss anything?”

  Scott and Michelle looked at each other and laughed loudly.

  Chapter 42

  June 1985

  Dean stumbled as he walked toward his apartment, singing “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” He got several of the words wrong as he sang, but he didn’t seem to care.

  “It looks like you two had a good time,” L’Nita said.

  “Best night of my life,” Dean said.

  L’Nita pursed her lips and nodded. “Looks like you had plenty to drink on the best night of your life.”

  Dean hiccupped and covered his mouth with his hand.

  “Where’s Lolly?” Scott asked.

  “I just got back,” L’Nita said. “I guess she’s out having a party.”

  Dean threw his hands over his head. “Let’s party.” He started singing again.

  Scott put his hand on Dean’s shoulder and shushed him. “Did you hear that?”

  “Are you hearing voices now?” L’Nita asked. “You might want to see. . .” She stopped talking. “I heard something.”

  Scott followed the sound into the alley behind the building. Next to a dumpster lay Lolly, her back against the building and her feet splayed out in front of her. She looked up when Scott approached and said something indecipherable. Her lip was split, and blood ran from her nose.

  “Lolly!” L’Nita screamed.

  “We need to get her to the hospital. You stay with her. I’ll get the car.”

  Scott ran off toward the car as fast as he could. Lolly appeared to be barely hanging to consciousness, and he knew she needed help right away.

  When he pulled the car into the alley, L’Nita and Dean helped Lolly into the back seat. L’Nita got in with her and Dean climbed into the front.