4. Aiden
Ihave no idea what came over me or why I was so rude to Anna. It’s not like me at all, and I’m berating myself during the entire drive to the sports complex. I owe her an apology, and I start thinking of ways I can make it up to her. But then my mind drifts, recalling her playful banter with Swank and her implication that it didn’t matter what impression I made. I start to feel my green-eyed monster want to come out and play, but I manage to rein him in—just barely.
The last thing I have time for is getting involved with a woman, especially one who works for me. It doesn’t matter that Anna is stunning and can hold her own against Swank and my daughter. It doesn’t matter that she’s got a fire burning inside her and is willing to stand up to me. I promised myself when Patricia left that I wouldn’t waste another second on dating; finding my happiness in raising my precocious Penny.
Now that my ex-wife has returned, I’m focused on finding out what game she’s playing. She’s been rooting for me at our home games since the season started, but she hasn’t approached me or my players once. She’s been photographed at the games wearing a team jersey with my name on it, causing rumors to run rampant in the tabloids. I’ve always tried to keep a low profile, but Patricia is making that more difficult.
It might be time for me to take matters into my own hands and talk to her. I can’t stop her from attending the games since she hasn’t done anything illegal, and I can’t stop her from wearing my name on her back. Almost half the fans do the same, so singling her out would only make matters worse.
My phone rings, echoing through the car and causing me to cringe. I hadn’t realized the volume was turned up and quickly adjust the settings before answering it.
“Hello, Mom. Miss me already?” I ask playfully, hoping it might cool some of her ire that I know is coming my way.
“What has gotten into you, Aiden? I know I taught you better manners than the way you treated Anna upon her arrival. To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement.”
I would rather have my mom angry at me than disappointed; but truth be told, I’m disappointed in myself. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one you need to be apologizing to. Anna is here at my request, and I’m surprised she didn’t walk right out those front doors after what you said to her. We’re lucky to have found her on such short notice.”
“You’re right. When I get home tonight, I’ll make amends. What do you think I should do? Should I show up with flowers or chocolate? Women love those things, right?”
Her laugh is loud, even with the volume down. “Oh, gosh, no! For starters, flowers and candy as an apology or for a holiday is the easy way out and doesn’t mean much. Not to mention, that’s something a boyfriend or husband would do, not her employer.”
“Oh. Um. Then what do you suggest?”
“How about apologizing to her and not letting it happen again? Words mean a great deal when backed up by action,” she tells me.
I think about what she said, and the problem is that Anna is already under my skin, and I’ve only had a five-minute encounter with her. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my mouth shut, especially when the guys come over and end up trying to hit on her. I’ll need to let my team know she’s off-limits, too.
“There’s too much silence, Aiden. What’s going through that head of yours?” my mom asks.
“It’s just that I don’t necessarily regret what I said, only how I said it. Mom, Anna needs to be focused on taking care of Penny, not dating.”
“Hmm. So, you’re telling me that you meant to call her ‘the help,’ but just not in a nasty way? Got it,” she says with a chuckle.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Aiden, Anna is a grown woman who is not required to care for Penny when you’re at home. She’s free to come and go when she’s not on the clock. Just because you’ve decided to refrain from dating or finding love doesn’t mean that everyone else has to. She’s done nothing to warrant you thinking that she wouldn’t be attentive to Penny’s needs.”
I’ve always been able to count on my mom to tell me things as they are. She never holds back, and I would never want her to. It doesn’t mean I have to like it, though.
“Mom, Anna is gorgeous. There is no way she won’t receive attention from the opposite sex when she takes Penny out in public. I’m worried that the bodyguards I hired will be more focused on Anna than Penny.”
“Well, now we’re getting to the real reason behind your angst. You’re attracted to ‘the help,’” she teases.
“I didn’t mean to call her that! You’re never going to let me live that down, will you?” I ask in a lighthearted tone.
She giggles, “Nope, and I doubt Anna will either. She seems to give as good as she gets.” Lowering her voice and getting serious, she adds, “She’d be perfect for you if you would open up your heart again, Aiden.”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “There’s no way you can know that, Mom. You met her five minutes before I did and have spent the last…” I look at my watch, “twenty minutes with her.”
“I have a sixth sense about these things. Have I ever steered you wrong?”
“Do you really want me to answer that? What about that time you put Swank and me in ballroom dance lessons? Or that time you thought Swank and I should learn skeet shooting?” I ask, reminding her of a few things that hadn’t worked out as she had planned.
“In my defense, you are now great at the waltz, and it helped both of you to be graceful on the ice. As for the skeet shooting, you’re a natural!”
“There was nothing natural about putting loaded guns into the hands of two ten-year-old boys.” We had spent more time trying to shoot the birds than the skeet, but thankfully, we had horrible aim. The geese lived to tell the tale.
“Everything turned out as it should, so you should always listen to your mother.” I can hear the smile in her voice, and it saddens me a little to know it won’t stay there after my next words.
“I should, but not this time. I don’t need you playing matchmaker when I’m not ready for a relationship. I’ve been burned by a pretty face before. I’m certainly not up for repeating my mistakes.”
“She’s not Patricia. You can’t assume that every gorgeous woman is out for your money or content with being a trophy wife, Aiden.”
I’m sure that Mom is right, but I’m not willing to risk taking a chance to find out. My head needs to be in the game with the playoffs coming up. I don’t need any distractions or to be thinking about a woman I have no business trying to get to know better. Anna will be living under the same roof as me, so I’ll have to find ways to keep her at arm’s length. I’ll simply have to be more polite in how I go about it.
“I’m going to have to let you go, Mom. I’m pulling into the parking lot. Just for the record, Anna doesn’t date athletes, as she clearly pointed out. That makes the topic of this conversation a moot point.”
“Word,” she says.
“What?”
“I just wanted to get the last word in,” she says, laughing at her own joke.
I smile. “Bye, Mom.”
“Have a good practice! Love you lots!” She hangs up, and my fingers grip the steering wheel a bit tighter. I have zero doubt that my mother is nowhere near done with trying to fix me up with the nanny.
“What is up with you today, Aiden?” Swank asks as we finish up our spin bike session. The trainer is top-notch, and I’m dripping sweat. He kicked up the intensity, and I know I’ll feel it later.
After chugging down a bottle of water, I look at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Bro, you weren’t just bringing your A-game! You went through the whole alphabet! I know that we said we would lead by example, but I don’t want to die trying to keep up with you. Something’s on your mind, I can tell. Tell Papa Swank what’s going on.” He opens his arms as if he plans for me to hug it out. I push him away instead.
“Get away from me!” I gesture to the space in front of me. “This is my personal space. You’re only allowed in by invitation when we’re not on the ice.”
He takes a step back. “Seriously, Aiden. What’s going on? You were riding that bike like something, or someone was chasing you. We still have strength training, agility, and rink time ahead of us. You’re no good to anyone—especially the team—if you hurt yourself.”
“It’s nothing.” I wipe the sweat from my face with a towel and use the excuse of putting it in the soiled linen bin to walk away from him.
“It’s not nothing,” Swank says, catching up to me. “I’ve known you since we were five years old. You’re not the type to get rattled, so what gives?”
I don’t want to tell him that I couldn’t get Anna out of my head, but he won’t leave me alone if I don’t give him something. He’s like a tick. He burrows in deep when he smells fresh blood.
“I plan to talk to Patricia next time I see her.” It’s not a lie. It just wasn’t what occupied most of my thoughts.
“Oh, you’re finally going to open that can of worms, huh? She should be at the game tomorrow, so you’ll have your chance if you can get security to escort her to the underground tunnels. What are you gonna say to her?”
That’s a good question. “I need to know why she’s back and what she’s after. If it’s Penny, she’s in for a fight.”
“Are you telling me that you wouldn’t allow Penny to see her mother? That’s cold, Bro.” Swank shivers, pretending to feel chilled.
“No. I’ve never had any issues with Patricia spending time with Penny, but she’s never exercised that option. Penny still spends plenty of time with Patricia’s parents, so she isn’t closed off from that side of her family. I’m more concerned that Patricia might be trying to bide her time and go after custody of my daughter.”
Swank nods, “It’s possible, but she wouldn’t stand a chance in court. Who’s the beneficiary of the trust fund you received? Penny, or your parents?”
I cock my head, curious as to why he brought up the trust fund. He knows it’s a sore topic for me. “Why does it matter?”
Swank answers with a slight sneer, his disdain for Patricia evident. “Because if it’s Penny, then Patricia would get custody if anything happened to you and, in turn, control over the money. It doesn’t matter that she signed away her rights; she’s a great actress and could woo the court into believing she is a doting and loving mother.”
I frown, not having remotely thought of that possibility. “Do you think the recent bout of threatening notes might be from Patricia? I know my parents have expressed their thoughts on the matter, but I find it hard to believe that she would be willing to take my life for a buck.”
He begins walking toward the weight room where we have our next workout session. “I wouldn’t put anything past her, but then again, we haven’t seen her in five years and have no idea what she’s like now.”
“That’s a non-answer if I ever heard one.” As we enter the weight room, the rest of the team is already working out. As the ‘old men’ in the group, we both decide to show the rookies that age is just a number. I lay down and prepare my mind and body to bench press 350 pounds. The norm for offensive players is around the 250-300 pound range, but our defensive players are used to doing a little more.
Swank spots me as I grunt, pushing out a few reps. I’m on my third one when he says, “I wish I could say with certainty that Patricia isn’t behind the notes. She left Zach Shilling last year when he broke his collarbone and could no longer play. She took him to the cleaners in their divorce. Last I heard, she got four million and has already blown her way through it.”
“How…does…someone…go through…that much…money…so quickly?” I ask, pushing through my last two reps in the set.
Once I’m done, we switch places. “It’s not as hard as you might think,” he says. “If she wanted to maintain her lifestyle, a house in this area would cost her at least half of that. If you add in a new car, clothes, jewelry, or groceries; it would be gone in a nanosecond. Have you seen the cost of a loaf of bread or a jar of peanut butter lately? It’s highway robbery!”
“Will you two stop your yappin’ and show these boys how it’s done?” Coach Dorn yells from across the room. Our teammates’ eyes go wide because we are benching at least 50 pounds more than the rest of them on a good day.
“We’re multi-tasking, Sir!” Swank shouts back.
Not taking any lip from my friend, he screams, “Multi-task in your free time! If you’ve got the energy to talk, then you aren’t working hard enough!”
We do as he demands and halt our conversation, holding our tongues for the rest of the day. By the time I leave the arena to head home, I’m positively beat, and my muscles are tight. I plan to soak in the tub as soon as I can, even before grabbing something to eat from the fridge.
Tomorrow is a home game against the Jacksonville Jackals, and I want to be recovered enough not to embarrass myself while I’m playing. I may have overdone it today, and I feel like I’m 80 as I head to my truck. A small groan of pain escapes me as I pull myself in. Swank laughs, but he’s walking to his car with stiff legs, too.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Rest up and eat something healthy. No drinking tonight or going out late,” I warn.
“Yes, Dad. I’ll be in bed by eight o’clock and won’t break curfew. I’ll make sure to eat all my green beans, too!” He salutes me like I’m his drill sergeant. “Oh, and say ‘Hi’ to Anna for me!”
I ignore him and head home. When I get there, I’m greeted with a pleasant scent of lemon-roasted chicken. I’m surprised to see my mom and dad cozied up on the couch and watching ESPN without a care in the world.
They must not have heard me when I came in, engrossed in the game between Atlanta and Baltimore. I should watch it with them since we play Atlanta in two days, but I’m burnt out.
They both jump when I ask, “Did you guys already have dinner? Whatever you cooked smells delicious!”
The sound of laughter comes from the kitchen, and I turn in that direction. My mom touches my hand to get my attention. “I’m not cooking tonight. Penny wanted to cook dinner for you, so Anna has been in the kitchen helping her. Well, Anna’s been doing most of the work, but don’t tell Penny I said that.” More laughter draws my attention, along with the faint sound of music.
“Thanks for the heads-up.” I silently walk toward the kitchen and peek around the corner, only to find Penny and Anna dancing to the music. They start singing along with the song coming through the speakers, and I can’t help but smile, seeing my daughter so happy. Penny is covered in flour and having the time of her life. She’s still wearing that hideous outfit from this morning, but the makeup is all gone.
Anna’s beautiful voice fills the air as she sings Penny’s favorite song, “This is the Stuff” by Francesca Battistelli. I’m humming along, familiar with the words that I’ve heard countless times before. The song is a constant reminder that we should remember how blessed we are when the little stuff grinds away at us.
I’m still humming when I finally realize they have stopped singing and are both staring at me. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“Dad, you’re home! Look, I’m making dinner for you! Anna said that you would have had a hard day of practice if you plan to make the playoffs! Nutrition is key to recovery!”
Penny jumps into my arms, and I swing her around. “She did, did she?” I wonder how Anna knew that today would be grueling and that we need to win the next few games for a playoff spot. If I had to guess, I would say my mom had something to do with it. Mom loves to brag about me, no matter how often I ask her not to.
“And do you know what else we did?” Penny asks excitedly.
“What’s that, Sweetheart?”
“We made you an ice bath! Anna said that it would help your muscles feel better. Is that true?”
I nod. “It is. That was very thoughtful of you both. Thank you. Do I have time to soak before dinner?”
Anna answers, “Dinner should be ready in 20 minutes. The longest you should soak in an ice bath is ten minutes max, depending on your body’s tolerance to the cold. That should give you plenty of time.”
“Did my mom tell you that?” I’m going to have to talk with my mom about her meddling. I don’t need Anna to do nice things to try and win me over, not when I need to keep her at a distance.
“No. Amazingly enough, I was able to figure that out all on my own,” she says derisively.
And with that, she turns her back to me, leaving me to wonder what I had said wrong.