Chapter 32
Everyone convened in the back of Murphy’s, sipping their beers and watching the pregame show.
Angie bought rounds for everyone, including brats for those who wanted them.
As always, Angie sensed the optimism and excitement of the bar crowd; it was why she and Vinnie had always come here to get into game mode.
Despite the welcome distraction, she couldn’t stop thinking about her time with the mayor and how she got what she wanted by being assertive, with Lorna as her backup, of course.
I can’t believe Ralph sent over these tickets.
She could feel herself softening toward him.
Anybody who loved the Cubs that much couldn’t be all bad, could they?
The sky was blue, it was a warm late-September afternoon, and there was no better place to be as they walked across the street from Murphy’s into the ballpark.
They had the best bleacher seats. Center field, perfect view of the field, and an excellent place to grab a few home run balls, if the stars were aligned.
As they approached their seats, Kim stopped.
“Wait a minute. Gina, do you see what I’m seeing? It’s Peggy’s girls from the kitchen.”
Gina looked past the girls and saw something that astonished her. There was Peggy sitting next to Ben, who stood up and waved.
“Uncle Ben, what the hell?”
“Hey, Gina, it’s a long story, but we’re all here to have fun and forget about our troubles, right, Peggy?”
Peggy growled, “Why not, can’t work today, schools are closed. Ben stopped by with tickets yesterday and I figured my crew needed a break after the poisoning incident.” She sat back down, grumbled some more, and took a sip of her beer. Gina walked over and hugged Ben and sat between him and Peggy.
“I am so sorry about the poisoning,” Gina said. “Angie got it all straightened out. It wasn’t us who did it. She can bring you up to speed after the game.”
“Good to hear. Sorry I was so mean to you, but it put me behind schedule,” Peggy said.
“By the way, my niece is coming out from San Francisco tomorrow, loves baseball. Maybe we can take her to a Cubs game. She’s a private investigator and has a case here.
I think you’d like her. She’s a lot of fun. She bats for Kim’s team.”
“What’s her name?” Gina asked.
“Jackie Larsen, she’s one fun-loving smart cookie. Her parents disowned her when she came out, but I told her she would always have a place in my heart and home,” Peggy said, and then turned to watch the players warm up. Gina went to sit with her mom, Angie, and Kim.
“That Ralph knows how to pick good seats,” Connie said.
“Vinnie and Ralph spent many a day in the bleachers,” Gina leaned over and remarked. “They could afford the fancier seats, but they said this is where the real fans were.”
Angie bought popcorn, peanuts, and beer for the crew, toasting, “Here’s to family and the Cubs.” They all raised their beers, toasted, and yelled, “Go, Cubs!”
The Cardinals took an early lead with two home runs in the top of the second, and the Cubs answered in the bottom of the fifth and tied the score.
Baseball time was different for Angie. She had learned from Vinnie to put all her cares away and soak it all in, one pitch at a time, one hit at a time, one inning at a time.
Today, of all days, she was doing just that, glancing at the field and then over at her family, including Thad and Daisy, knowing they would always get through anything as long as they were together.
She laughed out loud when one of the lunch gals yelled at the ump, “That was a strike! Get some glasses!”
What a motley crew, Angie thought.
At the top of the sixth, one of the ushers came over to where she was sitting. “Is there an Angie Sortino here?”
They all looked up. “Who wants to know?” Angie asked.
“We have a very special surprise for Angie. Are you Angie?”
“Depends. You’re not from the mayor’s office, are you?” Angie asked.
“No, I work for the Cubs.”
“Okay then, I’m Angie. What exactly is the surprise?”
“Not at liberty to say, but if you’d please follow me, you’ll know soon enough. All I can say is it must be your lucky day.” He gestured for Angie to follow him.
“Bring her back in one piece,” Connie called after.
“No worries, she’ll be safe and sound. Enjoy the rest of the game. Go, Cubs.”
Angie followed him through the park, her mind reeling. Where is he taking me? They navigated through all the fans, kids in tow, lines of people waiting for beer and dogs.
He took her on an elevator up several floors, and she noticed a sign pointing to the press boxes. They walked past them.
“Would you please take a seat, Angie?” said the escort. “I’ll be back to get you at the start of the seventh inning.” He pointed to a small area with a live TV monitor displaying the game and several chairs. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Why not? I’ll take a beer, please.”
The young man returned with a draft beer and a bag of peanuts. “Enjoy.”
Angie sipped her beer, cracked open peanuts, and watched the rest of the sixth inning. The game was tied. Fans were yelling as the Cubs took the field at the top of the seventh. She was deeply engaged in the game when the usher interrupted her. “How are you doing?”
“Great, but I’d like to get back to my family. Time for the seventh-inning stretch.”
“You’ll be enjoying that in just a few minutes. A friend of yours has arranged something for you. I hope you brought your best singing voice.”
Singing voice? Angie thought, as the usher led her to a door marked “Announcer” and gently knocked. What the hell?
“Come in,” came a voice from within.
The usher opened the door and Pat Hughes, the announcer for the Cubs, glanced over. “Angie, you’re going to be singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” with our guest celebrity.”
“What! Are you kidding me? Oh my God! This is a dream come true!”
“Come on in. We’re on in a few minutes.”
Angie stepped in and froze. There in front of her was Bill Murray—the Bill Murray, wearing his 2016 World Series T-shirt and hat, holding a microphone.
“Hey, Angie. Nice to meet you. I was a friend of Vinnie’s—so sorry he’s gone.
” He reached over and gave her a warm embrace, saying, “He was a hell of a man, and there was no better Cubs fan.”
Angie was having an out-of-body experience, thoughts flooding through her mind. Is this real? How did this happen? I’m with Bill Murray.
Bill brought her right up front—where you could see the entire field—and handed her a microphone. “I know you know the words,” he said, smiling.
The Cubs announcer broke in, “And today we have our very own Bill Murray with a special guest, Angie Sortino, singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
Bill jumped in, “A one—A two.” He glanced over at Angie and they both started singing.
“Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack. I don’t care if I never get back!”
Angie gave it all she had, joy erupting from within her.
She caught sight of her and Bill on the Jumbotron.
As the camera scanned the crowd, everyone got up and sang, arm in arm.
“So it’s root, root, root for the Cubbies …
” The song ended, the crowd went wild, and Angie hugged Bill, smiling ear to ear.
“This was truly a dream come true.” She pointed at him with both of her index fingers. “Bill Murray. I sang with Bill Murray!”
Bill gave her a departing hug. “Take care, Angie. So nice to meet you after hearing about you from Vinnie for so many years. That man sure loved you.”
The usher was standing by the door ready to escort Angie back to her seat.
She couldn’t even feel her legs, but she knew she was moving.
Fans waved and clapped as she walked past them, and when she got to her seat, her entire section of the bleachers stood up and started to chant, “Angie, Angie, Angie!”
She was still in shock; her whole being was vibrating.
Gina embraced her. “Bill fucking Murray. Are you kidding me? You killed it! Who made that happen?”
“I’m guessing Ralph. If I died tomorrow, I’d die a happy woman.
” The top of the eighth inning started and then the ninth.
Angie couldn’t focus on the game. She was truly dazed.
The Cubs barely pulled it out, getting a homer with two outs on a three-two pitch in the bottom of the ninth.
The stadium exploded as everyone sang the victory song, “Go Cubs Go.” A man was waving the huge W flag in the middle of the field and no real fan left until the song was over.
Angie’s crew followed her out, fans high-fiving her along the way.
Her crowd made their way back over to Murphy’s for a celebratory drink.
They found their usual spot in the back.
Peggy bought a few pitchers of beer and they reveled in Angie’s big day, and the Cubs win, of course.
After about an hour, the crowd in Murphy’s started to thin out and Angie excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.
As she got close, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
Thinking it was another fan ready to give her a high five, she turned around …
and standing in front of her was Ralph. Her heart dropped.
She wanted to give him a hug, even a kiss.
“It was you who arranged that, wasn’t it? ”
“I did.” He gazed deep in her eyes and she in his. She felt sudden warmth all over like she hadn’t since Vinnie died. She grabbed Ralph and kissed him with everything she had, melting right into his mouth. They stood there kissing, as if they were the only ones in the bar.
Angie gazed up at Ralph. “It’s a start. Don’t go getting your hopes up. We’re not going steady.” They laughed.
“But you’re saying I have a chance, right?”
“Time will tell, Mr. Conti, time will tell. Why don’t you join us in the back? I need to use the ladies’ room.”
As she was washing her hands, Angie was mentally pinching herself. She splashed cold water on her face. I can’t believe this is all happening. How lucky am I? She made her way back to where Ralph was laughing with Peggy and Ben. She smiled at him and sat next to Thad. “How are you doing there?”
“Ang, this was epic. You were on the big screen with Bill Murray, dude. Like blew my mind.”
“Blew my mind too,” Angie said.
Gina ran over to Angie. “Louie just called. He heard back from his pal in the mayor’s office who confirmed everything. Said to apologize for not trusting you. We’re back in business.”
Kim was standing beside Gina, glowing, and wrapped her arm around Gina’s shoulders as she said, “We’re going to have to get back up to speed. We have to replenish everything we threw away.”
Gina looked over at Angie. “Louie said you don’t have to worry about Mario; he’s taken care of things, whatever that means … and there’s something else …”
Gina got close to Angie and whispered in her aunt’s ear, “I have to tell you something. I’m falling in love with Kim.”
Angie pulled back to study her niece and smiled. “I had a feeling that was going to happen. It’s so nice that your friendship came first, and now a romance. Good for you, honey.”
Their hug was cut short when Angie noticed Ralph walking over toward them. “Good news, I see.”
“Last Bite is back in business!” Gina yelled over the noise in the bar.
Everyone threw their arms in the air and cheered. Connie rushed over and hugged Gina. Thad put his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle, and Ben gave two thumbs-up.
“Last Bite is going to be hiring, if you know anyone who’s looking,” Gina announced.
“Well, I’ll be looking for employment soon. Seems my company has gone belly-up,” Ralph said.
“Oh no, Ralph, I’m so sorry,” Angie said, moving closer. “I could use some help making pesto sauce,” she whispered in his ear.
“I’ll have time on my hands and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather spend it with, Angie.” He touched her hand gently.
“We’re taking things nice and slow, Ralph. I have two jobs and a family to take care of, so I’m not rushing into anything. I don’t need a man to define me anymore.”
Angie stepped away from Ralph, threw her arms up, and yelled, “Victory is mine!” Happy tears streaming down her cheeks, warmth radiated throughout her body, and with newfound confidence rising from the very depths of her soul, Angie knew that something had shifted inside her forever.
She had the profound knowingness that she could stand on her own two feet and be the kind of woman she had always admired and wanted to be, deep down.
Angie’s journey was just beginning at the young age of forty-five, and what an adventure it was going to be … an adventure of her own design.
The End