Chapter 13

 

Jeanette feathered a light kiss on Alonzo’s forehead before sliding out of the bed and going to the bathroom. Last night she was supposed to bake sweet potato pies to take to dinner. The furthest she got was boiling the sweet potatoes.

After eating pizza, they laid across her bed to watch a movie. One kiss led to a stroke with heated fingertips. That stroke led to their clothes coming off. The discarded clothing led to them making hot, passionate love. Jeanette tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down. Her sensitive nipples hardened, that place between her legs Alonzo branded as his, still ached for him. She sighed remembering how his touch was intense stealing her breath away each time he whispered he loved her. Glancing at his sleeping form, she desperately wanted to crawl back into bed.

Morning ritual of showering and brushing her teeth done, Jeanette quietly eased in the bedroom, slipped into a tee-shirt and jogging pants before heading to the kitchen to complete the preparation of her peace offering. Dinner wasn’t until 5:00 pm, plenty of time to have three pies baked. Jeanette turned the television on the counter to the early morning news as she worked. On tippy-toes she reached for the mixing bowel as she listened to the sports anchor.

In the world of sports today, it’s been confirmed by sports agent Bret Carlson, shortstop Alonzo Castro will be retiring from baseball. Castro made history when he became the youngest top earning ballplayer and later named World Series MVP…

Jeanette held on to the countertop waiting for the dizziness to pass. Alonzo was a professional baseball player? All the weeks they’ve been dating came rushing back to her in a blur as her heartbeat pounded in her ears and tears filled her eyes.

Now all the secrecy suddenly made sense. It explained why on their first date he snuck her in the back door of his friend’s restaurant. Why he always brought takeout for dinner and they watched movies on cable. Always coming up with some excuse for staying in. Had he lied about his mother? She let out a bitter chuckle.

“Stupid me. Here I am thinking he’s into me.”

Why hadn’t he told her who he really was? Why had he lied about what he did for a living? The lying bastard said he worked in finance. A sickening feeling overcame her. She placed one hand on her churning belly.

“He’s ashamed of me.”

Was he just saying her loved her to keep his bed warm until he got tired of her? Only to later kick her out to make room for the next fool. The thought of it made her more furious than sad.

Wiping away angry tears, Jeanette marched to the bedroom. As livid as she was with Alonzo, she couldn’t deny he looked darn sexy in her bed. Get it together girl! the tiny voice in her head snapped. Coming back to her senses, she scanned the room. Her gaze landed on his shoes. Bending down she picked up one of the leather loafer, grunting in disgust. They probably cost more than she made in a month.

Jeanette hurled the shoe. “Alonzo! Wake the hell up!”

Alonzo bolted from a sound slumber as the shoe made contact with his right thigh. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Don’t you ‘what’s wrong, sweetheart’ me! You lying bastard!”

Alonzo’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He should’ve known better than to ask, “What are you talking about Jeanette?”

Before he could retract his question, she pounced. “I’m talking about you being some big-shot baseball player!” Pointing toward the kitchen, she went on yelling, “Don’t you dare try to deny it. The news anchor just announced your retirement. Not to mention a shot of you flying through the freakin’ air catching a freakin’ baseball!”

Dashing away tears. Anger dissipated into hurt as she couldn’t wrap her mind around why he lied to her.

The color drained from Alonzo’s face as he wondered who in the hell leaked the news before he had a chance to tell her this morning. Jumping out of bed, Alonzo went to Jeanette. He didn’t know which pierced his heart the most. The hurt look in her eyes or her pulling away from his touch.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry you had to find out this way. I swear I was going to tell you.”

“When Alonzo? When were you going to tell me? After your mother embarrassed me at the dinner table accusing me of being after your money?”

She hated the way her voice cracked. Hated even more the nasty dig against his mother because that was not her.

This could not be happening to her. These last several weeks of her life with him had been incredible. Last night they declared their love and she had fully given herself to him. Had done things with him she had never done with another man.

“Today. I was going to tell you today.” He swore, his eyes begging for her to believe him as he took another step toward her.

This wasn’t going to end good. Alonzo could feel it deep in his soul. He mentally kicked himself for not waking her up that first night they had made love so he could confess his identity. The despondent, teary glare in her eyes was scaring the hell out of him.

Backing up, Jeanette shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”

She wrapped her arms around her trembling body. “Now that I know I’m really not good enough for you or your family… you can leave. I don’t want to be with someone who’s ashamed of me.”

Alonzo’s heart thundered in his chest. “Jeanette, sweetheart it’s not like that. Let me explain,” he desperately pleaded as he reached out, crushing her to his chest. He let out a slow breath when she didn’t push him away.

Jeanette allowed herself a few seconds to feel the warmth of his touch. To inhale his scent one last time praying it would stay etched in her brain forever. After today she would never experience them again. Although it broke her heart into a million pieces, she pushed herself out of his embrace. Wiping the lone tear that escaped, she hoped she didn’t regret her final word to him.

“I’m going downstairs to the school. Please be gone when I come back.”

 

***

 

Thanksgiving dinner in the Castro household was somber. Alonzo’s gloomy demeanor dampened the normally joyous occasion. When he showed up without Jeanette, his parents and brother asked questions he refused to answer. Too ashamed to answer.

With the weight of the world on his shoulders, and a pushy aunt not knowing when to let up with her nosy probing, he lashed out. “She left me! The only woman I’ve ever loved told me to get lost because I lied to her!”

Defeated, Alonzo shoved his plate away. In his selfishness, he’d been so wrapped up in protecting his identity he lost sight of Jeanette feelings. It was slowly killing him she believed he was ashamed of her. How could she consider such a thing after he declared his love?

Marta’s heart ached for her child. She made so many mistakes with Teresa, pushing her daughter out of her life because she interfered where she had no business. Standing, she went to Alonzo. Gently touching his shoulder, she softly said, “Son, come with me.”

“Not now, Mamá,”

He didn’t want to hear her tell him he was better off without Jeanette. Because he wasn’t. He would never be the same without her.

“Please.”

Alonzo’s gaze shifted to his father’s. When Javier nodded, Alonzo came to his feet, following his mother to the den. Behind closed doors, Marta sat on a brown leather sofa, patting the space beside her. As he sat, she gathered his hands in hers cradling them in her lap as she had done so many times when he was a little boy. No mother wanted to see their child in pain.

“So you love this Jeanette.”

Alonzo nodded, stunned by the tenderness in his mother’s soft voice.

“I do, Mamá. I love her more than the air I breathe. For the first time a woman loved me.”

He released one of his hands to firmly pat his chest. “She loved me the man, not the athlete. As far as she knew, I didn’t have wealth and she was content with being with a regular guy. You know?”

Marta nodded, although she was perplexed. “How did she not know who you were?”

Alonzo smiled remembering how his sweetheart shuddered in feigned disgust when he turned the football game on in the family room of his home. She left him to watch his game while she went to his bedroom to read a book.

“Mamá, Jeanette isn’t into sports of any kind. I told her I was in finance and was opening the restaurant with Julio.”

“Why do you think she’s upset? Surely she must understand women are always throwing themselves at you.”

Alonzo dropped his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She thinks I’m ashamed of her and was hiding her.”

“Oh, Alonzo. What have you done?”

Alonzo let out a regretful sigh. “I don’t know, Mamá. I was going to tell her this morning, but she heard it on the news first.”

Alonzo banged his fist on his thigh, shouting a string of expletives. On the ride home from Jeanette's house earlier that morning he dialed Bret to confront him. The two engaged in a nasty argument, which Alonzo doubt they would ever recover from.

 It turned out his agent had a cash flow problem and was counting on Alonzo renewing his contract, and accepting the Nike endorsement deal.

Alonzo had trusted his friend, telling him that he wanted to hold off on his retirement announcement until he came clean with Jeanette. Bret’s leak was a vindictive move that cost Alonzo dearly.

Marta jumped, taken aback by Alonzo’s outburst. He reached over, gently taking his mother’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Mamá for disrespecting you.” He apologized as he shared what transpired between him and Bret.

“I never did like him.”

Marta, cupped Alonzo’s jaw. “Son, if you love this Jeanette, go after her. And if she loves you, she will forgive you.”

Alonzo placed his hand over his mother’s. “Thanks, Mamá. I love you.”

“I love you too, son.”