Game of Love (19 page)

He pulled out a black t-shirt. “Ms. Pac-Man? I can’t believe you found it.” He gave Linda a bear hug.

“I saw it at one of the street vendors here in Venice. I had to grab it.”

He was thrilled over a five dollar t-shirt. He drove an Aston Martin, yet a t-shirt stole his heart.

“Ms. Pac-Man? Weren’t you addicted to that game?” Dan asked.

“No,” Linda said, “not the game as much as–”

“Don’t–” Andre tried to interrupt.

“–addicted to
Silvia
,” Linda continued.

Andre reddened while the others laughed. “It had nothing to do with her. I loved that game.”

“Sure,” Linda said as she turned to Gemma. “We were twelve, vacationing in Spain. Mister Andre here had a major crush on this redhead, Silvia. He literally stole money from my dad and shared quarters with her. It was pitiful.”

“I was trying to be neighborly,” he said.

“Each evening, we went to the cafe in the center. Like us, Silvia was a fixture there. One day, before heading to the cafe, Andre rushed into the bathroom. He was there much longer than normal. When he came out–”

“Will you stop already?” he said.

“When he came out,” she continued, giving Andre the evil eye, “his hair looked odd and smelled weird. Our own child-genius here had used Vaseline on his hair.”

The room exploded with laughter. Through tears, Linda went on. “He had slicked back his hair, this afro of his, with Vaseline to look handsome for her.”

Gemma wiped at her tears. “Vaseline? Andre, what were you thinking?”

He dropped his head for a few moments. Eventually, he peered up. “But she was so pretty. I had to try something.”

Gemma placed a hand on his shoulder. “You are a geek.”

“I need a drink.” He went to the refrigerator and grabbed a Corona.

“Beer will slow you down. I don’t want to hear excuses afterwards.”

“We’ll just have to see about that. Dan, are we ready?”

“Nearly.”

“Come on.” Andre walked her to the den. “Time to be taken to school.”

The television screen lit up. Gemma was confused for a moment, then it all made sense. “A bloody video game? Wii Tennis? Seriously? This is what you’re challenging me to?”

“Is Miss Tennis Star afraid of playing?” He whipped the motion-based controller in air. “Are you going to bring your A-game or what?”

She stood, studying him. “That’s the only game I bring.”

Gemma loved watching Andre panic–he had miscalculated. He clearly had not considered that she was also an avid gamer. Even so, the battle was epic in its own right. Not because it was a close match, but because Andre, who fancied himself “the man” at the game, was being trounced. He had yet to earn a point and she liked it like that.

Match point. She glanced at him. Perspiration dripped down his forehead.

“Are you ready to be a man of your word?” she asked.

He spun to argue, to renegotiate the terms, discuss, which is exactly what she thought he’d do. With him distracted, she served.

“Wait–” he yelled out, but it was too late.

Ace.

He collapsed to the floor. The audience cheered, while Sandy took her winnings from Dan.

“You cheated. You distracted me,” Andre said.

“Yes, I did.” She twirled the controller like a gunslinger. “Well?”

He rose and tossed the controller on the couch. “I’m a man of my word.”

She didn’t budge. “And I say we stay.”

He beamed. “Best of three?”

“The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else.”
~Martina Navratilova

veryone tried to beat Gemma at Wii Tennis, all hoping to be able to loosely declare they had defeated Gemma at tennis. But they all lost. Badly.

Lunch, board games, early dinner, and dessert; it had been a full day of bliss. She met Andre completely by chance, a coincidence. Here she was, spending the day with him and his extended family, and loving every moment of it. With each passing minute, her feelings grew stronger. Like a tree, his roots were taking hold.

Andre was on the balcony with his friends, while she was at the kitchen table with Linda. Dina and Dan were putting Haley to sleep. Gemma and Linda were nearly inseparable. As improbable as it was, they were already building a solid friendship. Linda was honest, a straight shooter, and easy to talk to. Gemma was saving Linda’s contact information on her mobile when she noticed that Linda’s email address was from a well-known high school in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood.

“How long have you been teaching?” Gemma asked.

“Three years. I must admit, my kids have taught me more than I’ve taught them.”

“High school students? Hard to imagine.”

Linda sipped tea. “Has Andre told you about Rob?”

A beat. “Was Rob your fiancé?”

Linda nodded. “He was one of Andre’s childhood friends. We fell in love in high school and went to college together. We had recently graduated, getting into our careers. We were also planning our wedding on a detailed spreadsheet he maintained with the diligence of a squirrel. It was his way of contributing to the chaos called wedding planning.”

Gemma instinctively placed her hand on Linda’s.

“One evening, when I came home after a parent teacher conference, all the lights in the house were still off. When I flicked the switch I found him curled up on the couch in the den. He’d been crying. He was unable to talk, despondent. The results of his routine tests had come in. He’d been told he had melanoma, and it had spread. He was given months. Just like that, everything changed.”

Gemma’s tears streamed uncontrollably. Why was life like this? Unfair and random. Just like her birth parents, they had found love, the perfect love, and in an instant they were torn apart.

“Four months was all it took. This young, vibrant, powerful man was taken away from me.” Her voice was hoarse. “I had my friends and family, but it wasn’t until I went back to school that I found the healing power of love. My students came to my rescue. Surrounded by their love and energy, I made it.”

Gemma thought of the passion and electricity she experienced when surrounded by her fans in the stadium. On some level she understood. The game was her sanctuary.

“We were supposed to marry on Memorial Day weekend. Today would have been our first anniversary.”

Gemma’s throat constricted. “I can’t find the proper words. All I feel is loss and profound sadness. Like a hole in my chest.” Her words choked in her throat.

Linda took Gemma’s hand and held it tight. “I didn’t mean to make you sad. You’re comfortable to talk to. It’s your eyes I think… you disarm the most guarded person.”

“Both you and your cousin seem to be under the spell of my eyes,” Gemma said, smiling through tears.

“What’s that saying? ‘With great power comes greater responsibility.’ Use it with care.”

Andre and Chris were outside cleaning the grill when Dan showed up.

“Is Haley asleep?” Andre asked.

“I hope so,” Dan said. “Dina told her if she doesn’t sleep soon, I’d go in there with the guitar and sing all night.”

“That’s cruel,” Chris said.

“Thanks, bro.”

Andre glanced inside. Dina joined Gemma and Linda.

“So…” Dan said.

“Yeah…” Chris added.

Andre glanced at them. “What’s on your birdbrain minds?”

“Nothing. We’re good,” Dan said. “Everything’s the same, right Chris?”

“Yup, all’s copacetic here. Just like you, right, Andre? Nothing new with you?”

“Yup, you got it,” Andre said. “Nothing new. Just hangin’ out–”

“Dude,” Chris nearly yelled. “How could you not tell us about Gemma? For the love of all that’s awesome, how did this happen?”

“Nothing has really happened,” Andre said. “We’re friends… or something.”

“Is that right?” Dan said. “So what happened when you guys summited? Why did you both suddenly disappear up there?”

“I have no recollection of said events,” Andre kept his eyes fixed on the grill, grinning stupidly.

“I told you,” Chris said to Dan. “Einstein here had us all fooled. I’m too busy, I’m flying, I’m in meetings, I don’t have time for a personal life. Yeah, sure looks like it.” Chris bore into Andre’s eyes. “You know what, bro? I’m so freakin’ happy for you.” Chris dropped a hand on Andre’s shoulder.

“Hear hear,” Dan said. They all clinked their near-empty bottles. “You are finally with someone who puts a legit smile on your face.”

“We’re not together, guys. We’re just starting to know each other.”

“No, it’s more than that. You two look like you’ve been friends for a long time. Even with us, it’s so natural. Like she was always here.”

That’s exactly what it felt like. Like they’d always known each other and were somehow separated.

“She gets me. It’s like she’s always been a part of me.”

“From the way she looks at you, I bet she feels the same way,” Chris said. “I am so glad you and I are best friends.”

“Hold on,” Dan jumped in. “Andre and I were best friends first. You were an afterthought.”

“Too much time on the beach has softened your brain…”

The guys went on, but Andre turned his attention to Gemma, sitting with Linda and Dina, smiling and chatting. She was what had been missing in his life. A partner.