Housing A Dragon

As she drove, she looked at him from time to time and wondered if she should try to strike up a conversation. His piercing blue eyes were studying the road and all of the landmarks as they drove. She was still a bit nervous, but she didn't want him to know it. Finally, she asked, "So, what do you think of Dayton?"

"Oh, it's okay, I guess. I really haven't seen much," he said, looking her way. "Maybe after I get my car, I'll see more of it. The stadium is great, though. It'll be fun playing there."

"Yeah," she agreed, "the stadium is first class. We've led all class A teams in attendance every year since it's been open, and some class AA teams, too."

"Wow," he said, duly impressed. He was used to seeing only a few hundred or a thousand fans in the rookie league parks. Dayton's park held over eight thousand.

"Dayton's not too bad," she continued. "I've lived here my whole life and I've done okay."

"What do you do for a living, if I may ask?"

"I'm a paralegal for a law firm."

"Oh."

"Oh?" she replied. "Is there something wrong with being a paralegal?"

"Not a thing. I just wasn't expecting that."

"What were you expecting?"

"I really don't know," he said smiling, hoping to get away from the subject.

"We're almost there," she said as she turned left onto a shaded street. He saw a tavern on the left and a bowling alley on the right. Just after they passed a library, she turned right and into an apartment complex. She drove all the way to the end and parked in a space near the entrance to the last unit. "We're here," she announced.

They both got out and she led him into the unit and up two flights of stairs. At the landing, she turned to the left and put her key in the lock. The door opened effortlessly and she flipped the light switch to her left. Straight ahead, he saw a sofa with tables on each side. To the left was a chair and a television and to the right was a dining area. Keri moved behind him and shut the door, locking it with the dead bolt.

"Would you like to see the room?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered. She led him to the hallway and to the right where she flipped on the light and stepped aside. Zeke brushed past her and entered the small room. It had a double bed, dresser, desk, chair, and a small closet. He looked around for a few seconds. It was small, but no smaller than his room in Billings or his room at home, for that matter. He nodded approvingly and said, "It's fine."

Keri smiled and was relieved. Now, all they had to agreed upon was money. She knew young ball players didn't get paid much and she didn't want to strap him, but she wanted a fair return. "Do you want to see the rest of it?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied.

She led him back down the hall and showed him the bathroom, the dining room, and the kitchen. When that was completed, they sat down at the dining room table. "I don't mean to be too forward," she began, "but how much do you make per month?"

"About fifteen hundred dollars before taxes. About eleven hundred after taxes."

"Okay," she said, "how about three hundred a month?"

"That's kind of steep," he replied, thinking about his month with the Gilkey's.

"Well, it would cover your food as well. You wouldn't have to pay any utilities, either."

"I don't know..."

"Listen," she said quickly, afraid of him turning it down, "what do you think you can afford?"

Zeke thought for a few seconds. He still had a student loan and his car to pay off. It wasn't a whole lot, but she didn't need to know that. Besides, he would be free income for her. Three hundred was just too much. "How about two hundred?"

Keri's eyes narrowed slightly, but she smiled to herself. This wasn't going to be easy, she thought. She folded her hands in front of her as she looked at him. "Two-fifty," she said.

"Sold," he smiled. It was the amount he had figured on paying in the first place.

"Good," she said, obviously pleased with the transaction. Now, she wouldn't have to worry about Michael's lost rent money until October. She hoped to get three hundred, but she could live with two-fifty. "Before we go over some things, can I get you something to drink?"

"Ice water would be fine," he said. Keri got up and went to the kitchen. She got him a tall glass of ice water and handed it to him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Zeke studied her for a few seconds as he had done periodically since she first picked him up. She wasn't a beauty, but she was cute. Her brown eyes lit up whenever she smiled and she had a nice smile. Her straight brown hair was tied back in a pony tail that reached the middle of her back. He immediately thought she would look much better with shorter hair falling loosely around her face. She had full, pouty lips that looked like she could suck a golf ball through a garden hose, he thought rudely. She also had nice curves and shapely derriere, but he wasn't interested. He simply wasn't attracted to her and he had too many other things to worry about. And having a girlfriend wasn't at the top of his list.

Keri sat down as before with her hands clasped in front of her on the table. Beneath them was a sheet of paper in which she had written down various topics to discuss with him.

"Okay, first of all, are you a smoker?"

"No."

"Good. I'm not, either. I can't stand the smell." She already knew he wasn't a smoker when he entered her car.

"I go to the grocery once a week. If there's something you like or need to have, let me know. That's where part of your money goes anyway. The washer and dryer are for your use. If you want me to show you how to use them, I will. Otherwise, you're on your own. I won't do your laundry. Most guys I know do their own."

"Four years of college taught me that," he said.

"I thought so. You're welcome to join me for any meal. I don't mind fixing extra. Just let me know. If you have a practice or a game, I can always make enough for leftovers."

"That sounds fine. I'd really appreciate that."

"No problem," she smiled. Keri looked down her list. "Oh, yes, dates." Zeke looked at her quizzedly. She looked back at him. "I really don't mind if you bring someone over, but you'll have to go to your room to entertain her. I'm not going to share my evening with the two of you. If I'm not home, that's a different story. And I refuse to compete with her in the morning for the bathroom. I will definitely throw a hissy fit over that!"

Zeke laughed out laugh. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. I think I'll be too busy or too tired to even worry about dating right now."

"I'm sure you'll change your mind about that. Do you have a steady back home?" She thought he was too good looking not to be attached to someone.

"No," he said. "I dated a little in college, but not too much. What about you?" It was his turn to ask a question.

Keri turned red from embarrassment and anger as she thought about Michael. "Well," she sighed heavily, "my boyfriend and I just split up. You're taking his place, so to speak." She looked down at her paper.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks."

"Anyway," she said, sitting up straight, "back to my list. No parties. There's no compromise here. Absolutely no parties."

"Are you sure about that?" he teased.

Keri looked him square in the eye and smiled. "No parties."

"Damn. I invited the team over tonight. I guess I should cancel that."

Keri shook her head. "I have plenty of towels, wash cloths, sheets, pillow cases and things like that," she continued, "so don't be afraid to use them. And that leads me to my last point, privacy. I only have one bathroom, so we'll be sharing it. I need it early in the morning so I can get ready for work...."

Zeke leaned forward and interrupted. "I'm a late riser, so there's no problem there. I probably won't even wake up until after you've gone for the day." Zeke thought for a second. "I grew up with three sisters, so I think I know where this is going. You won't have a problem from me. The Gilkey's only had one bathroom, too, and it worked out fine. You'll find I am not your typical ballplayer," he laughed. "I do havesome manners and morals."

"Good..."

"But, I expect the same courtesy from you." He sat back in his chair and took a sip from his water glass.

"And you will get that from me," she replied softly.

"Sounds great! Anything else?"

Keri checked her list again. "Not that I can see." She then saw something. "Wait. There is one more thing. When can you make your first payment? I hate to ask, but the ex kind of left me in a lurch when he departed the premises."

That's really not my problem, Zeke thought to himself, but he held his tongue in check. "I get paid next Friday and every other Friday through the end of the season."

"Good," she said. An idea then struck her. "Why don't we do this. Just pay me half a months rent each paycheck. That way, you won't have to give me the whole thing at once."

Zeke thought about it momentarily. Instead of answering, he reached into his wallet and pulled out a calendar. He studied it for a few seconds before putting it away. "That sounds fine, except I get paid three times in May."

"Zeke," Keri said, "I'd only want you to pay twice in May. I'm not trying to stiff you or pull one over on you. I just thought it might be easier for you, that's all. If you only want to make one payment a month, that's fine with me."

Zeke sighed. He didn't think it was going to be this hard. Heck, he was only going to be there half the time, anyway. "Yeah, okay, that's fine. I'll pay half every other week," he consented.

Keri could sense he was getting exasperated, so she decided to cool it down a bit. "I'm sorry if I seem too pushy about rules and stuff. I just want to make it clear where I stand so there's no misunderstanding between us. The Gilkey's said wonderful things about you and I know I don't have anything to worry about. But, I've been burnt before and I'm just trying to be careful."

"No need to apologize," he said quietly, "it's your apartment."

They were silent for a while as he sipped on his water. He looked around the dining room and the kitchen area. The entire apartment had a nice feeling to it and it suited him. It reminded him of his sister Cathy's place back in Hot Springs. Cathy was his closest sibling, one year younger, and they were very close. When he looked back in Keri's direction, she was eyeing him closely.

"When do you want to move in, or do you still want to?" she asked patiently, almost dreading his answer.

"I think Sunday would be okay," he answered, ignoring the second part of the question. "The club is paying for the hotel room until then and I'll have my car, too. Besides, our first game is Monday and I'd like to get settled before then."

"Will you be pitching?"

"I don't know. They haven't even told me if I'm starting or relieving yet. Hopefully, I'll find out tomorrow."

"You were a starter at Texas, weren't you?"

Zeke laughed. "I guess you've been checking me out, haven't you?" Keri nodded shyly. "Yes, I was a starter at Texas, but the Reds can't seem to make up their mind about me. We'll just have to see." He glanced at his watch and frowned slightly. He wanted to get some running done before he went to bed, but that seemed impossible since she would have to drive him back to the hotel.

"Anything wrong?"

"No," he said absently.

"Do you need to get back?"

"No, not anymore."

"Oh," she replied, a bit confused. She got up from the table and pulled out a can of soda from the refrigerator.

"Water and juice are better for you," he said as she sat down once again.

"I know."

"There's just useless sugars and carbs in that."

"I know."

"Maybe I should just mind my own business."

"That's a wise choice." Keri smiled as she put the can down on the table. Maybe the Gilkey's were right. Maybe it would work out after all.

* * * * *

Keri met Fran after work Monday afternoon at a bar and grill not too far from the Dragons' ballpark. They wanted to make sure they got there early for the pre-game festivities. Zeke got settled in on Sunday without too much difficulty, although he got lost and had to call her for directions even though she had written them down for him. He found out from the pitching coach they wanted him to be a long reliever to begin with, and then perhaps move into a starting role later in the season. Zeke was very disappointed and kept to himself for most of the evening. Keri had wondered if she should talk to him about it, but decided against it. She didn't know him well enough do discuss his livelihood with him.

The dinner was excellent as it usually was when they dined there. They both skipped dessert and were sipping on beers when their conversation turned to the subject of men.

"Have you heard from Michael?" Fran asked out of the blue.

"He stopped by Saturday and gave me some money he owed me."

"Really? At least he did that. You didn't think he would."

"True."

"How did it go?"

"Okay, I guess. We didn't really say much. It was nice to see him, but I think I'm better off without him. He probably thinks the same thing about me!" Keri laughed lightly. She still missed him, though, just a little bit.

After their dinner, they walked to the ballpark and found their seats. They were in the second tier behind the first base dugout, five rows up. They were great seats, although you could say every seat in the ballpark was very good.

The ceremonies began and Fran and Keri sat back and enjoyed it. They introduced each player and Keri pointed out Zeke to Fran when he trotted to the first base foul line to join his other teammates.

"He's kind of cute," Fran said as she peered at him through her binoculars.

"Not bad," Keri said indifferently.

It turned out to be a dull game as the Fort Wayne Wizards scored early and often and beat the Dragons 8-2. Zeke didn't get to pitch and Keri thought he'd be disappointed because of it. He was. He dressed quickly, not bothering to shower. What was the purpose? He hadn't broken a sweat the entire game and didn't even get to throw in the bullpen. He kept his anger in check, though. It was only one game, after all, and there would be plenty of chances to show them that he should be in the starting rotation.

He let himself into the apartment not long after Keri had arrived. From the couch, she looked up in surprise, not expecting him back so soon.

"Are you hungry?" she asked after he closed the door behind him. "I've got some spaghetti in the fridge."

"No thanks," he replied, "they had a spread of food in the locker room after the game. Maybe I'll have it for lunch tomorrow."

"Sure."

With that, he left her, going to his room and quietly closing his door behind him.

* * * * *

The next few weeks went by quickly as Keri and Zeke settled into a routine. As the Gilkey's had told her, he was turning out to be the perfect boarder. He kept to himself for the most part, but sometimes joined her for a meal or for an evening of TV if the program was something he was interested in. She genuinely missed him when the Dragons embarked on their first road trip of the season. Little by little, he was growing frustrated by his role on the team. It was easy to see that the Dragons' main weakness was their starting rotation. Time after time, they would be down quickly and by a large amount and it looked as if it was going to be a long season. Sure, he got to pitch and that was what was bothering him. He was pitching very well when called upon and he couldn't understand why he wasn't getting his shot. He was pitching two, three, and sometimes four innings at a time and allowing very few runs to score. In fact, he had allowed only three runs in twelve innings pitched thus far. He hoped things would change soon.

When he returned from the road trip, Keri had a supper ready for him. She knew he'd be tired and hungry after the trip and thought a home cooked meal would appeal to him. After he put his luggage in his room, he came back out and ate. He really appreciated the meal and it was nice to come home to.

"How was the trip?" she asked, although she already knew. Two wins and five losses and not a starting spot for Zeke. Although her knowledge of the pure science of baseball was limited, as a fan she found it hard to believe he wasn't pitching more.

"Two and five," he replied. "I got to pitch a little. I did okay, I guess." He had given up two runs in five total innings pitched. "Anything new going on with you?" he asked between forkfuls.

"Not a whole lot. Fran introduced me to a guy from where she works." She looked at him to see if there was any reaction. There wasn't. "We went out for some drinks. He seems pretty nice."

"Good for you," Zeke said. "I hope it works out."

"It was only drinks. We're going out to dinner tomorrow night."

"Great." He then thought for a second. "Are you coming to the game?"

Keri shook her head. "No, Brian doesn't like baseball so I gave my ticket to a girl at work."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed, but Keri wasn't sure.

"But, I'll be at Saturday's game," she added quickly.

"Okay."

Zeke finished his meal and began to clear his plate, utensils, and glass. "I can do that for you," Keri said as she moved to his side. "Go ahead and take it easy. You had a long trip." Zeke looked at her, but decided not to debate the issue. He had always cleaned up after himself and didn't know why this time should be any different.

He scooted back his chair. "Thanks a lot, Keri. It was really good. I didn't expect it."

"I'm glad you liked it. Now, go relax and take it easy." She dismissed him with a wave of her small hand.

Zeke left the dining room and went into the living room where he saw the sports section of the newspaper laying on the sofa. He sat down and began to read articles pertaining to the Dragons and their woes. He took satisfaction in the fact that the writers were also wondering why he wasn't starting, considering he had the best earned run average on the team and seemed to do well every time he pitched. Granted, he had pitched only seventeen innings, but it was a statistical fact nonetheless. In the article, the manager said he was in no hurry to change his rotation because his starters had only pitched three times so far and it wasn't enough time to evaluate them. Zeke understood his reasoning, but it still didn't mean he liked it. The only thing he could do was continue to pitch well and force their hand.

* * * * *

Loud music was playing in the spacious locker room as the players were getting ready for their game. The yelling and laughter seemed a bit out of place for a team that hadn't done well so far, but they were young, most of them barely out of high school. Zeke hadn't yet found his niche within the team. Sure, he had friends, but none were close and he rarely hung out with them outside the game. He thought perhaps his age was the biggest factor in the division, him being the oldest player, but he felt out of place in other areas, too.

When he finished dressing, he went up the tunnel and into the dugout where he watched the position players running and throwing. He glanced down to the bullpen and saw the starter for the game, Enrique Tavares, beginning to throw.

The stadium was starting to fill up as it did every game. It never failed to amaze Zeke the great fan base this team had. Even though they were lousy, every game was a sellout and everyone seemed to have a great time. He looked up to where he thought Keri and Fran normally sat, but didn't see Fran nor the girl whom Keri had given her ticket. Just as well, he thought. He stretched out on the bench. He didn't notice the pitching coach come back to the dugout, nor the fact that Tavares had stopped throwing.

A few minutes later, the manager, the pitching coach, and the trainer headed back to the bullpen where they surrounded the pitcher. His interest piqued, Zeke continued to watch as the meeting broke up and everyone except the catcher began to walk back to the dugout. Zeke's heart skipped a few beats with excitement. Maybe this was it, he thought. Tavares was wind-milling his shoulder and Zeke could see him wince in pain when he did so. He's definitely not pitching tonight, Zeke thought. He looked expectantly at his coach and manager when they entered the dugout, but they brushed past him and headed down the tunnel to the locker room without saying a word.