Marita at Bat

I told them I needed to get some fresh clothes so I took off for a quick trip to the local Wally's World where I grabbed a package of underwear, some socks and new T-shirts. Back at her place I showered, we had a light lunch and I suggested we go out for a stroll. The kids seemed to have forgotten the trauma from the night before and were playing with Crash, chasing each other and throwing a frisbee. When they got up ahead of us a fair bit, Marita leaned towards me and tucked her hand under my right elbow.

"Manny, how come you don't have a girlfriend?" she asked, surprising me.

"I just haven't found the right one. I thought I did once, got married, but that didn't work out so well. Fortunately, no kids and we simply split the sheets."

"What about now? You're a nice guy."

"Thanks. Uh, well, my job kept me moving quite a bit there and I never wanted to lead someone on only to move away later."

"You're staying here now permanently though, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's the plan, anyway. So far I haven't had much luck on the dating scene. Most ladies seem settled down and those on the dating app scene here are mainly young students at the JC."

"I know one woman who went there when she was a bit older," she giggled.

"Yeah, but she's been taken, from what I hear."

"I understand she may not be taken after all."

I didn't answer. My mind raced like crazy. Was she telling me she was interested? Or was she just making jokes? I liked Marita, but I had never considered her as a romantic partner. And suddenly, I could.

"Manny, I know this is a bit rash given what happened yesterday, but I'd like to apply for the position."

"What position?"

"The girlfriend position."

There it was. Marita was letting me know she was available, that much was obvious, and that she considered me desirable. Her steps slowed down until we were completely stopped and she turned to look at me.

"Manuel Gomez, I know it is sudden and the kids need to do some processing, but I'm telling you right now that I would be honored to accept your invitation for a date."

"But I haven't asked you."

"Not yet, but I hope you will at some point. All you have to do is call. OK?"

"OK."

She glanced down the trail and noted the kids were already around a slight bend. She came closer and reached up and gave me a little hug telling me how thankful she was for all my help.

For the next several weeks we talked a few times by phone and I had lunch with her once. The kids did a couple of sessions with the school counselor who pronounced them doing well. Alejandro, after costing the taxpayers many thousands of dollars in medical expenses, not to mention the totaled patrol car, slowly died from an overwhelming abdominal infection. I could sense the relief in Marita once the news came in. The sheriff who had the minor leg wound managed to weasel three days of sick leave before he was dragged back to work.

My house door was replaced and I gave Marita a key with the invitation to come by if she needed to. Her work was fairly uneventful, except for one interesting case of third degree burns in a dog, while I had to work like crazy to finish a big project. Once I turned in my work, I had a few weeks of downtime when I cleaned up my place and went backpacking for a few days. I then called Marita at work.

"Hi, Manny, how are you? Enjoying your time off?"

"Yeah, I am. A few weeks off after ten to twelve-hour days is well-deserved."

"What are you planning on doing with all your free time?"

"I was considering asking someone out on a hot date."

"Oh." Her voice was suddenly ice-cold.

"Yeah, I've had my eyes on her and I think she might say 'yes.' I hope so, anyway."

"Ah, I see. Anyone I know?" Still cold.

"Yeah, you might, since you've lived here for years. I'll tell you about her later after I've gone out with her."

"Yeah, well, you have a good time, OK?"

"I hope so, but before you go, I have a question."

"Let me guess: You want to know how to impress a lady or some such thing, right?"

"Well, I do want to know how to impress a lady, but that's not the question. You see, I wanted to ask if you'd like to have dinner with me this weekend."

"Why, Manny, yes, we'd love to."

"Ah, I mean would you, just you, no kids, like to have dinner with me?"

"OK, but what about your hot date?"

"She hasn't said 'yes' yet. I'm waiting..."

"Oh, you big shit! You mean me? I'm the date? How can I be a hot date, a mom with two pre-teens?" she laughed.

"I happen to remember an image in a mirror of a hot lady, an image burned in my brain. And I happen to remember that you applied for the girlfriend position. So, we need to do the dating thing before the girlfriend application can be completed."

"Yes, YES, I am definitely interested. I accept! But you are still a shit for teasing me, making me think you were going out with someone else."

"I plead innocent. You misinterpreted my statements..." I laughed as she interrupted with more good-hearted squawking and yammering. We eventually settled down and she agreed to dinner on Saturday evening at the Crystal Falls Winery and Resort. They have wonderful food and, of course, great local wine. It's fairly pricey but she was clearly worth it. I asked Fred's wife Suzanne if they would invite Juan and Isabella over for a sleepover with their kids, whom they had gotten along with super well on the camping trip. The kids were delighted to spend time with their friends and so it was all set up.

I arrived at Marita's thirty minutes before our reservation. I had on a nice sport coat and slacks and at the last minute, I put on a tie, something I'd not worn in several years. It never hurts to dress up for a fancy dinner. She was gorgeous! A black dress hugged every curve, a slit reached nearly to her hip and her low neckline exposed two very attractive breasts. There was no bra and she clearly didn't need one.

I pinned a small rosebud on the tiny strap by one shoulder before we left, holding hands as we walked to the car. Dinner was superb and each course was accompanied by a small glass of wine or port. Although the glasses were small, there were a lot of them and I found myself tipsy when I got up to go to the bathroom. I'm sure she was as well. We laughed. We joked. We talked about all sorts of things. In short, it was an amazing evening.

When we got up to leave, I realized I was in no condition to drive. When I mentioned this to her, she squeezed my hand and suggested we get a room at their inn. As much as I might have wanted to, I wasn't sure it was such a good idea. Other than a few hugs earlier and holding hands that evening, we hadn't had any physical contact, not even a kiss. I declined saying I didn't feel we were 'there yet' and called for an Uber. First he dropped her off in town, waiting while I escorted her to the door. She turned to me with a tight, little smile before giving me a tiny hug and a kiss on the cheek. The drive out to my place was quiet and I crashed into bed and slept like the dead.

The next morning, I called Marita and asked for a ride to the winery to pick up my car. She drove me out there, chatting and laughing the whole way. Then she turned serious as she pulled into the parking lot.

"I, uh, I wanted you to know I was a tiny bit disappointed last night."

"How so?"

"You turned me down when I suggested we stay here for the night."

"Really? That upset you?"

"Yeah. I was hoping you'd find me more attractive and..."

"Wait a second. I find you very attractive. I remember seeing you in a mirror. That image is still smoldering on the backs of my eyeballs."

"Then why did you say 'No'?"

"Like I said last night, we're not there yet. And I want to make sure your kids are comfortable with me before we get too close. If they aren't, then we'd have a problem on our hands."

"They love you! They had a great time camping with you and they ask about you all the time."

"Yeah, but since they've been through so much lately..."

"The best way for them to recover is to resume a normal life with normal people. And you, my dear man, are as normal as they come."

"Gee. You make it sound like I'm boring, or something."

"Well," she laughed, "You weren't exactly the most exciting bed partner last night, now, were you?"

"OK, OK. Maybe I am boring," I admitted. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Two more dates. And you know what they say about the third date, don't you?"

"I get to kiss you?"

"What century are you from, anyway?" she laughed.

"Look, I was a computer nerd in school and I've never been a big ladies man. Uh, yeah, I'd like another date with you. Next weekend?"

"Sure. I'll need a babysitter."

I told her I'd ask Fred for a recommendation and we made tentative plans for another dinner at a local dive followed by a movie. On my way back home, I kept thinking about her. Marita was very attractive, obviously smart and dedicated to her kids. I wondered why she was interested in me but was simply glad that she was.

Fred gave me the name of his favorite babysitter while extracting from me a promise not to overpay her and take her from him. Marita met her and loved her. Jessica was a cute sixteen-year-old girl looking for extra cash so she could buy a new snowboard. She was already at Marita's place playing with the kids when I arrived Friday evening and the kids barely said 'good-bye' to their mother as we left.

We went to a local restaurant and bar and enjoyed simple home cooking before I suggested we go to the movie theater. I told her what the movie was and she surprised me by suggesting we not go to the movie, after all.

"I'd like to spend some quality time with you. Could we go for a drink?"

"Yeah, we could do that. How about a nice little place I know outside of town? Nice drinks, warm fireplace, not crowded at all."

"Sounds great!"

We were within a mile of my place when she finally realized where we were going. I pulled up, opened her door and led her into the house. Once the gas fireplace was lit, I got a nice bottle of white wine and dimmed the lights before I went back into the living room.

Marita sat in the middle of the small couch with her feet tucked up under her thighs. She looked lovely, absolutely lovely. Her dress was casual and showed a fair amount of thigh. Her eyes sparkled in the firelight and a warm smile graced her face as she reached her hand out to me. Once I had been pulled down to sit next to her, I poured the wine and we toasted each other silently. We sat there holding hands and enjoying the simple pleasure of being together.

Then she broke the silence. "You know, you don't have to wait for the third date."

"Mmm? What are you talking about?"

"Kissing. You don't have to wait."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm positive," she giggled as she pulled my hand across her and pulled me close to her. She tipped her head up and offered her lips.

Adjectives swirled through my head as I kissed her, adjectives describing how those kisses felt: Sweet. Tender. Loving. Tempting. Promising. After a few minutes she turned fully towards me and crawled on top of my lap before resuming the tongue dancing on my lips. I held her loosely in my arms and gently rubbed her back while she reached around me as well. Every few minutes we'd break apart and look at each other where I found myself grinning more and more.

Eventually I pulled back and whispered, "This is nice, really nice. I could get seriously hooked on your kisses."

"Glad you think so 'cause I believe I'm already hooked on yours. More?"

About thirty minutes later she excused herself to go to the restroom and when she came back, she sat next to me and held my hand in hers.

"Manny, I want to tell you something. It's kinda difficult to talk about, but I think, no, I know I need you to hear this." She paused a few seconds like she was trying to build up some nerve.

"What?"

"I like you. I like this. But I'm worried you might interpret this as some kind of a payment for your help back..."

"Stop right there. I consider that a closed chapter. Over. Done with. And anything from here on in is between us with no consideration of the past. OK? Marita, every time I meet you, I am impressed with you. You are attractive, smart and strong in so many ways. And just for your information, I like you too. And I like this; you and me together. OK?"

The outer edge of her radiant smile caught one of the silent tears which slid down her cheek. I leaned over and caught the next one with my lips before holding her, embracing her as if I would never let go.

"Manny," I heard over my shoulder a few minutes later, "We need to pay attention to the time. I promised Jessica we'd be back by ten thirty."

I nodded in agreement and we headed out. The drive was quiet and interrupted only by her soft humming of a tune I recognized but couldn't remember the name of. Her left hand rested on my thigh until we pulled up to her driveway.

"Manny, thank you so much for a wonderful evening," she whispered as she turned to me. "It's been the nicest I've had in years."

"Yeah, me too. Had fun. Good dinner. And the dessert, well the dessert was divine. I'd like to do this again sometime soon, OK?"

She launched herself at me over the console and gave me a big hug. "Yes, yes, I'd like that. 'Nite, Manny."

I escorted her up the sidewalk to her apartment and gave her a quick kiss before she turned to go inside. Jessica was sitting watching TV and I offered to run her the few blocks to her home. She was tickled she didn't have to walk and was even happier when I stuffed an extra bill in her palm as I dropped her off. At home it took me a long time to fall asleep. I kept thinking about Marita and only after one last glass of wine was I able to drift off.

I texted her midmorning a simple emoji of a little yellow face with a big smile. She returned one with a thumbs-up symbol. That evening I called and we chatted for a few minutes before I asked if they would all like to come over for Sunday lunch. She sounded pleased and offered to bring a dessert, a real one this time, you know, with calories.

The four of us had a great time. I was struck at how nice her kids behaved and that they pitched in to help clear the dishes. Juan even pulled up a towel and helped dry the few dishes not going in the washer. We played a couple games of Clue while generally talking about all sorts of things. It was illuminating and reassuring to hear them talk about Alejandro without any appearance of residual trauma. Overall, I was very pleased at how the afternoon played out. Marita shooed the kids into the car before she came back inside and grabbed me for a passionate kiss. "That's so you don't forget me," she giggled.

Everything seemed to be going well between us. We talked a few times on the phone and even shared a lunch that following week. Then on one evening, a bombshell exploded.

"Manny? Hi, it's me," she said when she called. "I, uh, I got a bit of a surprising news this afternoon."

"Oh? What?"

"You remember I've talked about Roberto, the kids' father."

"Yeah?"

"He called today. He broke up with his girlfriend and is moving back to Centerton. He also told me he would like to get to know them better. You know, be more like a father to them."

"OK, I can see how that's a good idea."

"It's what I've hoped and prayed for. He can be a real father to them."

"Does that mean he wants joint custody?"

"We didn't talk about that but he did say he'd like to spend time with them, have them stay with him, you know."

"Well, great, as long as you trust him."

"You know, I do. I think he's grown up. He sounded so much more mature and in control of things. We agreed to meet and have a discussion about things."

"That's great. Friendly discussion, I trust."

"Yeah, yeah. We're getting together tomorrow right after lunch. I'll let you know how things go, OK?"

"Sure, great. Good luck."

"Thanks, Manny. Good night."

When I hung up, I was nervous and concerned. She seemed to be almost too happy. Had she forgotten how he had left her high and dry and how she nearly was homeless in part due to his behavior? Simply put, I was concerned. Since I hadn't heard from her, I waited until late the following evening to call. I heard a lot of loud laughter and noise in the background when she answered. She was fairly brief in her remarks stating only that Roberto was still there and was playing with the kids. She promised to give me a call when she had a few minutes and we hung up.

Five days later I still had not heard from her. I was concerned about her and decided to call her at work. They promised to pass on the message. Around five my phone rang.

"Manny? It's Marita. I've been meaning to call you. Things are wild around here, that is, at home."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Roberto has been over each evening and he has been so good with the kids. It's like he's a new man."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm so happy for them. They need their father."

"How are things between you two?"

"Oh, uh, good, I guess. Actually, pretty good. He's apologized for the way things went before and has asked for my forgiveness. Manny, I think, I truly believe he's turned a new leaf."

Warily I answered, "Well, that's, uh, great news."

"Yeah, and I'm so excited. He invited us out to a fall concert at the church. Can you believe it? Roberto in church!"

"Wow," I responded almost with a sigh. "Sounds almost too good to be true."

"Uh, Manny, I have something I have to tell you. I like you. We had a good time together. But," she paused, "I think I need to work on my relationship with my ex. There might be a future with him after all."

"I see. So, uh, I take I'm kinda out of the picture now. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, Manny, I guess you are. Please understand, I really like you but my kids and my family come first. OK?"

"Sure, Marita. I get it. Hey, you take care and let me know if I can be of any help in the future. Please."

"I will. Thank you for understanding. Bye." The line went dead along with my hopes for our relationship.

-----

The next few weeks were misery. I had found myself getting very fond of her and suddenly I was cast aside. I thought her kids were great and enjoyed being with them. And I really enjoyed being with her. I had visions of making love with her, visions which had been shot down with the return of her ex. One evening I skyped with my sister and mother, both of whom noted I seemed 'down.' I tried to brush off their comments but the truth of the matter was they were correct; I was depressed.

I went up for a few fall hikes, took a quick trip to Austin to visit an old friend and spent way too much time rotting my brain on the computer. By early November I was in the middle of another big project which demanded a lot of my time and I rarely saw daylight.

One evening I realized I was just about out of food and I drove in to Miller's for a quick shopping trip. I was cruising down the aisles grabbing food when I almost ran right into Juan.

"Hey, Manny, you drive lousy," he laughed.

"Juan, you're right. I wasn't looking like I should. How are you doing?"

"OK, I guess."

"Here with Mom?"

"Yeah, and Roberto."

"Roberto? Don't you call him Dad?"

"No, he's nice and all, but I just can't do it, not yet."

At that moment they came around the corner with Isabella in tow. Roberto had his arm wrapped around Marita's waist and was whispering in her ear. Once she saw me, she looked away for a few seconds until Juan ran up to her.

"Mom, look who's here," he said with excitement in his voice.

"Hi, Manny. Uh, Manny, this is Roberto. Roberto, Manny. He helped me a bit when Alejandro went nuts."

Roberto eyed me carefully as if sizing me up. I greeted him, shook his hand, made some simple remarks about the kids and nodded politely to Marita before taking off down the aisle. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I had a sense something wasn't right. She didn't appear to be happy and he seemed to be holding her almost in a possessive way but I knew I was not going to get involved. Not again.