The Guy on the Left (The Underdogs 2)

“Night, buddy.”

“Pip, pip. Cheerio.”

I take the streets that lead toward home thinking of how long it’s been since I’ve been on a date. A year? Longer? I tell Parker all the time to take a chance and put herself out there, all the while not taking my own advice. It’s a lot harder to simply date around with sensitive ears and an impressionable boy to keep in mind. For years it’s been just the two of us, and I’ve been content with that. But I’m not getting any younger and with Dante’s next birthday drawing near, I hear the biological tick getting louder. He’s asked me for a brother or sister on several occasions, and on those, I’ve always been thankful I’ve been able to distract him from the conversation. But my kid’s no pushover, and he’s starting to prod, becoming more demanding. Soon enough, he’ll have real questions that deserve real answers.

The first and one I fear most being, ‘where is my father?’

Troy

After dropping Kevin off, I take the fifteen-minute drive to the house and pull up, relieved when I don’t see Clarissa’s SUV. The rental house is a pale-blue, two-story sitting on a quiet, residential street. It’s a nice spot for a budding family. When Clarissa moved Dante here, my stalking became a lot harder. I’ve had to drive by in the later hours of the night, parking on the opposite side of the street to catch glimpses of them here and there. After long, stressful days on the field, and before work, I take comfort in watching her read to Dante in an old recliner she’s used to rock him to sleep since he was a baby.

Relieved about the delayed confrontation, I take the steps up the porch and glance around. The house is a well-kept duplicate of the one next door. A few rough knocks later, I’m greeted by Theo, who ushers me in while I welcome the burst of cool air wiping my brow. He looks fresh out of high school, a little wet behind the ears. Shaggy, but well dressed.

“AC works fantastic, but the plumbing is slow. I’m Theo,” he says by way of greeting, extending his hand. I offer him mine.

“Troy. Nice to meet you, man.” Stepping into the living room, I scan the furnishings. It’s not anything I’d expect. The furniture is old, the walls mostly bare.

“I haven’t had time to put much up,” he says, closing the door and heading across a decent-sized living room toward an adjacent kitchen. “Something to drink?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Opening the fridge, he scans the contents briefly as I join him in the kitchen. He grabs two bottles of Gatorade, twists off the tops, and hands one to me.

Theo seems to have a decent disposition and a chill attitude. I can already tell we’ll get along well. I dwarf him in size, which is ironic because he exudes an air of authority with the way he carries himself. He reads my mind about our physical differences and commands my attention, drawing a line in the sand. “I may have misled you a little on the peace and quiet. I play a lot of different instruments. I practice in the basement and mostly at night. I’ll work on getting it soundproofed when I can afford it. Needless to say, the basement is off-limits. But the rest of the house is common area.”

“Not a problem, I work nights and sleep like a rock no matter what goes on around me.”

He eyes me curiously. “How do you manage graveyard, school, and ball?”

I’ve been doing it for years to help support my mother, and I’m used to running on little to no sleep, but I spare him the details and shrug. “It’s the only way for me to work a full forty.”

“That’s rough,” Theo says, cupping the back of his neck while silently assessing me.

I shrug. “That’s life, right?”

“Hustler on and off the field, huh?”

“Yep.”

“I can respect that. I am too.”

He gives me a quick tour of the upstairs. Inwardly, I celebrate the fact that from my room I’ll have a bird’s eye view of Dante’s. It couldn’t be more perfect. Theo watches me as I stand in my would-be bedroom, staring out the window. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, why your interest in this place?”

“My last roommate is about to marry up, and I don’t want to move in with any of my friends, too much traffic. Just want to get away from all the bullshit, concentrate on school and ball. I’m always up for a good party, but on my own terms, ya know?”

“I get it. But I warn you now if you change your stance, this isn’t a frat house.”

I nod. “Cool with me. I’ll have some friends over to watch the games from time to time, if that’s all right?”

“That’s cool. Lance is quiet. Like a ghost, so it’s pretty uneventful around here. I don’t expect much. Just a few rules. No keggers, pay rent on time, and clean your own shit up.”

I can’t help my grin at his stern tone. I already like him. “I can handle that.”

He smiles back. “Well, other than that, mi casa es su casa.”

“Sounds good. If it’s okay, I’ll take it.” I cringe as I pull out my wallet. “I, uh, shit, this is embarrassing. I don’t exactly have the first month’s yet. This move was sudden, but I’ll have it next week.”

He shrugs as he pulls a key off his chain. “I’ll take half now, half next week.”