A Good Man (36 page)

“Good,” Gary said. “Real good. They miss me.”

“There’s a lot to miss.”

Gary smiled. “She makes jokes.”

“I didn’t mean your size, Gary,” Sonya said. “I bet you’re a great father.”

“I try.” He looked down. “You won’t tell the fellas about, um, me not riding the rides, will you?”

“I’m sure it will be on the recap Monday night.” It might even be the recap.

“Oh, yeah,” Gary said. “Think they’ll make me look like a punk?”

Sonya shrugged. “They might.”

“I can take it.”

And take it, he did.

After twenty minutes of the baby bag reveals and shots of the Team’s promos at Venice Beach, a full twenty-five minutes were devoted to Gary’s hesitance, fear, and vomiting, the last scene near the Dragon Swing running several times in slower and slower motion. What made the date one of the most memorable moments in television history, however, was Gary’s phone call to his daughters. The big, hulking man afraid to ride a rollercoaster was desperately in love with his kids, and the camera captured it all.

The elimination was nearly a repeat of the previous week.

“Gary has immunity this week,” Graham said. “Jazz, who else is safe?”

Sonya skipped the suspense. “They’re all safe, Graham.”

Darius threw his clipboard into the pool. It floated for a moment before sinking.

Tony, John, and Justin gave Sonya hugs. Only Tony smiled at Shani.

“Um, Jazz, we have ten more minutes to fill,” Graham said.

“I’ll fill them, Graham.” I have a lot to say tonight. She walked toward the lights. “They’re all amazing men, and I still need them all. Even the one who only put four diapers in his bag. What was he thinking?” She looked at John and closed her eyes, shaking her head.

“But we lived in the desert,” John said.

Sonya opened her eyes. “Uh-huh. Even babies in the desert need more than four diapers over an eight-hour period.” She looked into the camera. “None of these men will ever be punks, even if three of them can’t fill a baby bag properly. Red Bull, Justin? Really? No socks, Tony? Really? And Gary isn’t a punk for not riding the big rides. I know some of you are out there thinking he is. He’s not. He and I could have gone to a movie after our fun at Knott’s Berry Farm, but he was more interested in talking to his daughters. I’m not angry or upset about that at all. In fact, I am overjoyed that there are men in this world who are that interested in their children. He has been calling them every night, even though it’s against the rules of this show. He knew that if he were caught, he’d have to leave. He called anyway. That’s love.” And I’m about to cry. Geez. “Before you judge any one of these men, judge the whole man.” She smiled. “And I’m just not through judging them yet.”

How can I get John to win a challenge? Sonya thought. He said he could shoot free throws, and that’s what we’ll do.

They went to an outdoor court at Knapp Ranch Park in nearby West Hills on a chilly, blustery day. Kim was poorly dressed for the weather, wearing only a tight white T-shirt and some tighter jean shorts. The rest were kitted out nicely in Nike sweat suits, and this time John wore the basketball shoes Nike provided.

John almost looks athletic, Sonya thought. Lord, help him make his shots today.

While Gary and Justin threw up some seriously loud bricks and made only half of their twenty shots, Tony made eighteen and John made seventeen, most of them swishes.

John can shoot free throws, and he has excellent form. More importantly, John is in second place! For the first time!

In the second round, both John and Tony made nine out of ten.

John is … still in second place. Geez, Tony, screw up, why don’t you. It’s John’s turn, not yours. My daughter wants you, not me, anyway.

“I’m freezing, Jazz,” Kim said. “Let’s end this thing. Tony wins. He made twenty-seven out of thirty.”

“They tied in round two,” Sonya said. “Okay, um, for round three we’ll shoot one shot at a time. The first person to miss loses.”

For the next fifteen minutes, neither Tony nor John missed a shot. Incredible! What was that, thirty in a row? C’mon, wind, knock Tony’s ball out!

The wind wouldn’t cooperate.

Those are some of the most forgiving rims I’ve ever seen! Just about any shot that hits the rim goes in.

“Jazz, come on,” Kim said, her teeth chattering. “Let’s end this thing.”

“I wasn’t the one who dressed for a day at the beach,” Sonya said. “I told you to wear sweats.”

“The sun was out,” Kim said.

“And I’m not ending this thing and declaring a winner because they’re both on a roll.”

“Well, take ’em both out or something,” Kim said.

No way. I want John all to myself. “Um, okay, since y’all don’t want to miss, we’ll do the next ones … with your eyes closed.”

John smiled. “That’s what I’ve been doing.”

No, he hasn’t. He squints.

“And no peeking,” Kim said. “I’m going to stand in front of each of you to check.”

Tony smiled at Shani, closed his eyes, dribbled once, and shot.

Oh, geez. A swish. That ain’t even right. “Did he peek, Shani?”

“Nope.”

Shoot. C’mon, John. Make one for me.

John closed his eyes. “I am going by faith and not by sight, Jazz,” he said, shot, and loudly banked it in.

All right! Yes! “Right off the square.” That poor backboard. “Um, Arthur, you go first this time.”

John squinted over Shani, closed his eyes, and shot the ball.

Over the backboard.

And into a tree just outside a tennis court.

Sixty feet away.

Kim clapped. “Not even close!”

What’s the deal, man? No one has that much adrenaline, and the wind was in your face, man!

“C’mon, Tony!” Kim yelled.

C’mon, Tony? She knows how much I want to go out with John, but I can’t say a word. I’m not supposed to show any favoritism.

Tony calmly stepped up to the line, closed his eyes … and made another swish.

How is that possible? This is so unfair!

“Tony wins!” Kim yelled, and she gave Tony a hug.

Let go of my date, Kim.

Kim let go and bounced over to Sonya. “Now can we go home? My ass is frozen.”

“Yes.” Sonya dribbled a ball up to John, who squatted on the baseline shaking his head, a camera recording his pain. “Not bad, Arthur.”

“Not good enough.” He looked up.

“You made thirty in a row, man,” Sonya said. “That was some nice shooting. Except for that last one.”

“Sorry. I was counting on the wind to blow that one back.”

“You would have needed a hurricane to blow that one back,” Sonya said. That was harsh.

“I was, um, hyped,” John said. “I don’t think I’ve ever made that many in a row before.”

“You easily made ninety, ninety-five percent of your shots,” Sonya said. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Tony just got lucky.”

“I didn’t make the shot that mattered, though,” John said.

Sonya held out her hand. “C’mon. Shani is freezing to death.”

John took her hand and stood. “That wasn’t very nice having us close our eyes.”

“You must not have had enough faith, Brother Arthur,” Sonya said.

“Oh, I had plenty of faith,” John said. “I didn’t have enough wind.”

She walked fast to the limo, John picking up his pace beside her. “Did you tank that shot or what, dude?” she whispered. “It’s only fifteen feet to the rim. You launched it a hundred feet.”

“Yes,” John whispered, “I tanked it.”

Sonya stopped, faced him, and grabbed him by the elbows. “Why?” she whispered.

“I wouldn’t have been last,” John said. “And I want to be first. If I go on a date with you before Tony does, I won’t be last.”

What? “What are you saying?”

“‘So the last shall be first, and the first last.’ Matthew chapter twenty.”

He’s quoting scripture? He can’t be serious! “You think that if you come in last in everything that you’ll eventually win?”

“Yes.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Sure it does,” John said. “I have to be the last to date you so that you can compare the others to me the entire time we’re out so you can find them seriously lacking and find me irresistible. If I was the first to win, you’d be comparing me to them instead of them to me, which is so much more important. Of course, if I had won first, and I was really trying to with the meal and the poem, then I might have been in your head during the other dates. Hmm. That would have been—”

“I get the point,” Sonya interrupted. “You really believe that by losing you’ll win.”

“Yes,” John said. “I even ruined a pair of nice pants, a shirt I could never afford, and some sheets to make sure.”

Sonya narrowed her eyes. “You can iron?”

“Yes,” John said. “Sheila taught me well. She wouldn’t let me out of the house unless I looked sharp.”

“And you really knew how to fill a baby bag?” Sonya asked.

“Nope,” John said. “Not a clue. That was a legitimate loss. I know how I’ll fill one in the future, I mean, if you’re still planning on having twins.”

Sonya tried not to smile, but she couldn’t help it. “I didn’t say twins.”

John smiled. “Twins would be nice, though, huh?”

Sonya sighed. “I don’t get you, man. I thought I did.”

John shrugged. “Maybe I’m playing hard to get now.”

Instead of spending the day at the La Brea Tar Pits and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Sonya and Tony attended a Lakers basketball game.

“And I don’t want to be miked,” she told Bob. “I want to enjoy the game.”

She and Tony were fairly anonymous until their faces and names appeared on the Live 4HD scoreboard hanging over center court.

That’s when the autograph seekers descended on them in waves, especially during time-outs.

This is so weird, Sonya thought. I played ball against the LA Sparks in this very building, and no one has recognized me yet. Oops. I think I signed that one “Sonya” instead of “Jazz.” Oh well.

Tony signed more autographs than Sonya did.

Sonya had to shoo a few teenage girls away, one of whom wanted Tony to sign her thigh.

“What do you really think about my sister?” Sonya asked as the Lakers girls performed at halftime.

“She’s all right,” Tony said.

No, she isn’t. “Tony, tell me the truth.”

Tony set his Coke on the ground. “She’s mean.”

Yep. “As a snake?”

“As a swamp rat.”

I may have to agree with that, too. “She’s not mean to you, though. She liked your gumbo and your poem.”

“Yeah, that’s what I don’t get,” Tony said. “How can she be so mean and nice at the same time?”

Kim is an inconsistent person. “You mean she’s mean to the others and nice to you.”

“No, it’s like she has a huge chip on her shoulder or something,” Tony said. “She hardly ever smiles, and she’s usually only smiling when she’s being mean.”

And I have to take some of the blame there. I helped that child to be born with that chip on her shoulder.

“Jazz, you don’t seem to have an evil bone in your body,” Tony said. “Um, how’d she turn out so different from you?”

“Different daddies,” Sonya said. It’s partially true.

“Oh,” Tony said. “That explains it.”

And different mamas, but I don’t want to burden him with that. “What about her appearance?”

Tony looked away. “What about it?”

“A bit too … revealing, isn’t she?”

Tony sighed. “I don’t think I can answer this question and not make someone mad so I will plead the fifth.”

“Just answer it.”

Tony sighed again. “Your sister is certifiably hot. Bangin’. Drop-dead gorgeous. Sexy. A feast for the eyes. Tres érotique.”

“All that, huh?” And I feel a tinge of pride now. I made a beautiful daughter. “She’s smart, too. Magna cum laude from Rutgers.”

“I knew she was smart,” Tony said. “She’s quite a …”

“Handful.”

Tony nodded. “You said it. I just wish she wouldn’t flirt so much with me, and right in front of you.”

“Excuse me?” As if I didn’t already know this.

“Just being truthful,” Tony said. “You have to appreciate that. She flirts with me all the time, and right under your nose.”

“I’ve noticed, Tony, but who’s doing most of the flirting, huh? She wouldn’t flirt unless her target was interested.”

Tony blushed. “I’m not supposed to be interested, right?”

“But you are.”

“Yeah, but I try not to be.” He picked up his Coke and took a sip.

“Tony, you can’t change your nature because you’re on a TV show,” Sonya said. “If you’re interested, you’re interested, right?”

“I suppose.”

She rubbed his shoulder. “You like … what’s the word? Edgy. You like an edgy girl.”

“Yeah.”

“Shani has an edge all right.” And it’s cutting and sharp. “I’m pretty much her opposite, huh?”

“No,” Tony said. “I think the best parts of her are in you.”

What a nice thing to say. I wish it were true. “Thank you for saying that.”

“So, did y’all fight a lot when you were growing up?” Tony asked.

“No. We’ve only begun to fight recently.”

Tony laughed. “I fought all the time with my brothers and sisters. I have five brothers and six sisters, and all of them are older than me.”

That’s a big family! “You’re the baby of the family.”

Tony nodded. “My oldest brother is forty-two. He’s old.”

And I’ll be there in two years. I’ll be old, too. “Tony, why are you really on this show?”

“To win.”

No, he isn’t. “C’mon. You said you were trying to be honest. Stay honest.”

Tony turned to her. “I studied to be an actor, and although I like the theater, the pay is so much better on TV and in the movies.”

“You wanted exposure.”

“Yeah.” Tony nodded. “Exposure. I need it, and this show provides it for me.” His body jolted in the seat. “Oh, Jazz, I didn’t mean that I didn’t care about you.”

“Don’t worry yourself,” Sonya said. “You didn’t know me when you made the decision to be part of this show. It’s okay.”

“I hope I didn’t offend you.”

Tony has a soul. My daughter needs a soul. She needs to hang out with Tony every chance she can get. “You didn’t offend me.”

Tony laughed softly. “I won’t get the hug tonight.”