More Than Rivals (16 page)

“Ah, it was only a good idea when you were doing the teasing.” He laughed.

“Maybe.”

“I thought it was great.”

“Yeah, I don’t think we’re going to have any problem in this department.” She grinned.

“No problem at all,” he said as he played with her hair. Placing his hands on her hips, he guided her off of him. “Except having to wait.”

“Except that.” She looked at the clock again. “I really should go.”
 

“Too bad, but I understand.” He stood up and offered his hand. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

When they reached his front door, he held her coat out for her and asked, “So how far away did you have to park?”

“Only four blocks.”

“That’s close.” He chuckled.

She turned around and threw her arms around him. “Thank you for having me over.”

“Thanks for coming.” Wrapping his arms around her waist, he lowered his lips to hers. “Next time I want tamales.”

A few weeks later, Lily rounded the bend on what had become a regular trail for her and Jack. She looked back at him. “You doing okay?”
                                                             

“Yeah, but I still want to stop at the bench.”
 

“Why?” She didn’t need to ask but she simply wanted to see the smile that she’d grown to believe was only for her.

“Because it would be nice to talk,” he said, giving her the grin she’d desired. “We don’t get to do that in person too much.”

“We talked in person yesterday.”
 

“We
debated
yesterday with three other candidates.”

“Why do you keep asking those guys to show up when we have a date?” She giggled.

“Just wait until I can take you on a real date.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m taking you to the symphony or a Giants game or the theater. Any place where we can be seen and I can show you off.”

She stopped in her tracks and waited for him to jog the few steps between them. Standing on her toes, she placed her hands on his chest. He smelled of clean sweat with an essence of pure Jack mixed in. It was a scent that drove her wild. As she went in for a kiss, she said, “I can’t wait.”
 

When they took their usual places on the bench, they caught up on each other’s weeks. Since the dinner at Jack’s place the month before, they no longer met simply when they could fit it into both of their schedules. Now they carved out time to spend together, though they continued the plausible deniability of a public friendship. They couldn’t be accused of sneaking around and meeting up in hotel rooms, but they also were never around too many people.

While Jack gave her his review of a movie he’d seen with Bill that week, Lily stretched out her legs and let her mind wander. She thought back to the debate the day before because something had been nagging her.
 

After he finished speaking, she decided to venture into potentially rough seas. “Jack… I’ve got a question for you.”

“What’s that?”

“Yesterday, when Lee was giving me a hard time about being inexperienced compared to the rest of candidates, why did you speak up for me?”

Jack gave her a suspicious glance. “Because he’s a dick who was hogging the show. I wanted to move things along. Besides … all I said was that everyone on the stage was experienced in some way.”

“Is that the only reason you said it?”

“What are you getting at? Do you think I was standing up for you?”

“It felt that way.”

“Would it have felt that way if Charles had done it? Because I swear he gave me a look like he was about to say something himself.”

She frowned as she considered the question and soon got his point. “I guess you’re right. Though with Charles, I’d feel like he was trying to be a dad stepping into a fight between two kids.”
 

“See.”

“But with you it feels differently.”

A sheepish smile crossed his face as he touched one of the damp tendrils beneath her ponytail. “I hope so.”

“We’ve become pretty close.” Her voice was warm as she met his gaze.

“We have.” He kept his smile, but shook his head. “But I don’t want you thinking that I’m being a chauvinist.”

“No offense.” She chuckled. “But there’s a little bit of that in every man. I’m not going to complain though. I admit I sometimes use it to my favor.”

“That’s because you’re a good politician.”

“Are you whispering sweet nothings to me again?”

“That’s a sweet nothing only if you’re a complete political hack.”

“Call me a hack then.”

She grinned, awaiting the kiss that was surely next. As he moved closer, she did the same, but as he lowered his lips to hers, he yelled, “Holy shit!”

“What?”

He simultaneously pulled away and raised his hand which had a trickle of blood beginning to form at its base. Grimacing in pain, he showed her the wound. “I think I caught my hand on a loose nail.”

Lily assessed the jagged cut and then turned to find the perpetrating nail. When she saw a bit of his skin stuck to the flat head of a rusty nail, she shook her head. “When was your last tetanus shot?”

“No idea.”

“Well, you need one,” she said, pressing the end of his t-shirt into his palm to stem the blood. “It also looks like you need a stitch or two.”

“I don’t have time to wait in an emergency room for three hours. I’ve got that dinner downtown at seven. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“No,” she said sternly. The medical professional in her then spoke without thinking of the personal consequence. “You should come to my house. I know my dad keeps some in the fridge. He can do your stitches too. ”
 

“Your house? Are you sure?”

“Am I sure I have a tetanus shot at my house or am I sure about taking you to my house when all my family is home?”
 

“Both.”

“Yes, I’m sure about the tetanus. With a little boy in the house, my dad makes sure we’re prepared for everything.”

“Then let’s go.” He smirked. “I’d love to see your home. Do I get to meet your mother?”

“Probably,” she said as her stomach did a flip. Of course, her mother would see what was going on between them. Forcing herself to ignore the panic, she released her hand from his palm. “Can you keep pressure on your hand and run at the same time?”

“Yeah, I can.”

“Good. I think I should drive though. I can bring you back to your car after we get you patched up.” She nodded toward the trail. “Let’s get going.”

 
When they pulled up to Lily’s house, she’d never been more thankful for its long driveway and side entrance. She could get Jack in and out of the house without the neighbors seeing. It wasn’t that she was worried her neighbors would identify Jack; instead, she knew they’d be watchful of
any
man she might be bringing home. She always hated having to answer their questions.

Jack’s response to her house was immediate as she turned into the drive. He peered through the window at the tall, yellow Victorian. “This is your house? It’s a mansion.”

Lily laughed. “No, it would be a mansion if it was in San Francisco. Here it’s just a big, old house.”

He looked at her askance. “I don’t think so. It’s beautiful and huge. How many bedrooms does it have?”

“Five.”

“That’s big.”

“My parents and I agreed that if we were all going to live together we needed space. It has three floors. They live on the top floor with two bedrooms, one of which they use as their own little office and living room.
 
Luke and I have bedrooms on the second floor, plus a guest room.”

As they got out of the car, the screen door swung open, and Lily’s mother stepped out. Holding open the door, Martha smiled knowingly at Jack. “Well, this is a surprise.” Her smile then vanished when she saw how he held his hand and the blood on his shirt. “Oh my, what happened?” she asked, rushing toward him.

 
Though both Jack and Martha knew who the other was, Lily felt obliged to provide some introduction. “Jack. This is my mom, Martha Robles. Mom. Jack Bengston. You know him as State Senator John Bengston. Jack’s here because he sliced his hand on a rusty nail.”

“Hello, Mrs. Robles. I’m sorry to be coming to your house like this,” Jack said with a smile.

“Please call me Martha.” She briefly smiled before pointing to his hand. “May I see?”

“Sure. Thank you,” he said, showing her the wound. “Lily said you were a nurse.”

“At one time,” she said under her breath as examined his palm. “Now I deal with the scraped knees of a grandson.”
 

“Then this won’t be so different,” Jack joked.

“No, it won’t.” She chuckled. “It doesn’t look too bad, but it’s deep. Let’s get you inside.” She turned and walked up the few steps to the door. As she entered the house, she called out, “Pablo!”
 

Just as Lily was about to usher Jack up the stairs, Luke appeared from around the corner of the house. When he saw Jack, he dropped the soccer ball he’d been holding. “Mr. Bengston,” he said with bright eyes.

“Hey, Luke. How are you?” said Jack with a grin.

“I’m good. Do you want to play?” Luke asked, picking up the ball again.

Lily shook her head, but smiled at her eager son. “Luke, Mr. Bengston hurt himself. I don’t think he can play today.”

Jack held up his hand as evidence. “Not right now, at least.” He glanced at Lily and smiled as if he hoped to be granted permission. “But maybe later.”

“Okay,” Luke said, his voice dejected.

“Come inside with us,” Lily said, waving him over. “You can watch Abuelo sew him up.”

“Really? Cool!” Luke answered running past them and up the stairs.
 

Lily led Jack into the kitchen and asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”
 

“Water would be great.” He looked about the modern kitchen which extended into a large den. “This is nice.”

“Thanks. We knocked out a few walls when we renovated the place,” she said as she opened a cabinet to find some glasses.

“What do we have here?” said her father, walking into the room with Martha not far behind. Pablo smiled like he actually knew exactly what was going on.

“Hi, Dad,” said Lily. She gestured to Jack. “I believe you know Jack.”

“Hello Dr. Robles,” said Jack. He held up his wounded hand and smiled. “I’d shake your hand again, but I can’t.”

“Let me take a look at that,” Pablo said walking over to the sink. “Come over here so we wash the wound.”

“I’m sorry to bother you with this, but your wife and daughter say I need to see a doctor, and I don’t have time to wait in an emergency room,” Jack said as he joined him at the sink.

“I worked in the E.R. for forty years. I can tell you the doctors would rather not see you waiting there either. I’m happy to help.”

Lily hung back and sat at the counter with Luke as her father went to work on Jack. Martha assisted Pablo, though she occasionally gave Lily an amused look. She clearly enjoyed the unexpected peek into her daughter’s private life. Jack and Pablo joked throughout it all, especially when Pablo jabbed him in the arm with the tetanus shot. When it was time for the sutures, Pablo urged Luke to come over to watch.

Jack grinned. “So, Luke do you also want to be a doctor? Medicine seems to run in this family.”

“Nah,” Luke said, staring at the wound. “Doctor stuff is cool and all, but I want to be a professional soccer coach.”

“Not a professional soccer player?” asked Jack.

“I’m not that good,” said Luke with a defeated shrug.
 

“You’re young. You don’t know that yet.” Jack smiled. “I’ll tell you what. If your mom says it’s okay, after I get finished being sewn up, I’ll go outside with you for a bit.”

Luke spun around to his mother. “Mom, is it okay?”

“Sure.” Lily smiled, accepting that her day with Jack had left her control.

“Just be careful with your hand,” said Martha and patted Jack’s back.
 

“He shouldn’t be using his hands in soccer anyway.” Pablo laughed. “I’ll come out back with you and supervise.”

 
After Pablo pronounced Jack “patched-up,” he followed Jack and Luke into the backyard. Lily said she was staying inside to read the newspaper, but she occasionally glanced through the French doors leading to the backyard to see what was happening. Her father was situated on a bench providing a running commentary as Jack and Luke scrimmaged. Meanwhile inside, Martha straightened up the kitchen.
 

Lily tried to focus on the paper, dreading the inevitable comment from her mother about Jack. Though Martha had been perfectly friendly to Jack, Lily expected at least a mild rebuke, if not more.
 

But when her mother finally broke the silence between them, she simply said, “I like him.”

“Him?” Lily asked, knowing the answer.

“Jack,” Martha answered, putting away the medical supplies in a large first-aid kit. “From what I’ve seen of him in public and his behavior today, I think he’s a nice person.”
 

“He is.” Lily gave her mother a furtive glance and went back to her paper.

“These aren’t good circumstances for you, though.”

“No,” Lily said as she shifted in her seat. “They’re not. But you and I have talked about that before. Nothing has changed.”

“Nothing has changed?” her mother asked incredulously.

“That’s what I said. Jack and I are going about things exactly as I said. We’re friends.”

“Maybe so, but something has changed.”

“Why do you say that?” asked Lily, wondering she’d let her guard down around her mother.

“You brought him to your house. You let your father and I take care of him. And now he’s outside playing ball with Luke.”

Lily nodded. She couldn’t deny that her actions spoke volumes about her feelings for Jack.

Martha must’ve been able to tell she’d put her daughter on the spot. She went over to her and placed her arm around her. “It’s okay. As I said, I like him.”

Resting her head on her mother’s shoulder, Lily succumbed to her kindness and whispered, “I do, too, Mom.”