Chapter Twenty-Three: Family Secrets

Early in the morning, well before the sun was up, Maddie made coffee in her tiny kitchen. She poured boiling water into a stovetop pot filled with New Orleans Roast, the strongest stuff she had. She had been hiding from Esme since her meeting with Monty last week. It helped that Nick had stayed through the All-Star break, and Esme spent most of her time with him. Then Maddie developed a killer, stress-induced cold, so she had an excuse to keep Carlton at arm’s length, too. But now her cold was gone. The All-Star break was over. Maddie had to emerge from her cocoon, yet she was still exhausted. Sleep was hopeless thanks to recurring nightmares in which she had disastrous light saber duels with Monty Ortzelbean in weird locations like Cosmic Bowling or Disney on Ice.

After downing a cup of dark, bitter coffee she attempted to cross the lawn and head to work without meeting Esme. But her aunt was up and on the prowl. The kitchen light was shining brightly, and Esme opened the screen door and shouted.

“Maddie, what in the world is eating at you, girl?”

“Sorry! I have to get to work extra early. Starting a big stadium rehab project!” Maddie waved. “Talk to you later.”

“Oh no you don’t. I want to see you. Come inside. Let’s have our morning cappuccino. I’m baking my famous lemon-ginger scones which I know you cannot resist.”

Maddie relented. She told herself it would be fine. She didn’t have to tell Esme anything. All she had to do was ask about Nick and listen for a few minutes. Then she could leave. Esme was too wily to let that happen. As soon as they were comfy at the kitchen table with frothy beverages and warm scones, Esme commanded, “Spill, sweetie.”

“Spill what? I’m fine.” Maddie coughed awkwardly. She was a bad liar and she knew it.

“What happened to make you standoffish all week? It wasn’t just a cold.”

Maddie shook her head “no” and pressed her lips together tightly. She tried to suppress the anger she felt at her problems and her family, but she was burning up inside. Nothing could stop the huge internal blister that was about to burst. “Why the fuck didn’t you or my parents tell me that Monty Ortzelbean was my real father?” she blurted and immediately regretted it.

“What?” Esme shook herself out like she had been hit in the face with a water balloon. “Are you joking? If so, it’s in very poor taste.”

Maddie continued to glare at Esme. “No need to pretend anymore. The secret is out.”

Esme clasped Maddie’s hands. “I haven’t the faintest notion what you’re talking about. You know I’d never lie to you.”

“You really didn’t know?” But Maddie could tell from Esme’s face that the news stunned her. That was some relief, anyway. Maybe her pseudo aunt hadn’t lied to her for the past several decades.

“What do you mean? How could Monty Ortzelbean be your father? That’s completely absurd.”

“If I tell you about this, you have to promise that you will not say a word to another living soul. Especially not Nick. I shouldn’t say anything. It’s a matter of life and death. Mine. But it’s too much to keep secret from everyone. I have to talk to someone. Everything is so, so screwed.” She put her head down on the table and covered it like she was in a tornado drill in elementary school.

Esme reached over and stroked Maddie’s hair gently. “I love you to pieces, and I’m always here for you. Just talk to me.”

And Maddie did. She told the whole story. Esme listened intently, without interrupting, and when Maddie finished, her aunt sat quietly with a stern expression.

“We cannot let this asshole win,” she said at last. “What a mean, selfish sonofabitch. The outrageous manipulation! And the arrogance of that man! OK, I think you should call your mother immediately. And tell Carlton as soon as possible.”

“No! Mom clearly wants this to be a secret. She thinks it is a secret. I promised I would respect her wishes. I can’t just blow it all up.”

“Why the hell not?” Esme asked, slamming her mug on the table.

“I have to finish this season without getting fired from another job. Once the final homestand is over, I’ll figure out what to do next. And I do not want this bombshell news to get out any more than my mom or Monty does. Can you imagine the feeding frenzy with the Chicago sports media? It would be brutal and awful to deal with. It could affect you and Nick, too. Besides, I can’t confront my mother in my current state. I’m way too stressed out.”

Esme got up and refreshed their cups with regular coffee that had been brewing. “This is going to take Lorelai Gilmore quantities of caffeine. And you’re not going back to work yet. You need a spa day. I’ll run you a hot bubble bath and do your nails. We’ll spend the day talking through this thing together. Rory can go fuck himself. I think Tillie is just the person to deliver that message, too.”

Maddie laughed shakily. “Thanks, Aunt Esme. Or sorry. Just Esme. I do feel better.”

“I will always be your Aunt Esme, Madison Fields! No rat-bastard, billionaire Gray Sox owner is going to change that!”

“I hate to ask... I mean, it’s not fair to ask, but did you ever suspect that your brother wasn’t my dad? Or do you know if he suspected anything?”

Esme grimaced and took a long drink of her coffee. “Oh honey. I am so sorry, but I did know that you had a different biological father. Jackson told me before the wedding. Of course, we all knew that Beatrice was pregnant with you, but we assumed…”

“But how? I don’t want to get graphic here, but even if Mom did have a fling with Monty, isn’t it possible that she didn’t get pregnant by him?”

“Jackson went to Oxford for six weeks before they got married. Some kind of archival study program at the Bodleian Library. That must have been when it happened. He didn’t offer many details. Just said the other man was out of the picture for good. He was adamant that he was your dad and Bea’s husband and always would be. He meant it, too. From the minute he saw you, he was head over heels. You know that. And he adores your mother. To be honest, I stopped thinking about it a long time ago. It didn’t seem to matter. I never—not in a million years—would have guessed anything like this might happen.”

“Yeah, I can believe that. No one could have guessed. But when I took this job… Don’t you think they might have told me something?” Maddie bit into a lemon-ginger scone. It tasted luscious, moist and melt-in-your-mouth.

“I can’t answer that, sweetie. You’ll have to ask them. But what about Carlton? He’s directly affected by your predicament, and you can’t ignore that.”

“Shit. I know!” Maddie buried her head in her hands. “What am I gonna say?”

Esme put an arm around Maddie’s shoulder and spoke softly. “What do you want?”

Maddie sat up straight and took a couple of calming breaths. “For one thing, I want to be with Carlton, and I won’t let anyone stop me.”

“Good! That’s an excellent start.”

“But I’m not ready to tell Carlton everything. He’s part of the media. How could I ask him to sit on this story? The point of his podcast is to tell people the truth about Monty even if it’s not convenient for me. I hate to say it, but I have to take this one step at a time.”

“Hmmm.” Esme rubbed her eyes.

“You think that’s wrong?”

“Keeping big secrets. I don’t like it. That’s how this mess started.”

Maddie sighed loudly and tossed her napkin across the room. “Damn it! What am I supposed to do? It’s like there’s no way for me to win. And what about your secrets anyway?”

“What do you mean?” Esme stiffened.

“You weren’t exactly forthcoming about how tight you were getting with Nick, and then there’s your divorce. Talk about family secrets!”

“Nick really is my business and not yours. The divorce was ages ago. I wasn’t even sure you’d remember Craig.”

“But I love you, and I care what happens to you. Uncle Craig was part of my life, too, and then suddenly he wasn’t and no one talked about it. I’m worried about you and Nick. That you’ll end up crushed. Like you were with Uncle Craig. God forbid anyone mentions his name! It’s like an unwritten code in this family. Shh! The divorce hurt Esme so much, we must never speak of it.”

Esme closed her eyes and covered her mouth. She looked like she was in pain, and Maddie felt like a jerk. She had not meant to open old wounds, but her frazzled emotions had gotten the better of her.

“I’m sorry,” Maddie began. “I don’t want to interfere or upset you. I’m not myself right now, but I shouldn’t take it out on you."

Esme opened her eyes and smiled sadly at Maddie. “Craig hurt me beyond repair? Is that what you think? Oh no. That’s not what happened.”

“Then what did? And why is it unmentionable in our family?”

“Those are two separate answers. How much do you remember about your Uncle Craig?”

Maddie sipped at her coffee and tried to excavate memories. It had been so long since anyone asked her about Craig, she realized that she had buried a lot about him. “He was funny and nice to me. He made up great games. Like Space Tag and Marshmallow Planet. He liked to sing and he wore bright colors. I felt happy when he was around. He came to my sixth birthday party with you, and then I didn’t see him anymore.”

“Marshmallow Planet! I had forgotten that. Yes, Craig is fun and kind-hearted and colorful. He hasn’t changed. We’ve stayed in touch, and he comes down every couple of years to visit. He grew up in Sweetgum. This house belonged to his family.”

Maddie massaged the back of her neck which felt like it had been tensed up for days. “You’re still friends? You see each other? I really don’t get it.”

“OK, let’s clean all the skeletons out of the closet right now. My story with Craig isn’t a tragedy. It’s bittersweet. We met in high school. He had just moved to Highland Park. Had a lovely southern drawl, and he was delightfully odd. We hit it off right away. Became inseparable. We even decided to go to the same college so we could stay together.”

“That sounds pretty romantic,” Maddie said.

“Not in the way you’re thinking. Craig was gay and afraid to come out of the closet. It was a different time. Craig’s family was very conservative. So when we graduated from Northwestern, Craig and I got married. I didn’t want a traditional husband, and I knew it would make Craig’s life easier if he had a wife. He had a job at a major accounting firm in New York. He’d be earning a lot of money. I’d have financial support and a fab apartment while working my way up as a costume designer. His family would leave him alone. We had it all figured out.”

“That’s terrible about Craig’s family. Really pisses me off. What about love, though? Didn’t you miss that in your marriage?”

“We did love each other! And if you’re talking about sex, we agreed to allow each other dalliances, and it worked perfectly for years.” Esme picked up a scone and broke off a section to eat. She looked wistful, like she was sorting through her own mothballed memories.

Maddie had to laugh at her aunt’s word choice. “Dalliances? Were you actually living in Regency England?”

“Affairs? Hookups? Netflix and chill? Whatever you want to call it! I indulged wholeheartedly. Russian dancers, actors, artists, celebrity chefs, ball players, alleged vampire hunters. I had my fun, and Craig was just as busy. Then he met Tom.”

“Uh huh. We’re going to revisit this part of your story in a lot more detail later. Excuse me, vampire hunters?”
“Oh yeah. New York’s full of vampires. Of all kinds.”

“And ball players? Not any Yankees, I hope.”

Esme waggled her eyebrows. “Two letters. J. D.”

“NO WAY! Oh my God. I swear, I don’t know any of my so-called family anymore! Never mind. Who was Tom? One of the lesser-known Kennedys maybe?”

“No. But JFK, Jr. came to one of my plays once, and we had a memorable night at the Algonquin. I introduced him to my hairdresser, Franco. Who was best friends with Kurt Vonnegut, and we all loved talking about Shakespeare. It was quite the Round Table, even without Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley. I think Fran Lebowitz dropped by, too.”

Maddie stared at Esme wide-eyed. “Right. It needs to be late at night—with cold champagne instead of lukewarm coffee—for this conversation. Sounds like you should write a book. For now, let’s go back to Tom.”

“Yes, of course. Tom was Craig’s true love. They started dating, fell hard for each other, and Craig went all in for the American dream. Marriage. Husband. 2.5 kids, house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. Of course I gave him a divorce. He was my best friend.”

“Oh, Esme. That had to be hard.”

“It was. When Craig left, I sort of lost my fire for New York. He felt bad and offered me his grandmother’s house in Sweetgum, and I decided to try a fresh start in a new place.”

“That took guts. I never understood why you left New York.”

“The hardest part was the family’s reaction. When they found out Craig had divorced me so he could marry a man, the shit hit the fan. They were incensed. Convinced that Craig had tricked me, and I was a scorned woman. My mother couldn’t talk about it without crying. Beatrice just pretended Craig never existed. That seems to be a pattern with your mom, doesn't it? She sort of… deletes inconvenient people from her history.”

“Seems like it,” Maddie said. She blotted her forehead with a fresh napkin. The humidity combined with all these revelations was making her sweat. She wondered about her mother and all the hidden desires she might have had. Could it be that Beatrice had a mad, adventurous streak that she never got to explore like Esme did? Maybe she panicked before getting married and took a walk on the wild side just like Monty said. What could be wilder for her than going to Sox Fest and having a reckless affair with the owner of a hated rival team?

“I can’t believe my dad—I mean your brother—was mad at you about Craig,” Maddie continued.

“No. He was fine with it. But he hates conflict, so he didn’t like talking about it either. Apparently my marriage turned into a dreadful family secret. I’m sorry that I didn’t think more about you at the time. You were probably hurt and confused, too.”

Listening to Esme’s story lifted Maddie’s mood a little. It was like a black hole from her past was illuminated and turned out to be much less scary than she had imagined. Life could take traumatic detours, but sometimes they worked out anyway. Maddie hoped that might happen to her, even though she felt miserable now.

“I’m glad to find out about you and Craig,” Maddie said. “It’s crazy we never talked about it before.”

“It is. But the move to Sweetgum was right for me. Turns out I love having a house to myself and living in a resort town. The mountains, the hiking trails, the adorable shops and cafes. Even the crappy minor league baseball team. A Gray Sox team yet! And me, a lifelong Cubs fan. But I fell in love with Sweetgum. Who would have predicted that a small town in North Carolina would be my true love?”

Maddie stood up and leaned over to wrap her arms around Esme. “Wait. I thought I was your true love. And your beagles. And baseball. And fashion. And now Nick?”

Esme gripped Maddie’s arms and squeezed them. “Nick is something new. A whole different kind of adventure. It’s exciting!” She turned around in her chair. “Hang on, how did we get off on this tangent? You’re dealing with a load of shit here.”

“It’s nice to be distracted, and it’s not a tangent. We’re unraveling deep, dark family secrets. It’s one big subject that involves all of us. This is good. Although… I simply cannot condone you and Johnny Damon of the Yankees, Jesus, Esme!”

Esme shrugged. “So, setting aside the fact that you could become a billionairess who owns one of the oldest and most storied baseball franchises in history—”

Maddie covered her ears. “Not listening! Really, that’s off the table. It’s La La Land. Not real at all. I just want to finish my job to the best of my ability and stay out of trouble.”

“What about Carlton? Have you seen him this week?”

“He’s been calling me every day that I’ve been sick. He had Edna send over care packages, too. Homemade chicken soup. Grilled cheese. He added these sweet little notes rolled up inside napkins.”

Esme gave Maddie her biggest, warmest smile. “That’s love, honey. Don’t ever shut him out. He belongs with you.”

“I won’t. But I don’t know what I’m going to do. Except for one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The Manders are on the road Saturday night, and I don’t think Monty has put your carriage house under surveillance. Yet. So, I’m inviting Carlton over.”

“For…?”

“What else? To watch Svengoolie!”

***

“I brought the rubber chickens!” Carlton said when Maddie greeted him at the door.

“Thank God, I’m fresh out.” Maddie took the duffel bag he was toting and set it aside so she could throw herself into his arms and give him a whirling, twirling kiss that ended with the two of them sprawling on Maddie’s cushy couch.

“That’s what I call a welcome!” Carlton pressed her shoulders into a squishy decorative pillow and kissed her again, slowly and luxuriously. “Lord, I’ve missed you. It’s just cruel that you got sick. But not unexpected. You’ve been working like a maniac. It was bound to catch up with you, and it always happens on vacation. But I promise we’ll make up for lost time.”

Maddie held his face in her hands and pulled him closer, snaking her legs around him and arching her back so her hips pushed up against his.

“Careful,” Carlton said gruffly. “We might not make it to the movie.”

“Yes we will. This is going to be the best slumber party ever. You’ve never had my super hot-buttered popcorn before. It’s better than the Stargazer Drive-in. And I’ve got Twizzlers and Junior Mints, too.”

“But I just want you.”

“Oh, I want you, too. More than anything. I can’t believe you’re finally here and you can stay all night. I swear, I won’t overcomplicate things but… Can we build a fort?”

Carlton laughed. “A fort?”

“Yeah, with blankets and pillows and flashlights. I bet you can build a kick-ass fort. I mean, that would be so sexy.”

“Oh, I’ll build you a fort.” Carlton reached under her blouse and caressed the fancy Natori bra she was wearing for the occasion. “If it can be a Nearly Naked Fort.”

“But what about the matching Svengoolie PJs I have for us?” Maddie burst out laughing. “Oh my God, your face!” She made a mental note to order Svengoolie pajamas for upcoming Christmas presents.

Carlton laughed again. “OK. You had me. I admit it.”

“Boy, it’s fun to tease you. This is all so much fun! I never want to stop appreciating that. Or you. I might have a sort of Elvira-like negligee for later, though. Is that acceptable?”

“Definitely,” he said, squeezing her breasts and kissing them through her shirt. “You’ve got Elvira beat in my opinion.”

Maddie giggled. “I wonder what my horror-movie-host persona would be. I think… a 1920s vamp. And my name would be… Zelda Fitz-SCARE-ald.”

“Does your brain ever stop coming up with wacky ideas? What’s it like inside your head?” Carlton brushed Maddie’s hair back behind her ears and placed a gentle kiss on each temple. “I’m dying to find out about everything about your sleep habits. Maybe not tonight, though. If I have my way.”

“Works for me! But it’s almost time for Sven! I have to make popcorn.”

Maddie removed herself from Carlton and the couch which took more will power than she expected. But she managed it. She felt a painful twinge of conscience. She knew that she was pretending that everything was fine when it wasn’t. The right approach to addressing the Monty issue had not come to her, and she tried to put it out of her mind.

“What’s in your bag?” Maddie asked. “Besides the chickens. Anything you need to hang up or put away?”

“Oh yeah! Just a change of clothes and some groceries. I brought supplies to make a spinach and tomato frittata in the morning. We might not want to leave the premises for some time.”

Maddie hugged him around the waist and kissed him soundly on the lips. “I love that! I wish we could stay holed up here for a month.” Anxiety prickled at the back of her mind again. She ignored it. “I’ll put away your stuff, and you can work on the fort. Use anything you want from my bed or closets. Or anywhere.”

She turned on her small television and found ME-TV on her one streaming service. The end of The Three Stooges was playing as she heated up oil for the popcorn and melted a stick of butter in a saucepan. Carlton had disappeared to the lower level of the carriage house and told her to try not to peek at the couch until he was finished.

Once the corn was popped, dumped in a large Tupperware container, and slathered with hot butter and salt, Maddie grabbed some napkins and opened a bottle of chilled champagne. “Can I look yet?” she shouted. “The movie’s starting soon.”

“Almost ready,” he shouted back. “Hey, do you have a baseball shrine? I just noticed in your bookshelf over here—”

“NO! I do not. Have a shrine. Or anything like that.”

“Well, what do you call these baseball cards and candles and incense then?”

“Baseball tchotchkes. That’s all.”

Carlton scoffed. “Yeah, but what about the statue of Ganesha, the Hindu god of removing obstacles? And St. Rita’s holy card? Isn’t she the patron saint of lost causes?”

“Also tchotchkes. But… Spiritual ones. It just so happens that I collect them.”

“Layered over Cubs rally towels?”

“Yes. I layer tchotchkes! It’s a thing. Tchotchke layering.”

Carlton laughed. “It’s not a thing.”

“Shut up and finish the fort!”

Maddie pulled out a fake bamboo tray with pink flamingos that looked like a souvenir from a tacky Florida gift shop and packed it with the movie snacks and beverages and a couple of glasses.

“OK, I’m done!” Carlton announced.

Maddie turned around holding the tray and squealed with delight. The fort looked like something out of The Arabian Nights combined with A Christmas Story. Carlton had scrounged a pair of standing lamps to make tent poles. Over and between the lamps and couch cushions, he draped a variety of exotic materials—silks, velvets, and sheer curtains—from Esme’s storage bins downstairs. He had also raided the discarded Christmas decorations and strung together bunches of lights: bubbling candles, poinsettia blossoms, and jewel-toned twinkle lights. The fort had two levels. The upper tier was the couch, strewn with colorful pillows and a granny-square afghan. The lower level was the floor, where Maddie’s bedding had been arranged with more fluffy pillows. A plastic campfire with light-up logs flickered off to the side.

“Like it?” Carlton asked.

“Wow! I had no idea you were a fort-building wunderkind! It’s spectacular.”

They climbed inside and arranged the snacks just in time for the Svengoolie theme song and opening.

“What’s the movie tonight?” Carlton ate a handful of popcorn. “This is really decadent.”

“Thank you. Decadent is my specialty. House on Haunted Hill.”

“Excellent! A William Castle classic. Campy thrills and…”

“Emergo Vision!” they said together.

“I saw real-life Emergo Vision once,” said Maddie. “The Music Box Theatre in Chicago had the cheesy plastic skeleton set up on a wire to float over the audience when Vincent Price reeled it toward him onscreen. The skeleton made this eee-eee-eee squeaky sound, and it was really herky-jerky when it moved. Hilarious.”

“Well, Vincent Price is always great,” Carlton added.

They watched the film together, laughing and making their own wisecracks.

Carlton put his arm around Maddie like they were sitting in a movie theater together. “This was a great idea. It feels like home. I haven’t done anything like this in forever.”

“I remember your mom was a big Svengoolie fan, and you used to watch with her. What was her favorite part of the show?” Maddie asked.

“Charlotte loved the song. You know, when Sven makes up his own lyrics to some well-known tune and tells the plot of the movie in a goofy way.”

“Charlotte! That’s a beautiful name. And I agree with her. The song is always a highlight.”

A brief but attractive melancholy passed over Carlton’s features, then he broke into a smile. “She used to make up her own silly lyrics and sing them around the house. Sometimes she sang the entire score to Camelot like a chicken. God knows why.”

Maddie fell back against the couch laughing. “Oh, that’s brilliant! I love your mom! I want to hear all your stories about her.”

Carlton bent over and gave Maddie a buttery popcorn kiss. “She would have loved you.”

Movie night continued with more shared humor and intermittent making out. They dutifully tossed rubber chickens at the TV when the Svengoolie cast made especially bad jokes. True to his word, Carlton kept removing items of his and Maddie’s clothing. By the end of the film, they were not just nearly naked as they snuggled under the crazy quilt from Maddie’s bed, and Emergo Vision took on an entirely new meaning.

Maddie nestled up against Carlton’s chest, feeling cozy and at peace. A rare sensation for her. An episode of the 1960s Batman TV show came on after the movie. Julie Newmar was “Catwoman.” She was Maddie’s favorite actor in the role, but Carlton preferred Eartha Kitt and they debated the issue with mock gravitas. But Maddie wasn’t prepared for Carlton’s next question.

“Speaking of super villains, what happened with your Monty meeting anyway? You’ve hardly said a word about it. Vinny and Herb are salivating for details. Obviously, you weren’t fired.”

“No.” Maddie wanted to stop right there. She had decided to broach this subject with Carlton at breakfast tomorrow. But she wanted one complete night of freedom and happiness.

“Just no?’ Carlton kissed her neck. “Did he at least acknowledge that you did the work for the sell-out and not Rory?”

“Yes.”

“OK. That’s good, right? So, you just got a slap on the wrist about the hot dog gun incident or…?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” she snapped.

“Whoa.” Carlton sat up and looked at Maddie intently. “Something did happen. I’m picking up some major tension vibes here.”

“Can we please wait until morning? Can we just have one night of pleasure before…”

“Before what? What did he say, Maddie? You’re not leaving Sweetgum, are you? You have to tell me. I can’t wait until tomorrow. What’s wrong? Don’t you trust me?”

“Yes, yes, yes! I just don’t want this to end!”

“End? What the hell? Now you’re really scaring me. Whatever that asshole said or did to you… I will fucking kill him!”

“No. Listen. There’s a problem, but he didn’t fire me. I’m not leaving. He was pissed, though. And he wants everyone tokowtow to him. Be loyal. He threatened to fire me at first, then he said I was on probation. No more making him look bad or anything that reflects poorly on the Gray Sox franchise.”

“Oh, that’s rich!” Carlton laughed. “You’re hardly the one who makes the Gray Sox franchise look bad. Look in the fucking mirror, buddy! Is that all?”

Maddie glanced away. She felt horribly guilty keeping such a big secret from him, so she told him as much of the truth as she could. “I’m not going to give you a blow-by-blow. But you should know a couple of things. He doesn’t like you or your podcast. Called you an agitator.”

Carlton grinned. “That’s not a problem. That makes my year!”

“Yeah, but he said you can’t go back to the broadcast booth for the Manders. I told him that was wrong and unfair, but—”

“Well, that sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. I have my audition tape. He can’t take that. I thought this might happen, and I can deal with it. It’s OK. If that’s all.”

“It isn’t.” Maddie wished she could tell him absolutely everything. It would be such a weight off her shoulders, and it would show how much she trusted and loved Carlton. But she stayed with her original plan. One step at a time.

Maddie leaned back against Carlton and took his hand. “Monty has a new policy. None of the staff can date any member of the media. You’re off limits to me. That’s what he said. Dating you is a firing offense.”

“Asshole! He has no right. That vindictive little shit! He really said that? He would fire you? Is that even legal?”

“Actually, he said he would destroy me, and I’d never work in baseball again. Do. Not. Fuck. Carlton. Wilde. Those were his exact words. And I don’t think the legality matters. He’s got so much money and power. People with a ton of money and power can usually get what they want and get away with anything.”

At first Carlton looked like he was plotting a murderous rampage on the South Side of Chicago. His body clenched and his neck muscles went very rigid. But then he exhaled, and Maddie thought the storm had passed. The rational, professor-like Carlton had returned.

“Come here,” he whispered to Maddie and pulled her against him once more. She could hear his heart racing. “Do you want to stop seeing me?”

“Never. And you know what? Fuck it! I don’t care what happens!”

“Yes, you do, and I care, too.”

Maddie sighed in frustration. “Yeah, you’re right. I really can’t afford to piss off Monty any more or lose this job.” She bit her lip and wondered what else she should say. She had an idea, but she was sure Carlton would hate it. Oh, what the hell? They had to do something. “There is one solution. It’s temporary. Not ideal. Possibly insane and stolen from a bunch of Hallmark movies.”

“Your insane ideas are usually the best ones. What is it?”

“We go underground. Let everyone think we broke up and keep meeting in secret. Just until the end of the season. Let me break the attendance record and not get fired. Then we can decide what to do next. I know it’s dishonest, and you probably have too much integrity.”

Carlton grabbed Maddie and kissed the living daylights out of her. He rolled on top of her and covered her with his entire body. It felt so good that she didn’t want to move. He bit into her neck and reached under her backside, pressing her even closer.

“Maddie, my great, great love,” he said between ferocious kisses. “Do you have any idea what you mean to me?”

“Yes,” she answered, light-headed. “Because I feel the same about you. I can’t even think of a smarmy nickname for you. Darling? Dearest? Boo bear? They just don’t cut it. I mean, nothing’s good enough. But… Do you really think this will work? Are you actually angry now, and this is like angry sex?”

Carlton stopped kissing her and raised up on his elbows. He bowed his forehead to rest against hers. “Yes, I’m angry. But not at you.” He smiled and she was amazed to hear him laugh again. “Boo bear?”

“Well, I said it wasn’t good enough!” Maddie was laughing too, and she wasn’t quite sure why. “Is there something funny about this that I’m missing?”

“I knew Monty was a stupid ass, but this takes the cake!” Carlton said. “Even for him.”

“What takes the cake?”

“It’s no secret that I think you’re the most beautiful, brilliant, exciting woman on the planet. So, what on Earth could possibly make you any hotter for me?”

“I have no idea.”

“Having Monty Ortzelbean put you off limits!” He kissed her deeply and deliberately again. “This feels incredible! Am I out of my mind or do you feel it, too?”

Maddie had a moment of shock followed by elation. It had not occurred to her that she might enjoy breaking Monty’s rules. She was the kind of kid who never got in trouble. A classic “good girl”. But Carlton was right. Now that he was forbidden, she found him even more irresistible.

“God, YES!” she shouted. “I was so worried and freaked out, but this is like XTC. Or what I think XTC would be like. I’ve never done any drugs, but I’m sure this is better.” She kissed him with renewed, unbridled energy.

Carlton returned her passion with an intensity that made her head swim. “I love you, Maddie, and no one’s going to stop us. We’ll go with your plan. Go undercover, and I guarantee, this is going to be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Starting tonight. Starting now.”

RELATED ART

The great Vincent Price in *House on Haunted Hil*l

BASEBALL INSPIRATION: SHRINES

*Annie Savoy’s baseball shrine in Bull Durham*

Japan takes the concept of a baseball shrine to another level.

https://en.japaholic.com/yakyu-inari-shrine-a-must-visit-sacred-place-for-baseball-fans-seeking-victory/

CHICAGO INSPIRATION: SVENGOOLIE

Svengoolie is a true Chicago classic. The show airs on Saturday nights and features low-budget horror and sci-fi films along with comedy sketches, terrible jokes and puns, movie trivia and musical parody performances. The show was created by Jerry G. Bishop, who played the original “Svenogoolie” from 1970 - 73. Rich Koz took over the mantle in 1979. A longtime local staple, the program expanded to a massive national audience via METV in 2011.

Rich Koz has become more than a TV host. He’s a film historian and champion of horror and sci-fi film artists. Koz has been recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his distinguished broadcasting career.