Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Mike Cooper held the phone to his ear with one hand and wiped his face with the other, becoming frustrated with his agent. “Bob, you’re not listening to me.”

Bob Daly, known for representing some of the biggest names in sports, expressed his own frustration. “Mike, I am listening to you. I just don’t like what I’m hearing. Why do you need to tell the world you’re bisexual? You’re not even with a guy, so what’s the point? You spent twenty years with the Yankees keeping your secret, so why come out now?”

“It was two decades of denying who I am,” Mike reminded him. “Don’t you get it? I’ve never been with a man because it was forbidden, not because there weren’t guys that I was attracted to. Now that I’m retired, I don’t need to worry about what my teammates think and I can date any girl or dude that I want.”

“You still have the public’s reaction to worry about. You have deals with how many companies to advertise their products? Now, start thinking about how many of those deals you’ll lose.”

Mike rolled his eyes, even though Bob couldn’t see his reaction. “This is the twenty-first century. None of them would dare. The protests from liberals would be too great.”

“Do you not watch the news? Look at the financial hit beer-makers and department stores are taking when they support Pride month or other LGBTQ causes. Sure, the companies you work with won’t drop you on your announcement because they won’t want that backlash from mainstream America. But they’ll pay you to do nothing then ditch you when your contract is up.”

“I don’t care,” Mike complained. “I have enough money to live in comfort for the rest of my life. I’m getting too old to be doing some of those gigs anyway, don’t you think? Like, what about the underwear print and television ads? How much longer will people want to see me photographed half-naked?”

Bob laughed on the other end of the line. “Mike, you may be forty years old, but trust me, the reaction to those underwear ads is still off the charts. Your body is displayed in the men’s section of half the country’s department stores, and the ads are in every fashion magazine. You’ve become better known as the hunk-in-trunks than as a former star relief-pitcher for the Yankees.”

“Wonderful. That’s not tempting me to continue,” Mike responded. “I think I’d rather be remembered for my contributions to the team than for my pec muscles.”

“Such problems,” Bob said, and Mike could hear the sarcasm in his tone. “Besides, what makes you think it’s your chest that’s being gawked at?”

“God,” Mike muttered. “I try not to think about that. They airbrush out the visible penis line, so what do people think they’re seeing?”

“A bulge. Your happy trail. Who knows? It’s not like I’m the one drooling,” Bob volleyed back.

“You noticed I have a happy trail,” Mike teased. “Anyway, I’d rather use my retirement to do meaningful things. I was thinking if I come out, imagine how much easier it could be for younger players to declare their sexual orientation while they’re still playing. Someone needs to break down the barriers. There’s nobody in major league baseball who has claimed membership in the LGBTQ community.”

Bob sighed. “There’s a reason for that. They’d be shunned by their teammates and attacked on social media by the fans. You coming out isn’t going to make anyone else eager to do it. It will just reinforce that you had to wait until you retired to make the announcement.”

Mike closed his eyes, trying to respond, but he knew Bob was right. “Okay, maybe it won’t help others come out. But sharing my truth would allow me to communicate in other ways. I could help educate through the talk circuit, and I could throw some money and energy at helping LGBTQ causes.”

“I still say you should keep quiet. Mike, you can keep dating girls and live a happy life. Why screw it up?”

“I’m shutting off the possibility of a potential match with half the population. I’m tired of appeasing others. This is what I want to help change, Bob. I don’t want people hiding their identities because they think it’s easier than being honest.”

After a moment of silence, Bob responded. “Mike, if you’re hell-bent on doing this, then we need to formulate a strategy. We can try to secure deals with gay-friendly companies who will capitalize on your announcement. Maybe your current contracts will end, but other companies may be eager to sign you. I’ll do some research. Aren’t there underwear companies that market to gay men? They may be happy for you to endorse their products, though I’ll bet you’ll need to wear skimpier stuff and nix the air-brushing.”

“Geez, now you’re an expert on gay-preferred underwear, too? Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me? I’m a sure-bet supportive ear.”

Bob snickered, unoffended. “Mike, if I swung that way, you’d be at the top of my list. Even I can see you’re a stud. My wife salivates when your name comes up in conversation. But, pal, there is no way I’m going near a dick and a pair of balls. Kind of gross, if you ask me. No offense.”

“I guess that’s good news for your wife. It means you’ll always want her instead of jerking off if you don’t want to go near a dick.”

Bob let out a guffaw. “Yeah, well, I don’t watch myself when I whack off. And unfortunately, it’s the only choice more and more these days. After forty-three years of marriage, the magic is gone for my wife, I suspect. If I walk around naked, she turns up her nose and tells me to cover up.”

Mike laughed. “Can’t say I blame her. I’d tell you to cover that body, too.”

“Thanks, asshole,” Bob shot. “Listen, don’t announce anything until we have a plan, okay? If we strategize, you can do good for others while still capitalizing financially.”

“How philanthropic,” Mike commented.

“Donate your earnings then, Mr. Bleeding Heart,” Bob suggested. “As long as you donate after I get my cut.”

“Of course.” Mike sighed. “Hey, I need to go. I’m supposed to pick up Jessica. She wants to see this Broadway show tonight.”

“Okay, so what’s up with that? You’re talking about staying open to a match with a guy, but you’re still dating Jessica? You told me last time we talked that you were going to break up with her.”

Mike put his fingers to the bridge of his nose to ease the throbbing he was experiencing behind his eyes. He wished he could just lie down and skip the date. “I know. I’ll do it tonight. Trust me, she’s my ex-girlfriend. She just doesn’t know it yet. Like I told you before, she’s into having a celebrity on her arm. I want someone who’d love me even if I wasn’t Mike Cooper, famous baseball player.”

“Or the hunk-in-trunks,” Bob needled. “Anyway, I hope you learned your lesson with her. You’re not getting younger, so don’t keep falling for someone just because they have a pretty face. And that applies to men, too. Don’t think there won’t be just as many of them that wouldn’t hook up just because of your fame and wealth. So, what are you and Jessica seeing tonight?”

“The More Things Change. It’s a show about the parallels between Nazi Germany and today’s right-wing politics. Sounds heavy, but it’s a musical comedy. Go figure. Jessica heard it got great reviews, so she showed me the ad for it in the paper. I bought her the tickets as a surprise a few weeks ago when I thought our relationship might go somewhere. At least the lead actor in the advertisement looked cute.”

Bob snickered. “Hmm, that’s not awkward. You’re taking your girlfriend to a show where you’ll be ogling the man who stars in it.”

Mike narrowed his eyes, even though Bob couldn’t see him. “She’s my ex-girlfriend, and at least I’m letting her see the show before she finds out her new relationship status.”

“When you dump her, don’t tell her you’re bisexual,” Bob warned. “She may be pissed enough to use the information against you. Once you’ve come out, you’ll need to be ready for her social media attacks about how you tricked her.”

“I wasn’t planning to tell her,” Mike assured him. “I haven’t trusted her for a while now, so I haven’t shared much of anything personal about myself.” Mike plopped himself down on the sofa, indulging in a moment of self-loathing. “God, listen to how hypocritical I sound. I’m talking about how I haven’t trusted her while I’ve been withholding from her that I like guys as well as chicks. This is why I can’t keep doing this. I don’t want to be a liar by omission. There are times when people have a right to know.”

“Okay. We’ll talk more about it later,” Bob soothed. “Let me put together some ideas. Go enjoy the show. Good thing the theater will be dark so Jessica won’t see you boning for the star.”

* * * *

When Mike and Jessica arrived at the theater, he was pleased to remember he had purchased the two seats closest to the aisle. Once the lights dimmed, he’d be able to stretch his long legs and slump in the seat to avoid people seeing and recognizing him as a celebrity.

“Can I sit on the end?” Jessica asked him before they could park their butts in seats.

“What? Why? I start to get aches from old injuries after an hour of being cramped,” Mike protested.

Jessica leaned in toward Mike’s ear to whisper. “I think I have diarrhea from dinner. Just in case I need to get up.”

Mike grimaced. He realized his reaction proved he didn’t care enough about her. He figured if he loved the person, he would have empathy instead of wishing she’d sit somewhere else in the theater. “Fine.”

“Sorry,” Jessica offered, obviously suspecting Mike was either annoyed, disgusted or both.

Mike walked to the second-to-last seat in the row, sitting next to an older woman who appeared to be of Mexican descent. She was chattering with the young couple that were seated to her left. Mike sighed, worrying the trio would be noisy throughout the program. Mike slouched down in the seat as much as he could to hide from the people who continued to mill about in the aisles. So far, nobody had approached him, and Mike attributed that to the possibility Broadway patrons weren’t interested in sports. Jessica sat next to him, put her bag on the floor then placed her hands on her stomach.

“I hope I can make it through this thing,” she muttered to him. “Can you imagine if I have a major blow-out right in the middle of the show?”

Mike had grown up in a blue-collar home, so he had never thought of himself as classy. But since dating Jessica, he was grateful to his parents that they had instilled in him a sense of decorum. He wondered what had possessed him to accept the first date with Jessica before remembering it was her perfect breasts. Shallowness had a price.

“Excuse me, sir?” the woman on his left asked.

Mike turned to her and saw she was smiling. “Yes?”

“Are you Mike Cooper?”

The lady was the last one in the audience he expected would identify him. “Um, yes. I am. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

The woman beamed. “Oh, did you hear that, puppies? It is Mike Cooper,” she told the pair that had accompanied her.

“I knew it,” he heard the young man reply, leaning over the elderly lady to talk to Mike. “I’m a huge Yankees fan. You were the best relief-pitcher they ever had. You saved so many games for them.”

“Oh, well, thank you,” Mike responded with some uneasiness. “Of course, I’m not playing anymore. Listen, I’m trying to keep a low profile, so…”

“Dude, could I get a selfie with you?” the young man asked.

“Ugh. I need to run to the toilet. Did you see where it was?” Jessica exclaimed from his right.

“Oh, maybe get a selfie with me too?” the older woman asked with eyes beaming.

“Did you notice where the restrooms were?” Jessica repeated in a panic.

Mike put up his hands in a surrender pose to stop the people from talking. “Can you all just…” He turned to Jessica and exclaimed with more volume than he had intended, “It was on the right-hand side when you enter the lobby. Christ, just go and stop describing your fucking bowel problems.”

Audience members in front of him turned their heads to the racket behind them. Mike wiped a hand over his face and tried to slouch farther down in the seat.

“You’re making a scene!” Jessica whispered before rising from the seat. “Thank you so much for embarrassing me.” She turned and raced up the aisle toward the rest rooms.

Mike looked back to the elderly woman who appeared to be surprised and uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I’ve been under some stress.”

The lady nodded with uncertainty, and the young couple by her side were looking at him like he was the one who just announced he was in danger of soiling his clothes.

“Well, maybe the show will help you forget your troubles,” the woman said after everyone was silent for a few moments.

Mike glanced at the three patrons, all who had been looking like frightened deer since his outburst. “Look, I’m sorry.” He locked eyes with the young man. “If you still want, I’ll take a selfie with you. With all of you. Let’s just wait until after the show, okay? Maybe somewhere that doesn’t draw attention. Once you start with a selfie for one person, then everyone wants one.”

The young woman of the group mumbled, “I doubt it. People might be thinking you’re a jerk now.”

The older lady rebuked her. “Nadia! He apologized. Be nice.” She then turned back to Mike and smiled. “It is okay. It must be tiring having people approach you everywhere you go. I keep telling my boy that he had better be careful what he hopes for. This show is already making him famous enough that people are asking him for selfies!”

“Your boy? Your son is in this show?” Mike asked, somewhat surprised by the coincidence of sitting next to one of the cast’s family members.

“Not my son. But I helped raise him when he was growing up,” she explained. Then she nodded her head in the direction of the young man by her side. “And that one, too. Billy.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Mike managed. He looked to Billy and the girl beside him and added, “I need to work on my patience. It wasn’t you that caused me to lose my temper.”

The elderly lady nodded with a knowing expression. “You’re stressed by the woman you’re with.”

“Excuse me?” Mike gaped.

“She might be a nice girl, but she’s not the one for you,” the woman responded. “I have a nose for these things. Your chemistry is off. I could see it right away by the way you look at her.”

“Maria!” Billy warned. He turned to Mike. “Sorry about that. Maria thinks she has mystical powers when it comes to matchmaking.” He then narrowed his eyes at Maria. “And she sometimes forgets that most people don’t believe in that stuff.”

Mike was still astounded, but also amused. Maybe this Maria woman did have a gift. He leaned over to her with a conspiratorial look. “I’m nervous because I was planning to break up with her later.” Once the words were out, he almost couldn’t believe he had volunteered something so personal to this stranger, but she seemed harmless and he pitied her when she appeared dejected by Billy’s reprimand.

Maria’s expression became victorious. “Ah, see! The good Lord has blessed me with this gift.”

The corner of Billy’s lips lifted. “Well, maybe he has. Maria told me right off that Nadia was the one for me.” Billy turned his head toward Nadia and smiled. “And she was right.”

“So, you are Maria, Billy and Nadia,” Mike concluded, looking to each. “Nice to meet you.”

Nadia’s stern expression hadn’t softened. “So, why are you taking this woman to the theater if you’re going to break up with her later? That seems douchey.”

“Nadia!” Billy chastised.

Mike shook his head, wondering if he should tell her to mind her own business. “Um, we had the tickets before I concluded that I just couldn’t do this anymore. I didn’t want to make her miss the play, too. She has been looking forward to it.”

“Musical,” Nadia corrected, still eyeing him with skepticism. “It’s not a play. It’s a musical.”

“Right,” Mike muttered.

“My brother is the star,” Billy beamed.

“The star?” Mike gasped. He assumed that Maria had been alluding to a cast member who would be on stage for a heartbeat. He wondered if the brother was the attractive man from the ad. “The good-looking, dirty-blond guy you see on the advertisements and the theater posters?”

Billy smiled and nodded. “Yup. That’s him. He’s awesome. You’re going to be bowled away. There’s buzz he could win this year’s Tony for best actor in a musical.”

Mike grinned. “Wow. That’s great. I’m looking forward to his performance. You must be proud.”

Their three heads nodded with acknowledgment, then Billy’s eyes widened. “Hey, we were going backstage after the show. You can join us and meet him. He’s a fan of yours, too. Maybe we can take selfies there, since it’s private,” he suggested. “You wouldn’t have to worry about attracting a crowd.”

Mike imagined he’d stepped into a tornado. He was used to people being forward with celebrities, but this group took it to another level. “Um…”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, puppy,” Maria chimed in. “Yes, James used to have your poster on his bedroom wall. He would be happy to see you, though he may not recognize you with a shirt on.”

“What?” Mike gulped.

Billy laughed. “Maria used to check out that poster of you shirtless every time she cleaned James’ room, didn’t you, Maria?”

Maria became flustered. “If God blesses a man with striking good looks and that man works hard to build a beautiful physique, then he and the good Lord are inviting you to enjoy the view.” She turned to Mike. “Yes?”

Mike blushed. “Uh, I posed that way to make the sponsors and my agent happy. It’s rather embarrassing.”

Nadia piped in. “You want to know what’s embarrassing? James’ father made him take down the poster because he thought it would turn his son gay. Talk about ignorance. And people elected that bigot to a U.S. Senate seat.”

Billy shot Nadia a cautionary look. “You know we don’t criticize my father in public.”

Nadia shrugged and looked over to Mike with unmasked sarcasm. “Oops. I meant to say, he’s a great guy who, besides being a U.S. senator, is Billy’s and James’ very supportive father.”

Mike mumbled, “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear any of that.”

Maria sighed. “Puppies, stop. You’re making Mr. Cooper uncomfortable.”

“More than telling him he has bad chemistry with his date?” Nadia smirked.

“I was saying what he already knows,” Maria noted. “He should find his true mate.” She turned back to look at Mike. “I can help you with that, if you want. What good is a gift like mine if it isn’t used to help others?”

Mike was sure his mouth was open as he was absorbing the odd conversation. The people sitting in front of them had glanced back at the group a few more times, too. He hoped they hadn’t heard anything incriminating. Mike was sure his agent wouldn’t like his name associated with the hubbub, and he was even more certain the senator would be furious about how his family spoke of him where others could hear.

Billy ignored the uncomfortable expression on Mike’s face. “So, you’ll come backstage after the show?”

Mike could only nod. He was still shocked at the insanity of the conversation, though he had to admit he was intrigued by the group as well.

“Great!” Billy smiled, his leg bouncing with joy. “James is going to cream his jeans when you walk into his dressing room.” Then, catching himself, he added, “Not in a literal sense. I mean, he may have rubbed one out a few times when looking at your poster, but he would control himself in public.”

Maria gave him a scolding glance, then blessed herself while shaking her head. Billy smirked in return. Mike was shocked at the utterance, but had to admit he was titillated that the handsome actor was gay and had crushed on him. Of course, that had been many years earlier, and this James person might react with disappointment at how Mike had aged.

Mike was still absorbing the craziness and revelations of the past few moments, debating whether to go through with the backstage visit when he heard a moan from his right. He hadn’t even realized Jessica had returned to her seat.

“False alarm before, but not this time,” Jessica complained, rushing from her seat once more. Mike worried it was a premonition that he was walking into a shit storm. He looked over to Maria to see if her expression belied a ‘reading,’ but she was smiling at the stage, eager to see her ‘boy’ perform. He watched her distinguished features fade into the darkness as the theater lights dimmed.