Training

The next day came in an instant. A nice, crisp Saturday morning awaited everyone. Ben was already hard at work on the phone. Several baseball teams had already called him to inquire about Zane's services. The first team, the Las Vegas Sun, called at sunrise. Once the doctors cleared Zane to start playing again, the teams began to flood his agent, Ben, with phone calls.

Zane, on the other hand, hid far away from all of that. Preferring to make breakfast for everyone in the apartment, Zane tried his hardest to tune out the commotion going on nearby.

“Zane!” Ben shouted. “You're not gonna believe how many contract offers you got!”

“Any good ones?” Zane asked without looking in Ben's direction.

“Philly and Boston got some pretty interesting offers,” Ben explained. “Philly -”

“No,” Zane interrupted. “Never.”

“No?”

“You need to remember,” Zane explained, “there's only one team I want to play for.”

“The Brooklyn Knights,” both Zane and Ben said at the same time.

“Okay, maybe the other New York team,” Zane added. “It's the only way I can stay in New York so I can keep my so-called half of everything I got from the divorce.”

“Oh right, I forgot…”

“And besides,” Zane added, “I'm a proud New Yorker. I'd be called a traitor to the city I call home if I ever played for one of those cities.”

Ben paused to wait for the next phone call, but it never came.

“Someone… did tell me about the tippy top secret training camp event the Knights are holding today…” Ben revealed.

Zane's face lit up at the chance to play for the Knights. However, he had to ask, “Training camp? It's the middle of the summer.”

“I did realize that,” Ben admitted. “But my source wouldn't lie about that sort of thing. She even told me where they were hosting the camp.”

“Wait, she?” Zane asked.

“Yeah, she's dating the guy who wears the Knights' mascot costume,” Ben answered. “He invites her to all their fancy events.”

“And that includes their top secret training camp that they hold in the middle of the season?” Zane asked as he finished making everyone's breakfast. “Breakfast is ready, by the way.”

•

Over breakfast, Zane and Ben continued their discussion of the training camp event. Danielle simply sat and listened. The meal of choice today was bacon, egg, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

“So where is this event being held?” Zane asked.

“This is hilarious, actually,” Ben answered. “They're holding the training camp at the UConn campus.”

The memories started pouring in for Zane.

“No…” was all Zane could mutter.

“Yeah,” Ben replied.

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

“No shot.”

“Yep.”

“No shot!”

“Zane!”

“Can you two take it to the other room?” Danielle asked. “I'm trying to eat my breakfast.”

“Sorry,” both men answered.

“Yes,” Ben continued. “Someone, probably the manager, thought it would be a great idea to hold the training camp at your alma mater.”

“Well, that's just great,” Zane said.

“What's the matter?” Ben asked. “I thought you loved UConn!”

“I did,” Zane admitted. “But things are a bit different now, memories are a bit more complicated, and -”

“It's Lucita, isn't it?”

“Do not say her name in this house,” Zane demanded. “That witch nearly took everything from me,” he added as he jammed a fork into one of his sandwiches. “The less I think about her, the better.”

“Sorry…”

“What time does training camp start?” Zane asked.

“1:00, but -” Ben tried to reply, but Zane interrupted him.

“Great! If I can get going soon enough, I might be able to -”

Ben interrupted him back, “Zane!”

“What?”

“The training camp is invite-only,” Ben admitted. “I've been trying to get an invite from management for four days now, but they just aren't returning my calls.”

“Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?” Zane asked.

“I was hoping to get an invite before I told you,” Ben answered plainly. “You kinda forced my hand there.”

“I don't need an invite,” Zane told Ben with an aura of bravado. “They know me. I used to play for them. I know the team owner. Murphy, I think is his name?”

“Mersey,” Ben corrected him. “Robert Mersey.”

“Okay, so my memory's getting a little fuzzy,” Zane laughed off his mistake. “The point is, I'd never forget that guy's face, what with that scar he got across his face. Didn't he say he got that from a fencing accident?”

“Fencing accident in college during the summer of ‘83,” Ben agreed. “You told me about that story the day you met him.”

“Point is,” Zane continued, “I can sneak into camp, get all buddy-buddy with the owner, he'll give me a chance to impress, and before you know it, I'll be playing baseball again!”

“Oh, you mean like that one guy who snuck into the Rockets’ training camp in 2021?” Ben asked.

“Yeah, but he got lucky on a lie,” Zane scoffed. “I have legit connections. That'll carry me all the way back up to the top!”

With that, Zane marched his way out the door. No goodbyes, not even so much as a see you later. The excitement had just gotten too much for him to handle.

•

When Zane arrived at training camp two hours and forty-five minutes later, however, someone was waiting for him. She did not look pleased to see him at all. Zane shared the sentiment.

“Oh no…” Zane groaned. “Not you again!”

The woman greeted him with a stern look on her face. This was Lucita Serrano Morales, Zane's ex-wife from a marriage that started out unhappy and only went downhill from there.

“Hello, Zane.”

Lucita was Spanish, but she spoke, dressed, and behaved herself like some snooty wannabe French fashion designer. Of course, she was one in her own mind.

“What are you doing here, Lucita?” Zane asked her. “After the divorce, didn't you swear never to speak to or look at me ever again? After all, isn't that why we do the whole no-contact exchange when we swap custody of Danielle?”

“Oh, darling,” Lucita said. Hearing the word darling cut through Zane worse than the sharpest knife. She hadn't called him that in years. “Behave. A little birdie told me you'd be here. That's why I'm here. I've decided I'm going to ruin your life forever.”