The Tale of David Patrick Gardner

Play Ball, Folks

The retractable stadium roof started sliding closed as soon as rain drops threatened to fall from the overcast but warm autumn sky. Ron had spent more than two hours that morning meeting with Stephen, drilling him about all the possible problems that could arise and how he should handle them. David was going to be Stephen's responsibility for the day, and council member Ron couldn't risk anything going wrong. He'd been invited to sit with Luke in the owner's box, and was told to bring some staff along for the matinee ball game. This was another chance for Ron to display his goodwill and commitment to 'the cause' which would hopefully enable him to further cozy up to Luke and reap the benefits of yet another friend in high places.

David couldn't believe his good luck when he showed up to work that morning and was informed that they would be leaving at noon to go watch the ballgame. The monotony of a do-nothing-job was starting to wear on him and he could feel his mind beginning to rust at the edges due to the lack of, well, anything. He had continued to spend eight hours a day sitting aimlessly at his desk with nothing to do, so the news that he would be free from the dimly lit office for half a day was unquestionably the best thing that had happened since he started working there.

Before leaving the office, Stephen dedicated thirty minutes or so to grinding David into submission, "Stay with me at all times when we're in the suite. Don't leave my side. Once we're at the game stick with me. Make sure we can always see each other. Don't go wandering off."

Stephen must have mentioned half a dozen times that they would be sitting in a 'suite', and as best as David could understand this meant that they would be in a room watching the game from the nose-bleeds. David would've preferred sitting closer to the field, but he wasn't going to say anything. He had only been to one professional sporting event before, and that was a minor league hockey game that was part of a middle school field trip. He was simply thrilled to be attending the event, regardless of the company, or where the seats were.

Excitement was felt by everyone. David's due to the adventure of the unknown. Ron and Stephen both seeing the afternoon as a chance to continue to climb towards a goal only attainable through the good graces of others who wielded power and dispensed blessings- not based on any merit, but purely on subjective personal preference: Politics.

The walk from the county court house to the stadium took about fifteen minutes. David kept to himself, literally not saying one word, while Ron rotated through his list of contacts and placed several unnecessary phone calls in an attempt to appear busy to his new 'analyst,' Rebecca, who was walking and chatting with Stephen, blissfully unaware that he was laying the groundwork to try and fuck her later on, regardless of the fact that, in that exact same moment, his wife was changing the diaper of their newborn baby in a recently purchased suburban home.

The group arrived at a special entrance and was ushered to a private elevator that carried them to the suite level. Ron led the way, the whole time exhibiting a larger than life persona, pointing finger guns and winking, initiating high fives and pats on the back at every turn; gestures that served to fool fools into thinking he was genuine, of importance, and owed extra respect from anyone other than his own delusional self.

In the suite, Ron wasted no time getting his carefully orchestrated plan into action.

Grabbing Stephen by the elbow, he drew him close and said under his breath, "Okay, it's go time. Stay close and get him out of here in a hurry if anything starts to go south."

"David, follow me and let's go say 'hello' to Luke. You'll remember him from the office the other day."

"Alright," David replied.

Ron guided David by the arm as they walked as a group, shuffling over to the bar and meeting a wide eyed smiling Luke with beverage in hand.

"Here comes a good lookin' group of Mariners fans. I'm glad you guys were able to make it. Let's hope for a big win this afternoon," said Luke, while patting David on the shoulder but giving his attention to Ron.