“But Dad!”
His dad smiled at him, an indulgent smile, the one Alec hated. Alec didn’t like being patronized, and that’s what this felt like. Like many 15-year-olds, he was sensitive to slights—uncertain of who he was but quick to take offense at the possibility that his dignity was being offended. That smile of his dad’s made him feel he was being humored, being treated like he was still a child. His dad was especially good at doing this. Alec often felt that his father enjoyed pushing his buttons.
“What?” his father asked, all innocence, all shocked dismay.
“You know darn well what! I tell you that I’m gay, and the first thing you do is get me a job around naked men? What is this, some sort of sick joke? Are you trying to embarrass me? What?”
“Now simmer down a second. You know I wouldn’t do that! I didn’t give the naked men a thought, and it really isn’t pertinent, anyway. I guess it isn’t surprising that that’s the first thing you’d latch onto, though.”
“Dad!”
His father winked, and Alec got even madder. But the man wasn’t done explaining. “Look,” he said in a matter-of-fact voice, the humor now missing. “The first thing I did when you told me you were gay a couple of weeks ago was to give you a hug of reassurance. This, then, is the second thing: finding you a job. It has nothing to do with your being gay. It’s a job! You need one this summer! This is perfect for you. Most boys your age would give their left nut for this. Oh, wait, maybe I shouldn’t use hyperbole here.”
Hubbard Rafferty smiled. He loved to quip with his son. He loved humor and sometimes knew he went a little overboard, but he and Alec had a very close relationship, and Alec knew him as well as he knew Alec; he felt he could get away with this. He knew Alec wasn’t as pissed as he was putting on. Maybe he was miffed, but he’d get over it quickly. And he knew Alec would love the job he’d arranged for him.
Alec was still glowering. He did know his dad, knew his warped sense of humor, knew he thought he was funny. He knew his dad didn’t mean to offend, but still, his feelings were hurt. That happened quite easily these days. He knew he should work at not being so sensitive. But he was who he was and, at 15, found it hard to change.
Hubbard sat up a little straighter and laid his newspaper in his lap. He was serious when he spoke. “When I thought of this job for you, Alec, I didn’t give the gay thing any weight at all. You needed a job. I found you one. I thought you’d be happy. It’s perfect for you.”
Alec wasn’t ready to forgive and forget. “Dad! It’s not ‘the gay thing’ that’s pissing me off. It’s your attitude about it.” Alec let his frustration show. “Saying it like that is offensive. Gay is what I am. It’s not a thing. Not a passing fancy to joke about or demean or dismiss. It’s not irrelevant. I expect you to respect that!”
“I do. Even though I think you’re too young to know something like that for sure. Finding boys attractive right now could be a phase. But if you’re gay, fine, you’re gay. I certainly don’t have a problem with that. We even have gay ballplayers in the big leagues now, and only a few troglodytes get their noses put out of joint with it. But as I told you before, it’s best if you don’t label yourself. People do that and then try to live up to the label. You don’t want to limit yourself by trying to fit into a box. But I can accept, have accepted, really, that you’re gay. It’s your life, and more than anything else, I want you to be content and happy.”
“Well, I am. Gay. I know it.”
“That’s okay. No need to get defensive about it. And if you don’t want the job, that’s fine, too. But I got it for you, and it’s there if you choose to take it. But you know I want you working this summer, and you told me you wanted that, too. You will gain a lot from real-world life experience. This job is a damn good job for a kid starting out. It’s one that other boys would beg for. Looks good on your college application, too.”
Alec was calming down. His dad had a point. His dad almost always did have a point; the guy was smart. And Alec did want a job, wanted to be out of the house, wanted some spending money—more than his allowance—and wanted to test himself in a world where adults didn’t look out for kids every minute, didn’t try to overprotect them. He felt ready for that. Fifteen was the time to start trying new things without parents around to tell their kids what to do and conversely what not to do. A time for him to stand on his own two feet. Alec really felt the desire to do just that; he wanted to see what he was capable of, to prove to himself that he could succeed at what he put his mind to.
««« »»»
“Time to go,” Hubbard said. Alec was at the table in the kitchen eating a late breakfast. Late by most people’s standards, it was an early breakfast for him. In the summer, he liked to stay in bed till after eleven in the morning. Today, his dad had got him up at nine. Nine, for crying out loud! Alec’s complaint that it was still the middle of the night had been met with a derisive snort and the rejoinder that now that Alec was a working man, things were different. His dad had explained that the working world didn’t wait for slugabed teenagers to get their motors running later in the day. It was time for him to reset his personal clock.
Alec got in the front seat and Hubbard in the driver’s seat of his Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet. He had the top down to celebrate the glorious and sunny warm day as they drove through the streets where their home was located in the West Hills of northwest Portland, heading for the St. Johns bridge that would take them across the Willamette River onto Lombard Street, then south on I-5 and east onto I-84 for a short trip in the direction of the airport before exiting very close to their destination. That was where Hubbard Rafferty had his offices and Alec would begin his employment in only a few minutes.
Alec was nervous but more excited than nervous. He’d only been given a brief sketch of what his job entailed by his father, who’d emphasized that his major responsibility would be to do what was needed to be done. Not very illuminating, Alec thought. But it would be his first job; he’d be on his own for the first time and felt the need to make a great first impression. Just the thought of that was enough to keep his heart running faster than normal.
He wouldn’t admit it to himself, but knowing his dad would be in the same building, nearby if needed, was reassuring. Alec had grown up having some privileges many kids didn’t. His dad made very good money, was considered by people in the know in his business to be among the top of the group in their profession, and Alec had been well provided for. He’d had a loving mother before she’d died suddenly a year earlier of an aneurism, had attended good and problem-free schools, and had never had difficulty making good friends. He’d had disadvantages as well, just like most boys. Losing his mother was one biggie.
His upbringing hadn’t put him in a position to develop any of the street smarts or survival skills many of the kids his age had accumulated through necessity. And, while his father was well-respected, the nature of his job had meant he’d changed locations three times during Alec’s formative years. For some boys, this wouldn’t have been a challenge, but for Alec, it simply meant he was a little shyer than many boys his age, had had to make friends more frequently than most of his peers rather than keep the ones he had. He’d never had a close friend, a best friend. They’d been in Portland for only a little over two years. Alec felt grounded here but also felt unsure of his way around like his friends did. The loss of his mother had shaken him, and he still felt that loss occasionally. He was still getting settled into his life without her.
This would be not only his first job but his first real test of getting along on his own merits outside school’s cocoon-like environment. He felt he was ready. And eager. Yet still, he had the doubts many his age had. Would he measure up?
They parked in a spot close in, one with his dad’s name on it. Alec had been here before, of course, but was again impressed by the immense structure looming in front of him.
They walked in through a door marked Staff Only. There was a man sitting outside, and he stood when the two approached.
“Good morning, sir,” the man said, speaking deferentially to Mr. Rafferty.
“Morning, Hank. Anything going on?”
“No, sir. No problems. Mr. Henry is here. Got in a few minutes ago.”
“Great. Thanks, Hank. Oh, this is my son, Alec. He’ll be here most days for the rest of the summer. He’s the new clubhouse boy, replacing Todd. Alec, this is Hank Fellows. He’ll let you in every day, and he has keys to most other places in the ballpark . You can find him if you ever need to get in somewhere and are locked out.”
“Pleased to meet you, Alec.” Hank extended his hand, and Alec shook it. Hank wasn’t much taller than he was and made up for his lack of tall with an excess of wide. He smiled broadly at Alec, who couldn’t help but smile back, meeting the man’s eyes. His dad had worked with Alec on how to shake hands when the boy was 12. “The first impression you make on people is important,” he’d told him. “Having a firm but not aggressive handshake and meeting their eyes says something valuable: that you have self-confidence and are to be respected.” Alec had tried to live up to that ideal, though he sometimes wondered where that self-confidence was supposed to come from.
Inside, there was a placard on the wall reading Welcome to Willamette Stadium with arrows on it pointing to the left and right. The one pointing to the left had a label under it showing the direction to the Administrative Offices; the other arrow pointed to where the stadium seats and concessions were located.
Alec’s dad turned to the left. “I’ll show you the way to my office, just so you know where it is in case you want to visit. Then I’ll take you to the clubhouses and locker rooms.”
They came to a set of stairs that led up to another hallway. A short distance from the stairs was a door with a brass plate next to it. It read, Hubbard Rafferty, General Manager, Portland Sea Otters. Hubbard opened the door and took Alec inside. There was an outer office with three desks, all occupied, one by a young man, two by middle-aged women. They all looked up and smiled. “Hi, boss,” the young man said.
Hubbard winked at him, then said, “Guys, this is my son, Alec. Alec these are my crew. Johnny Baskell, Donna Edwards and Alison Gonzalez. They’re the brains of the outfit.” Hubbard nodded in each of their directions as he named them. “Alec is joining us this summer as our new clubhouse attendant. Come on, Alec. My office is just inside.”
Mr. Rafferty took Alec through another door, past Alison’s desk, which was positioned to make her the sentinel at the gate. Inside was a larger room with a plush carpet in the deep blue color that matched the blue that was one of the team’s colors. There was a large desk, a sofa and some incidental chairs, a small built-in bar, an adjoining private bathroom, and several built-in shelves holding books, framed pictures and baseball knickknacks. But what caught Alec’s attention more than the office itself was the back wall. It was made entirely of glass and looked out over the stadium seats and playing field. He could see the grounds crew out tending to the outfield grass and manicuring the infield, watering and raking, while workers in the stands were busy in cleaning the aisles and rows of seats. A couple of guys he recognized as Sea Otters players were tossing a football around in the outfield.
“Wow!” he said. The only time he’d been in the office before was when they’d first arrived in Portland, but it had been in the evening; the curtains had been drawn over the window then.
His dad laughed. “Yeah. Pretty impressive. Now, let’s get you to your job.”
««« »»»
They left the office; Alec’s dad turned to the right and led him down a wide corridor, through a couple of gated doors and down some stairs to a wide, underground passage and finally to a door with a sign over it that read: The Portland Sea Otters — Players’ Clubhouse. Authorized Personnel Only.
Hubbard opened the door and held it for Alec to enter.
The room was a large, carpeted space with scattered upholstered chairs with side tables and plenty of empty floor space in the middle. There were two pool tables, a ping-pong table, three TV sets with video-game consoles, and a state-of-the-art music system. The clubhouse was located under the stands and had no windows. The walls were covered with pictures and posters, most of which were baseball-themed. There was a small bar at one end of the room, but Alec didn’t see any whiskey or other liquor bottles, just three beer taps, a couple of soft drinks taps, and lots of glassware.
Behind the bar was a boy who appeared to be somewhat older than Alec who was busy polishing pint glasses and stacking them on a shelf. He looked up when Mr. Rafferty and Alec entered and smiled. He came out from behind the bar and approached them.
“Alec, this is Emileo Rodriguez, our senior clubhouse attendant. Leo, this is my son, Alec, now the junior clubhouse attendant.” Alec heard the emphasis on ‘senior’ and saw Emileo grin; he felt he was missing something.
Emileo didn’t offer to shake hands. Instead, he stuck out his arm with his fist clenched. Alec grinned and fist-bumped him. “Hi,” he said.
“Hi. And call me Leo,” he said, returning the grin.
Alec could see the boy was older, but not by much. Sixteen, he imagined, maybe 17. Probably one year ahead of him in school. He had very shiny black hair that came down over his ears and almost to his shoulders in back; it wasn’t messy the way many kids’ hair was. His complexion was darker than Alec’s, showing his Latino ancestry. Alec found himself staring and, realizing it, looked away before he began blushing. The fact was, Leo was very good-looking. Even features, dark eyes with humor and a sparkle in them, and full lips covering very white teeth. No sign of facial hair; his skin looked soft; it appeared that he had no need to shave yet. Slender build, and a grin that could only be described as having a mixture of happiness and cocky.
“If I’m the senior boy now and Alec’s the junior, does that mean I’m his boss?” Leo asked Hubbard, a smile hiding in his eyes.
“Well, I guess you’ll have to check that out with Jim,” Hubbard said with a laugh. “Is he in? I need to introduce him to Alec. Alec, Jim will be your boss. This kid—” and he grinned and nodded at Leo “—is your cohort. Not your boss, though he’ll probably try to get you to think so. But he was the junior under Todd, who’s off to college and left early to get a jump on the rest of the freshman class. I think Leo’s feeling his oats, now having someone he’s able to lord it over. Be careful around him; he’s a bad dude!”
So saying, Hubbard laughed and clapped Leo on the back. It was obvious he was quite fond of Leo.
Leo broke out laughing. “Hey, a guy has to be who he is, doesn’t he? Anyway, glad to have you on board, Alec.”
Alec looked around the room. It was very neat. Yet it was the clubhouse for a large group of mostly young men, athletes. Such a group didn’t have a reputation for neatness. Yet the room could be called immaculate without exaggeration.
Leo saw Alec’s glances and smiled. “This is what we do. We keep it looking like this so if the brass—” he nodded with pretend surreptitiousness at Hubbard “—happen to invade the players’ sanctum, they can see what they’re paying us for and feel it’s worth it.”
Hubbard said, “You do us proud, Leo. You’ll make a great cleaning lady some day.”
Leo laughed again, the sound musical, his face even cuter when he was laughing. Alec looked away, trying not to squirm. This kid appealed to him in ways he was very uncomfortable with, considering his dad was standing close by; his father noticed everything. He was very good at reading body language, which perhaps was important to a man in his position, where judging people accurately was part of his job, a vital part. What was it going to be like, Alec wondered, working closely with Leo every day? Just the two of them.
“Jim around?” Hubbard asked again.
“Yeah, I think he’s in the locker room checking the towels.”
“Okay, I’ll take Alec to meet him, and I’ll leave Alec there. Thanks, Leo.” He gestured to Alec to follow him and started toward the double doors at the back of the room near the bar.
Alec tagged along with him, but first said, “Nice meeting you, Leo.”
Leo smiled and nodded. “You, too.” He grinned, and Alec quickly turned away, following his dad.
Posted 22 February 2025