Squeeze Play

by Aven Ellis

  Sitting across from Belinda, I see respect in her eyes I didn’t see before.

  “All right, why don’t we start with your blog post?” she says, tossing her tissue into the trash can. “I pulled it off the printer. It’s very good. Why don’t you do a layout with your pictures and let me see it, and then we can run it on Friday on the website.”

  “I would love to.”

  “Next month, for the newsletter, I’ll write a brand-new piece,” Belinda says, appearing inspired. “I’d like for you to do a style edit on it.”

  “Thank you,” I say. “Thank you for believing in me, Belinda.”

  “I thank you for doing the same. Maybe on Monday after lunch we can start with a Twitter lesson.”

  “I’ll send you an invite in Outlook,” I say happily.

  She laughs. “At least I have Outlook invites mastered,” Belinda jokes.

  I stand up, but just as I’m about to leave, I hear my name.

  “Hayley?”

  I pause and turn around. “Yes?”

  “I’m glad I hired you.”

  “I’m glad, too,” I say.

  As I head back to my desk, I can’t help but think of what a good spot my life is in right now. I’m on the right path at work. I have the respect of my boss. I have a new friend in Addison.

  And most importantly, I have Brody.

  I sit down and think of the man I love with all my heart. I’m so lucky to have found him and to have allowed myself to fall completely for him.

  All I want to be is the woman that he can someday give his heart to.

  Because he is forever for me.

  And I can’t imagine our love story turning out any other way than with Brody as my happily ever after.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The Ultimate Modern Girl’s Guide to Self-Motivation, Zen, and Being the Absolute Best You Now!

  Today’s Question: When do you feel your most beautiful?

  “What about this one?” Mom asks, holding a black cocktail dress toward me.

  Before I can even say no, Katie starts laughing.

  “Mrs. Carter, it’s black,” Katie says as she flips through dresses on a rack. “That’s an automatic Hayley no.”

  It’s Saturday afternoon, and with the gala now a mere two weeks away, we’re shopping for our dresses. Actually, we’re renting them from a designer gown rental boutique. Mom and Dad were sweet enough to buy tickets, along with Ethan and Jessica and Katie, so Mom decided to make it a girls’ day in Georgetown.

  “I should take black. It’s slimming, and my weight loss has stalled after four weeks,” I say, frowning.

  Late-night bowls of Cocoa Krispies and Fruity Pebbles with Brody isn’t helping, but still, I’ve managed to work up to twenty-five minutes on the bike. That should balance out my late-night cereal eating.

  Along with bonus calories burned from lots of sex with my hot man, I think wickedly.

  “Hayley, you don’t need slimming,” Jessica declares. “You are gorgeous the way you are.”

  Right. Like my sweet sister-in-law is ever going to say, “Gee, Hayley, that muffin top is beginning to look oversized. Have you thought about fewer carbs and more treadmill time?”

  I move to another rack of dresses. Man, trying to find amazing cocktail dresses in DC that aren’t black is proving to be quite the challenge.

  Black, black, black.

  Blah, blah, blah.

  I watch as Katie pulls out a dress, a slinky spaghetti strap number that would be nothing short of amazing on her tall, lean frame.

  “Yuck,” Katie says, putting it back on the rack.

  “What?” I ask, confused by her reaction.

  “Did you see that neckline? That’s for someone with boobs,” she says, frowning. “On the other hand, you would look spectacular in that dress.”

  “Um, while my boob game is strong, that dress would hug my thighs,” I declare. “Nope. Not happening. No thigh hugging.”

  “Would you two stop it and embrace your bodies for what they are?” Mom chides. “You are both beautiful young women.”

  Ugh. Yes. File that right along with sweet Jessica’s comment. She’s my mom. She has to say that.

  I move to the other side of the boutique, hoping to find a rack with color and something that makes my stomach appear flatter. Non-thigh hugging, yet still sexy for Brody.

  Easy. I should find something perfect any second now, I think wryly.

  I move to the other side of the store, my eyes desperately seeking color. I see red, but I don’t want red. Navy. Just did navy at the art gallery opening.

  Then I freeze.

  I see gold.

  Shimmery, sequiny, gold.

  I make a beeline for that display and pull a dress off the rack. Oh, my, it’s a gorgeous long gown, made of pale-gold sequins. It’s sleeveless with a boat neck top and ruching on the side. Ruching! My favorite thing ever because it draws attention away from my stomach. I turn it around and notice how it dips into a beautiful deep V to show off my back.

  This is it.

  As long as they have it in my size.

  Oh, oh, please let them have this in my size!

  I take the gown up to the saleswoman behind the counter.

  “Hello, may I help you?” she asks, smiling at me.

  “Yes, do you have this in a size ten?” I ask, mentally crossing my fingers and toes.

  She smiles at me. “It’s not black; your odds are favorable.”

  I hold my breath as she glances at the tag and keys in some numbers on her register. “We do.”

  “Yes!” I cry triumphantly.

  “Let me go get it for you so you can try it on,” she says. “I’ll be right back.”

  I’m so elated I might burst. If the dress fits as well as I hope it does, it will be perfect for the gala. I’ll be shimmery and golden on Brody’s arm.

  I swear I’ll feel as if I’m at the Academy Awards or something that night. I’ll be with Brody, who will be beyond sophisticated in a tux. With my hand wrapped over the arm of the man I love, we’ll spend the evening drinking and dancing and bidding on auction items.

  Maybe it will be the night Brody tells me he loves me.

  Talk about a magical night in the making.

  “Ooh, is that what you are trying on?” Jessica asks, moving next to me and placing a black gown on the countertop, interrupting my daydream about Brody.

  “Yes,” I say, nodding excitedly.

  Mom walks up as the saleswoman is returning with my gold dress.

  “Size ten,” the saleswoman says, smiling at me. “Let me start a fitting room for you.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Mom says.

  I glance over at Katie, who is a few racks away, studying black dresses.

  “Katie, I’m trying this one,” I say.

  Katie lifts her head. “Oh, come out and show me after you have it on,” she says, smiling.

  I nod. Another saleswoman comes up to help Jessica while we are led to a plush dressing room.

  “I wish they would have had designer rental places like this when I was your age,” Mom says, sinking down on a velvet-covered bench outside the room the saleswoman is unlocking for me. “You can wear a different dress to all your social engagements if you rent them.”

  “Well, this is the only one on my calendar,” I say.

  The saleswoman opens the door and hangs my dress inside. “My name is Maggie if you need anything else,” she says.

  “Thank you, Maggie,” I say, and I step inside and close the door behind me.

  “You realize you might have some Washington Soaring Eagles events if you continue seeing Brody,” Mom says, continuing our conversation as I change out of my clothes.

  I think about that. It’s probably true. This week Brody gave me a credential for the family lounge, and I got to meet some of the wives and girlfriends. All were nice and welcoming.

  Yet I somehow managed to focus on the ones who looked like super models, which was
intimidating. In the back of my mind, I kept comparing myself to them. Were my clothes right compared to the outfits they had on? Were none of them bigger than a size four?

  Then the topic of traveling came up, creating more insecurity in me. Grace, a gorgeous brunette who is dating the second baseman, asked if I was going on the Florida road trip at the end of May. Apparently, a bunch of wives and girlfriends travel with their significant others, and I was one of the few who didn’t.

  Who couldn’t.

  I bite my lip as I place my T-shirt on the chair inside my big dressing room. Will this be a game changer for Brody down the line? That I can never be with him on the road during the season because I have to work? While other players are enjoying a patio breakfast in Miami with their girlfriends, Brody has to settle for FaceTime?

  I don’t like where my thoughts go when I dwell on this. I don’t see how I can compete with these women when it comes to being able to travel. I can barely stay up late without falling asleep, like I did last night with Brody.

  This is why I have to keep improving and become the best woman possible, to try and balance the shortcomings I can’t change.

  I step into the dress, and it slides over me like a glove. Oh, you can tell it’s high end by the fabric, which feels soft and forgiving against my skin.

  “Mom, can you come zip up the back?”

  “Of course.”

  Mom opens the door and gasps when she sees me.

  “Hayley,” she says, putting her hand to her heart. “You look breathtaking.”

  I turn around, feeling my cheeks flush from her compliment.

  “Thank you.”

  The zipper goes up, and the dress drapes perfectly on my frame. The ruching draws the eyes to my side and helps my stomach appear sleeker. The length will be perfect with some high strappy heels.

  I see how my brown eyes are lit up and my cheeks glow.

  I look—and feel—beautiful in my own skin thanks to this exquisite dress.

  “I can’t wait for Brody to see me in this,” I say aloud.

  Mom smiles at me in the mirror, gently placing her hands on my shoulders. “You are falling in love with this boy, aren’t you?

  I turn around so I can face her. “Mom,” I say softly, “I already am. I do love him. I love everything that he is. He makes me so happy, and he makes me a better person. He hasn’t said the words to me yet, but I can tell how he feels by his actions and the things he says to me. I know I’ll hear those words from him soon.”

  Mom’s eyes start filling with tears. “I’m so happy for you. I know if things continue down this road, you might be married to a baseball player. It’s not an easy life with the traveling and the hours and the possibility of moving city to city.”

  I swallow hard. I know the moving is a possibility, as the wives and girlfriends talked about that with me, too.

  “But I also know if you love him, you will find a way to make it work and grow from the experience.”

  I smile. “Brody just signed a multi-year contract for DC, so fingers crossed he stays here.”

  “Fingers crossed,” Mom says, smiling. “I also think maybe it’s time we have him over for dinner. I was already thinking about this before you told me you loved him, and I took the liberty of checking his schedule. I see he has an afternoon game tomorrow. How about Sunday dinner?”

  I think on this for a moment. There is nothing I want more than to introduce Brody to my parents, Ethan, and Jessica, but Mom’s traditional Sunday production might freak him out because it seems so formal, even though our conversations are anything but.

  “Mom, can we do something casual?” I ask. “I think that would be better for a first introduction, like grilling or something.”

  “You know, we could bring out the patio heaters and eat outside,” Mom says. I can practically see her brain being to churn. “We could do some margarita chicken with homemade tortillas, guacamole, that kind of thing. I’ve got spring fever anyway; I need to get outside.”

  “I could bring over my tortilla maker,” I say excitedly, “and my avocado tools.”

  “Hayley, can you find them? You only have a day’s notice,” she says, teasing me.

  “Ha-ha, you are the funniest mother ever,” I say.

  I turn back around stare into the mirror, once again noticing how utterly happy I appear.

  I can’t wait to wear this dress to the gala, and I can’t wait to ask Brody to come over for Sunday dinner after his game tonight.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  I wait for Brody outside the clubhouse after the game. The Eagles lost tonight, three to one, and Brody didn’t have a single hit. I bite my lip. I know the Eagles have only lost seven games and they are in first place in their division, but still, I hate to see them lose.

  My mind turns to happier things while I wait. I ended up getting the gold dress, and I can’t wait for gala night. Afterward, Mom treated us all to lunch at a cute American bistro, which was fun. Then Katie and I headed back home, and I made sure to take a long nap so I could stay up late tonight with Brody after the game.

  Of course, I’m eager to ask him to dinner at my parents’ house. I’ve never brought a boy home to meet my parents, well, outside of my high school boyfriend, but that doesn’t count.

  Scott was a seventeen-year-old boy.

  Brody is a grown-ass man.

  I have no doubts about how it will go. My family is going to love him.

  They are going to fall in love with the man he is on the inside, just like I did.

  Players begin coming out, and first I see AJ, who flashes me a huge smile and walks over to me.

  “Hayley,” he says, giving me an affectionate squeeze around the shoulders, “how are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “I’m good,” I say, smiling up at him. “Sorry about the game.”

  “Not a good one,” AJ says, shrugging. “We’re back at it tomorrow though. Hopefully with a W this time.”

  He pauses for a moment and clears his throat. “Um, so how’s your friend?”

  Oh!

  “Katie?” I ask, knowing that’s exactly who he’s asking about. He’s met Addison, but my gut says he’s wanting to know about Katie.

  “Yeah, Katie,” AJ says slowly, his green eyes lingering on my face. “Is she good? I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

  “She’s good. She’s finishing up her semester at Georgetown and getting ready for graduation,” I say, giving him some intel on her.

  “Georgetown,” AJ repeats, as if he’s filing that information in a mental notebook. “So she must be busy.”

  “She is,” I say casually, “but she balances her personal time well.”

  AJ is quiet for a moment before he asks his next question.

  “Does she ever come to games anymore?”

  Ooh, he really is digging now.

  “Oh, yeah, she comes with me quite a bit actually,” I say casually.

  AJ’s brow gets a crease in it. “Really? I never see her.”

  Just then Brody walks out the clubhouse doors, looking oh-so-sexy in a pale blue shirt, jeans, and a navy microfiber jacket.

  “Hey,” Brody says as he approaches us.

  I smile at him as he reaches for me.

  “Hey, you,” I say, leaning up and affectionately kissing his cheek. Oh, he smells once again of his spicy cologne and soap, and I never tire of inhaling that combination on his golden skin. “Sorry about the loss.”

  “I’ve already thought on it,” Brody says. “I’ve taken what I can and released the rest.”

  “That’s code for meditation,” AJ says knowingly.

  “I’m telling you, it’s a good thing to do,” Brody says.

  “No, that’s your division, not mine,” AJ says, grinning.

  “Well, my division is going to take my beautiful woman home,” Brody says. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Night, Jensen,” AJ says. “Goodnight, Hayley. Tell Katie I said hello.”

  “
But not Addison?” I say, challenging him.

  AJ rakes his hand through his long locks, messing them up as he does. “Oh, yes, say hi to her, too.”

  I grin. I can see right through him.

  I nod. “I’ll tell both of them you said hi.”

  Brody and I begin to walk away, but then I hear AJ call my name.

  “Hayley?”

  Brody and I both turn around, and AJ is still standing in the same spot.

  “Katie shouldn’t be a stranger if she’s here at the games,” he says. “I mean, it would be nice to talk to her sometime.”

  Then AJ retreats into the clubhouse.

  Ooh!

  I need a new word for ooh!

  “Is he into Katie?” I ask Brody as we begin to walk toward the parking lot.

  Brody shrugs. “AJ’s relationship with women is a mystery to me. All I know is they don’t stick around long. He’s never had what we have. He’s said as much himself.”

  What we have.

  Oh, how I love what we have.

  And how I love him.

  Brody abruptly stops walking. “Holy shit! I wonder if it was Katie!”

  He looks as if he put the pieces of a puzzle together in his head and had an ah-ha! This piece goes here moment.

  “What? What about Katie?”

  “AJ was talking to me in the clubhouse today while we were playing video games,” Brody explains. “He was saying how he’s never had what I have with you. I told him that’s because you have to go out with a girl more than a few times to get that. He said, ‘No, that’s not true. I just never met anyone I wanted to see all the time, except for this one girl. There was something about her, and I only talked to her for a few minutes, but I felt it. It’s crazy, but she was different, in a cool way.’”

  If I were a cartoon character, my mouth would be on the floor.

  “What else did he say?” I ask.

  “I asked him why he didn’t do anything about it, and AJ said the situation was not right and he hasn’t seen her since.”

  “Katie,” I whisper.

  “Jeez, I’m slow on the uptake,” Brody says as we begin walking. “It has to be Katie.”

  “What should we do?”

  Brody shoots me a look. “Think we should play Cupid?”