Home Run

by Heidi McLaughlin

  Still, even sitting on the beach, I thought being friends with him wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have in my life. Except all that changed when we drove back to his apartment; he held my hand the whole drive, and all I could think about was the kiss and how I wanted more. Was it good? Yeah, it was. His lips were soft, and the kiss tender. The way the back of his fingers brushed against my cheek had me leaning into him even more, but I was too ashamed of my earlier behavior to make my own move.

  When we arrived back at his apartment, I didn’t expect to be kissed again, but I was, and as much as I hate to admit it, I liked it a lot. There was no lead-in. No conversation that would gradually bring him closer to me. Cooper leaned over the second I had my Wrangler in park and held me captive under his lustful gaze. I have no doubt he’s used to women falling at his feet when he wants something, but that’s not going to be me.

  He licked his lips, and I knew I was left with two choices: turn away or meet him in the middle. I chose the latter and brought my lips to his. The softness of the kiss turned hot and desperate quickly as his tongue traced the outline of my lower lip. With lips parted, I let him in. The warmth of his tongue, the feel of his hand on the back of my neck, and the smell of peppermint lingering from his gum spur my body into wanting more. My small whimper was enough to tell Cooper that I was enjoying every second of this kiss. And I was, immensely.

  Now I find myself watching the clock on my computer tick down, minute by minute. The old adage “a watched pot never boils” doesn’t hold a stick to a watched clock. I swear, each time I look up, only a minute or two has passed.

  “Where do you want to grab lunch?” Stella asks as she comes into my office. I look up from the file I’m reading and shake my head.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t today.”

  “Why not?”

  Aside from the other day when I went with Cooper, Stella and I always go to lunch together. It’s usually somewhere on the grounds, but there are times when we’ll order in or head to a restaurant.

  I look at the clock once more, seeing that I have about thirty minutes before I have to leave. “I’m going to Cooper’s game. It’s opening day.”

  Stella’s mouth drops open before morphing into a huge grin. “You’re doing what now?” she asks, even though we both know she heard me loud and clear.

  Up until now, I’ve been able to keep a straight face, but there’s no denying that I’m grinning like a love-struck fool, except I’m not in love. I’m very much “in like.” The love thing won’t happen. I refuse to open my heart up that much to him, knowing he’s leaving in a month.

  “You’re ditching me for the hottie?”

  “I’m not ditching you. I’m taking half the day off to go watch a baseball game.”

  “You like him, don’t you?”

  I attempt to ignore her and look busy by shuffling papers around, but I give up. I throw my hands up in the air and nod. “I do, and I hate myself for it. I have one month with him, and I can already tell it’s not going to be enough.”

  Stella comes around my desk and pulls me into her arms. “It’s going to be fine. He’ll have the money to fly you to Boston, or come and visit you.”

  “No, it’s not going to be like that,” I say, shaking my head. “You know I can’t leave my mom, and their schedule is crazy. I already looked. I mean they get like five days off total. I’m not going to ask him to choose me over baseball. This is his career.”

  This is the same pep talk I’ve had with myself since we kissed. Most people would say it’s just a kiss, something you can do with anyone, but for me it was different. He’s different. He’s kind. His hands rough and calloused. I thought they’d feel hard against my skin, but I found his touch to be soft, and he knows what he wants. Cooper pursued me, staying front and center in my life even when I denied him, all because he wants me.

  “I’m sure, if he wants to be in your life, he’ll do whatever needs to be done.” Stella makes everything seem so cut and dried.

  “He has a career that isn’t in Florida, but fifteen hundred miles away—”

  “How do you know?” she asks, interrupting me.

  “I looked it up,” I reply, embarrassed.

  Stella laughs. “Of course you did, because you like him.”

  “I do, Stella, and I don’t want to. My heart is a freaking traitor, and Cooper is just chipping away at the façade so easily.”

  “How so?” She pulls the chair from the front of my desk around to where I am and sits.

  “It’s stupid, really, but there are little things that I’ve noticed. Like when we’re together, he’s always looking at me. His eyes aren’t wandering around but completely focused on me. The way he smiles, it makes me wonder what he’s thinking every single time, but it’s also the intrigue and the love he has for his job. The passion behind his words reminds me of how I feel working here.”

  “You’re in love,” she says, drawing out the word love.

  “I am not. I barely know him. We’ve been on one disastrous date and spend most of our time talking on the phone. Love isn’t even in my vocabulary.”

  “Whatever you say. Give me details later. I’m off to grab some lunch.”

  I look at the clock, and my eyes go wide. “Shit, I gotta go.” I kiss her on the cheek as I scramble to grab my bag. I’m changing my clothes before I get to the park so I’m more comfortable.

  “Hey, maybe next time you can take your best friend?”

  “Yeah, I’ll ask Cooper. He got me the ticket.”

  Stella waves and leaves my office, shutting the door behind her so I can change. I tell my secretary to call only if it’s an emergency and book it to my car. One privilege of holding the position that I do is that my car is close. If I were still with the giraffes, I’d have an almost thirty-minute walk back through the parking lot.

  * * *

  The atmosphere at the ballpark is energizing. From the retirement community to the kids, everyone is here to enjoy the first baseball game of the season. I check in at will call, giving my name to the lady behind the tempered glass.

  “Oh, you’re Cooper’s guest for the day,” she says, sliding an envelope under window. I step aside and open the envelope, revealing my ticket and a note.

  Ainsley,

  To say I’m excited that you’re watching me play today is an understatement. Thank you for saying yes! Please read all the notes.

  I’ll see you after the game.

  Cooper Bailey #25

  P.S. I’m counting this as a date

  I reread the note before tucking it into my pocket. He also gave me vouchers for food, which I find comical, but I guess if this is a date to him, then he’s paying for my food, and there’s a note saying that I have something waiting for me at the gift shop.

  My ticket is scanned, and once I step inside the concourse, I can finally grasp what Cooper is saying about the smells of the ballpark. The hot dogs, popcorn, and pretzels invite you in, welcoming you to enjoy the day. I make my way to the gift shop and present the coupon that Cooper left for me. The lady behind the counter smiles and hands me a bag.

  “Enjoy the game,” she says.

  “Thank you.”

  Finding a spot along the wall, I peek inside the bag. There’s a hat and a T-shirt with Bailey 25 stenciled on the back. I like the thought, but I’m not sure I want to wear it, until I see a group of younger girls all wearing his shirt. Finding the nearest bathroom, I quickly change and then make sure I have my hot dog, popcorn, and lemonade before locating my seat.

  Before I take my seat, I smile at the man who is sitting next to me. Both teams are warming up, and it takes me a minute to spot Cooper. Deep down I’m hoping he sees me.

  People file in all around me, excited for the game. I am, too, as this is my first professional game, spring training or not.

  The National Anthem is sung, and the starting lineups announced. The Boston faithful cheer for everyone, and I make sure to whistle for Cooper when his name is called.
I do it again when he runs out to center field.

  Watching him jog gives me the perfect opportunity to stare at him. There’s something about a uniform, be it sports or otherwise, that really makes a man look fantastic. I try to snap a few pictures of him, but they’re blurry, and I realize that, if I’m going to come to any more games, I need binoculars so I can fully pay attention to him while he’s in the outfield.

  Loud music plays as the first batter comes up to bat. The first pitch and he’s swinging, and Cooper is moving into position. He catches the ball, easily from what I can gather, and everyone goes crazy. The announcers say a few nice things about Cooper, all of which I happen to agree with.

  It’s the third inning before Cooper gets his turn to bat. The man next to me has a few choice things to say about him while he’s standing there. Every pitch sparks a new comment, and he writes down a note. I hadn’t seen him do that for anyone except Cooper.

  When Cooper strikes out, he grumbles a long line of expletives and writes a few more notes down.

  “I take it you’re not happy?” I say jokingly.

  He glares at me and shakes his head. “No, I’m not. He didn’t waste years of training to strike out to this pitcher. He’s not focused on the game.”

  “Do you know Cooper?”

  This time he looks at me, the scowl meaner than before. “I’m his father.”

  I slink back in my chair and focus on the game. It’s probably a bad time to introduce myself as Cooper’s friend, and by his attitude, I’m not sure there will ever be a good time.

  Chapter 13

  Cooper

  Everything in my life was lining up perfectly until I got the call from my dad. Things with Ainsley are moving along nicely, and Diamond informed me that I was starting the first game. These are two very important and hard-earned moments in my life. I never took into consideration that my father would head to Fort Myers to watch me play. Honestly, the idea never even occurred to me that this would so important to him that he’d take time off from work. I figured he’d wait until I was in Boston before he came to watch. That was an error on my part. He was coming to town, and I couldn’t very well tell him not to show up.

  I can’t stomach the thought of him meeting Ainsley, because he won’t approve of her. To this day, I have yet to bring a girlfriend around because his thoughts are always the same: They either want me for my money or they’re a distraction. He can’t see that they want to be with me for me. He only sees that they’re around me because of my career. And that’s not how I see Ainsley.

  I don’t believe she’s the type to be with anyone for money. She certainly didn’t even want to go out with me, but I whittled her down with my charm. I’m not sure that will be enough, though, if my father said something to her.

  When I come in from warming up, my stomach drops instantly when I see Ainsley sitting next to my dad. I was tempted to call her and ask her not to come, but I don’t think that would’ve gone over very well. The last thing I want to do is give her an excuse to stop seeing me. It’s my plan to see as much of her as I can before we head back to Boston. After that, it’ll be a mutual decision on how to proceed.

  I had every intention of making sure Ainsley knew I saw her in the stands until my dad showed up. I can’t put her through his wrath. It would be unfair, and I need time to talk to her about him.

  Throughout the game, I struggled. I struck out three times and hit into a double play. This isn’t the time for me not to be at my best when I’m up to bat. Having a nonexistent batting average to start my season isn’t exactly how I want things to go. The only aspect of my game that didn’t suck tonight was my fielding. No one could get anything by me, and I saved two home runs. Unfortunately, we lost four to seven, and Hawk Sinclair is pissed.

  The clubhouse looks like a war zone with stools in locations they shouldn’t be, the laundry bucket is tipped over, and there is a lot of yelling coming from Diamond’s office. Sinclair was upset when Diamond took him out of the game. Since it’s our first preseason game, Sinclair needs to save his arm for when our games count. He’s already in the rotation as a starter. He has nothing to prove. Where I have everything.

  By all accounts, we should’ve beaten Minnesota. We have the better team on paper and should be a contender for the American League title this year. We can’t lose games. Come out strong and finish stronger: That should be our motto. I know I need to do my part as well.

  “Hey, rookie, we’re going out tonight. You in?” Travis Kidd asks as he walks by buck-ass naked.

  “Nah, man. Thanks, though.”

  “You sure? Guerra and Wilder are coming.”

  An empty apartment sounds like bliss. “My dad is here. I need to hang with him.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  There could be ramifications for not going out. Not from the organization, but the players. I don’t want to be seen as someone who doesn’t like to have a good time. I’d love to go out, bond some more with the guys, but I have a pressing issue to take care of. We all have someone overbearing in our lives; mine just happens to be my father.

  I shower and change, preparing to face the inevitable. I have to choose between Ainsley and my dad, at least for tonight. With my cell phone in my hand, I text my dad.

  I’ll meet you for breakfast. I’m hitting the batting cages.

  And rattle one off to Ainsley.

  Can you meet me at my apartment?

  Ainsley is the first one to respond with “sure,” putting me somewhat at ease that she won’t have a run-in with my father if they were both waiting for me. The guys say goodbye, asking again if I want to go to the bar. Right now, I’d love to hit the bar and knock back a few to numb my thoughts on tonight’s game. It seems like the best way to look forward to tomorrow. Hell, I’m not even looking forward to five minutes from now.

  I stall in the clubhouse as long as possible, waiting for my father to text back, until I have no choice but to head out and face the music. I know the speech well as I’ve heard it a time or two. Thing is, I don’t want to hear it now, nor do I need to. I’m playing at a professional level and have coaches to help me figure things out. I can’t say that to my dad, though. He’d find it to be an insult and I’ll never live it down.

  Before I turn the corner that will bring me face to face with my dad, my phone chimes. His name flashes on my screen with a new message.

  That’s good to hear. You need it. I wasn’t impressed.

  I pocket my phone, knowing that it’s not going to matter what I have to say. Besides, some things are better left unsaid. I’ll deal with him tomorrow morning before practice so he can tell me everything I’m doing wrong. Until then, my mind is focused on Ainsley.

  The drive to my apartment seems to take forever, and as soon as I pull into my complex, Ainsley’s Wrangler comes into sight. She hops out as soon as I park my car, coming over to meet me.

  “Hey,” she says as soon as I’m out of my car.

  I respond by pulling her into a kiss. She doesn’t hesitate, silently telling me it’s okay to go further. Pushing her against her car and holding her face in my hands, we make out like two horny teenagers until headlights flash in our direction.

  “Do you want to come up? The guys are at the bar so it’ll just be us.”

  “Yeah.”

  Her hand feels good in mine, like it belongs there. I guide her through the courtyard, and she follows behind as we climb the steps to my apartment.

  “It’s a mess,” I tell her as I unlock the door. “But we can hang out in my room.” I open the door and flip on the light, illuminating the bachelor pad. All three of us are to blame. Had I known Ainsley was coming over, I would’ve cleaned up this morning. Leading her down the hall, I turn on the light for my bedroom, which is surprisingly clean considering the state of the rest of the place is like a pit.

  “Are you guys always this sloppy?”

  “Sort of.” I shrug, tossing my keys on to my dresser and kicking my sneakers into my closet
. I fall onto my bed and sigh, rubbing my hands over my face. The frustration of the day is starting to build.

  “Where’d you say everyone is?”

  “At the bar.”

  “What? It’s only like four in the afternoon.” I feel the bed dip and realize I’m being a horrible host. She removes one of my hands from my face and curls up into my side.

  “I like this,” I tell her.

  “Me too.”

  “I played like shit.”

  Ainsley sits up on her elbow and looks at me. “It’s only the first game.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I have expectations. I know I’m better than Bainbridge, but if I don’t prove it now, I won’t get much of a chance once the regular season starts. I only have a month to wow the coaches.”

  “Well, it only took you a few days to wow me.”

  I roll over onto my side and face her. She leans forward and kisses me.

  “Are you saying you’re finally wowed?”

  She ponders my question playfully before answering, “I am officially wowed. I had fun today. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “You have a ticket anytime you want one, Ainsley. You just have to let me know.”

  “I wish your games weren’t in the afternoon.”

  “Yeah, but it still gets dark early, and the lights take a lot of electricity to run.”

  “That makes sense. I can come on Saturday. Maybe Stella will come with me.”

  “Just say the word and I’ll leave tickets for you at will call.” I try to kiss her again, but she pushes me away. She’s grinning from ear to ear so it can’t be because I smell.

  “Thank you for the shirt and hat.”

  “Oh yeah, let me see.” I attempt to turn her around, but she does it for me while pulling her hair to the side. I trace the letters of my name and number, down and up, as I move closer to her. When I get back to the top, my fingers rest on the neck of the T-shirt. I pull it slightly and place my lips there, testing her.