by Blue Saffire
I look down at her as I grasp her words. When the barista returns, he places our order on the counter on a tray. I reach for my wallet, but he looks around and shakes his head.
“Nah, man, it’s on me. You just pitch us a win tomorrow, Bro,” he says with a hopeful smile.
I look at his name tag and nod. “Thanks, Bernie.”
The guy’s whole face brightens. “No problem. You and your girl come here all the time now. If you ever need anything, I’m your guy.”
“Cool, thanks,” I nod, taking the tray with my free hand.
I haven’t released Nicole from my side. It feels too good to have her snuggled into me. I hate that I have to let her go, so that we can sit when we get to the table.
Cameron is long gone, but my coat is still resting on the back of the chair I had been sitting in. I place the tray down on the table to help her take off her coat. Nicole sighs as she pulls away to take her seat.
“You’re always so warm,” Nicole says as she looks at my side with…I want to say longing. “If you didn’t have a game tomorrow night, I would so talk you into going to your place so I can snuggle into your heat.”
“Are the dorms cold?”
“My room is, Taylor has the place like a freaking ice box,” Nicole wrinkles her nose.
“You’re welcome to spend the night with me,” I offer.
“Um, tempting. You probably make a good blanket,” Nicole chuckles. “Nope, no sleepovers, yet.”
My breath catches in my throat, as I slip her jacket from her shoulders. The figure fitting black dress beneath is covering everything, but not at the same time. I mean, the dress falls to her knees and reaches up her neck in a turtleneck style. It is just molded to her body in a way that accentuates all of her curves.
“You’re gorgeous, Darlin’,” I bend to breathe in her ear.
Nicole looks over her shoulder and gives me that sweet smile. I pull her chair and watch her ease into it gracefully. I won’t lie, my eyes are glued to her ass.
Clearing my throat, I place her coat on the back of her chair. When I find my own seat, she’s giving me that sweet look again. I stare back into her light brown orbs.
“What?” I say when I can’t read her.
“Look at you, ordering exactly what I want without asking,” she smirks.
“Do you want me to ask first?”
“Nope, you’re doing just fine, Caleb,” she chirps. “How was your day?”
Her eyes remain on me, as she waits for my answer. I think over her question. All through dinner with coach, I wanted to know what Nicole would think about it all.
I lick my lips and sit back in my chair. I drew in a deep breath and look Nicole in the eyes. This is what I want, I want someone I can talk to and be real with.
“Coach Snider thinks we should play up Cameron and I being twins. It’s not guaranteed that we will get drafted to the same team,” I pause and look down at my hands.
“Cameron is good. He’s really good. One of the best hitters on the team. Hell, in our division, but he doesn’t love baseball the way I do. He plays because of me.
“I don’t want to force him to play and I don’t want to become a gimmick. A triple A team may eat that shit up. Two all-stars that are twins. Coach had stars in his eyes as he talked about Twin day and fans getting discounts or getting into games free if they’re twins.
“All I hear is circus. I’ve spent my entire life trying not to become a circus. Now, I’m supposed to willingly do this,” I shake my head. “I don’t think it’s what I want. If Cameron chooses to play fine. But he has his own life. I can’t hide behind him forever.”
Nicole stares at me wordlessly for so long, I start to shift in my seat. When she tilts her head to the side, I relax. She’s just putting it all together. I can understand that.
“I haven’t seen you actually play, but you’re so focused when you’re just practicing. Who you are off the field shouldn’t stop who you become on that field. I don’t believe you and Cameron need to become a gimmick so that you can play,” she pauses and rolls her lips.
“If this is what you want, Babe. If you want to play. You’ll do it. I know you will. The rest you’ll figure out too. You’re amazing, Caleb. You don’t have to play in anyone’s circus. Your brother is amazing too, for doing this for you. I know it will all work out,” she finishes with a big smile.
If I didn’t love her before, I know I love her now. Everyone else is always telling me and Cameron how great of an opportunity we have. Never once have they asked if either of us wants it.
I reach across the table and link our fingers together. Nicole breaks off a piece of one of her lemon bars and holds it up to my lips. I go with my instincts and nip her finger after the treat is in my mouth.
Her eyes drop to the table and her cheeks glow. When her eyes lift to look at me through her lashes, I lean over the table to place a kiss to the corners of her lips. Nicole turns her head to press her lips fully to mine and I take over the kiss.
When Nicole breaks the kiss, and pulls away, I groan. I wish we had gone to my apartment. These stolen kisses aren’t enough.
Nicole looks me in the eyes and surprises me with her question. “Why baseball? What is it about it that makes you so focused, so driven?”
I sit back and look at her for a moment. I feel like I’m stripping bare for her. It’s an odd feeling, when I’ve held my cards close for so long, but once I start to speak it all feels freeing.
“I’m not some cool guy at all. If it were up to me, I would be focused on my studies,” I look away, not sure how she is going to react. “I do love baseball, but the part that makes me so focused when I play is the aspect of Physics. When I play, I almost singularly forced on the motion, force, and speed behind throwing the ball.
“Being able to time a hitter to the base and throwing a ball that out guns him. The ability to measure a hitters swing and adjusting my pitch to out pitch him. I don’t see the hitter up at bat.
“What I see is the formulas of his speed, timing, and force. I see the energy that nature throws into that equation and I calculate in my head the speed, timing, and power I’ll put behind my pitch.
“I took what I love and channeled it into baseball. Into pitching. My uncle is an astrophysicist. I got into his magazines when I was little. Around the same time my dad put me and Cameron into T-ball.
“It all sort of clicked for me. My dad went nuts. He had finally found something that made me normal. Cameron and I have been playing ever since,” I shrug.
“Wow,” Nicole breathes. “You really are amazing.”
“Amazing enough for you to go out on another date with me this weekend?” I ask and give my best attempt at one of Cameron’s smiles, that gets him anything from girls.
“You’re just too handsome for your own good,” Nicole laughs. She taps her chin. “I don’t know if we can do another date, though. My boyfriend tends to be a bit jealous.”
I frown and sit back in my chair. She told me she didn’t have a boyfriend when I asked a week ago. Why would she kiss me the way she has if she has a boyfriend?
I get ready to ream her about honesty when the pieces fall into place. I practically knock the table over when I stand from my seat and rush to her side pulling her for her seat. I cup her face in my hands.
“Are you talking about me,” I ask against her lips waiting for her answer, before I claim what’s mine.
“See humor isn’t lost on you at all,” she purrs against my lips.
“You’re going to be a challenge,” I actually laugh, before crushing her lips with mine.
Nicole is a challenge worth taking. That I’m sure of. I’m never letting her go.
chapter Ten
Game Time
Nicole
I’m so nervous I have no idea what to expect at Caleb’s game. I’m not that big on baseball, but I would watch Caleb race turtles if he asked me to. I’m just in awe of the man.
I mean, look at this place. We
’ve been trying to get to our seats for like an hour now. I’ve seen more girls than I’d like to admit wearing number thirty-four jerseys.
I feel pretty lame wearing mine. If it weren’t for the fact that Caleb gave it to me this afternoon, I probably would have snatched it off by now. However, he did give it to me. I’m the only one here wearing it, that can say I’m Caleb Perry’s girlfriend.
I beam to myself with that thought. Caleb was so happy last night. After walking me to my dorm, he gave me the longest, tightest hug goodnight. Not to mention the toes curling kiss right before.
“You’re doing it again,” Taylor sings.
“Doing what?” I asks and I try to stay close to my group as we push our way forward.
This is insane. Some of these people aren’t even looking for their seats. They’re just milling around socializing and getting amped up for the game. You can feel the energy coming off the crowd as they buzz about the twin Perry’s.
I think about all that Caleb told me about what his coach wants to do to package the twins as one, but it seems not much work would be needed. People are just as excited about Cameron as they are Caleb. I see just as many girls marching around in number thirty-three jerseys. I wonder if away games are like this.
“You look like you’re floating in the clouds. You haven’t stopped smiling since you came back to the dorm from your date last night. Did Caleb lay down the D?” Taylor wiggles her brows, as she looks over her shoulder at me.
I feel my face flame. I swat Taylor’s shoulder as I give her a wide-eyed expression. She just throws her head back and cackles at me. Joelle tucks her arm through mine and gives me a toothy grin.
“You would tell us, right? If Perry is giving you that good loving, we need to live through you. I want details. Stroke by delicious stroke details. That man is just fine,” Joelle fans herself with her free hand.
“Oh girl, that pout,” Maribel rolls her eyes and bites her lip.
“Who you telling,” Taylor sighs. “I damn near cream my panties every time I see it.”
“Okay, I think we all need to reel it back,” I sass. I feel a ping in my chest for the truth of that pout. “That’s my boyfriend you’re creaming over and I’m not too sure I like it or want to hear about it.”
Taylor skids to a stop, causing the people behind us to nearly run right into me and Joelle. We both look back with apologetic smiles. When I turn back around Taylor and Maribel are staring at me with their mouths hanging open.
“Wait, yesterday you guys said you were just going on a few dates,” Maribel narrows her eyes, as if I’ve been holding out.
“Yeah, Caleb said you weren’t his girl, yet,” Taylor pouts.
“Well, that was yesterday. Before we made it official,” I shrug and shoo them forward.
We need to get to our seats. I look down at my phone to see Dakota is sending me, yet another text, asking me where the hell I am. Apparently, there are seats reserved for me and my friends.
I had wondered why Caleb texted me, so early in the morning. Asking if I was coming alone or if I planned to bring friends, and how many. I’d shrugged it off and texted him back that the girls were coming along.
The girls. Two years at my old college and I never had girls. I’ve been here for two weeks and these three have been become my little crew. When I spot Dakota, waving frantically at me, I count her into the mix.
“Damn, he’s even more yummy in that uniform,” Maribel groans.
My eyes follow the direction Maribel’s head is turned. They lock on Caleb, he is on the mound with his coach and Cameron. They all seem to be locked in a deep conversation.
Something is off with Caleb body language. I find my feet are moving without my command. I push my way forward, needing to get close and find out what’s going on.
When I draw closer to Dakota, who is standing in a row of empty seats right beside the dodge out, I see the worry in her face. I rush to her side and look up at her for answers. Dakota is just as tall as Caleb and Cameron, her eyes more blue than grey.
I see the relief that comes to those blue eyes as I get to her side. Dakota cups her hands at her mouth and starts to call Cameron and Caleb’s names. She flails her arms in the air to get their attention.
I see the moment Caleb’s eyes look up and he locks his blue-greys on me. He starts to move toward the bleachers, his focus solely on me. The crowd goes wild for him, totally unaware that something is going on.
I move to the fence separating me from the field. My fingers hook into the chain link fence. When Caleb reaches the fence, I can see in his eyes, he is not okay.
Wordlessly, we move toward the left, where the fence has an opening out onto the field. I run my fingers across the fence as I go. Caleb lifts his hand to the fence, allowing his fingertips to graze mine as we move to meet at the opening.
When we clear the fence and I turn the small corner to stand before him, Caleb immediately reaches for my hair and locks his fingers in my short bob. His lips are on mine in a passionate kiss that curls my toes in my ankle boots.
Caleb’s free hand goes into the back pocket of my jeans as he pulls me up against his body. Caleb is huge compared to me. However, I’ve never felt like the perfect fit, more than I do right now.
All the cheering around us goes completely silent. It’s as if you can hear a pin drop on the field. Caleb doesn’t acknowledge any of it. He deepens the kiss and groans into my mouth. I cup his ears and kiss him back, uncaring of anything else.
Suddenly, applauds and whistles break out from the crowd. My cheeks heat, but as I try to pull away from the kiss Caleb follows. Tightening his hold in my hair, he holds me to him.
“That’s my girl, claim your man,” I hear Maribel call over the crowd of cheers and whistles.
Caleb finally breaks the kiss and pressed his forehead to mine. His eyes look more focused and I can feel his body relax against mine. I look up at him questioningly.
“Well, will you look at that, ladies and gentlemen,” a voice breaks out over the crowd through the PA system. “Looks like another Perry is off the market. Those twins are nothing but eye candy now, ladies.”
I giggle and turn to look at the crowd behind us. I shudder at the mixed reactions I see in the crowd. Caleb reaches to turn my face back to him.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” he breathes, as his eyes search my face.
“I’m so sorry, Babe. I was making my way through this monster crowd. I would have left sooner if I knew it would be like this,” I apologize.
Caleb nods. Then a smile breaks across his face. It’s so gorgeous it stuns me for a moment.
“This one is in the bag. I have to win for my girl,” he says with a determined smile, then pecks my lips. “You look hot in my Jersey, Nicole. I like knowing you’re mine.”
I beam up at him. “I like knowing you’re mine, Caleb. Give them hell.”
Caleb winks down at me and it is so endearing. His eyes are the clearest I’ve ever seen them. I can tell he has honed in on that focus he draws from on the field.
With one last kiss and a squeeze of my ass, Caleb releases me. I look up at him with a goofy grin, before I give a dumb wave. I inwardly kick myself, but Caleb doesn’t care about any of that, as he backs toward the pitcher’s mound without turning or taking his eyes off me until it’s absolutely necessary.
I bounce my way back to my seat. I hadn’t even realized I walked down three rows to get to the fence. I lose a bit of my bounce, as I make my way up the stairs, I catch the sour stares of some of the other girls. Even women much too old for Caleb glare at me, as if they’ve just lost a chance at being a cougar.
“Damn, I’m so jealous,” Taylor breathes as she fans herself in her seat.
“That would make two of us,” Joelle giggles.
“I’m just saying. I’m still holding out hope for his brother,” Maribel sighs.
“Excuse me,” Kay leans forward in her seat. When my girls turn to her, she gives a sugary sweet smile
. “Yes, hi, I’m Kay, Cameron’s girlfriend.”
“Oh, so nice to meet you,” Maribel says with just as sweet a smile. “I’m Maribel, Cameron’s future wife.”
My mouth falls open. Maribel says it with such a straight face. Taylor, Joelle, and Dakota all blink at her as if she’s crazy.
“Oh, my God,” Maribel rolls her eyes. “A girl can dream, can’t she? I mean, seriously. You and I are worlds apart, sweetie. I’m not even Cameron’s type. It was a joke.”
Waving us all off, Maribel turns her attention back to the field. Dakota and I burst out laughing. A red-faced Kay only manage to shift in her seat and turn to look at the field.
I stifle my laugh as the awkwardness of the situation sets in. I do notice that Kay doesn’t look as confident about her status. My brows furrow. I wonder what that’s about, but Dakota grabs my arm and pulls me into my seat.
“I don’t know what you did to Caleb, but he is crazy about you,” Dakota whispers in my ear. “I love you two together. You don’t treat him…you know different. Thank you.”
“For what,” I turn to whisper back.
“For giving him a chance,” Dakota says with a trembling smile. “My cousin is brilliant. People that know…you know, they tend to miss that. Did you know he tutored me in high school? I suck at math. Caleb is a math whiz. It’s like he can pull numbers out of thin air.”
“He told me about loving physics, but I didn’t know he tutored you.”
“I used to feel like such an idiot when it came to math. Caleb is straightforward about everything, so when he found me floundering with my homework, he gave it to me in a way I could understand. None of the extra confusing stuff,” Dakota shrugs.
“He’s amazing. I don’t doubt what you’re saying,” I smile as I watch Caleb warming up on the mound.
“You haven’t seen nothing yet,” Dakota sings. “When the game starts, you’re going to meet another side of Caleb.”
I bite my lip and push to the edge of my seat. From the intensity rolling off of him with simple practice pitching, I know I’m in for a sight.
Dakota was right and I’m not disappointed. Cameron and Caleb have an amazing game. Caleb pitched his ass off. I have never seen such singular focus. The man is a beast on the field.
