Beyond the Bases

by Kaylee Ryan

  “You could say that,” she admits. “What are you doing, Easton?”

  “I wanted to see you.”

  “You’ve seen me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really need to go.” She moves to step around me, and I follow her. She stops next to an older model Ford Escape.

  “Tell me what I need to do.” I step up next to her. “What’s it going to take for you to give me a shot?”

  “There is no chance.” She sighs and turns to face me. “Look, I’m sure you’re a great guy, but my life is complicated. I can’t let myself get wrapped up in you. I don’t have time for the heartache.”

  Heartache? This feeling deep in my gut tells me that any amount of time spent with her would be my undoing. This would be more than just a one-night stand. Reaching out, I catch her hand and lace my fingers through hers. “Who says it’s going to end in heartache?”

  “Let’s be real here, Easton. You’re a major league baseball player. I’m just a girl trying to make ends meet while working toward her degree. Our lives are too different,” she says. I can tell she means it; she truly feels like our lives are too different, but her reaction to my touch, the fact that she doesn’t pull away… the way her eyes are pleading yet hopeful at the same time…. That tells me more than her words ever could.

  “Not so much. My job doesn’t define who I am, Larissa.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s a risk I can’t afford to take.”

  My first thought is that she’s been hurt in the past. Why else would she label me… us a risk? She thinks her words will push me away when in fact they just pull me in closer. I want to know her past. What has happened in her life for her to be so guarded? What can I do to take that fear away? “Just one dinner.” My voice is pleading, and I realize how pathetic it makes me look, but I’m desperate for more time with her. She’s bewitched me.

  “I’m sorry.” She smiles sadly. “I just… can’t. Thank you for the offer.” My heart sinks and I know I’ve lost her. There’s finality in every syllable. “It’s flattering.” It’s with those parting words that she climbs in her SUV and pulls out of the lot.

  I stand and watch her go. When her taillights disappear into the dark of night, I head back to my truck. Drew and Chloe are already gone. At least they weren’t here to witness my epic fail. Then again, even if they were here, it wouldn’t stop me from pursuing her. She needs to know I’m not a man who gives up that easily. I have no problem fighting for what I want. She’s what I want. I just have to find a way to show her my words aren’t empty. I mean everything I say. Speak from your heart, my mother always used to say. Climbing in my truck, I head toward home. It’s time to figure out my next move.

  I tossed and turned all night. I kept seeing Easton and those big brown eyes as he pleaded with me to give him a shot. Turning him down was hard, but it’s what I needed to do. He’s too charismatic, too gorgeous. I could get caught up in him too easily. I’m not ready for that. I have a plan and need to stay focused.

  The house is quiet, normal for six in the morning. My alarm’s set for six thirty, so I reach over and turn it off. No use in trying to go back to sleep, not after the restless night I had. I can’t stop thinking about him. The way his eyes roam over me, both sexual and in a way no one has ever looked at me. The way my skin heats and prickles with awareness anytime he’s near. Easton Monroe is a hard man to resist. Throwing off the covers, I head to the shower. I might as well get moving. Maybe I can get some studying in before I have to leave for class.

  On the way to school, I call Mom and check in on things. “Good morning,” I greet her.

  “You sound tired,” she answers. I never could get anything past her.

  “I didn’t sleep the greatest last night.”

  “What’s going on?” Concern laces her voice.

  “Nothing, just couldn’t sleep. How are things?”

  “Good. Getting ready to fix us some breakfast. Did you eat?” She’s always worrying about me.

  “I grabbed a granola bar on my way out the door. I only have morning class today and then I’ll swing by your place. I have to be at work at four.”

  “I still think you should move in here, let us help you while you focus on your degree.” This isn’t a new conversation. It’s one we’ve had many times over the last few years.

  “Mom, I appreciate that more than you know. You already do so much for me and I like having my own space. It’s good to know that if I need to, I can always come home.”

  “If you change your mind….”

  “I know, thank you. I’m at school. I need to get to class. I’ll see you later.”

  “Have a good day, sweetheart.”

  I make it to class just as the professor starts his lecture. Business ethics is not a hard class, but it’s not one that is particularly engaging either. It’s a means to an end, which is earning my bachelor’s degree in accounting. I’m taking notes and trying like hell not to fall asleep when my phone vibrates in my purse at my feet. Slipping it out of my purse, I see a text message from Chloe. I don’t bother reading it, needing to focus extra hard on the class; instead, I toss my phone back in my purse. I only have twenty minutes of this class left, and if I reply, I’m sure to miss that last part of this lecture. Just my luck that’s what we’ll be tested over.

  I’m packing up my bag when my phone vibrates with a call. I don’t even bother looking; I know it’s Chloe. “Hey, you’re persistent this morning.”

  “So, I met up with Drew last night.”

  “I was there, remember?” I can already tell where this call is going. She wants me to take Easton up on his offer.

  “I asked him what Easton’s deal was.”

  “You called me as soon as my class was over, the exact minute to tell me you decided to be nosey and inquire about your booty call’s friend?” I’m being a sassy bitch, but she knows why I can’t do this.

  She laughs. “You’re damn right I did. Anyway, Drew says he’s into you.”

  “How can he be ‘into me’? He doesn’t even know me.”

  “You know what I mean. He really wants to get to know you. Drew says he’s a good guy.”

  “Right, said the serial killer’s best friend.”

  “Aren’t we a little testy today?” she teases.

  I release a heavy breath. “I’m sorry. I’m exhausted. I got maybe a couple hours of sleep last night at best.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, you know the house was quiet and I was just… thinking.”

  “Uh huh. Thinking about a tall, dark-haired, baseball-playing drink of water, were you?”

  “I admit he’s easy on the eyes, but the mature, responsible version of me knows that this entire situation has bad idea written all over it. You know I have so much going on in my life. I can’t get caught up in him. I don’t have time for heartbreak.” I’m well aware my words are on a constant repeating loop with all the reasons why I can’t allow myself to be involved with not just Easton, but anyone. My hope is that if I say it enough, people will get the message loud and clear and believe it. Maybe if I say it aloud enough, I’ll even start to believe it. I would love to throw caution to the wind and see where things go. That’s just not an option for me at this point in my life.

  “It’s not your heart I’m trying to revive. It’s the girly bits. If you don’t dust the cobwebs off soon, I’m afraid you’ll never find it.”

  “Ha ha, smartass. Was there another reason for your call?”

  “Wanna get lunch?” she asks, not missing a beat.

  “I told Mom I would stop by. Speaking of, she’s beeping me now. Hold on a sec.” I pull the phone away and click the Accept Call button on the screen. “Hey, Mom, I’m headed that way.”

  “That’s why I’m calling. We decided to go to Jackie’s.” Jackie’s my aunt, Mom’s older sister. “We’re not there. Take a nap, enjoy a couple of hours of free time before work.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. I’ll see you i
n the morning.”

  “Okay, I’ll call before my shift.”

  “Bye now,” she says, ending the call.

  “You there?” I ask Chloe.

  “Yeah, everything good?”

  “They decided to go to Aunt Jackie’s so I have the afternoon free. I’m at work at four.”

  “I’m on tonight too,” Chloe tells me.

  “I thought you were off?”

  “I traded with Sasha. Her son’s sick. So, lunch?”

  “Sure, where do you want to meet?”

  “How about Shorty’s? I’m telling you, their food is delicious. Don’t let the rundown bar motif scare you away.”

  I mull this over. Surely the chances of running into Easton and his crew in the middle of the day at Shorty’s is unlikely. “Sure. I can be there in twenty minutes.”

  “Great. I’m closer so I’ll grab us a booth.”

  “See you soon.”

  “Later,” she replies, and the line goes dead. My best friend is a tornado, always has been.

  Reaching my car, I toss my bag in the back seat and head toward Shorty’s. I’m starving, so the food better be as good as she claims.

  The lot is practically empty when I pull in, the inside the same. There are two older gentlemen sitting at the bar. Other than that, it’s just Chloe who’s in a booth in the back corner.

  “Hey, I ordered us some potato skins, and sweet tea to start with. I’m starving.”

  “Me too. All I’ve had today is a granola bar.” My stomach growls, proving my point, just as the waiter stops by with our potato skins.

  “You ready to order?” he asks.

  “I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger with steak fries,” Chloe tells him.

  “Make that two.” I offer him a smile.

  “How was class?” she asks, her eyes flicking over my shoulder to the door. My stomach drops. Surely it’s not him. Slowly, I turn to gaze over my shoulder and see a third older gentleman taking a seat at the bar. “Good,” I answer, turning back to face Chloe. “Hard to stay awake. It’s not exactly engaging material.”

  “I hate classes like that. Luckily for me, elementary education is not as boring.”

  “All of it’s boring at some point.”

  “Says the accounting major,” she says with a laugh and picks up a potato skin.

  I nod, chewing on the delicious morsel “Boring it is,” I say after swallowing, “but it’s a good field with lots of job opportunities and security. All things I need in my life.”

  “Is that all you need?” a deep voice asks from beside me.

  Slowly, I turn my head and see Drew and Easton standing next to our booth. I open my mouth to reply but words escape me. Looking across the booth at Chloe, she’s grinning from ear to ear. I should have known her suggestion to come here of all places was a setup. I want to be mad at her, but the way my pulse quickens at just the sight of him tells me it’s no use. I can’t help but wish things were different, that I didn’t have the worries and fears that plague me. That I had the time and the energy to devote to a man like Easton Monroe.

  “Mind if we join you?” Easton asks.

  Immediately, Chloe scoots over on her side of the booth, making room for Drew. I do the same, not wanting to be rude. Easton seems like a really nice guy, but life is complicated and messy and just not that easy. At least not for me. It hasn’t been that way for a long time.

  “What are you all getting into today?” Chloe asks like she doesn’t already know. I’d kick her shin if I thought I could get away with it, but knowing my luck, I’ll end up hitting Drew instead. So instead, I stare at her, eyes wide, asking her what the hell she was thinking. The look doesn’t even faze her as she gives her attention to Drew and Easton, effectively ignoring me.

  “Early practice. We’re done for the day,” Drew says, playing her game.

  Grabbing my sweet tea, I take a long drink, keeping my eyes focused on the table in front of me.

  Just as I’m setting my glass back on the table, Easton leans into me. His thigh presses against mine, his lips close to my ear. “You okay?” he asks, just low enough for me to hear.

  “Fine.” I nod, trying to scoot away from him. Unfortunately, the booth does not allow me further escape. Where his body is aligned with mine, it feels as though my skin is on fire.

  “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asks.

  I clear my throat. I can do this. I can be friendly, have lunch, and then be on my way. “I have to study, then be at work by four.”

  “Accounting, right?” he asks.

  I’m surprised he remembers anything we talked about that night. “Yeah, I have two more semesters and then I’m done. I plan to sit for the CPA exam.”

  “You like numbers, huh?”

  I shrug. “I’m good at it, math, algebra, all of it comes pretty easily to me.”

  “Do you love it? You should be doing something you love.”

  “It’s a good field, with lots of job opportunities and security. I need that more.” I look down at my hands that are clasped on the table. My life seems boring compared to his. I’m not embarrassed of who I am, but surely he realizes he’s way out of my league after this conversation.

  “So you said,” he says, referring to the conversation he walked in on. He opens his mouth to say more, but the waiter, Shorty, who I know is the owner, brings the guys two glasses of water each and asks if they want their usual. I take advantage of Shorty holding Easton’s attention, and take him in. He’s wearing a backwards baseball hat, his dark hair slightly curling just above his ears. His dark eyes are expressive and kind. He’s wearing a black form-fitting Tennessee Blaze T-shirt that looks as though it was tailor made to fit him. I can only imagine the amount of time and effort it’s taken him to get his body to look like a Greek god’s. Then again, he is a professional athlete. When he’s here like this, it’s hard to remember that. He’s just Easton.

  Shorty leaves, and Easton turns back to face me and catches me staring. “You come here a lot?” I ask, trying to avoid the fact that I’m busted. It’s an obvious answer, but it pulls the conversation away from me.

  “We do. Shorty takes care of us. Keeps the fans at bay. The regulars just let us be us. It’s a nice change of pace.”

  I nod like I understand, but truly I have no idea. I can imagine that always being in the spotlight would get old, fast. Just another reason turning him down is a good idea. The remainder of lunch flies by. Chloe keeps the conversation flowing about our classes and work. We see a lot of crazy things working at a fancy restaurant. The audacity of what some people expect blows my mind.

  “So if not accounting, then what?” he asks.

  “When I was younger, I would have said a photographer. I got a camera for Christmas one year and I took pictures of everything, of nothing,” I admit with a laugh.

  “And now?” he prompts.

  I take a minute to think about my life. I’m twenty-two years old carrying what often feels like the weight of the world on my shoulders. “A mom,” I answer him honestly. The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. I guess it’s a good thing really. What young, hot-as-hell professional athlete wants to get involved with a woman who says if she had her choice she would be a stay-at-home mom?

  “You like kids, huh?”

  “I do. I was an only child growing up. My mom stayed home and was always there. Dad too. He worked long hours, but there was never a major moment in my life that the two of them weren’t there.” That was the life I envisioned for myself. I wanted what they had, but life always ends up throwing you a curve ball when you least expect it. We lost Dad and our world shattered. To me that was the turning point, and the moment I realized that nothing is guaranteed in life.

  He nods like he gets it. “Family is important.”

  Not long after, Shorty stops to ask if we need anything else, which prompts Drew and Easton to hand over their credit cards, covering our bills.

  “So, can I call you?�
�� Easton asks once Shorty walks away, cards in hand.

  “Let me give you some money,” I reach for my bag, but he places his hand over mine, stopping me.

  “Please don’t,” he says softly. “Let me do this for you.”

  I nod. “Thank you for lunch.”

  The corner of his lips tilts up in a smile. “You can thank me by giving me your number,” he suggests. I reach for my purse and pull out some cash and hold it out to him. “Okay, I get it. Put your money away. You keep me on my toes, Larissa.”

  “So it’s the challenge, is it? The chase?” I don’t know why I asked that. I know the answer. I’m sure women fall at his feet, and his advances are more than welcomed. Maybe if I were in a different place in my life, they would for me too.

  Across from us, Drew slides out of the booth offering Chloe his hand, helping her stand. I turn to Easton, waiting for him to move as well, and find him watching me, not making a move to exit the booth. “It’s not the chase, Ris.” He reaches out and tucks my hair behind my ear. “From the moment I laid eyes on you, I’ve felt off-center. Like I need to get to know you for my world to be righted once again. I can’t explain it, even if I tried. All I know is that it’s not the chase, gorgeous, it’s you.” With that, he slides out of the booth and offers me his hand. I take it, needing his strength to lift me from the seat. I’m reeling from his confession. His words wanting to take root. Already, just after one lunch and his little speech, I’m ready to forget all the reasons why I’ve been turning him down.

  “Ready?” Chloe asks.

  “Yeah.” I turn to Easton who is still holding my hand. “Thank you for lunch.” He nods and releases his hold on me. I walk to the car on shaky legs, which seems to be something that happens a lot when Easton Monroe is around.

  Practice today was brutal. The hot Tennessee sun was scorching. Thankfully, we started at six this morning to try and beat some of the heat. Now, here I am at noon sitting on the couch, soaking up the air conditioning, thinking about Larissa. Drew and the guys wanted me to go for lunch, but I wasn’t feeling it. I’m not in the mood for them to give me shit about the girl who and I’m quoting Fisher on this one, “has got me by the balls.” I won’t deny it. Well, maybe not the balls part, but she’s in my head.