Out of Centerfield (Washington Warriors Novel Book 1)

by Mertz, L.

  “I’m sorry, let me get up and clean up too.” I go to push up off of her, but she wraps her hands tighter around me. “Come on I’m crushing you.”

  “No, I’m fine. Just don’t move because once you move I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Kelsey

  . I wonder if I came on too strong for him. I know that we both wanted it before he even got hurt, but then I didn’t want to hurt him further if we did do anything. So we hung out but neither one of us took the big step forward. That night playing video games with him and seeing him laugh was it for me. I had to have him. So I did and it was everything and more.

  He is so great. I can’t put it into words. He keeps trying to get off of me but I want him to stay and never go.

  “Johnathan, I’ve been thinking about this but I didn’t know how you would take it, but I have to tell you something and. Ummm, well what I wanted to say is that…ummm…” I turn my head away and look out at the window.

  Grabbing my face, he grins. “Baby, what is it? You can tell me anything.”

  Taking in a big breath and releasing it, I say, “I think that I love you.” I close my eyes waiting for him to freak out on me. Waiting for him to answer is like dying, slowly. My brain starts thinking the worst until his mouth comes crashing down on me.

  “I think that I love you too.” Kissing me one more time he gets up and goes into the bathroom. He comes back with a warm towel and uses it to clean me up. He then just throws it on to the floor and lies down wrapping me up in his arms and soon we fall asleep.

  The next morning he has to go to the stadium for practice and I need to get ready and go to the office. I now have a select number of items at his place and I quickly dress and leave for the main office, but not before stopping in the kitchen and giving Johnathan the longest most erotic kiss that either of us has had ever.

  “Have a good day at the office,” he tells me.

  I wink. “You too.” I wave as I shut the door.

  I need to talk to my grandfather and I need to do it soon. When I walk in the office my grandfather is in his office on the phone. I put my purse at my desk and walk in sitting down in the chair across from his desk and wait for him to get off the phone.

  “Hey, baby girl, how was lunch?” he asks me with a smile.

  “Uh, Grandfather, Mom is nuts.” He raises his eyebrow in question, so I keep going. “She went all crazy at lunch talking about me dating Johnathan and how I shouldn’t and stuff about him lying about his daughter, but I understand why he did that and then the whole stabbing thing and I just don’t know. She started to tell me that I don’t know what love is and Johnathan will find someone better and leave me.” I can feel tears falling down my face now. I hate that I let her get me this upset. I look up and my grandfather is handing me a tissue that I gladly accept.

  Clearing his throat, he starts to speak to me. “Baby girl, you don’t know what happened before you were born. Your mother doesn’t even know the full story as to why your father left her. It was because of me. I made him leave. He was a great ball player, but a complete and worthless man. I don’t know how he got to Evie, but he promised her things that would never happen and she was young that’s the only reason that I can think of for her to fall for him. When she told your grandmother and me that she was pregnant I knew that I had to do something to protect my family. So I made him leave. I wasn’t proud of the decision, but I knew it was what was best for all of us.”

  I’m just looking at him and I have no idea what to do or say to him. He got rid of my father? It doesn’t make any sense to me. “Why and how did you get rid of him?”

  “Well, my dear, as good of a ball player he was, he stunk as a human being. He was a drunk and a gambler. His career was over before it started. I tried to help him and get him to straighten up. I guess he saw your mother and fell head over heels in love with her. After maybe only a few weeks, your mother came to us and said that she was pregnant. I was not happy and your mother knew it. She just didn’t care. She was a kid what did she know. She still had two years of college left and then she was going to run our new public relations department. But that wasn’t what life wanted at that time.” He gets up and walks around his desk and sits next to me and grabs my hands. “Kelsey, you are the greatest thing that has happened to me and your grandmother besides our own children and I want you to know that. I also want you to know that if anything ever happens to me or your grandmother you will be taken care of, okay?”

  “Okay, I understand. Is it okay if I take the rest of the day? Lauren and I will still be coming to the game tonight though.” I start to get up when he tells me that it’s okay to take off. He kisses my forehead and I leave the office. I’m walking down the concourse and thinking about everything that he has said to me and I’m not paying attention and I run into someone.

  When I look up I see Johnathan. I don’t know why he is on the concourse when he should be on the field practicing right now. “Hey, what aren’t you out on the field?”

  “Oh, I’m on my way to give Butch the papers from the doctor to put in my file. I figured that I would just do it myself. Are you okay? How was lunch?”

  “Ugh, I don’t want to talk about it, okay? Later? I’ll see you tonight. Lauren is in town so we are going to come to the game.”

  “Cool, I’ll see you after then?”

  “Yeah, sounds good. Look I have to get going. I’ll see you.” I step around him and start walking. I look behind me and he is just standing there watching me with a sad look on his face. We can’t let people know that we are seeing each other. Not yet anyway, not only would that just be a PR nightmare in the community, but also, then I would really have to deal with my mother’s crap and I don’t have the energy for that right now.

  Johnathan

  I Butch the release paperwork from the doctor to put into my team file and I really want to talk to him too. I walk into the office and hear him on the phone talking with someone, but I don’t know who.

  “Yes, yes I know it has gotten a little more serious I know. I know.”

  I clear my throat so that he knows I’m there. “Uhhh, yeah, I have to go, goodbye.” Turning to me, he says, “Johnathan, how is it going, son? You’re feeling okay?”

  “Yes, Sir, I’m feeling great I was just out stretching with the team and Coach reminded me to bring you my release from the doctor. So here it is and here I am.” I hand over my folder with all my medical paperwork in it to him. Looking over it himself, “Well, everything looks great. Go have a good game, son.”

  “Will do, Sir. Thanks.” I turn and leave his office.

  I get back down to the field and start practicing with the guys again. It feels good to be back playing with everyone. I catch a few balls hit by my teammates in the outfield and then I go and hit the batting cage myself. I’m back in my element. It was nice to have a little break but we are trying to maintain our lead in the team standings coming in to the second half of the season. With the All-Star break behind us it’s time to play even harder than we were and to show the world that we are the best.

  *****

  This has been a hard game for me personally, I’m spacing trying to take it easy but that just isn’t possible tonight. The other team is playing their hearts out. It’s my third up to bat tonight and I need to do something to change the score. Daniel Price is on second after he hit his double, but Michaels struck out and now I have to try to get Price in or at least in a better position for scoring. I look up from picking my bat and see that Kelsey and Lauren are in their seats and there is someone else. It’s Kevin. I didn’t know that he was going to be here. I wonder how that happened.

  I hear the announcer say my name and then my walk up music starts, “Roar” by Katy Perry. That is not my song. Looking over into the dugout, I see all the guys snickering and I know that they have had it changed on purpose. So funny, guys. I smile and keep walking to the box. Once I’m in the batter’s box, my head is in the game and nothing else matter
s. I focus on the pitcher. Nods. Throws. Curve ball, I swing. Strike one. I step back, put the bat between my legs, and tighten my gloves and my helmet. Lift the bat back up, swing once, step back into the box and take my stance. Nods. Throws the pitch. Curve ball, I don’t swing. Ball one. I step back out take a breath and I’m back in the box. Nods. Throws pitch. Fast Ball. Contact. It’s going through the air. I’m dropping the bat and heading for first base. I see Price moving to third. Our third base coach is telling him to keep going. I look for the ball and it’s gone into the stands. I keep running, tagging second, running to third, tagging the base, Coach hits my back, and I keep running to home plate where Daniel is waiting for me and I tag home. Daniel pats me on the back and the head as we walk back to the dugout. I can hear the fans cheering. All the guys tell me to go back out and wave so I do. They are just as excited about my return as I am. I look over and see Kelsey; she has the biggest smile on her face, and Kevin is giving me two thumbs up. I walk back into the dugout with the Warriors now leading by two runs.

  Johnathan

  That was one of the best games of my life. We got the lead and held on to it through the rest of the game. I’m on such a high. Some of the guys want to go out and celebrate, but I don’t want to go out with them. There is only one person that I want to see and she is at my condo right now. I’m heading that way now. I get to the front door and see Kevin standing outside smoking and talking on his phone. He must be agitated; he only smokes when he is. He seeing me walking toward him and hangs up. “Great game, guy.”

  “Thanks, man. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I just had some business in town. Ya know.”

  “Dude, you live like a thousand miles away, what kind of business?”

  “Yeah, well let’s just say this business is just as important. Come on let’s get upstairs we have some celebrating to do!”

  Once we get into my condo I now see what business he meant, Lauren. I didn’t see that coming. I don’t see Kelsey and as I’m about to ask where she is I hear her walking down the hallway. Her heels are clicking on the floor. I look higher and higher until I just now see the bottom of her dress. It’s a little green dress with a halter top. She stops and spins around and that’s when I almost faint. There is no back to this dress. Her hair is down and she looks great. I finally regain my strength and walk over to her, looking down at her, I smile. “You are so beautiful Kelsey. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful in my life.” I kiss her, hard.

  “Hey! Don’t mess up her face. I spent a long time on her make-up and hair. You,” Lauren points at me, “go shower, change and there are clothes for you to wear on your bed.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I salute her, leaning down to Kelsey. “Any way you can join me?”

  She slaps me in the chest. “No, now go and hurry up I want to dance.”

  I go and shower as fast and I can and when I come out of the bathroom I see that I have a pair of dark jeans and dress shoes waiting for me and a buttoned up black long sleeved shirt. I put everything on and turn up the sleeves. I walk back out into the living room and it looks like Kevin has changed from his usual t-shirt and jeans into wearing something similar to me.

  All of us pile in to a cab and head for the clubs in North West. I sit next to Kelsey with my arm around her shoulders and Lauren and Kevin are behind us. They talk quietly with their heads touching, facing each other.

  “Do you know where we are going, Kelsey?”

  “I think to a club called Peace. Lauren knows that owner so we can get in and get a VIP area easily. It should be fun; maybe you can show me your moves,” she says, winking at me.

  “Oh, I have moves, baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” I say to her laughing.

  Soon we are at the club and there is a long line that’s wrapped around the block, but the cab drops us off at the entrance and we all follow Lauren to the door. She says something to the huge man watching the door. He smiles at her and we walk in. The first few steps in the hallway are super dark. There are some lights on the floor so we follow them inside and then we are shown a huge area that looks like it could be a warehouse.

  Lauren takes us to a set of stairs and we walk up. I have Kelsey in front of me so that my eyes are directly in line with her ass as she walks up and it’s a beautiful sight. We get escorted into a room by another huge guy at the top of the stairs. The noise is more subdued up here and we have our own private bar. We all order drinks; Kevin and I get beers and Kelsey gets a tequila and pineapple while Lauren just gets a Cosmo.

  After our first round of drinks, we order tequila shots. “Body shots!” Lauren yells.

  Lauren brings the plate with limes on it and a saltshaker to our small table. The bartender brings over the shots and places them on the table.

  “Okay, so who is doing who?” Lauren asks.

  “Well, you’re definitely doing me, babe,” Kevin tells her. She walks over to Kevin in this skin tight red dress that is barely covering anything and I think that’s the point. She places her body between his legs while is stays in the chair. Tilting his head back she licks up the left side of his neck and then sprinkles the salt to the wet spot. She then places the lime in his mouth. Lauren licks the salt and gives that same spot a full mouth kiss, takes the shot and then sucks the lime from his mouth.

  “Hey, Kelsey. I need to be at practice in the morning. How ‘bout we leave these two alone and head down to the floor. Then I can show you my moves.”

  “Okay, sure. Let’s go.” I grab her hand and we head down the stairs. Once we find a place in the center of the dance floor. I put her hands around my neck while I place mine on her hips and we start moving to the rhythm. She spins around so her back is to my front. She starts with her hands on my neck and then drags them down to where my hands are on her stomach and she is writhing in front of me. I can feel myself getting harder the longer she moves on me. I have to calm down or I will be having a problem. I lean down and start to kiss on the side of her neck and she moves her head to the side to give me more access. I spin her back around to face me, grinding my body into hers, and kiss her all over her face and neck.

  I feel someone tap on my shoulder and it’s Kevin. He’s telling me that it’s time to go home, but it feels like we just got here. I look at my phone and see that it’s one o’clock. I grab Kelsey’s hand and we follow Kevin into the night.

  Kelsey

  We are walking out of the club and if Johnathan and I hadn’t had sex before, we definitely would be tonight. We still might. The night is still young, maybe. I haven’t had a lot to drink but I’m feeling great. I’m so happy that I don’t notice all of the flashing lights once we actually make it out of the club. Johnathan has his body in front of me, blocking the flashing from the cameras and dragging me to the cab. I can hear the photographers yelling our names. I am thrown into the cab and Johnathan is right behind me. I can’t believe what has just happened. We were just supposed to go out and have a good time, not be ambushed by photographers. I have to call my mother.

  I grab my cell phone out of my purse and hit five to speed dial Mom. “Mom? It’s Kelsey. We have a problem. No, I’m not in jail. Stop and listen for a minute. There were photographers and other people outside of the club that Lauren and I went to tonight… yes Johnathan was with us…okay…yes, to his place…okay…yes…tomorrow morning...okay. Bye, Mom. Thanks.” Blowing out a breath, I say, “Okay, Mom is going to hit this on the head in the morning and spin some story that we just ran into each other or something, because the press will start saying a lot of things. I hope that she can protect you enough that they don’t go and look or any dirty stuff to sell to the papers. I mean I know that you have tried your best to keep Annabelle from the public, but she may have to be in the public sooner rather than later.”

  Johnathan is quiet the entire ride back to his place. I get out with him and Lauren and Kevin go to our condo. Kevin tells me to call him if I need to. I just nod to answer him. I’m kind of s
cared of what Johnathan is going to do. We make it up to his condo; he walks in and throws his keys down on his coffee table and removes his wallet too.

  He’s just standing there in front of his window that goes out onto the balcony, staring out into the city. I take my heels off, walk up to him, place my arms around his waist with my head on his back, and just hug him. I know that he’s worried that people will find out that he has a child in the world and then they will think negative things about him and I don’t want him to have to worry about that. He needs to focus on the game and nothing else.

  “I don’t know what you want me to do, Johnathan. I can go home if you want or I can stay with you, whatever you want. I don’t know what you’re thinking but I think I may know. Don’t worry about anything though Mom will help and take care of everything. We always take care of our own, okay? You trust me?”

  “Yeah, Kelsey. That was just rough tonight. I was having such a great time with you and I didn’t understand why Kevin wanted us to leave, but then I saw all of those people and I thought that they were there for you. It was me they wanted and now… now they know about us and that was one thing that you wanted to keep under wraps…”

  I take a step back from him and he turns around to face me. I don’t like what I see. Before I realize that it’s happening I feel tears drop from my eyes. “Are you breaking up with me for my safety?”