“Even you?” I teased.
“No,” he chuckled. “I was already dating Megan. But…even though she’s really nice, I have to agree with Aaron. I don’t know, Ty. You might have a chance because you’re a nice guy, but I hear she just doesn’t date many guys. And if she does, she’s got quite a lengthy checklist, if you know what I mean.”
“So what are you saying the odds are?”
“Mmm, one in a million.” He gave me a sympathetic smile and walked away.
Yikes. Pretty bad. But it was just as well, I figured. She’d barely get down her list before she realized I was not the ideal catch. Besides, I had way too many problems in my life to have time for a girlfriend. It was the same thing, every time. I just couldn’t get close to anyone. There were too many skeletons in the closet for most girls to deal with.
I was one of the last guys left in the dugout besides two of the coaches who were talking to each other at home plate. I stepped out to head for the batting barn with my gear, but was thrown when I saw that girl standing by the railing with her friend. I was about to pass right by her, ready to avoid her entirely, when she turned my way and smiled.
“Nice game, catcher.”
I slowed my pace and barely got out a, “Thank you.”
My previous thoughts flew out the window just from the sound of her voice. I knew this was my chance to talk to her, but I was completely caught off-guard. My stupid mouth wouldn’t say anything else, and I knew I was going to ruin it for myself. Luckily her friend hollered at someone in the stands and she left to go talk to her; I was hoping that would help build my courage.
“It’s Tyler, right?” the girl asked carefully.
I looked into her eyes for the first time and was a little startled. They were incredible. I’m not the greatest with describing things or explaining colors, but to me, it was like looking into dark Caribbean waters. They weren’t blue, but they weren’t green, either.
I was pretty close to becoming a mute, but I managed to say, “Uh, yeah. Or ‘Ty’ is fine.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she cringed. “I was just going by what the announcer said.”
I had to pause momentarily. Oh, yeah, the announcer.
“So…I’ll let you go, I guess,” she smiled. “I don’t want to keep you.”
She nodded behind me where the last two coaches were walking toward the batting barn. I also saw Aaron, Jack, and a couple other guys sticking their heads out the door, watching me. I decided she had basically made most of the effort to talk to me, and I was just standing there like an idiot, admiring her beautiful skin and lips.
It was now or never.
“Uh, what are you doing tomorrow?” I asked her. “I’m free the entire day. Would you be able to spend some of it with me?”
Wow. I couldn’t believe I actually did it. Never in my life had I been so forward with a girl.
She didn’t say anything for a few seconds, and I thought she was going to say no, but then she slowly began to smile. “I’d like that,” she nodded.
“Ty!” someone shouted from the barn.
“Oh, uh, I gotta go. Can I get your number so I can call you later?”
“Sure,” she said with another smile. She pulled a business card out of her purse and wrote on the back of it. She handed it to me, still smiling.
“Okay, I’ll give you a call tonight.”
“Sure,” she replied again. I turned to walk away but she said, “Hey, Ty?”
I stopped to face her. “Yeah?”
“Don’t you want to know my name?”
I couldn’t help but smile when I said, “You’re Jayden,” and turned around to jog to the barn.
When I got there everyone was staring at me, even the coaches, who were standing at the head of the group. It was deathly silent and I thought for sure I was toast for holding everyone up. Finally Coach Tucker folded his arms across his chest and said in his gruff voice, “So? Have you delayed our meeting for nothing, or did you finally get her number?”
I was humored by the smile he was trying to hide and answered, “Well, hurry this thing up so I can go call her.”
The team exploded with cheers.
I did call her that night around nine. I worked for the rest of the day, got home and showered, and locked myself in my room out of pure nervousness. She had been on my mind all day, and just the thought of actually talking to her after the game earlier left me with a permanent smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach.
I stared at the card in my hand with her number on it. I flipped it over several times to read the business information on the other side. It was for a music store here in town. I wondered if that’s where she worked.
She answered on the third ring and I could tell she was somewhere crowded.
“Hey, uh, Jayden? This is Ty.”
“Oh, hey!” she said.
I could easily picture her smile and it made my heart race again. I was especially pleased that she sounded excited to talk to me.
“Let me go somewhere quieter.” After a few seconds her voice returned. “Sorry about that.”
“If you’re busy I can call you later,” I told her. I didn’t want to wait to talk to her, but I thought I’d be polite.
“No, that’s okay. I’m just at my friend’s house. What are you up to?”
“Me? Oh, I just got home from work. I was thinking about meeting up with some friends in a little bit.” Aaron had left me a message to join them where they were; I had been pretty tired when I got home, but now I was getting a second wind. “Hey, maybe you could meet up with us?” I tried.
“Oh, I’d like to, but I’m at a birthday party for Cali’s nephew. I was personally invited by a five-year-old,” she lightly laughed, “so I need to be here.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I understand. What about tomorrow? Are you still available?”
“Do you want me to be available?” she seemed to tease.
I loved the sound of her voice.
“Absolutely,” I answered. I couldn’t even think of anything clever to say.
“Then yes, I’m available.”
“Okay, give me your address and I’ll pick you up around eleven. Is that time okay?”
“Eleven…in the morning?”
“Yeah.” Was that being too anxious? I didn’t care; I wanted to see her. Oh man, what if she worked at that time or she just wasn’t able to—
“Sure, that works fine. But…you can just pick me up here. I won’t be at home.”
“Oh, okay.”
She gave me an address, and even though I wanted to keep talking to her, I thought she probably wanted to get back to the party.
Before she hung up I said, “Oh, and Jayden? Wear comfortable shoes.”
“Oh, like sneakers? So you mean no high heels or flip flops, right?” she teased.
I guess those could be comfortable; I should have been more specific. “No, no high heels or flip flops,” I smiled.
“Okay, see you tomorrow, Ty.”
I loved hearing her say my name.
Without the possibility of seeing Jayden that night, I didn’t feel like going out with the guys anymore. I sat back and just enjoyed the quiet of an empty house for once. Aaron called to see where I was, but I told him it was late and I was going to bed soon.
“You’re lame,” he informed me.
I didn’t care. I was excited for eleven a.m. …
Chapter Three
“I still can’t even believe you got her number,” Aaron laughed. “I’m impressed, Huntington. You must know how to work some magic.”
I scoffed to myself. Magic? Is that why I had felt so awkward around her? I didn’t dare tell him that, so I chose to remain quiet. It didn’t do any good because he kept at it.
“So, what’s she like? She didn’t turn you down, so obviously you’re somehow worthy in her eyes.”
I shrugged. I hardly knew what she was like. My time talking to her consisted of about five minutes total. “I don’t real
ly know that much about her. She sounds really nice, like Jack said. She’s kind of quiet in the way she talks, but she smiles a lot… She’s got perfect teeth, beautiful blue-green eyes—”
“And a nice rack, huh?” he asked with raised eyebrows.
“Oh, brother,” I mumbled, putting my hat on.
“What? You didn’t bother to check out something other than her face? You’re lame, man. I’ll give you a head start. She is fine—everything about her. When you get a chance, just take those brown eyes of yours and look behind her…”
I left out the front door before I could hear anymore.
I drove across town to the address she gave me. It was a really nice neighborhood, nothing like what I grew up in. Her friend must come from a well-to-do family, and it caused me to think Jayden did too. I gave her a call as I pulled up to the house, just as she had asked, but she was already coming out the front door with a smile on her face and a sweatshirt in her hands. I got out to greet her just as another figure appeared in the doorway at the house. I immediately recognized him from the game; the guy she had been sitting with both times.
“Hey,” she said cheerfully.
“Good morning. How are you?”
“I’m great. Are you ready to go?”
“Uh, sure.” She climbed into my truck before I could say anything else, so I got in behind the wheel. “Is he wanting to come with us?” I asked, nodding to the guy still standing in the doorway.
She laughed. “Chris? No. He’s just being my father right now.”
“Oh. Should I go introduce myself?”
She laughed again. “No, let’s go.”
I paused for just a second, but said, “All right.” I pulled onto the road and glanced her way. She looked beautiful in jeans and a t-shirt, and navy blue Converse. I thought I’d test out the line, “You look really nice.”
She smiled at me and said, “Oh, thanks. But it’s hard to get dressed when I don’t know what I’m going to be doing.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I guess. But you did a good job.”
“Thank you. So did you.”
I glanced down at my own appearance and smiled. It was probably my usual sports attire: a t-shirt and baggy shorts, and my favorite pair of Nikes. And let’s not forget the baseball hat. I rarely went anywhere without it.
After a few seconds I had to ask, “So is Chris…your friend?”
“Yes. Chris and his sister Cali are my best friends. We’ve known each other most of our lives. He’s like a brother to me.”
A brother. Good, I could handle that one.
“So do you usually stay there or…?”
“Oh, at the Davis’s? Sometimes. Chris doesn’t live there, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she smiled. “But I came over for breakfast since it’s Easter. My dad and Tim always go golfing, so the rest of us pretty much eat all day long, and then make dinner and eat again.”
Today was Easter? I had no idea. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize… I didn’t know it was Easter. It’s not a holiday I celebrate. If you want to spend it—”
“Oh, no,” she smiled. “I’m happy with my choice.”
I glanced her way. “Won’t your parents be upset?”
She shook her head. “Nah. Like I said, my dad always goes golfing with Tim and their buddies for most of the day. And my mom took off when I was young, so she doesn’t have a say,” she smiled. “What about you? Don’t your parents have family dinners?”
I almost laughed because of the pitiful answer, but I didn’t want to embarrass her. “Uh, no. My dad’s not around much, and my mom died when I was four.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t really remember her,” I shrugged. “She died giving birth to my brother.”
Jayden held a noticeable frown on her face. “Oh, I’m so sorry. And your brother?”
“He died, too.”
“Okay,” she said taking a deep breath. “How did we start talking about such tragic things?” She smiled at me with uncertainty.
“Easter,” I smiled back.
“Right, so let’s move on to something else. Where’d you grow up?”
“Tacoma.”
“And you’ve lived here for four years to go to school? It’s funny how I’ve never seen you until recently.”
I felt the same way, but I just replied, “Uh, no, just the last two. I transferred from Tacoma Community.”
“Ah, you were a Titan,” she smiled. “And your dad? Does he still live in Tacoma? Or should we avoid talking about parents in general?”
If she only knew… “Uh, my dad is in Tacoma. But yeah, that’s probably another scary subject.”
“Okay… So about the weather…”
I laughed. “It’s a nice day. But how about this instead.” I held up the business card from the music store. “Is this where you work?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe? Okay. Do you collect business cards and randomly hand them out with your phone number on them?”
She was laughing good-naturedly. “Yes, actually I have done that a few times. It’s fun to see people’s reaction when you hand them a card for a clown-for-hire, or a dog walking business.”
I laughed, but when I looked at her and she shrugged her shoulders, I could tell she wasn’t kidding. “You’re serious?”
With a smile she replied, “My friends and I do some weird things.”
I held up the card between two fingers. “So this is a farce?”
“Oh, no. I really do work there a few evenings a week. I wouldn’t dream of deceiving you,” she smiled playfully.
“Really? Because I’d hire you for my next birthday party, and I’d get a dog just so you could walk it.”
“Oh, yeah? What if I handed you the card for clogging. Would you try that, too?”
I pretended to think about that one. “You know, it’s a toss up, but I think I’ll go with… Yeah, definitely.”
She smiled again, and I couldn’t remember ever seeing a prettier smile.
“How about you?” she asked. “Where do you work?”
I showed her my hands, in case she hadn’t noticed. “I’m a mechanic. No matter what I do, there’s still evidence.”
She actually took my hand to examine it. “Hardly. But what’s wrong with a little sign of hard work?”
She let go of my hand and smiled at me. I was so distracted I almost forgot where I was driving until I saw the college. I turned into the parking lot and veered toward the baseball fields.
Jayden took a look at the school around us and asked, “Do I need a better education?”
“From what I hear, you already have a good education.”
“Oh? And what have you heard?”
“Just that you had a bachelor’s degree two years out of high school.”
She slowly nodded her head. “Yes, that’s true. Who’d you hear that from?”
“Jack.”
“Jack Houston?”
I nodded. “Uh huh.”
“Jack’s a nice guy,” she said.
I nodded my agreement. “He said the same about you. You know, that you’re nice. So were you in a hurry to get through school, or what?”
I parked right up behind the batting barn since it was a Sunday and no one was there. And apparently it was also a holiday.
“Not really. But I had an associate’s when I graduated, and got a decent job while I finished the rest of it.”
“For what? The music store?”
“No,” she smiled. “That’s just a hobby. I work at City Hall.”
I took a moment to process that. “Are you my mayor and I don’t know it?”
She smiled again. “No, not exactly.”
“What do you do at City Hall?”
“Well, a little of everything,” she softly laughed. “But I mainly work in Pat McGowan’s office; he’s the City Manager. I get to swim in paperwork, phones, and computers all day long.”
“Secretary?”
“Hmm, ki
nd of. ‘Administrative Assistant’ if you want to get technical.”
“So you have a nine-to-five, huh?”
“Yes,” she smiled.
“So do you like your job?”
“Yeah, I do. It keeps me pretty busy; there’s always something going on.”
I slightly nodded. “What did you major in?”
“Business. Pretty general.”
I shrugged. “It’s what makes the world go round.”
“What’s your major?”
“Business,” I smiled.
I got out of the truck and she did the same. I watched her think about where we were, and when she saw me grab my bat bag from the back of my truck, she laughed.
“Did I make a team I don’t know about?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, too. I loved her personality. She was very laid back and had a great sense of humor. I hoped she had the same attitude for what we would be doing next.
“Yes, you did. You’re going to become Ty Huntington’s newest prospect.”
She raised an eyebrow at me and I realized how that must have sounded. I wondered if I should clarify what I meant, but I decided I’d probably just make it worse.
“Uh, follow me,” I instructed. I led her into the batting barn and watched her look around.
“Wow. I feel like I’m in a restricted area. Are commoners allowed in here?”
“Only with the right escort,” I replied with a smile.
She nodded as she eyed me carefully.
“Over here,” I motioned. She followed me to one of the batting cages and I selected a helmet for her. When I handed it to her she finally understood what my earlier comment meant, and laughed.
“You’re going to make me bat?”
“Yep.”
“You might be sorry.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
She shrugged and put the helmet on. I pulled out a special bat from my bag and handed it to her, and set the pitching machine for an easy toss.
“Okay, so…have you done this before?”
“Not in a batting cage, but enough to know you have your work cut out for you.”
“I think I’m ready for a challenge,” I replied. She returned my smile and I just about lost my train of thought. “Uh, okay so spread your stance a little…there you go…pull your right elbow up a bit further… Oh, wait. Are you right or left-handed?” I tried to remember which hand she’d written her phone number with…
Hotbox Page 2
