“Right.”
“Okay. So…choke up a bit, slide your hands up some more…yeah. When you swing, just make it nice and level, and follow through like this.” I showed her the follow-through with my own bat and she nodded. “Don’t worry about speed yet, just practice that a few times, nice and easy.”
“Okay. Do I have to step or anything?”
“For now just pivot on the follow-through and you should be good. Turn your hips like this,” I showed her. “But when or if stepping into it feels natural, go for it.” She practiced a few slow swings and I nodded. “Looks good. You ready to try it?”
She exhaled and said, “Yeah, I guess. But I feel really self-conscious, just so you know.”
I smiled at how honest she was. “You’ll do great, don’t worry about it. Step in there.”
She gave me a tentative smile but moved to the plate. “Where exactly do I stand in here? I feel a little trapped.”
“You’re okay right there. Maybe take a half step in… That’s good.”
“Okay, the balls are going here, right?” she pointed over the plate. “I’m not going to get pelted with anything tricky, am I?”
“No, you’re perfectly fine. That’s the best pitching machine there is. It probably even knows how beautiful you are—it’s that smart.”
She gave me a funny smile—I’m pretty sure I embarrassed her—but she announced, “Okay, I’m ready.”
“All right. Just watch the ball the whole time. Don’t take your eye off it.”
“Okay.”
I started the pitcher and she watched the first ball go by. When the second ball came around, she actually got a piece of it. “Nice. Keep your eye on it.” The third ball she hit, and her swing actually looked pretty good. “See? Piece of cake.”
After twenty pitches she made contact on all but six, and out of the others she got at least five great hits.
“Nice. We could use you on our team.”
“Yeah, right. Real pitches come twice that fast.”
“Well, let’s see what you can do. Do you want to try faster pitches?”
She looked a little uncertain but shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. If you think I can, then I’ll try it.”
“I know you can,” I replied, changing the setting on the machine. “Step back in there.”
She returned to the plate and held up the bat. “I’m ready,” she stated.
“Okay, here goes.”
On the first pitch she exclaimed, “Whoo!” and let it go by.
“Just keep your eye on it. Swing a little quicker but keep the bat level—”
She did and cracked it perfectly.
“Nice. Keep watching the ball hit the bat.”
After another twenty pitches she hit just as good as the first twenty.
“I’m impressed,” I told her.
She smiled at me and said, “Did I do better than the other girls you bring here?”
I had to laugh. “Sorry, you’re the first. But maybe I should bring a few, just to see how you compare.”
She laughed and pointed the bat at me. “Not if you want me to come back. It’s them or me, buddy.”
“Well that’s an easy choice.”
Our eyes met, and we were both silent for a few seconds. She seemed embarrassed again—or maybe she was just shy—and even though I felt a little unsure of what was happening, the moment somehow became significant. When I looked into her eyes, I could see everything I wanted in a girl. I hardly knew her, but there was something in the way we connected that completely blew me away.
“So, uh, now it’s your turn,” she finally said, and she sat down on a nearby stool.
It was then that I realized my pulse was racing. “Oh, that’s okay. I do this all the time. I wanted you to try it.”
“Are you afraid of doing poorly?” she asked with a teasing smile.
I looked at her and returned the smile. “No.”
“Are you afraid you’ll be showing off?”
“Maybe,” I chuckled.
“Then let’s see what you got. I want to see how many you can hit.”
“All of them,” I replied.
She cocked her head. “Prove it.”
I shook my head with a smile and said, “If you insist.” I set the machine and selected a bat. After taking a deep breath to calm my heart, I was done a minute and a half later, hitting every one of them.
When I looked at her she was smiling. “Wow. You almost look mechanical yourself.”
I laughed and said, “Yeah, but it’s a little different on the field. But I can set it up to throw different pitches too, to make it more challenging. You want to go again?”
“Not that fast!” she exclaimed. “I wouldn’t even be able to see them coming.”
“No, I’ll set it for whatever you want.”
“Okay, I’ll try different pitches. But nothing faster than what I was hitting,” she added.
“Sure. Step in there.”
I reset the machine and waited for her okay to start. She still did very well, even though she laughed any time a series of slow pitches would come in, and then a fastball would surprise her. She got the hang of it with the last few, and wanted me to start it again. She did better the second time around.
I’d never had so much fun with batting practice. Jayden was so enjoyable to be around, and I loved her sense of humor. She made me smile at anything she said, especially because she was so witty. And the most obvious bonus…she was way hotter than any of my teammates.
“Okay, I think I’m done,” she said.
“Are you sure? You can go as long as you like.” I almost admitted to how much I liked watching her, but I figured that might be admitting a little too much.
“Nah, I’m done,” she replied, taking off the helmet. “I don’t want to get too good and show you up,” she teased.
With a laugh I replied, “That’d be fine with me. I would just take the credit for being a great coach.”
“You are a great coach. And I could easily see myself playing for you again, so I’ll save some for next time.”
That made my entire year. I looked forward to “next time,” or any other “next times” there might be. I took the helmet from her and put it away, and stuck the bat in my bag.
“Do you need to get back to your friends and, uh, your dad?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “Nah, I have a few more hours if you do.”
“Uh, yeah. Definitely. Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving.”
“What do you feel like eating?”
She shrugged. “Well, I had so much fun here, I’ll let you choose where we eat as well.”
I was a little unsure about that. I hated picking restaurants…
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
She was studying me curiously and her eyes seemed to try and read me. I wasn’t sure what to say, but I decided to just be honest and let her know how unsophisticated I really was. I wasn’t exactly a charmer, and I knew she already picked up on that. It was evident when she had watched me squirm, trying to explain what I meant about her hips looking nice (for batting, I meant!)
“I’m…not good at picking restaurants. I just…really can’t read your mind and choose where you would want to go.”
She stared at me for a few seconds before she smiled and said, “You can’t read my mind? Thank goodness for that,” she sort of murmured. “Well I’ll make it easy on you. I’m not very picky. I’m even fine with fast food. In fact, I’m kind of addicted to it. All the drive-thru restaurants recognize my voice when I order.”
It made me chuckle, but I couldn’t help but glance over her body again. If she ate stuff like that often you would never be able to tell. She was slim, but definitely athletic. I didn’t know how toned the rest of her was, but I could see the definition in her arms when she was batting. I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but I carefully considered what she said as I picked up my bag and headed out of the
barn with her.
“How about we make a deal?” she asked me. “You take me somewhere that’s very much you, and next time I’ll take you somewhere that’s very much me.”
Next time. Those words gave me a thrill. Her smile was expectant and I had no choice but to agree. I definitely wanted there to be a next time.
“Okay, I think I can handle that. So if it’s a deal, I’m guaranteed at least one more date with you, right? Even if you are completely horrified with where I take you?”
She laughed as we got in the truck. “I’m dying to be horrified.”
She actually had a huge smile on her face when I pulled into Time Out, a sports bar downtown. I thought she was letting me know that I was being totally predictable, so I said, “What can I say? I’m a jock.”
She laughed and said, “I must be as well. I’ve been here dozens of times.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise when I asked, “Really? With which boyfriend?”
Again she laughed, but she didn’t answer the question. Instead she got out of the truck while I sat there in thought. She tilted her head with a smile as she waited for me, so I finally got out and met her at the bumper.
“That wasn’t a rhetorical question,” I informed her as we walked to the entry.
“Oh? Which question? ‘Really?’ or ‘which boyfriend?’ ”
I gave her a look and said, “You’re a little feisty.”
“I am?” she replied, pretending to be shocked. “Hmm. Am I too much for you to handle?”
I smiled and gave her a side-glance. “I surely hope not, but I’m ready for another challenge.”
She smiled as I held the door for her, and then led her inside.
I recognized the waitress that seated us, and she seemed to know Jayden as well. After a short conversation she pointed at Jayden and knowingly said, “Water for you,” and she turned to me and said, “Now I’m pretty sure you’re not one of the drinkers, right?”
“Right, water’s great.”
When she left Jayden smiled at me. “You don’t drink during baseball season?”
“No, not ever.”
She seemed to think over my answer, eyeing me carefully. It made me a little nervous because I thought she was trying to read further into it. Finally she replied, “Good for you. I think it’s nasty stuff.”
I nodded my agreement, not wanting to get into the real reasons why I wouldn’t touch alcohol. She would probably run the other way.
“I don’t think many people hang out at sports bars on Easter,” she glanced around with a little laugh.
“Just a few other jocks,” I noticed. There wasn’t a female in sight, and the guys that were in there had their eyes on my date. I guess I couldn’t blame them, though, because Jayden was quite a sight. But I felt a little ashamed about being so attracted to her physically without knowing much about her. I understood that it was how things worked, but after getting to know her just a little, I was fully convinced that true beauty really was on the inside.
Just then her phone rang. “Oh, sorry about that,” she smiled, seeming embarrassed. “Let me put it on mute— Oh, wait, I should take this or we’ll both be sorry. Do you mind?”
I shook my head no.
“Hey, what’s up?” She paused for a bit. “Oh, sounds fun… Me? Oh, I’m actually at Howard’s—”
She knew Howard?
—“Sure… With a friend,” she smiled at me. “Dad,” she said in a warning tone, rolling her eyes. “Well, I’m gonna go, I’m being rude… No, sorry, see you tonight. Bye.”
She hung up and shook her head.
“Is your dad checking up on you?” I asked.
“Yeah, basically. He’s pretty…protective.”
“Well, that can be a good thing. This world can be pretty crazy.”
“I suppose, but sometimes he gets…a little overbearing.”
“Do you get along pretty well?”
She nodded as the waitress arrived with our water. We hadn’t even looked at the menu yet, but Jayden already knew what she wanted. I did too, so our orders were taken and we were left alone again.
I knew I was staring at her, but I couldn’t help it. A million things were running through my mind, the main thought being that I had found the girl of my dreams. Finally she asked, “What’s the matter?” and tilted her head to wait for a reply.
I didn’t want to say anything, fearing I would sound like a complete idiot. What would I say? Tell her I thought we belonged together? She probably got that from hundreds of guys. What made me different from any of them?
I was saved when Howard approached the table, first looking at Jayden, and then at me, and his face displayed his surprise.
“My little Jay?” he exclaimed. “Sitting here with my favorite ball player? Am I in heaven? I couldn’t have made a more perfect match!”
Jayden looked at me with a surprised smile and then looked at Howard. “You know this guy?” she asked him with a teasing scowl.
“Know him? He’s here every week!” He turned to me and said, “I must say, though, that this girl here is far better company than some of those fellas you bring in here. Some of them guys… I don’t know, Ty.”
I looked at Jayden and smiled. “Yeah, I’ll have to agree with you on that one.”
Howard turned to her and said, “Your dad was on the phone, said you were here. I had to come say hi. Anyways, you two have fun. And as always,” he said to Jayden on his departure, “dessert’s on me.”
When he was gone I said, “Hang on, you get free dessert? That’s not fair.”
She partially smiled when she replied, “You’re probably in here with a load of people; I just come here with my dad. It’s much easier to slip free dessert to a party of two.”
I nodded my agreement, but my thoughts were on when her cheerful expression changed to be a little bit somber: it was at the mention of her dad on the phone. It must have really bothered her that he had called Howard to check on her. I guess I could understand how she felt.
I tried to keep family out of our conversation, just in case it was a touchy subject. I knew the reservation; there was no way I wanted to talk about my own dysfunctional family life. Instead I asked her more about her job at City Hall, and then she talked a bit about music. It didn’t take me long to realize how important it was to her.
“How long have you played?” I asked.
She smiled and answered, “A while. Since I was eight on the piano, and twelve for the guitar.”
“Oh, so you’re pretty good, then. What kind of music do you like to play?”
We talked about music through most of our meal. I could tell it was something she really loved. Music was probably to her like baseball was to me. After a while she began asking more about me, so we did talk sports for some time. We also discussed our schedules somewhat, and I was slightly disappointed that she was even busier than I was.
As Howard promised, dessert was brought when our plates were cleared, and Jayden was apparently a huge fan of chocolate. She claimed that it was only recently that she became infatuated with it, and she told a story about how her friend made her try the triple chocolate cake at another restaurant once. She was hooked after that, and when Howard learned that she liked another restaurant’s dessert better than his, he made sure he added a divine cake to the menu, just for her.
I heard her phone vibrate two other times but she just let it to go to voicemail. I wondered if it was her father again, or possibly her guardian back at the Davis house.
We sat and talked until almost four o’clock. We were there for nearly three hours. But as much as I liked talking to her, I was getting a little fidgety. I knew she had her family dinner at five, and even though she claimed she couldn’t eat another bite, she still wanted to be there for it. I did, however, ask if she had time to do one more thing.
“Are you going to teach me how to catch this time?” she asked with a smile.
“I would love to if you let me.”
She laughed as we stood and I tossed payment on the table.
“If it just consisted of catching a ball, I might be able to do it,” she said. “But I don’t think I would catch on very quickly if it were anything more. With everything that goes into it—all the signs, the counts, the plays, and the different pitches and stuff—I would be lost.”
I was a little flattered that she appreciated such aspects of the game. But before I could reply, Howard caught us as we were heading for the exit.
“Tell your old man to get himself in here soon,” he told Jayden, giving her a hug.
“I will,” she assured him.
He patted me on the back. “See ya, Ty. Take care of that girl.”
I would love nothing more than to do just that. I had a really good feeling about her…
After walking down at the river for a while, I took her back to the Davis house. I avoided the awkward, end of the date moment, where it’s unclear if the guy is warranted a kiss or not, so I just decided I wouldn’t even try. I guess my choice didn’t matter anyway because she didn’t even allow me the option of walking her to the door. She just got out, said she had an amazing day, and hoped that I would call her.
So I promised I would and said goodnight.
Chapter Four
“Ty, telephone!” Lou hollered from the office.
I made my way to the office and grabbed the phone from the counter. “This is Ty.”
“Hello, Ty.”
I looked at my watch and groaned. I was supposed to meet Jayden in two hours. I hoped this wouldn’t interfere.
“What can I do for you?” I asked reluctantly.
“Not much. I just need to talk to you… About your daddy.”
I clenched my jaw tightly. “Now’s not a good time. I have work to finish up.”
“Oh, I know. That’s why we can get together when you’re done.”
I sighed because I didn’t want to spend time after work dealing with it. “Fine, what is it this time?”
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