Fallen Elements (17 page)

“I appreciate you indulging me. Pickles is a
tradition.” Ryan took a long drink of her Orange Crush, and scanned
the congested space for their waitress. “Do you want to get some
fried pickles?”

Leah nodded, an amused expression on her
face. “How could we not?”

Ryan nodded. “That’s the right attitude.”
Spotting their waitress, Ryan raised her hand. “Can we get an order
of fried pickles, please?”

The woman nodded, and without a word turned
to begin helping the table directly behind Ryan and Leah’s
table.

“How long have you been coming to the games?”
Ryan asked.

Leah considered the question for a second.
“About six years.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “And you’ve never been
to Pickles?”

“I know – sacrilege. Don’t judge me.” Leah
winked as she took another drink of her Orange Crush.

Ryan shook her head. “Like I told you, I
never judge -”

“I know. You never judge out loud.” Leah
grinned.

“You listened.” Ryan knew she was too excited
over the fact Leah had remembered her casual quip from the
market.

“Off and on.” Leah looked up at one of twenty
televisions hung throughout the bar.

“It’s my birthday today.” Ryan mentioned
casually.

Leah’s brow arched. “You should have said
something sooner. Happy birthday!”

Ryan grinned, and before she could respond
the waitress returned with the fried pickles. “Would you like
another round?”

“Yes, please.” Leah answered before Ryan
could, a mischievous glint in her green eyes. “And yours are my
treat.”

Ryan thought to argue, but could tell by
Leah’s emphatic tone, it would be a lost cause. “Done.”

A basket of fried pickles and two more Orange
Crushes later, Leah had settled the tab, and the two women were
walking across the congested street toward the stadium. The sky was
partly clouding, and the weather was cooler than normal for the
middle of April.

Entering the retro style stadium, Leah and
Ryan made their way along Eutaw Street that ran between the
ballpark itself and the B&O Warehouse. The street was a
thoroughfare closed to vehicular traffic, and lined with food
vendors and merchants. The entire ballpark was built in the vein of
the nineteen thirties’ ballparks. The exposed red brick, green
seats, and ivy laden walls left the attendees with a feeling of
nostalgia for the parks of old.

“Are you up for some Boog’s Barbecue?” Leah
asked as the scent of burning mesquite wood mixed with seasoned
beef and pork wafted over them.

Ryan nodded enthusiastically. “Twist my
arm.”

John “Boog” Powell was the first baseman for
the Orioles from 1961 to 1974. Though he played for the Cleveland
Indians and the Los Angeles Dodgers in subsequent years, he, along
with his tangy barbecue sauce and slow smoked pork recipe, had
returned to Maryland.

Leah and Ryan stood in line, a chilly breeze
whipping along the walkway causing Ryan to shiver. “I should have
brought a coat.”

Leah wrapped her arm around Ryan’s shoulders
and squeezed. “It is nippy.”

A wash of warmth rolled down Ryan’s back and
around to her chest, the chill of the air around her gone. “You’re
better than a blanket.” Ryan turned to Leah. “How do you do
that?”

Leah shrugged as she removed her arm.
“Magic.”

Ryan chuckled. “Well, unless you’re planning
on staying butt up against me the rest of the afternoon, I’m going
to have to break down and buy an overpriced sweatshirt.”

“I’m not opposed to that whole butt thing,
but it might make navigating challenging.” Leah teased. “So please
let me get you the sweatshirt as a birthday present.”

Ryan had wanted to protest the indulgent
gift, but her mind kept tripping over the flirtatious tone Leah had
taken. “Ah, okay. Thank you, that’s great.”

“You really want to argue with me right now,
don’t you?”

Ryan nodded. “I’m really trying to be
gracious about the gifting.”

Leah nudged Ryan’s shoulder playfully.
“Good.”

The two women got two pulled pork sandwiches
the size of their heads and two Natty Boh beers. Ryan insisted on
paying, and Leah begrudgingly accepted. They made a quick run
through a MLB merchandise stall before walking to their seats.

“These are amazing seats!” Ryan gushed as she
and Leah made their way down the concrete steps of the club level
at Camden Yards.

“I’m glad you’re pleased. Marty and I buy
season tickets every year and alternate which games we’re going to
attend.” Leah side stepped past two older gentlemen, and sat down,
leaving the seat to her right empty for Ryan.

Looking out over the pristine field, Ryan
couldn’t help but smile. They were on the second level deck,
running parallel to the first base line. “I’ve only managed to get
Eutaw Street bleacher seats in center field.”

Leah sat her Natty Boh in the cup holder
attached to the back of the seat in front of her, and balanced the
pulled pork sandwich on her lap. “If you decide you want something
more to eat or drink, just keep an eye out and a server will come
along and take your order.”

“Bullshit.” Ryan craned her neck around so
she could see behind her. “Really?”

Leah chuckled. “True story.”

Ryan settled into her seat, the black
sweatshirt with the Oriole bird logo across the front of it keeping
her warm. Looking out over the pristinely manicured field, Ryan
felt a surge of excitement. Before she could think better of it,
she grabbed Leah’s hand and squeezed it affectionately. “Thanks for
inviting me. I’m really happy to be here – with you.”

A shot of color went to Leah’s cheeks, and
the woman smiled. “I’m glad to be here with you. Thanks for
spending your birthday with me.”

The Orioles were playing the New York
Yankees. The two teams meeting always drove their fans to behave in
combative and less than hospitable ways towards one another. When
the Orioles went up by two runs off of a homerun by their first
baseman Chris Davis, the taunting and smack talking started in
earnest.

A Yankees fan three rows behind Leah and Ryan
began yelling at an Orioles fan sitting two seats over from Leah.
“Guess those meds are doing him some good!” The drunk man taunted,
referencing Chris Davis’ suspension the previous season for taking
a prescription drug for attention deficit disorder.

“Or Kelley’s arm is shit!” The Orioles fan
shouted back.

Within seconds, a shouting match had broken
out between six Oriole fans and five Yankee fans. Expletives and
innuendo flew, and to Ryan’s shock and amusement, Leah joined in
the ruckus.

“Scoreboard! Scoreboard!” The blonde yelled
over her shoulder, the man next to her high-fiving her and taking
up her mantra. Eventually, nearly everyone in the section was
chanting
scoreboard
. That, along with another two runs being
scored by the Orioles before the Yankees could get out of the
inning, finally made the Yankee fans fall quiet.

“Do you want another beer?” Leah asked as she
fished her credit card out of her back pocket.

“I’m good.” Between the two Orange Crushes
and the twenty two ounce beer, Ryan was feeling a little buzzed.
“Pretty impressive display there.” Ryan leaned into Leah, their
shoulders touching.

Leah waved the server over to their row, and
passed her order slip and credit card down. “Bitches gots to
learn.” She said flatly.

Ryan nearly choked as she erupted in
laughter. “You seem so calm. Are you a murderer?”

Leah’s eyes brightened. “I see I’m not the
only one with an Orange is the New Black addiction.”

Ryan feigned embarrassment, averting her
eyes. “I might have a Netflix binging problem.”

Ryan had liked Leah immediately, and she had
half-expected to like her less the more she got to know her.
Sometimes first impressions can cut both ways. Ryan was delighted
to find Leah was even more fun, irreverent and witty than she could
have hoped for.

“I’ve had a great time.” Leah smiled from the
sidewalk as Ryan walked up the stoop. The sun had set, and the
chill from the day had turned into outright cold.

“I can’t take all the credit. It’s always a
great day when the Orioles beat the Yankees.” Their outing had been
one of the best for Ryan, and she wasn’t ready to see it end. “Come
in for a bit. We can have a drink.”

Leah glanced at her watch. “It’s nearly
eight. I need to get home.”

Ryan walked back down the steps and took
Leah’s hand. “You can rest when you’re dead.” She pulled an
apprehensive Leah up the steps, and unlocked the front door.

Ryan frowned as they entered the house. It
was unusual for Nicole to remember to turn any lights off, much
less
every
light. The house sat in relative darkness.

“Surprise!” The lights in the kitchen, dining
room and living room were flipped on, and the small downstairs of
the house was crammed with a host of Ryan’s friends and
acquaintances.

“Holy shit!” Ryan gasped, and nearly knocked
Leah into the wall as she stepped back.

Nicole rushed toward her with a blue metallic
party hat on her head. “Happy birthday, roomie!” She wrapped her
arms around a still stunned Ryan.

Ryan looked over Nicole’s shoulder, trying to
process what was happening. Multi-colored streamers and balloons
were spread throughout the house. The dining room table was adorned
with every possible dip, chip and chicken wing imaginable, along
with liquor bottles and a large white cream icing sheet cake with
the words
Happy Birthday Ryan
scrawled across it.

“When did you do all this?” Ryan leaned back
and looked at Nicole.

“It wasn’t too hard once you got a job and
got your lazy butt out of the house.” Nicole teased as she looked
past Ryan toward Leah. “And thank you for your unwitting assistance
in getting our friend here out and about for the day.”

Leah smiled as she nodded. “Always glad to
help, even when I haven’t got a clue.”

“That’s the spirit.” Nicole playfully nudged
Leah in the shoulder. “Come in.”

Nicole pulled Ryan further into the house as
she was assailed by the many party goers wishing her a happy
birthday. Glancing back, Ryan was relieved to see Leah had not only
stayed, but Greg had found her, and the two were talking.

“Happy birthday.” Jenny was standing in front
of Ryan, a red version of Nicole’s party hat sitting lopsided on
her head. She leaned in and kissed Ryan, her lips lingering as she
quickly ran the tip of her tongue along Ryan’s lower lip.

Jenny’s breath smelled of the scotch she was
drinking. Jenny stepped back, and Ryan glanced toward the door,
anxious Leah had seen them kissing. “Thanks for coming.”

Jenny’s eyes narrowed as she followed Ryan’s
gaze toward the door. “Who’s that?”

Ryan stammered. “She’s - oh, Leah. The friend
of my family I mentioned to you.”

Jenny’s brow arched as she took a drink of
her scotch. “I’d love to meet her.”

Before Ryan could object, Jenny was weaving
her way through the crowded house toward Leah and Greg.

“You must be Leah.” Jenny extended her hand,
not waiting for Leah to acknowledge her. “I’m Jenny. Ryan’s
girlfriend.”

The use of the word girlfriend gave Ryan
pause, and triggered a feeling of dread in her stomach. Jenny had
never referred to herself as Ryan’s girlfriend before, and her
decision to do so now, with Leah, could only mean the evening was
about to take an uncomfortable turn.

Unfazed, Leah took Jenny’s hand. “It’s nice
to meet you.”

Nicole interceded, a cup of beer in her hand.
“Leah, can I get you to stay? We’re going to play flip cup later,
and I’ve got dibs on you for my team.”

Leah laughed. “That’s very nice, but I need
to be getting home.”

“Is this late for you?” Jenny asked, and for
the second time since entering the house, Ryan caught the scent of
scotch on her breath. What she had thought would be uncomfortable
may very well become unbearable if Jenny was drunk.

Shaking her head, Leah smiled. “Not at all. I
have to be at work early in the morning.”

“What do you do?” Jenny had stepped between
Ryan and Leah, her posture verging on aggressive.

Leah glanced over at Ryan, and then back at
Jenny. “I own a small bookstore in Ellicott City.”

Jenny nodded as she took a drink of her
scotch. Before she could continue, Greg interjected, looking at
Leah and then at Jenny as the tension was apparent. “Leah, can I
get you a drink?”

“I was actually going, but thanks.” Leah
stepped toward the door.

“You have to stay.” Jenny looped her arm
through Leah’s. “It will add some depth to this crowd.”

Leah’s brow furrowed. “Depth?”

Jenny nodded, and scanned the room. “Everyone
here is under thirty, so having a forty-something evens things
out.”

Ryan’s face flushed with anger as she took
Jenny by the wrist. “She said she has to go, so stop making a
scene.”

Jenny wrenched her arm away from Ryan. “I’m
not making a scene. I’m having a conversation.”

Leah took a step back. “Ryan, I’ll see you
later.”

Ryan looked past Jenny and nodded. “I’m
sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for me. You should be
apologizing for yourself.” Jenny’s voice was raised, and several
party goers nearby took notice.

“Let’s go upstairs and discuss this.” Ryan
didn’t want to make any more of a scene in front of her friends
than had already been made.

Jenny wrapped her arm around Ryan’s waist. “I
like upstairs. Wonderful idea.” The inebriated woman took a drink,
and grinned at Leah as she continued to address Ryan. “You can take
me to bed. I mean
put
me to bed.”

“Alrighty.” Nicole took Jenny’s cup from her.
“If you could just start hiccuping and slurring your words, the
cliché will be complete.”