Hot Corner (Baseball Romance) (8 page)

"You didn't get the promotion," Leroy uttered, as cold-blooded as a gator. 

Audrey sprung to attention immediately.  "Wait.  What?" she asked, hoping she hadn't heard Leroy correctly. 

"We went in a different direction," Leroy explained. 

No.  This couldn't be happening.  Audrey had spent the last four years working her tail off for the team.  She'd come up with countless inventive promotions.  And thanks to those promotions, the team was still able to put butts in the seats despite having a below five hundred record last season.  Yet somehow she didn't get the promotion?  No, it had to be a mistake.  Some kind of gross misunderstanding. 

"What direction is that?" Audrey asked, befuddled. 

"Frankie Lancaster got the position," Leroy declared. 

And suddenly everything made sense.  Sometimes hard work didn't pay off.  At least not when you were competing with the general managers nephew.  Of course, Audrey hadn't realized she was fighting a losing battle against nepotism. 

But suddenly Audrey was going to get her marching orders from the biggest slacker the ballpark had ever seen.  So naturally Frankie made a perfect misfit for management.

Audrey was stunned.  She wanted to try and counter with all the promotions she'd run.  How hard she'd worked.  What a great fit she'd be for the position.  But all that was a pittance compared to an uncle that wanted his nephew to fail upwards. 

Leroy added insult to injury.  "Anyway, I'm sorry Audrey.  But keep up the good work.  And who knows, you might win a gift card at the company picnic."

***

It had been a weird day, even by Florida standards.  After all, the Sunshine State was the land of geezers and gators.  The armpit of America.  A haven for hurricanes and tax evaders.  Where elections swayed like palm trees in the wind.  Still, even in a state where sanity went to get heat stroke, Audrey never expected to be woken up by the sound of an ostrich throwing up out her window.

Weirder still, Audrey would later find out that the seven foot tall land bird hadn't escaped from the zoo, rather a washed up basketball players exotic pet collection.  It turned out that the ostrich had been roaming the greater Orlando area all morning and had settled on the pool at Audrey's apartment complex as a watering hole.  But the chlorine didn't agree with the ostriches stomach. 

African wildlife regurgitating in the pool was bizarre enough, but when you had an aspiring pet psychic for a neighbor, oddity knew no boundaries.  Audrey had stared transfixed as Charlene Castleberry stood at the diving board in her polka dot night robe and tried to act as sooth-sayer to the runaway bird. 

Audrey had a feeling she should have called in sick and climbed back into bed.  But Audrey was sure a promotion awaited her at work.  Instead with one visit to bosses office, her life had become an epic fail. 

What a difference a punch to the gut made.  Audrey thought she'd be piggy backing the company picnic with a celebration of her promotion.  Instead she was faced with the cold reality of being stuck in the dead end job managed by a nincompoop.  And no amount of three legged races, heaping helpings of potato salad, or raffled off gift cards were going to change that. 

Now Audrey knew exactly how her boyfriend felt though.  Peter had been working his ass off on the field, doing everything he could to one day get called up to the majors.  But no matter how hard he tried, no matter how close he seemed to be, he never got that call up to the majors.  The sun had been playing peek-a-boo with scattershot clouds on that unseasonably muggy October day.  So Audrey was praying for rain. 

Before Audrey fell for Peter, she was on the mend from back to back emotional train wrecks.  The first came when Audrey's college sweetheart left her years before and took her heart with him.  Then, just as Audrey was trying to bounce back she made the foolish mistake of giving her heart to Jean Pierre--one of the scouts for the team.  But it turned out that Jean Pierre was doing more than scouting just players--he was also scouting other chicks to bone on the side.  Unfortunately, Jean Pierre only worked down the hall, so it was nearly impossible for Audrey to completely avoid him.  And especially at the team picnic. 

Audrey would have just as soon cut her losses and headed to the bar to try and have a real happy hour.  Attendance however was mandatory at the company picnic.  Audrey tiptoed around the park like it was a minefield in hopes of avoiding her former flame on her way to the adult beverages.  Halfway across the crowd, Audrey found that her luck had run out. 

"You're more beautiful than the Eiffel Tower at sunset," Jean Pierre said seductively. 

Audrey turned around and saw her ex mooning at his new bubbly blonde flavor of the week. 

Audrey snickered.  "I can't believe I actually bought that when you said it to me first."

Jean Pierre turned to Audrey like a deer in headlights.  Audrey's doomed relationship with the Frenchie closely paralleled her troubled tenure with the team.  All that loyalty and hard work adding up to bupkus.  Then again, at least the company was loyal to something--even if it was hooking up lame-brained family members with promotions.  Jean Pierre meanwhile treated loyalty like it was a foreign language.  Like Audrey had unearthed an allergy to monogamy.

Audrey leaned in towards the Bubbly Blonde.  "Wait until he says you're more stunning than the French Alps.  That one is a doozy."

"Audrey, I thought there were no hard feelings," Jean Pierre uttered, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Of course it's not hard for you," Audrey replied.  "You have no feelings."

Jean Pierre scrambled to change the subject.  "I don't understand why you're so bitter.  Aren't you up for a promotion soon?"

Insult, meet injury.  "They gave it to Frankie Lancaster."

Jean Pierre grimaced, then tried to weasel away.  "Well, the best thing about rock bottom is it can only get better from here, right?"

Audrey shook her head in disbelief.  "Wow.  I forgot how bad you are at cheering people up.  I'd rather get a pep talk from a mime."

The Bubbly Blonde tugged on Jean Pierre's shirt.  "I thought you said this was going to be fun."

"See what you've done Audrey," Jean Pierre remarked.  "Your bitterness has infected us now.  It's time to cut our losses before you sour the whole picnic."

As Jean Pierre and the Blonde went to move off, Audrey prepared a parting shot.

"Hey Blondie," Audrey called out.  "Watch out for when he says you're more dazzling than a star-filled sky.  That's when you know he's about to cheat on you with his hypno therapist."

***

Audrey had never wanted a punch bowl to be spiked more in her life.  Instead the Florida heat kicked in with a humidity haymaker.  The mosquito’s were out for blood too, leaving Audrey a sweaty mess.  But even as the swelter made life sticky for Audrey, her mind whirled with the speed of gale force winds. 

How could things could have gone so horribly wrong?  Audrey thought she'd be heading into a great career.  But she had to face facts.  Audrey was twenty-six and in a dead end job.

At least she had Peter to console her though.  "Oh, come on.  Jean Pierre is a douche.  And a French douche at that.  Who wants to deal with that much crap?" Peter asked. 

Peter was the perfect partner in crime.  The boyfriend that knew all of Audrey's faults and still stuck with her anyway.  Someone that always knew how to cheer Audrey up.  A true nice guy finally finishing first. 

"Are you kidding?  The Frenchie is the least of my worries," Audrey insisted. 

"Look, I'm sorry you didn't get the promotion.  But no one deserved it more than you," Peter replied. 

"It's not that," Audrey said. 

"Uh oh.  Sounds like someone needs a chocolate hug.  How about I take you to that new chocolate and wine bar this weekend?" Peter continued. 

"I can't.  I actually have this reunion thing with some old friends from college that I should probably go to," Audrey admitted, begrudgingly. 

"Why haven't you told me about this?  I mean, I thought you told me everything," Peter asked. 

"Because I wasn't sure I was going to go.  But the more I think about it, maybe some time away from Orlando could be a good thing," Audrey said. 

"I think you're right.  You should go.  Spend some time with some old friends.  It'll make you feel better," Peter replied. 

"Alright," Audrey said.  "I know it's short notice, but do you want to come with me?" Audrey asked. 

"Isn't that a given?" Peter replied. 

"It's all the way up in the swamp though," Audrey warned. 

"Audrey, wherever you're going is where I want to be," Peter said. 

Audrey then gazed into Peter's eyes. 

"Damn are you sweet," Audrey replied. 

"I still can't believe you're only bringing this up now though," Peter said. 

"Look, you don't understand.  I'm embarrassed," Audrey revealed. 

"About what?" Peter wondered. 

"A lot has changed since college," Audrey said.  "I mean it was one thing when we were all living off ramen noodles.  But all my old friends are successful now."

"You're going to be a huge hit soon too.  I just know it," Peter remarked. 

"But Peter.  They're successes now.  I mean, my friend Frank Stein is the youngest head of the robotics department at Gator University.  My other friend Joe Steven runs his own matchmaking service.  And my best friend Alice is a band manager.  You know that song ‘Woman In The Blue Dress’?  That was written about her," Audrey explained. 

"Look.  These people are your friends.  They'll be happy to see you no matter what," Peter said. 

"Yeah.  I'm just not so sure I'm happy being me.  I mean look at me.  I can't even get promoted in the marketing department for a minor league baseball team," Audrey argued. 

"Look, we all spend some time in the minors," Peter said, all too familiar with his own dreams not having come true yet.  "But you just have to keep believing and working hard, and eventually it will work out."

"Peter, it's one thing to hope and believe in yourself.  It's another thing to actually have achieved.  My friend Frank Stein went to college with me and is about to be honored for the robotic achievement of a lifetime.  The guy is getting his own float in the homecoming parade.  Meanwhile the highlight of my life is the opening of a chocolate and wine bar down the block from my apartment.  This is no joke."

"Audrey, I believe in you, and I love you.  It's all going to work out for us some day really soon," Peter said. 

As Audrey looked into Peter's eyes, she immediately felt better.  Peter had a soothing way about him. 

"Thanks for always making me feel better," Audrey replied. 

"I know one more way to make you feel better," Peter said. 

"What's that?" Audrey asked. 

Peter then leaned in and gave Audrey a deep kiss.  When Peter pulled back from the kiss, Audrey wasn't shy about her feelings. 

"I'll take more where that came from," Audrey said, with a smile. 

Chapter Two

"Thanks again for coming on such short notice," Audrey said, as her hand me down sedan took its last legs out onto the interstate. 

"Of course.  Who doesn't drive to gator country on a whim?" Peter joked. 

"No seriously.  I owe you big time for this.  So when we get back, name the favor and it is all yours," Audrey insisted. 

"In that case, let's swing by the lingerie store on the way home," Peter flirted.

Normally Audrey didn't mind a little playful dirty talk.  But her mind was too wrapped up.  She was a crazy ball of nerves. 

Peter knew something was up.  And he was desperate to find out what it was.  When he got no response, he tried to get Audrey's attention.

"Audrey," Peter said. 

"Yeah?" Audrey replied, pulling her head from the clouds. 

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Peter asked. 

"I'm just nervous.  I don't travel well as it is, but you add this reunion on and I'm two stiff drinks away from getting my bearings back," Audrey said. 

"I mean, do you want to tell me what you're hiding?  If you're as close to these friends as you say you are, there's no reason to be this nervous," Peter replied. 

Audrey took a deep breath.  "All right.  There's going to be someone else there.  A guy."

"Let me guess.  Is his name 'the one that got away'?" Peter asked. 

"His name is Trevor.  And he did happen to get away," Audrey said, still not revealing too much information. 

"Are you trying to tell me ol' Frenchie isn't the one that got away?" Peter chided.

"You kidding?  Jean Pierre is the one who just went away.  Trevor...he was different.  Special," Audrey said. 

"He can't be all that special if he let you go," Peter replied. 

Audrey started getting misty-eyed as memories started racing through her head.  "Tell him that.  He thought I didn't have a future.  Meanwhile he's off married and totally successful," Audrey said. 

"You know, you said he was special, but from what you just told me, he sounds like an asshole," Peter replied.