The Shortstop (14 page)

The last out is made, ending the game with a win over the Royals. One by one, my teammates and coaches whack my ass when I get to the dugout. Pride swells within me to the point where I feel I could self-combust.

“They want you, kid,” my coach says, thumbing toward the crowd. It’s only then I realize they’re chanting, “We want Quint! We want Quint!”

“For real?” I ask, shocked to my core.

“For real. Get your ass out there and tip your hat.”

“Holy shit,” I mumble as I climb the dugout steps and step out onto the field. The cheering is deafening. It’s their way of welcoming me to their town. Like so many of my favorite players often do, I lift my hat in an appreciative gesture to thank them. I make sure to acknowledge the entire stadium, slowly turning my body in a complete circle. Finding Annie, I throw her a huge smile and a kiss before ducking back into the dugout.

There isn’t a fucking drug on earth that could duplicate the high I’m feeling.

Annie

“Oh my God! He played amazing,” I squeal so loud that the surrounding four rows of seats all turn toward me. I can’t contain my excitement when the crowd starts chanting his name. I can’t hide my pride when he appears from the dugout to acknowledge and thank them. Just before he retreats, he spots me while grinning from ear to ear and blows me a kiss. If any of the fans in our section didn’t know who I was prior, they sure as hell do now.

I’m so amped up that I can’t stop my body from trembling. Mr. Lawson has tears in his eyes as he hugs his wife. My parents couldn’t look prouder if he were their son. Daphne and Billy both pull me into a hug to congratulate me.

“I did nothing. This was all him,” I admit with a shrug. His performance in the sport he loves more than life is what has him in a Yankees
uniform. His dad may have guided him, I may have supported him more than any person he knows, but the responsible party is Quint himself.

Like a ballerina who knows her dance and performs it to perfection—that is how Quint plays this game. Every move he makes is synchronized, reactive. The music that moves him comes in the form of the loud crack of a bat when it makes contact with a ball…or the hissing of air as a ball shoots toward him. He makes it look artistic and choreographed. Watching my man play baseball is awe-inspiring…and hot as hell.

I told him I would wait for him after the game. We all decided to go back to the hotel for a quick, celebratory drink. It’s late, and it’s a work night for Q. Our parents are leaving in the morning, Daphne and Billy are as well. I’m the lucky one who gets to stay and watch him continue this amazing journey tomorrow as he plays his first doubleheader. The day after, the team is heading for Detroit. It’s his first away series, and he’s excited to travel as a Yankee. I have him all to myself for a few hours tonight and tomorrow morning.

That’s how it will be with us. Stealing pockets of time in between practices, games, traveling, media attention, charity functions…the list goes on and on. I’m perfectly fine with the dynamics. This is what makes him happy. His happiness fuels mine.

I think I’m in a better place. The anxiety I was feeling when we got here has calmed. I decided to tackle one day at a time. I have a new purpose. I may be delusional, but I might have figured out what I want to do…for now at least.

Spending the day with Daphne was just what I needed. Quint knows me so well. Her antics distracted me enough to realize everything I was worrying about will be handled. She talked me through my options. The way she tackles my problems makes me feel stupid for succumbing to them. With every “why” she has a “how.” By the end of the day, the uncertainty I held regarding my continuing education, or even what I was going to do with my life, no longer stressed me out. Once I cleared my mind, an idea for a novel suddenly came to me. I probably had so much cluttering my head that the moment I came to peace with my role in Quint’s life, it made room for other opportunities to present themselves.

Last night as he slept peacefully beside me, I furiously wrote several dozen pages of notes that poured out of my mind. Once I had a storyline, the characters began speaking to me, and I couldn’t turn them off, nor did I want to. I woke this morning tired from lack of sleep, but mostly excited about my new project.

When he travels, I’ll write. When he practices or plays, I’ll plan a wedding. When I’m ready, I’ll go back to school…maybe. If not, it doesn’t matter.

It all makes sense now. Daphne’s right. I’m young, and it’s time I learned to go with the flow.

Quint texts me the gate number where I should meet him. It’s at the back of the stadium near the players’ entrance. He’s leaning up against a wall, back in his street clothes and waiting for me.

Just as I did in the tunnel, I take off toward him in a sprint. He catches me midair and twirls me round and round.

“You played amazing!”

“Thanks, baby,” he says when he sets me down. “I can’t even tell you how it felt to be out there. I’m completely at a loss for words.”

“I get it. Like I said before, just enjoy every second of it,” I say with a smile.

His returning smile is so pure and loving, it overwhelms me. Instantly, I throw my arms around him in a gripping hug. We stand in a tight embrace for what seems like hours. His teammates wave as they walk by; otherwise they don’t interrupt our moment.

He kisses me softly. I can feel his fingers trembling as he holds my face. When he pulls his lips away, he leans his forehead against mine and says, “Thank you for being here.”

“Q, there is no other place I’d rather be.” I lift up to kiss him once more before adding, “Ready to go? You must be exhausted.”

“It hasn’t hit me yet. I’m pretty jacked up right now.” He takes my hand to lead me out to the parking lot. “I called a cab. He should be here.”

A small mob lines the outer gate where our cab sits waiting for us. Quint looks around, wondering who they’re waiting for. Most of his teammates are still inside. The few that left are already gone.

“Q, I think they’re here for you.”

“No way.”

The closer we get, the more obvious it is that they are standing here waiting for the newest Yankee. “Holy shit,” he mumbles as we walk toward them.

“I’m surprised the press aren’t out here,” I say what I’m thinking.

“They were all inside. I had to give statements. Me. Can you imagine? That means I’ll be all over the news tonight…again.”

“Babe, you’re famous now.”

He smiles and waves when we exit the gate. A few hand him baseballs to sign; others ask for a picture. I stand a few feet away, letting him have his moment with his fans. It’s just another memory I’ll never forget. When he turns to look down at me, the look on his face is priceless. Needing to capture it, I click a few pictures on my phone. With all his accomplishments, it’s moments like this that bring my guy down to his humble knees.

Three games into his new career and so far, so good.

I’ve lived at that stadium for the past two days. I feel like my ass will be permanently shaped like a stadium seat. The next six games are away, and he’ll be gone for a week. We’ve never been apart that long…ever. I sent him off this morning with a whole lot of loving to keep him happy while he’s gone. That’s wishful thinking on my part.

His sex-bank reserve is usually only a few hours or so. He claimed he’d survive as long as we tried to squeeze in Skype sex once a day. He had the balls to ask me to sit naked at the laptop, waiting for his call.

He’s only been gone an hour, and it already feels like weeks before I’ll see him again. As promised, Ava is meeting me for lunch today. Tomorrow she is joining the Realtor and me when I start apartment hunting.

Ava and Jeff are good people. Quint said he’s very fond of Jeff. Being a rookie as well has caused the two to bond. He did confess he’s glad Quint took the newbie title. All locker-room pranks are now focused on Quint. That’ll be the drill until a new rookie joins the team. From what he’s told me, they’ve been ruthless. The day after his starting game, he walked in to his cubicle completely covered with inflated condoms. He said there were thousands. He couldn’t imagine who’d be stupid enough to blow those fuckers up.

Like her husband, Ava has been really nice to me as well. We sat together at the doubleheader. She’s so sweet and down-to-earth. Ava and I have a lot in common. She’s a few years older than me. Once she and Jeff were married, she left her fashion job and has dedicated her time to volunteering at a shelter for abused women.

I love that and immediately asked if they could use help. Having explained my situation and how I made a complete three-sixty in regards to my career, she said having something so monumentally rewarding has made a world of difference. Without having to voice my issues, she knows what I’m struggling with. Having a partner who’s making money hand over fist, and there I am not making one red cent. I thank God I met Ava at this point in my life.

I introduced her to my mom and Daphne at Quint’s opening game. When Daphne got me alone later that night, she threatened to cut me if I replaced her with Ava. That’s how I knew Daphne liked her. She tries to act cool and cocky, but she can’t fool me. She misses me. I knew as much when she accused me of abandoning her in Baltimore. It hasn’t helped that Billy found himself a job.

He said she’s been a bitch since I left. He’s been on the receiving end, and his tolerance is running out. I told her to be nice, reminding her he won’t stand for her shit again. Surprisingly, she didn’t argue. There’s only so much solo beach time one can handle before it becomes monotonous. She’s bored. Enough so, she’s actually started her job search.

With Quint gone, the paparazzi have left as well. He prepped me on what to do if they stuck around. Ava has also given me some tips, although she said Jeff was never hounded as badly as Quint has been. It was easy for her to grab a cab or go shopping without their annoying presence. I’m hoping the same holds true for me.

Thankfully, I’m able to get out of my hotel and hail a cab like a normal person. The cab pulls up in front of Bloomingdales. Ava is standing at the door, waiting for me. We decided on shopping for a while. She has a formal this weekend and asked for my help in choosing something.

“Hey, girl,” she says with a smile. As I reach her, she pulls me into a warm hug. “Ready to help me find something to fit my ass?”

“Oh, stop. You’re stunning.”

“You’re sweet, but I own the fact that I have junk in my trunk. Jeff likes it.” She hooks her arm through mine and pulls me in the door.

“I was just here with Daphne a few days ago. She loves this store.”

“So do I. If you can’t find it here, you’re going naked.”

The store is fairly empty for this time of day. I guess it’s too early for the lunch rush. In no time at all, we are in the department that Ava needs, rifling through racks of formal gowns. These dresses are a fortune. Each one has a steeper price tag than the next. Some are so beautiful, I couldn’t imagine ever wearing them in my lifetime. I would assume there’d be formals in our future. I envision Quint in a tuxedo. The thought makes me miss him. The one and only time he wore one was at our prom. He was the best-looking guy there that night.

“Annie!” Ava calls very loudly from the opposite corner of the formal department.

“You found something?”

“Yes for YOU!” She holds up a beautiful, cream silk, fitted gown. It’s so simple, and it’s stunning. “You must try this on,” she pleads, pushing the gown at me.

“I have nowhere to wear this,” I respond, amused.

“Um, aren’t you getting married?” she asks with an exaggerated eye-roll.

A wedding gown?

I guess it could be a wedding gown. It’s atypical of what most brides wear. It’s actually more my style than a traditional gown.

“You think?” I ask, hesitantly.

“Absolutely. If I could wear something like this, I would most definitely wear it as a bride. You must try it on.”

I take the gown and search for the price tag. “Holy shit,” escapes from my mouth when I find it. “Ava, this is a fortune.”

“Annie, my love. Do you have any idea how much wedding gowns cost? A proper designer gown is at least four times this amount. This is a bargain in comparison.”

“Really? Thousands?”

“Yes, babe. Thousands. Now go try it on.”

The fabric feels like heaven. Imagining Quint’s face as I walk down the aisle toward him has me grinning like a fool.

“Come. This was made for you. You’ll see.”

She leads me to the fitting rooms. The attendant hands us a ticket, and without an invite, Ava walks into the small room behind me. I’m not so surprised. Daphne would do the same. I’m also not modest. Playing sports in high school cures you of that.

I strip down to my panties and slip the dress on over my head. The silk feels amazing against my skin. It’s fitted and flares slightly at my feet. The dress cuts in a sweetheart neckline around the top of my breasts. Above the silk is a sheer organza fabric that covers my shoulders from front to back, leaving my arms bare. The fabric shimmers just enough and plunges in a deep V-neck to where it’s joined with the silk. When Ava zips up the back, I gasp at how beautiful it is. The hanger didn’t do it justice. It’s a perfect fit, almost as if it was custom-made. I’m not busty, but the dress enhances what little I have. The neckline is trimmed with seed pearls. Other than that, there aren’t any embellishments anywhere else. It’s not flashy, which is why I love it.