The Shortstop (3 page)

“Oh, Q,” I call out, too loudly.

He smiles briefly until his orgasm forces it to fade. Without humor, without levity, he stares intently into my eyes until his last spasm subsides.

“Fuck, babe. I needed that. Studying has been very stressful.”

At my incredulous stare, he gives me a lopsided smirk. Collapsing onto his chest, I kiss him softly and reply, “You’re a funny man.”

A void engulfs me when I lift off to lie beside him. It’s irrational to think we could be connected every moment of every day, but I wish we could be. It’s also scary how much I’m wrapped around him and he around me. We are two halves of a whole. 

He draws lazy patterns on my bare back as my thoughts drift. Now that my passion has settled for the time being, I remember Daphne’s request before I came to bed. I don’t realize my thoughts are causing me to frown until he gently runs his thumb along the crease in my brow. “You okay?”

It’s scary how well he knows me.

Distractedly, I trace the ridges of his six-pack. Looking past him, I focus on the framed picture on his nightstand. I remember the day it was taken. It was his seventh birthday, right outside his house. He just got a new bike. He couldn’t wait to show me. His mom snapped a picture of him sitting on the bike and me on the handlebars. His one hand held my waist possessively, and the other held my hand. Even then, you could see the love all over his gorgeous face.

“Annie?” he asks after a few moments of silence pass between us.

“What?”

“What’s wrong?” He lifts my chin until I’m staring into those beautiful brown eyes. I can never deny him anything, but when he stares at me as he’s doing now, I become a hopeless cause. Unable to resist, I close the distance between us to kiss his full, firm lips. After a few seconds, I forget what it is I was about to say.

“Annie?” He prompts again. “Is it finals?”

“No. Um…Daphne wants to come with us to Disney.”

His eyes widen in surprise. “They made up?”

“No. She wants to come
without
Billy.”

After their blow-up this afternoon, we assumed they wouldn’t be coming on our little vacation this weekend. Quint was upset we all wouldn’t be going together, but that was short-lived. He quickly realized the fun he and I would still be having. I have to admit it’s strange she still wants to come. Then again, that’s Daphne. She’s looking for a fun weekend where we’ll get to be silly and immature and young. At the moment, that’s what she needs to keep her mind off of Billy.

Quint looks confused for a few seconds before asking, “Why?”

“She needs to get away. The whole Billy thing has her stressed out. She wants to be distracted, and Disney is a good place to do that. She thought we wouldn’t mind.”

“But we do.”

“Q.”

“What?” He sighs while staring at the ceiling. Lowering his gaze to mine, he admits, “I’d really rather be alone with you. Going as two couples was one thing.”

“She’ll have her own room.”

“Well, I should fuckin’ hope so,” he says loudly.

“Shh, Q. She’ll hear you.” He groans impatiently. “It’s just two nights. We’ll have time alone in our room. It’ll be fun.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Annie…really?”

“Please?”

He gauges my expression. “You don’t want to say no to her?”

“No. She needs us right now.”

“She always needs us.” He shakes his head, annoyed at the situation.

“This one was bad. I don’t think they’ll recover this time.”

He scans my face before asking, “You don’t?”

“No. I think things are about to get worse. Who knows what will happen when we get back? She needs this.”

The frown on his face softens, and he strokes his thumb across my cheek. “Annie Weber, your heart is too big for your body.” His lips land on mine for a quick kiss. “Fine, she can come. Just don’t go thinking you’ll be having girl time. With finals, and being away from each other so much due to spring training, I wanted this weekend to be us. Even when they were both coming, having them there didn’t mean we couldn’t separate and be alone. Now that’ll be impossible.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” I offer my standard promise.

He smiles and smacks my ass. “Your list is long, Ms. Weber. It’s going to take the rest of your life to pay up.”

With a shrug, I admit, “I don’t mind.”

“Neither do I. I’ll start collecting now.” With two hands on my face, he kisses me long and hard.

Quint

We’re on our way—the third wheel, Annie, and me. It’s less than four hours to get to Orlando, but it feels like we’ve been in this car for days. Finals are done, and my girl can relax now. We did it. In a few days, we’ll be college graduates. I am looking forward to the next stage of our lives. Once we get to Baltimore, we’ll be getting a good taste of the future. Since childhood, I’ve imagined being a major league player who is living the ultimate American dream with his wife by his side. The wife part I added to the dream after puberty. There was never a question whether Annie would be my wife. There wasn’t even a question that I would be playing ball in some capacity. As prepared as I am with those realities, my heart still flips with anticipation when thinking about them. So many years have gone by, building toward this moment. It’s almost here, and I intend to appreciate every second of every day.

Choosing Disney to celebrate our graduation wasn’t random. Since there isn’t time after graduation to make the trip, we chose the weekend before. The day after graduation, we are heading north. We’ll have two weeks to get settled in Baltimore before my contract begins. No way were we leaving Florida without squeezing in this trip. Annie fell in love with Disney
our one and only time there. I can still picture the look on her face when she first saw Cinderella’s Castle.

Neither Annie nor I have siblings. Being neighbors whose kids were best friends, our parents also became best friends. I think they tried to raise us as siblings, but that obviously backfired. Annie’s parents had miscarried a few times after her birth. They never had any other children and were so happy when Annie found me. They would take us on joint vacations together. Most of the time we went to the Jersey shore or the mountains, sometimes to more exciting places like Niagara Falls. The year we turned eight, they surprised us with Disney World.

She remembers every moment of that vacation. There was a bride and groom taking pictures in front of Cinderella’s Castle. The look on Annie’s face was one of pure awe. I’ll never forget her wide-eyed expression while watching the bride and groom kiss. Since becoming an adult, she’s admitted that Disney would not be a place where she would want to get married. She wasn’t getting any arguments from me.

I want to make this weekend special. I have a surprise for her. I’ll be proposing, and she hasn’t a clue. Whenever we talk about our engagement or even getting married, it’s years down the road. Once I signed with the Orioles, I decided to propose before my contract began. It’s important to me that she knows it’s not just
my
future,
my
salary, or
my
bonus. It’s ours. Annie needs to know that no matter what happens, we are going in as a team.

I borrowed from my parents until my salary kicks in. They tried to dissuade me, arguing it would make sense to wait until we settle into our new lives. I disagreed. It needs to be now. I appeased them with promises the wedding could wait, but our engagement has to be now. I asked her father for his permission, purchased the ring during my last trip to Sarasota, and I’m ready to put it on her finger.

Besides my future in-laws and my parents, Billy is the only one who knows of my plans. He apologized for screwing things up, but it’s not his fault his girlfriend is acting like a psychotic bitch. I didn’t tell Daphne because basically I don’t trust that she wouldn’t slip and say something to Annie. She can be ditzy at times.

The way Daphne yaps in the back seat about random nonsense proves my point. Annie laughs and nods but otherwise doesn’t say much. The only reason Daphne’s ass is sitting in this car is because my girlfriend has a heart of gold. She can’t help herself. I didn’t want to dampen our special weekend by refusing to let her help her best friend. That would torment her, and I couldn’t consciously do that.

As I take hold of her hand, she looks my way and smiles. I can’t wait to get her alone, and according to the GPS, that’ll be in less than fifteen minutes.

“Can we stop? I have to pee,” Daphne says without looking up from her cell phone.

“Nope, I’m not stopping.”

“Really, Q? Are you going to be a grump all weekend?” Her question hits a nerve.

“Don’t call me Q. No one calls me Q except for Annie.” This is nothing new. Everyone in my life knows that…especially Daphne. Annie smiles proudly, as she does every time I declare this.

“I forgot. Sorry,
Quint
.” She exaggerates my name. “Chill out, Disney
is supposed to be the land of happiness.”

“Daph, we’ll be there in ten minutes,” Annie responds before I do.

Daphne releases a very heavy, dramatic sigh. “Fine.”

Without making eye contact, Annie lifts our entwined hands and places a kiss on my knuckles. It’s her way of asking me to relax. Over the years, she’s taken on the role of mediator. My relationship with Daphne is filled with teasing, digs, and jabs. She busts my balls, and I give it right back. This week, it’s been different. I’ve held back on my teasing because she’s been so depressed. The Daphne who sits in this car now is anything but depressed. I think she’s handling this whole thing better than I expected. She’s downright chipper and not at all brooding like she should be.

True to his word, Billy hasn’t shown his face all week. I feel bad for the dude. I’ve tried to convince him to talk to her, but he flat out refused. He claimed she didn’t give a crap about him. I can’t say he’s off the mark. Annie said Daphne admitted that she didn’t think she loved him. What the hell? Did she believe someone better than Billy was going to come along? She has a guy who put up with her shit, all of it, and still loved her?

She should be jumping all over that. I know it’s killing Annie to sit back and not get involved. Our days at FSU are numbered, and in spite of my girl’s efforts, it looks like Daphne and Billy will be going their separate ways.

The hotel finally appears down the road. “Thank, Christ,” I unintentionally mumble out loud.

“Is it me, or has this ride taken forever?” The irony of Daphne’s question causes me to laugh. Annie watches as I shake my head. She fails to hide her smile and quickly looks out her window.

I navigate my car toward the front portico of the hotel. We’re staying at one of the nicest Disney properties, which is pricier but worth it. A few minutes later, the three of us are at the front desk waiting to check in.

“You called, right, Daph?” Annie asks as I hand over my license to the clerk.

“Um, I forgot.”

“You didn’t call?” I ask, a bit too harshly. I knew it. I knew not to trust her. I should have made that call myself!

Annie had canceled Billy and Daphne’s room after their fight. Once Daphne decided she would still tag along, we asked her to call the hotel to reserve a new room.

“I figured we’d ask when we got here. If they didn’t have a room, I figured I could sleep on your couch and save the money.”

“You figured wrong,” I gripe. Annie watches my face as I mentally count to ten. I know what she’s thinking. I’m about to blow, and she’s absolutely right. The front desk clerk watches our exchange expectantly. “Do you have another room?” I ask through gritted teeth, not bothering to hide my aggravation. This weekend is slowly becoming a disaster.

“I’m sorry, sir. We are pretty booked up.”

“Well isn’t this a mother-fucking shame.”

Annie squeezes my arm and says, “Q.”

“Can you check again?” I ask the clerk.
Before I kill her
, I add in my mind.

Her fingers fly over the keyboard as she frowns at the screen before her. She looks up and adds, “We do have a junior suite available. It’s a one bedroom with a living room area, including a pullout couch.”

Annie sighs and asks, “How much is that?”

“We’ll take it,” I blurt out before the clerk can respond.

“Quint.”

“Babe, we’re taking it. It’ll be worth every fucking penny,” I mumble the last part to myself. I meet her eye, and without argument, she nods. Annie knows I came very close to pulling over on the freeway and ordering Daphne to walk. At this rate, Daphne is facing a long walk back to Tallahassee if she keeps this shit up.

“You guys are the best.” Oblivious to my seething, Daphne pulls Annie and me into a hug. “I would’ve stayed at a different hotel. You have no idea how much this means to me. Dinner is on me, my treat. Thank you for being such great friends.”

Annie meets my eye over Daphne’s shoulders and mouths, “Be nice.”

“You’re welcome,” I grumble under duress while asking God to give me patience this weekend.

The suite will have to do. It’s not large. Only ten measly feet separate the pullout couch from the bedroom door, but it’s better than the alternative.

By the time we got checked in, made it to our room, and unpacked, it was well past eight. We decided to make it an early night, wanting to hit the park first thing in the morning.

Annie is taking a shower before we head out for a quick dinner. The minute I hear the steady stream of the water, I pounce. “Listen up, Daph. I have plans with Annie tomorrow night, just the two of us. So on my cue, you need to find something to do, alone.”

“Okay, no problem. I’m sorry I’m ruining your romantic weekend.” The sadness in her eyes causes me to quickly backpedal.

Feeling like a prick, I respond, “It’s not your fault. It’s just that Annie has been so stressed with finals and moving back north that I wanted to make this weekend special for her.”

“I get it. I’ll stay out of your way as much as possible.”

When she looks away, I feel very guilty. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

She looks down and shakes her head. “Don’t apologize. I screwed everything up. I don’t know why you all put up with me. I’m just so confused.” Slowly, she shifts her gaze to meet mine. Tears shimmer in her eyes and her bottom lip quivers. She stares at me for a very long moment before asking, “Why am I such an idiot?” The tears that threatened start to roll slowly down her cheeks. She swipes at them impatiently and turns away, embarrassed.

I’m not sure if it’s a rhetorical question, but I quickly respond, “You’re not an idiot. Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand since I’ve had Annie for most of our lives, but I’m sure it’s not easy to put yourself out there and not feel vulnerable while doing so.”

“You have no idea.” Slowly she returns my gaze. After a long pause, she says, “When I met Billy, I thought he was just what I needed. I’ve only loved one person my entire life, and it…it didn’t work out. I felt that Billy was just the guy I’d been hoping would come along and help me fall in love again. The problem is I still love someone else.”

I’m surprised by her admission. “Did you tell Annie this?”

“Yeah, not in so many words. Like you, she doesn’t get it. It’s not because she’s insensitive. She’s always had you and can’t relate to my situation.”

“Does this guy know how you feel? Is he at FSU?”

“No, he’s from back home. I couldn’t tell him.” With a tilt of her chin, her eyes narrow and anger crosses her features instantly. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t feel the same, so I’ll never tell him,” she admits adamantly. Lifting a magazine off the coffee table, she starts aggressively flipping the pages. “His loss.”

The shower turns off, and I’m relieved Annie will be here any minute to defuse the tension. I’m not good at consoling. I feel bad for giving her a hard time earlier today. I’ll try to be nicer and more understanding. If Annie has taught me anything, it’s to be grateful for what we have. Not everyone is as lucky.

During dinner, I’m uncharacteristically quiet. I have a lot on my mind, and the conversation between the girls regarding Billy’s screwing methods is the last thing I want to visualize. I’m a bit surprised Annie hasn’t changed the subject. She must be trying hard to not upset Daphne’s applecart this weekend.

By the time we close our bedroom door, I’m horny and annoyed. I don’t understand where the annoyance comes in. Something is irritating me. I know it’s instigated by Daphne’s presence, but that’s the part I’m struggling with. I’m torn between feeling bad for her and being ticked off as well.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” Annie asks when she emerges from the bathroom. “You’ve been very quiet tonight.”

“I’m not sure,” I decide to be honest.