Page 144 of Play Along

He speaks about it as if I’ve already been offered the position.

“Is Dr. Tran hands-on with the players, or does he mostly do office work and consult when needed?”

It’s something I need to know before my interview tomorrow. I’m not sure if I could accept the position if there isn’t flexibility that still allows me to do what I love.

“Oh, he’s barely in there. He has an office manager who does most of his paperwork duties. Candice is great. She’ll take care of the managerial duties for you, but yeah, Dr. Tran is super hands-on in the training room and out in the dugout during games.”

“The way you talk about him... He sounds like a beloved doctor.”

“He is. He’s been here twenty-six years, and he’s going to be missed. But I know he’s excited to meet you tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting him. Will he be in the interview?”

“Yeah, he’s been in them all. From what I’ve heard, you’re the third and final one.”

There’s a part of me that wants to get the inside scoop about the other applicants from Josh. He seems like he knows a little bit about everything that goes on around here, but I refrain. I know what I have to offer in both my experience and education, that if I don’t get the job, it’s because I wasn’t the correct fit.

Which has me asking, “Does Dr. Tran and the rest of the hiring committee know that I’m a woman?”

Josh halts in his steps, utterly confused. “Of course they do.”

Relief floods me.

“Come on,” he says. “I want to show you my favorite view of the whole stadium.”

I follow him to an elevator and down a few hallways. We pass the clubhouse again, which is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. The team logo is centered in the middle, and the locker stalls are individually illuminated. The players’ gear is already waiting for their game tomorrow, regardless that they only finished playing today’s game a few hours ago.

He holds the door open for me again, and as soon as I step into the room, I fully understand what he means by it being the best view in the house. It might be the best view in all of San Francisco.

“Holy shit,” I hear myself say, utterly mesmerized by the sparkling water of the Bay behind the bleacher section.

Boats line the marina, and the scoreboard... Jesus, I never thought I’d be speechless because of a damn scoreboard. The sun is starting its descent, casting a warm amber and pink glow across the water.

I could get used to this. I could imagine working here, spending most of my days here. This has to be the most beautiful stadium in all of baseball.

But it doesn’t have the history of the stadium in Chicago. It doesn’t have the iconic hand-turned scoreboard, or the infamous ivy-covered brick. It doesn’t have the red marquee outside or the best fans in the world. And don’t even get me started on the hot dogs.

San Francisco doesn’t have the people—the team, Miller, Monty, and most of all, it doesn’t have Isaiah. But on the upside, it also doesn’t have Dr. Fredrick.

And what it can offer me other than a stunning stadium and state-of-the-art facilities is the job I’ve spent my entire adult life working towards. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, if ever, and I’m not going to throw it away because I suddenly realized I have feelings for my husband.

“Are you ready for your interview tomorrow?” Josh asks from my side.

“I think so. I’m a little nervous though. The last time I came in for a job, it didn’t exactly have the best outcome.”

“What do you mean?”

I brush him off. “Long story.”

“Well, you have no need to be nervous. You’re practically a shoo-in. The medical team has been talking about you all week, and you’re the only application that Dr. Tran handpicked.”

That earns my attention. “Really?”

Josh’s smile is genuine. “Really.”

Nodding, I refocus on the stadium in front of me. I can do this. Everything I’ve ever wanted could be mine tomorrow.

He clears his throat. “Apologies if this is forward. I noticed the ring on your finger. Dean gave me the impression that you were single, so I was hoping to take you to dinner tonight, but...”

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