Page 47 of Wild Pitch

RIGGS:

Well, I’m ready to collect my prize.

MONROE:

Oh, God. What’ll it be, Val? Blowing you while you watch ESPN? Fucking me on the beach where everyone can see? Making me call you Daddy?

RIGGS:

All wonderful ideas, but no. I just want to take you on a date.

MONROE:

That’s all youwant? A date?

RIGGS:

Yep. My flight gets in at 8 o’clock. I’ll text you the address for where to meet me. Wear running shoes.

MONROE:

If this date includes cardio, I already hate it.

RIGGS:

Well, I hated getting dry humped by the team mascot, but here we are. No arguing. Be a good girl and follow directions.

MONROE:

Ugh, fine. See you tonight.

RIGGS:

Love you, sweet thing.

MONROE:

Love you.

I pocket my phone,leaning my head back and closing my eyes. After our home game last week, I spent a couple of hours interacting with fans, so we were both exhausted by the time we got home. The next morning, I had to leave for some road games, so this’ll be my first night home. I’ve set up a night that, if all goes according to plan, neither of us will ever forget.

I try my hardest to rest for the remainder of the flight, but I’m way too excited to get any sleep. By the time we touch down and I tell Monroe where to meet me, I’m vibrating with anticipation. The drive from the airport to the stadium is short, so I swing by the groundskeeper’soffice with about fifteen minutes to spare before my girl arrives.

“Hey, Albie,” I say, rapping a knuckle on the thick wooden door before stepping inside. He’s an older man, probably in his late sixties, and I became fast friends with him when I was first brought up to the majors. I wanted to show my dedication to the team, so I arrived on game days before everyone else and always left last. I took the time to get to know a lot of the staff members, and that’s something that’s about to pay off for me in spades.

“Hey there, Riggs,” he says with a smile. “Welcome home.” He stands before rounding his desk and extending his hand between us. I shake it and give him a tight nod.

“Thanks, man. Good to be back. Everything all set for tonight?” I ask.

“Sure is,” he replies cheerfully. “The man door next to the main cargo bay is propped open with a brick. All the other entrances are locked, so make sure that one is closed tightly before you leave. I gave my overnight security guards the evening off. It’s all yours.” He raises a suspicious brow, eyeing me. “I don’t know what you’re up to tonight, but if you get caught, I had nothing to do with it.”

I chuckle quietly. “Of course. Thanks for your help. I owe you one.”

He gives me a thumbs up, shuffling out of the room and leaving me by myself. When I’m sure he’s gone, I make my way to where the main breakers for the entire building are. I stand, shifting my weight from foot to foot, nervous that Monroe won’t be down for the things I’ve planned for us. I’d be perfectly okay if she wasn’t, but this is all I’ve thought about for the last week, and I’m practicallysalivating at the thought of what could possibly happen here.

Before I met her, the beast inside me was destined to live his life in a cage. I restrained myself so much that I wondered if I’d ever feel true fulfillment during sex. I think that’s part of the reason why I never had an issue moving from woman to woman. They were using me in the same way that I was using them, and we were all in agreement that it would never be more. They’d never see the real me and I didn’t have to worry about getting my feelings involved, because I was convinced that I’d never find someone who matched me so perfectly in every sense of the word.

That’s exactly what Monroe is to me. Not once have I ever wondered whether she liked me because of my job, since I never told her who I was that first night. By the time she found out, she had already made up her mind about me, and we wasted two whole years convincing ourselves that we hated each other. I know I was wrong for being dishonest back then, but I can’t say it didn’t help me get past the fear of her ending up just like the rest when I had already begun to feel things for her that I had never experienced before.

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