Page 61 of Off Pitch

“Yeah,” I say, rubbing my neck. “Surprised me, too.”

Rana laughs as she takes note of Harlow. “Ah, here’s the one to thank for the demeanor change. You must be Harlow Pierce.”

Harlow slowly reaches her hand out to take the one Rana is extending and shakes. “Uh, yeah. I’m Harlow.” Her voice is shaky. The ever-confident Harlow is starstruck and nervous right now.

“Your blog is phenomenal,” Rana says. “You’ve done a wonderful job.”

“You- you’ve read my blog?” She asks with stars in her eyes.

“Yes, dear,” Rana says with a light laugh. “Now, why don’t you all follow me so we can discuss and find the perfect gowns for you.” Rana throws an arm around Harlow’s shoulder, leading her, Lucia, and Rory away.

Lo looks back at me and mouthsOh my God,causing me to laugh as I start after them.

Rana leads us all into what looks to be a consultation area, fitted with two blue velvet sofas and a dark wood table across from a matching blue velvet chair. Harlow and I take our seats on one sofa, Lucia and Rory take the other, and Rana takes the chair.

“Okay, ladies. Let’s talk about styles, colors, everything. I’ll start at the end here. You’re Paul Fisher’s daughter, Rory, right?” Rana asks as she turns to face Rory.

“Yes,” she replies, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Not quite the same fitness as my dad, though.”

Rana waves her off. “Not to worry, darling. I’m confident I have something here that will complement you well. You have quite a beautiful complexion.”

“Perks of being biracial, I guess,” Rory says.

Rana says, “An olive green would suit you beautifully, Rory. How do you plan to wear your hair for this event? Your curls are absolutely stunning, but the best neckline for you will depend on how you style your hair.”

“I usually pull it up.”

“A V-neckline then. I have the perfect dress for you.” Rana turns her attention now to Lucia. “You are Lucia? I believe that’s what Knox told me when he set this up.” Lucia nods. “What olive complexion do you have, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Spanish,” Lucia replies. “My parents are from Spain, along the Mediterranean.”

“I think a cherry red would be perfect for you, Lucia. Something strapless. I have something I think you’ll love.” Rananow turns to Harlow. “Now for Harlow. Your skin is relatively fair.”

“Oh yes,” she laughs. “I always need to go heavy on the SPF if I don’t want to burn.”

“A pastel blue for you. It will complement your skin and bring out the blue of your eyes. I have a few necklines that might suit you, but I love the idea of you in a plunging neckline.”

Yeah, I think I like the idea of that, too.

“I can’t wait to see what you pick then.”

Rana stands up. “Okay, ladies,” she says, clapping her hands together. “Why don’t you head to the fitting area, and I’ll pull some options for you?”

We make our way to the fitting area as Rana spends a few minutes grabbing dresses from her stock. When she comes over, she disperses the gowns amongst Harlow, Lucia, and Rory, and they disappear to try them on.

Is it wrong that I’m not paying attention at all to what Lucia and Rory are wearing because I’m so focused on Harlow? The three women all come out to see what the others are wearing and comment on how it looks and fits, but whenever they’re in front of me, I only look at Harlow. She’s tried on two gowns so far, both light blue. I thought they looked great and told her so, but Lucia, Rory, and Rana seemed to have differing opinions.

As she goes back in to try on her third option, Rana’s favorite, Rana sits beside me on the sofa outside the changing area. “She’s lovely.”

I smile. “She really is.” And I mean that. Harlow has such a beautiful soul that shines through to everyone she meets. How anyone could find it in themselves to dull that sparkle is unfathomable to me.

“As a Stars fan,” Rana says, “I fully support this pairing. Your pitching has only gotten better since you two went public.”

“Yeah, I guess it has,” I admit. And that’s something I never really thought of, but she’s right. I’ve always been able to maintain a low ERA and a high number of wins, but we’re almost two months into the season now, and I don’t have a single loss. My numbers this year are better than they’ve ever been. Does that actually have anything to do with Harlow, though?

“I can see how much you care about her.” I give her a questioning look. “Hey, you might be Fort Knox to everyone else, but I can read people. And you have hearts in your eyes every time you look at her.”

“Oh,” is all I can manage to say.

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