Page 93 of Double Play

“When they see your picture, sunshine, I’ll be long forgotten. I promise.”

She licks her luscious lips. “Are you trying to get lucky tonight?”

“I’m dating a sex maniac. IknowI’m getting lucky tonight.”

She smiles. Fuck, I love her smile.

We easily get the first two batters out. Randy was thrilled to achieve the elusive golden sombrero on the first batter. He cheered like he won the league championship. We’re up by eight runs. I’m going to have to have a conversation with him about sportsmanship.

The third batter steps into the box. Randy winds up and throws the pitch. The batter connects and crushes the ball. It’s a long flyball to rightfield. I mumble, “Shit.” Perry gets so upset every time he misses a ball. It’s heartbreaking.

I yell, “Perry, it’s deep! Go back!”

He turns his little body and runs as fast and hard as his little legs are capable of taking him.

I yell again, “Stick out your glove! It’s coming!”

I feel like the next five seconds happen in slow motion. He stumbles and starts to fall but manages to get his glove out. The ball comes down, and, by some miracle, it falls into his glove just as Perry’s body hits the ground. He lays there, looking lifeless. I’m holding my breath.

After a few long beats, he holds up the ball. The umpire motions that it’s the final out of the game.

The entire team is quiet and completely still. I think they’re in shock. We’re all in shock, including Perry.

And then all hell breaks loose. Every kid on the teamsprints out to rightfield and piles on top of Perry like he just made this catch to save game seven in the World Series.

Arizona is jumping up and down, screaming for him. She looks over at me. “He did it!” Her face falls a little as she places her hand on my back. “Are you crying?”

I wipe my eyes. “Maybe. Crying is a sign of emotional intelligence.”

She laughs as she pulls my arm. “Come on, Coach Layton, let’s go celebrate with your star pupil.”

As soon as the kids’game was over, Arizona left to get her hair and makeup done with the girls. After a quick stop for celebratory ice cream, I dropped the kids back at Linda’s House and now I’m knocking on a door.

It opens and Quincy’s face immediately drops when he sees that it’s me. “What do you want, Lancaster?”

“I want to talk to you.”

He sighs as if I’m bothering him but opens the door wider in invitation. I walk through and toward his living room where I spent many days and evenings this past off-season watching football and basketball games. I sit on the couch.

He’s silent, with a miserable, murderous look on his face as he sits across from me. He leans back with his legs wide open and his arm over the back of the chair, clearly trying to assert his dominance, but I’m not here to get into a pissing contest with him.

“I wanted to have this conversation with you weeksago. She asked me to hold off for the time being. I’m sorry you found out about us the way you did. Truly.”

“With my sister on her knees in a fucking closet at the stadium? You can’t treat her like a whore.”

I squeeze the arm of the chair, trying to remain calm. “I don’t treat her like a whore, Quincy. Not remotely. Do you really think your sister would stand for that? She doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do.”

“So you’re saying my sister has chosen to be a whore?”

I grit my teeth. “Don’t fucking call her that again. I didn’t come here to fight with you, but if you disrespect her again, the gloves come off.” I blow out an exasperated breath as I run my fingers through my hair. “Look, I see no reason for you and me to ever discuss my sex life with Arizona. You know full well that your sister isn’t a virginal nun. I’m not talking about this topic again. I’m here to talk about my relationship with her. Teammate to teammate. Friend to friend. Man to man.”

He runs his tongue along his top teeth. “Say what you came to say, Lancaster, and then get the fuck out.”

I nod. “I want you to know that my feelings for her are real. I’ve never in my life felt about a woman the way I do her.”

“How long has it been going on? Since the beginning? Was everything you both told me bullshit?”

I shake my head. “No. It started just as we told you. With neither of us planning on it being anything but the PR relationship they wanted. I’m not going to lie to you and pretend like I haven’t always been physically attracted to her. I have been since the second I met her, before I even knew she was your sister. But our plans for a platonic relationship were genuine.”

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