Page 12 of Curveball

His eyes practically bug out of his head before he wiggles away and finally leaves.

My remaining friends eventually say goodbye, and I’m left alone to reflect on the day.

Surrounded by the steam of the hot tub, I tilt my head back and take another gulp of my beer. Holy shit. I can’t believe I’m going to get to play professional baseball. I’m living my dream. I’m living the dream of every little boy in this country. In the world. I’m still finding it hard to believe.

A few minutes later, Ripley walks back out. “Arizona is asleep. I’m going to head home. Congrats again, Quincy. I wish you all the luck in the world.”

“No need to rush. Get in. We barely got to speak today. Let’s catch up, Shortcake.” For some reason, I don’t want her to leave.

She hesitates briefly before sitting back on the ledge, still with her towel wrapped around her, and places her feet in the water. I wonder why she won’t get in.

“Get in. It feels great.”

She squeezes her towel even tighter and looks down. “Not right now. Maybe in a bit.”

Suddenly it occurs to me. She doesn’t want to show me her body. She’s insecure. I can’t imagine why. Yes, she’s bigger than most girls, but not in a bad way. Women are supposed to have curves, and she’s got them in spades.

I turn around to get another beer from the cooler behind me, pretending to be searching for the one I want so my back is turned for an extended time. When I turn back, she’s in the water, mostly covered by the darknessof the evening. Though I can see the tops of her breasts just above the water. So fucking hot.

I snap out of my thoughts and make eye contact with her. “Catch me up on all things Ripley St. James.”

She smiles as she gathers her flowy red hair into a messy bun and ties it in place. A few stray curls fall out. Her blue eyes are shining extra bright in the water. She’s so beautiful. My heart is suddenly beating too fast.

“It was a fun year. Lots of parties. As you know, we won the state championship for softball. Your sister had a great season.”

I let out a laugh. “I followed the season, Shortcake. You only let up three runs the entire year. It sounds like it wasyouwho had the great season.”

The corners of her mouth rise in amusement. “We both did.”

“How’s your mom?” June St. James is a character, to say the least.

Ripley rolls her eyes. “If you’re asking if she still loves to bring home random guys and publicly embarrass me, the answer is yes.”

I chuckle. It’s all true. “You’re starting to look like her.” June is an attractive redhead.

“I don’t see it.”

“That’s because you have a much better body.” My jaw drops. I can’t believe I said that out loud. June is tall, like Ripley, but doesn’t have the sexy curves.

Every inch of Ripley blushes at the compliment. It’s adorable.

I need a subject change. “What’s with Noah? I hate him. He’s a douche.”

She giggles. “You’d hate anyone she dated. Noah isn’t bad. He’s whipped. She’s not. He leaves for college nextmonth. At her suggestion, they’re breaking up before he leaves. They have an expiration date.”

“Good. What about you? You mentioned not having a boyfriend right now, but what about this year?” For some reason, I need to know.

She shakes her head. “No.”

“Why not?”

She looks down again. “I’m not exactly high school desirable. Guys aren’t into me. I think I outweigh most of them. At least the guys my age.”

“High school boys are idiots. A real woman should have curves, and real men appreciate them. You’ve grown up a lot since I last saw you.” I reach over and tilt her chin up so I can look her in the eyes. “Ripley, you’re stunning. I thought it the second I walked in this morning. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

She blushes and then visibly swallows. “Thank you. I’d rather not waste my time on guys my age anyway. I’ve always had my eye on a slightly older guy, but he doesn’t see me that way.” She briefly pauses. “At least he hasn’t in the past. I’ve saved myself for him. I’ve saved my firsts for him.”

I try to muster a smile, both hating and feeling jealous of this ignorant dickhead. “He’s a lucky guy. There’s no shame in saving your virtue until this meathead opens his eyes.”

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