Page 30 of Totally Fanatic

“Ryan out of water?”

“Yeah, like fish out of water, because I was always at the pool or wishing I was in the water.”

“Oh, I get it now. That’s actually pretty clever.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh, I found him,” Ryan says and starts scrolling his phone through Lion’s feed. “He’s posted a lot. And he has heaps of comments and people liking and sharing his posts, too. Wow, this is great.”

Duckie coughs and mumbles, “Misery.”

“Dude, you gotta let that go. He’s a sweet guy, I swear. Look, he’ll be in Orlando for the weekend. How about he comes to dinner with us one night, then you can see for yourself he’s not a stalker?”

Duckie pulls his cap down over his face a little and rests back against the window to get some sleep.

“Alright, deal.”

I open the group chat with the guys and send off a quick message.

TIM: Dinner after game one. Venue and time TBC.

***

Lion was back in Savannah all week working while I was with the team rehearsing and training for the next set of games. While The Funky Monkeys only played in one game last weekend, we play in two this weekend, and now that I hit a home run and used my down under celebration, I’m trying to think of something else I can use next time. I know it’s probably bad luck to be thinking about the next home run when some players never get a homer, but I can’t help it. Lion has been messaging me ideas and sharing every video he can find online of the home run. His belief in me is really boosting my belief in myself. One of the videos is a close-up of my face as I swing and hit it, and then the pure unbridled happiness when I realized it was going all the way. I message Lion.

TIM: The guys want to know if you are keen to join us one night for dinner?

Okay, I want to know. It was my idea. I just want them to see him the way I do. To see that behind the rolling mountainsof muscle, he’s just a sweet guy. Nothing stalkery about that at all. And now I’m wondering, am I doing this to convince them or me?

It’s Friday afternoon, and instead of replaying the opening number in my head, all I can think about is whether or not Lion is already in town. He doesn’t drive, and it’s far too long of a push-bike ride, so he caught the train just like with Jacksonville. He’s also got three different guys joining him for the games this weekend, too. Set-ups his sister Mouse has arranged even though he told her to choose women. She could at least choose them based on their excitement to go, not how likely they are to want to date her brother.

LION: Oh wow, that’s nice of them. Sure. Okay. Are we trying another barbeque place? I hear there is really good seafood in Orlando. You could barbeque seafood in your food truck. Or gator tail. They do that there, too. I was looking up a few places to eat just before. I can find a place near the hotel you are all staying at if you want. Where are you staying?

“Sage, phone away or you won’t see it for the rest of the weekend,” Coach Miles says, and I immediately slip it onto the shelf of my cubby in the locker room.

“Sorry, Coach.”

You don’t want to mess with the coach. If he says you’ll lose it, he means it. Calvin found that out the hard way a few weeks back. His brother even tried to get it back for him, pretending it was his and trying to prove it by unlocking it with his face. Dumbass is a fucking twin. Like the coach was going to fall for that shit. Tony lost his for two days, too, and his own coach had him running stairs for ten minutes after every training that week. So, as much as I hate having to put it away without messaging Lion back. The alternative is I won’t be able to message him for days, so I do as I’m told.

“I want to see another game like last week. You really showed the crowd and the other teams you’re here to win it all this year.”

The guys cheer and start chattering about different plays that were awesome last game. My home run is mentioned by more than just one of them and it feels great hearing them acknowledge the contribution.

“The crowd will start arriving soon, you’ve got game duty on the field today, so try to keep the little ones off the diamond and have fun,” Coach finishes, and we get dressed. As soon as the coach is out of the room, I grab my phone and quickly text back Lion.

TIM: We’re at the Hyatt. See you at the game.

LION: Almost there.

***

I spot Lion right away. I was looking for him from the moment I got in the field. He wasn’t that hard to spot, though, when he towers over the crowd and is twice as wide as most guys. His hair is swooped back, and he’s wearing the same Funky Monkey jersey he wore last game. It hugs every bulge of his thick arms and looks hot as hell. The guy beside him is big, too, and judging by the way he’s looking at Lion, he likes the way the jersey fits, too.

Heat rises in my gut, and my fingers tighten against the glove in my hand. This guy can’t seriously think he has a chance. Would he? Duckie slaps his hand down on my shoulder.

“What’s got you all rage monkey?”

“What?”

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