Page 56 of Totally Fanatic

“Are you all pumped for the game?” I ask Ryan.

“Super pumped. Alan is going down.”

“You mean Animal Control?”

“Yes, but specifically Alan. He and I have a bet going, and I hate to lose. I mean, I love to lose to him, but today, I really want to win.”

“No problem, Tim is going to hit a home run, you should hit one, too.”

He laughs. “Because that is something I can choose to do,” he says, and Tim shoves him in the arm.

“Speak for yourself. I totally intend to smash it out of the park today,” Tim says, and I wrap him in a hug.

“You totally will.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Matherson,” Enzo says, walking only a few steps into the room. “It’s time to head up to the box.”

I give Tim one last squeeze.

“Have an amazing game. I’ll be the guy cheering loudest from the manager’s box.”

“I’m counting on it,” he replies, and as much as I still want to kiss him, I don’t because this is his place of work, and Enzo is looking really uncomfortable right now edging closer to the door as he waits.

“So, your original tickets, do you have them?”

“I have mine, Mary Beth has her one but she’s on the inside. I always take the seat closest to the aisle,” I say, handing over the ticket from my pocket.

Enzo presses his ear. “Miss. Mary Beth, seat G2 in the reserved section. Yes, to the manager’s box, please,” he says, and he hands back the ticket.

“I assume you are saving these?”

“Thanks, I am actually. I’ve been collecting a few bits and pieces from the places we’ve been this year, too, like the game in Jacksonville. I grabbed this cool postcard at the station in theshape of a pineapple wearing sunglasses. It’s with my train ticket and game pass in a box at home.”

I follow beside Enzo through the corridors. “These season pass tickets are way cooler than the general admission ones. You guys should totally make all the seating assigned next year, it’s so much easier this way. Last year, there were some games I couldn’t even get a seat for Mary Beth and I together, no one would move down to fit us in. I mean, I take up a fair bit of space, too, so I get it. No one wants to sit next to or behind the huge guy, but this is better.”

“Open seating is common at most places.”

“I know, but you should see the chaos some games caused by fans just trying to find a place. You are in PR, right?”

“Yes, I’m the PR manager.”

“It’s your job to make everyone love everything about Banana Ball, right?”

“I guess that is part of it.”

“So, this is one thing people don’t love.”

“I’ll look into it. Here is the manager’s box. Bart usually mingles through the crowd at games, so don’t expect to see him up here. There is food and a bar, and you can have whatever you like. Security can let us know if you need anything.”

He pushes open the door to the manager’s box, and along with tables covered in food on my left, on the right is a full bar with a waitress waiting to serve me. The room is otherwise empty. If Bart is never up here, why bother with all this?

“Where will you be watching from?” I ask, and Enzo shakes his head.

“I’ll be downstairs in case someone needs anything.”

“You can stay here. It’s a huge room, and it has an amazing view. You have your earpiece thing. If someone needs you, they will call, right?”

“I mean, I guess so.”

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