Page 54 of Sparking Sara

“Tomorrow?” she asks, looking hopeful.

I shake my head. “I work tomorrow. I’ll stop by the day after. Joelle said she’d be here tomorrow, and I’m sure Oliver will keep you company.”

She nods.

“Come on, hun,” Oliver says. “Let’s get you fed. Then we can watch something on the telly.”

She looks over at the deck of cards sitting on the side table. “Okay,” she says, her eyes following me as I walk out her door.

~ ~ ~

Watching the game with Aspen was fun, and it’s a refreshing change to have someone who loves the opposing team as much as I do. I loved playing baseball growing up, and I’ve always been a fan of MLB. But when your brother-in-law is one of the best shortstops in the league, not to mention he holds the record for stolen bases, it makes watching games even more enjoyable.

Sawyer got me a job last year in Kansas City. I worked grounds crew for the Royals when nobody else would hire me. I grew up loving the Royals, and now I have two more reasons to cheer for them.

Aspen invites her friends, Rylee and Murphy, to go out with us, but they already have other plans.

“I have to swing by and pick up my date on the way to the restaurant,” I tell Aspen, as all of us head down towards the clubhouses to meet up with the players.

“Why didn’t she just come with you to the game?” Aspen asks.

I shrug. “For one, I didn’t know I was coming until a few hours ago. And two, well …”

“She’s just your date for the night and you don’t plan on calling her tomorrow.”

“Don’t look at me like that, Pen. It’s not like I have a bunch of one-night stands and sneak off in the middle of the night.”

She gives me a scolding look. “You don’t sleep with them?”

“I don’t sleep withmostof them,” I say. “I’m not a playboy like your husband used to be.”

“Gee, thanks for reminding me.” She rolls her eyes. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to try a second date now and then. Not everyone is like Kendall. Anyone worth having will stick with you through thick and thin.”

I ignore her observation. I’m tired of Aspen shrinking me. “I’m going to head out and get Nora while you wait for Sawyer. Meet you there?”

“Sounds good.”

I say goodbye to Aspen’s friends and make my way through the crowd to the subway. Twenty minutes later, I’m knocking on Nora’s door.

“I’m so glad you asked me out,” she says. “I didn’t think you even noticed me.”

“What’s not to notice?” I ask.

“Thanks,” she says, walking down her front stairs. She looks into the street. “Oh, we’re not taking a cab?”

“I’m more of a subway guy.”

She looks down at her very high-heeled shoes. “Uh, mind if I run back up and change out of these?”

I wait on the sidewalk while she trades her fuck-me heels for a more sensible pair.

We make small talk on the way to dinner. I ask her about being a nurse and she asks how I like being a firefighter. When we make it to Mitchell’s, Nora looks up at the awning. “I love this place,” she says. “Have you ever been here before?”

“It’s one of my favorites.”

She hooks her arm around my elbow. “See, we have so much in common already.”

I open the door for her.

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