Page 77 of The Suit

“Kids here, man,” he whispered behind me, while I thanked whoever was listening that I was sitting, given my legs were now made of Jell-O.

I was half expecting the flashing heart to still be circling her head as I pulled back, but it wasn’t. It was just as good though - her eyes were slightly glazed, her cheeks had pinked again, and she looked so beautiful I seriously wondered whether I was having heart palpitations from the pounding in my chest.

Fuck me.

I straightened up a crinkle in her t-shirt. “I’ve had fun too Holmes. I’ve liked having you here today, I’ve liked having you here this weekend. Never thought I’d say this, but I think I like you.”

She rolled her lips, her big eyes clearing and searching my face. Then those two little lines appeared between her brows, and she took a breath. “Never thought I’d say that either.”

I waited, then waited some more. “Are you gonna?”

She nodded, with a grin. “Yeah. I think I like you.”

My cheeks soon ached from the smile which spread and stretched to each one.

“But we go back to work tomorrow. I should be working today. I’m so behind with cases because of this one.”

I spun my cap back around and stared her down. “I think you need more fun in your life, Holmes. Starting now.”

Her response was drowned out with a deafening cheer as Ace Watson hit the first Yankees home run of the evening; Penn’s cheer the loudest of all. Even the classic accordion booming out round the stadium was no match for his hollering. One half of the screens flashed with the home run sign framing Ace’s face, while the second half had the camera following him round the diamond as he passed each base.

He was a decade younger than Jupiter Reeves; he didn’t have the age or experience of the game on his side, but the cocky swagger he was leaving the field with right now was exactly out of the Reeves playbook.

The cheering died down with the next Yankee up for bat, and Molly’s laughing tore Beulah away from our conversation and back to the group of girls. I re-joined the guys, though stayed where I was, close enough to touch her, but curbing myself from doing so for the rest of the game.

The Yankees won 4-2, Jupiter Reeves scoring both the Dodgers points. We made our way up to the suite for more drinks before we headed out to dinner.

“You need to watch out. Now the Yankees won, Penn might think you’re good luck and con you into coming to every game,” I whispered in Beulah’s ear as we walked up the wide stadium steps.

“Not sure about that,” she chuckled. As we reached the top she pulled me to one side, away from the crowds walking behind us to exit. “Thank you for tonight, for this weekend. For everything.”

I roped her my arms round her waist. “Weekend’s not over yet.”

“It is for me. I’m going to go back to the hotel; I have a lot to do for tomorrow,” she replied, not meeting my eyes.

I frowned deeply. “You don’t have to go now. We’re going for dinner.”

“I do,” she said firmly in the tone I was more familiar with than any other, the tone that said, ‘no messing’. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Please say goodbye to everyone for me.”

Before I could stop her, or worse, before I could pull her in for another mind-blowing kiss, she was swallowed by the multitude of Yankees fans, my eyes staying trained on her until they all merged into one big mass of navy blue. I stood there wondering what had happened for her to leave so abruptly, wondering why my heart felt heavier than it had ever done, and wondering if she would really call me tomorrow, ignoring how much it was bothering me that she might not.

Ten minutes later, I walked into the box where the rest of the gang were already drinking and grabbed a cold beer from the ice trough, taking a long draw. Murray joined me with one of his own.

“Where’s Beulah?”

I removed my hat, rubbing my head hard to ease the tension, then put it back on, “She left. She said she has work to do.”

Murray’s head tilted, watching me while he sipped on his beer. “And how do you feel about that?”

“About what?”

“Her leaving.”

I shrugged. “I dunno.”

He was quiet for a second, sipping his beer while we watched the field clear. The stadium was almost empty. “Mate, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“About what?”

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