Page 67 of The Show

“What does that even mean, anyway? Rocket scientist? Does anyone actually know what a rocket scientist is - except a handy idiom to throw the way of the local imbecile?”

“Well, I’ll hazard a guess, but I assume it means she figures out a way to get rockets into space,” she replied a little too sarcastically.

I scoffed.

Oh God, thiswasimpossible. And ridiculous. I was also under no illusion the spectrums we were talking about, and how they were at opposite ends. Beulah was either staring at the image on the screen, or she was reading the intel sheet Cody had pulled out.

“Maybe stop thinking about her as a rocket scientist. She’s a physicist according to the screen, so she must have transferable skills. Baseball is all about physics, right?” she said eventually, looking around for confirmation, and then pointing at me. “In fact, when we all went to the game Memorial Weekend, you went on and on about it. You said the coaches use it, that they use formulas for throwing and hitting. So… yeah… maybe she can come and create an equation for how to hit the ball harder or something. How to get the ball to fly faster, or whatever a ball does. Or, just pay her a shit load of money and make her Director of Baseball Science.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose wasn’t helping to calm me, though from the silence, clearly no one else was going to come up with something better. I could feel my winning team slipping through my fingers.

“Let’s keep thinking.”

“No… hang on a minute.” Rafe’s feet thudded on his desk as he leaned back to sip his coffee. “That’s a good idea, Holmes is onto something. What was that thing you said about a girls’ foundation?”

“What thing?”

“The space academy?”

I sat my ass back on the desk, “It was a suggestion he had for getting Marnie to New York, something to entice her.”

I watched as Rafe unhooked his cufflinks then slowly rolled up his right sleeve, followed by the left. The tattoos covering both his forearms had a slightly menacing feel, like he really meant business, even though he’d gotten most of them when he’d been drunk.

“Does any other club have a foundation for girls?”

I shook my head. “Not that I know of, not like this anyway, and not like what Reeves is talking about.”

“Go and see her,” he nodded up to the screen. “Get her to help you build it. Explain to her what you’re trying to do with the club.”

“Which is what exactly?”

“You’re trying to build something new with longevity. Tell her you’re trying to get more women into the major leagues.”

I smoothed along the tension that seemed cemented in my brow, but it didn’t help.

“How is that going to help me persuade her? She’s going to think I’ve lost it. She’s also going to wonder why the fuck I’ve sought her out. She doesn’t look like she’s ever been on the inside of a stadium.”

Rafe tipped his chin in Cody’s direction. “Code, can you find something she’s done which is easily accessible in a Google search that Penn can use? And it needs to seem like a legitimate reason for why he’d suddenly wake up and want to offer her a job.”

“Yeah, that paper I found before would work.” He ran his fingers along his keypad and the screen changed again. “She was studying optimal trajectories for energy conservation in rocket fuel.”

“Also, can you find out what her salary is?”

“It’s one hundred and thirty-seven thousand a year.”

“Thanks, buddy.” Rafe spun back around to me. “There you go… give her a salary she can’t refuse, offer her the chance to create something with you, and give her the job as Head of Baseball Science, or whatever it was…”

I rubbed my hands together, only half listening to Rafe. Cody had actually sparked something in my brain. I remembered reading an article a few years ago about a guy who’d studied the way a pitcher transferred energy through his body before throwing the ball. Maybe I could get her to do that and use it to help us win. It didn’t really matter though, as long as it sounded legit enough to entice her.

I jumped off the desk, ready to get out Rafe’s office and find Lowe again. I’d never been able to talk to her about work. I’d never been able to talk to her period, and now she was the only one I wanted to talk to. I wanted her opinion, her take, her expertise.

Her.

“Yeah, that might work. I need to figure it out.” I ruffled Rafe’s head, earning myself a slap. “You’re the best, Raferty. Thanks for letting me hijack your afternoon. I gotta head out now. Code, you’re amazing as always. Beulah, I’ll call you later to discuss your hours.”

“He’s more destructive than an earthquake,” I heard Rafe grumble as the elevator doors closed behind me, and I descended into the parking lot.

I hit dial on the car intercom the second I drove back out into the sunshine. It barely had time to ring before Jupiter answered it.

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