Page 103 of The Third Baseman

We all burst out laughing, because just like I’d known the second I’d spied him behind the tree, we all knew it was bullshit. I saw him way before he thought I had too.

“It was so pathetic. I’d tried to ignore him but he kept peering round the tree, so I stormed over, and he…”

“He what?”

My shoulders dropped, and I let out a groan. “He kind of looked like a lost puppy. It was so hard to be mad, and then he apologized. Really,reallyapologized. And…” I bit my lip to halt the barrage of memories, “then he kissed me.”

“Holy shit.”

Another huge cheer rent the air and we all looked out, remembering why we were here. The Mets had a new batter; the ball flew out of Ace’s hand, and made contact with the bat

It didn’t get very far – to third base in fact, and straight into Jupiter’s outstretched glove. He caught it so casually he looked almost disappointed on the Jumbotron as the camera zoomed in on his face.

Then he smiled, a proper wide, honest-to-God smile.

Even though it probably wasn’t the correct response, we all sighed deeply. In fact, I suspected that the entire collective of female fans in the crowds followed suit, even though everyone else was cheering.

None of us spoke for a good two minutes; we just absorbed the atmosphere. Finally, a voice asked, “Then what happened?”

I swallowed the final bite of my burger before answering. “Barney, the guy from boxing, walked over to us behind the tree, but he was more interested in getting a selfie than in what we were actually doing. In fact, even after Jupiter left, all he wanted to do was talk about him, and not because of anything to do with me. He went to call his friends.”

“Didn’t he want another date?” asked Payton, and for some reason right then, I couldn’t imagine her without a fistful of numbers, guys lining up for a second date with her.

I shook my head. “No, I’d already told him it wasn’t happening. I would have got there quicker, but Jupiter was distracting me.”

We all turned to the field again; The Lions were switching out.

“What happened between then and now?”

“Well…” I picked at the label on my empty bottle, only for it to be switched out for a new one by a guy behind us I hadn’t noticed. I waited until he left, then admitted, “I went over to his place last night, and…”

“You left this morning. The glow,” Beulah interrupted, pointing at me accusingly.

I blushed, but I couldn’t stop the smile they’d be able to see from the far side of the stadium.

“I’m so glad we picked you out a comfortable bed!”

I knew I was squinting quizzically. “What?”

“In your place. That bed is super comfortable is all I’m saying,” she winked.

“It is; thank you.”

“So… what now?” asked Kit.

“Now we see, I guess. He’s already calling me his girlfriend, but I’m not ready for that yet. I know I want to give it a go and I know I want him. I just need a little time to get used to the Jupiter those girls want. That Jupiter…” I pointed as he ran off the field, turning in enough time to see him take his sunglasses off and wink up at me.

“There is not a dry pair of panties for anyone who saw that,” laughed Payton, and I couldn’t do anything but agree. “God, baseball players are hot. And now Ace has disappeared, it’s time to pee again.”

She jumped off her stool and ran off, leaving me to my thoughts. My gaze was firmly trained on the screen showing Jupiter in the dugout, downing a bottle of water in a way that made me need to quench my own thirst.

And from that moment and for the rest of the game, whenever he was on base, or at bat, or on the screen, my eyes were glued to him.

Because I was once more being pulled into Jupiter’s gravitational field, something I knew from past experience was near impossible to get out of.

* * *

The Lions beat The Mets six to four. After Lux Weston had scored, Jupiter had hit two home runs, which had brought a couple of other guys home. Saint Velasquez hit the final home run of the game, and was named Player of the Game, down to the three balls he’d caught.

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