Page 2 of The Shake Off

The four of us shared exactly the same look – the look that said we knew exactly what that meant and the girls she was talking about – and burst out laughing.

Ace was a key part of a small group of the younger players who’d become the unofficial heartthrobs of The New York Lions. Along with Parker King, catcher; Lux Weston, center field; and Tanner Simpson, short stop, they rarely went anywhere without a trail of women following in their wake. They lined the gates, the fences at practice, and camped outside the hotels.

The four boys each had more social media followers than the rest of the team combined, along with dozens of social media accounts dedicated to them.

They were the same age, had played in the majors for roughly the same amount of time, and according to Lowe, who’d heard it from Penn, he saw them as the future of The Lions. Therefore, he was investing a lot of time and money into shaping them to be the best players they could be. If they were bringing attention to the club, along with a new audience, then they were free to do whatever they wanted, as long as The Lions kept winning.

Because Penn’s sole goal was for The Lions to win and lift The Commissioner’s Trophy. They’d gotten to the first round of the playoffs last season, and this year Penn was out for more, and nothing would stop him.

I wouldnotwant to be the poor bastard who got in his way.

“How’d Ace do in Arizona?” I asked.

“His pitching’s better since last season already, and he has everyone wrapped around his finger, even Coach Chase. And if he keeps pitching like he does, I swear Penn will sign our first born over to him if I’m not careful,” Lowe added, as her AmEx was returned and another waiter brought our coats, passing them around to their rightful owners. “Okay, everyone ready to go?”

Kit picked up the birthday cake, now safely in the box it arrived in, and handed it to me, “Pay, there’s approximately eighty yards between us and the front doors. Let’s see if we can’t make your birthday wish come true.”

“And if not, we have Penn’s lunch this weekend,” Beulah smirked. “There’ll be plenty of guys there who’ll happily take you home and enjoy your… cake.”

“What’s the lunch for again?” I asked.

“To kick off the new season. We did it last year, too. The local community is invited, Penn will announce the charity of the year, and give away season tickets.” If Lowe could have literally beamed with pride, she would have.

The New York Lions had always been seen as the joke of New York’s sports teams, and the Major Leagues, and no one took them seriously until Penn bought them eighteen months ago. Overnight, he transformed them from a club rarely seen above its spot at the bottom of the standings, to one which made the first round of the playoffs. He pumped nearly a billion dollars into renovating The Lions stadium on the Upper West Side, along with the grounds surrounding it, and an overhaul of the players.

In the space of a season, he’d put The Lions back on the New York map again.

The downside? For eight months of the year – nine if you included the pre-season – our social lives revolved around baseball, because both Lowe and Beulah now worked for the club, along with our other friend, Marnie. Today was the first day we’d been together since the beginning of February. I could find time in my schedule if it meant attending a lunch with my friends, and Penn always threw a good party.

I slung my coat around my shoulders and slowly followed the others out of the restaurant. Leaning forward to Kit in front, I whispered, “Do all these charity functions we’re attending these days mean we’re officially grown-ups?”

“I think so,” she nodded solemnly.

“But there’s still cake, right?”

“There’s going to be plenty of cake. A whole forty-man squad of cake.”

“Count me in then.”

She stepped back and looped her arm through mine. “Now you’ve turned thirty, are we going to be looking for a more permanent type of cake? One without an expiry date?”

“You and I both know that will never happen. I’ll like my cake fresh.”

“May you be forever single.” A knowing little smile curved on her lips as she kissed my cheek, then halted us a second later. “Wait, we were talking about boys, right? Not actual cake?”

I laughed. “Yes, I think so. I lost track about ten minutes ago though. But either way, I have no plans to get myself into a relationship.”

“Good, because now the season’s about to start, it’s you and me again. I need someone to keep me company.”

There was that downside I’d been talking about. Our friends would be traveling with the team most of the time, and our regular girls’ evenings would consist of just Kit and me, plus Bell, her daughter, even though she went to bed at seven. But Kit and I were both of the opinion we couldn’t go to every home game, because – and don’t tell anyone – neither of us really liked baseball that much.

Not enough to watch one hundred-sixty-two games, anyway.

“Don’t worry, I got you. I’ll be your forever buddy.”

I opted not to search for more ‘cake’ as we followed the other two in silence, out of the noisy restaurant for the slightly-less-noisy New York street, where they were all about to head home to the men who’d be waiting for them.

I pulled my coat around me. My bare legs were no match for the cool March air, especially in the evenings once the sun had disappeared. It wouldn’t be for much longer though; I could already see the first hint of blossoms coming out for spring. Over the next few weeks, the streets would be lined pink, and the air would become a little bit sweeter from the scent of flowers shooting up in the parks.

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