Page 22 of Fielder's Choice

See you Tuesday, Hotshot

I slip my phone into my hoodie pocket and carry on down the sidewalk with an actual smile on my face.

I wake up in the morning with a pep in my step. Pep that I haven’t felt in quite a long time.

Does that have anything to do with my student’s dad, who insisted on texting me last night after yoga just so he could talk to me?

I can’t say for sure, but the evidence is there.

So, to treat myself on what appears to be a lovely morning, I stop by Urban Grind for my favorite caramel latte. And when I step inside, I find a familiar set of dark curls standing next to an unknown blonde.

“Rory?” I ask.

She turns around and immediately smiles. “Hey, Olive! Good to see you.”

The blonde lights up in excitement. “You’re Olive?!” she squeals. “No wonder Lane wouldn’t stop talking about you last night. You’re fucking gorgeous!”

“Oh,” I say, my cheeks burning scarlet. “Um, thank you.”

“Don’t scare her off, Lo,” Rory laughs. “Olive, this is Harlow, my sister-in-law. She’s also dating Knox, one of the pitchers on the Stars.”

“It’s so nice to meet you!”

“You as well.” I bite my lip as I mull over Corinne’s words from my appointment earlier this week and decide I should do what she said and compliment a stranger. Maybe it will actually help me become more comfortable around people and open myself up. “Your freckles are so pretty,” I say. “My brother’s girlfriend has freckles, and I’m secretly a bit jealous of that.”

Harlow’s smile is wide. “Thank you. My boyfriend loves them, too.”

“Obsessed is more like it,” Rory snickers.

“Nothing wrong with a boy obsessed, huh, babe?” she smirks, pointing her gaze right at Rory. I get the feeling she’s implicating her brother here, too.

“You know,” Rory says, looking at me now. “Lo and I were just talking about having a girl’s night at my place tonight with our friends. Why don’t you join us, Olive?”

I stare at her, stunned. “You want me to come to your girl’s night?”

“Yes, you totally should!” Harlow says excitedly. “We always have room for another girl. We usually enjoy some wine before our guys come to get us.”

My panic is involuntary. I’ve had a group of friends before, and when everything came out, they left me alone to mend myself.

But I take a deep breath, reminding myself that these arenotthe friends I had when I was seventeen. This is a different time with different people.

Corinne would be encouraging me to go, and I know how happy my family would be to see me bonding with, well, anyone. So, without entirely overthinking it, I speak as confidently as possible.

“That sounds like fun,” I admit. “Yeah, I’d love to join.”

“Awesome!” Rory shouts. “I snagged your number from Lane last night in case I need it when I start bringing Sage to herlessons again, so I’ll send you my address. I live right here in SoHo.”

“Great,” I say, smiling softly. “Then I’ll see you both tonight.”

“I can’t wait,” Harlow says. “It’s going to be fun.”

Yeah, I have a feeling this is going to be fun, too.

nine

Olive

“Whyareyoustillhere, Cole?” are the first words I hear when Rory lets me into her apartment.

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