Page 76 of Cinderella Screwed Me Over
“Tina likes sports,” Vinnie said.
Tina nodded. “I do. I grew up in a house with four brothers and played every sport I could in high school. I don’t yell at the TV, though.”
“Oh!” Jake hollered. “Look at that hit! Go three, go three.” The batter rounded the bases, making it to third seconds before the baseman caught the ball. Jake inclined his head to me, though his gaze remained on the TV screen. “See, if the Rockies win, I have to buy. If the Yankees win, they have to pay.” He raised his voice, glancing around the table. “What are we up to now? Like, three in a row?”
The other guys complained and grumbled. I sat there, listening to them discuss the best teams, thinking about my no-sports-fanatics rule.
How do I know if Jake’s just your average fan or the guy who can’t miss a game? And how much does it matter, since I can’t stop breaking my rules with him anyway?
A few minutes later, a heated debate about pitchers broke out. None of them could agree who was the best, and they all had strong opinions about it.
Jake nudged me. “Care to weigh in?”
“My favorite pitcher is glass,” I said. “I got it at Pottery Barn. It’s handblown—kind of like what Tina does, but not as colorful. I especially like it when it’s full of something to drink.”
Jake shook his head, but he was smiling. “Pretty funny. Since you don’t really care, just say Mariano Rivera. The guy’s won five World Series with the Yankees and is one of the best closers of all time. Isn’t that impressive?”
I put my hand on his neck and ran my fingers through the ends of his hair. “Next time I can’t fall asleep, I’m going to call you and have you tell me baseball stats. I’m sure I’ll be asleep in no time.”
Adam jumped up, rocking the table. “Look at that! He’s out.” He pointed at Jake. “So much for your big hitter.”
The trash talk started up again, barely settling down when the waitress brought a giant platter of wings, fries, and onion rings.
I sat back and ate, watching everyone else get really into the game. Every now and then Jake would smile at me, squeeze my thigh, give me a quick kiss, or ask how I was doing. The bustle of the place, the way the guys got so into the game—I was actually enjoying watching it all unfold.
“That’s game,” Jake said as both teams came onto the field. “Sorry, suckers. Maybe next year.”
Pete, Vinnie, and Adam frowned and hung their heads like they’d had something to do with the loss.
Adam tossed a napkin onto his plate. “I’m so sick of losing. Maybe I’ll just jump on the bandwagon and switch teams.”
As they argued the strategy needed for the Rockies to start winning, Jake took the black binder holding the check, put several bills into it, and held it out low for the waitress as she walked by. He gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Hope that wasn’t too boring.”
“I had a good time,” I said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been around crazy sports enthusiasts. And I forgot how good an entire meal of fried stuff could be.”
He laced his fingers with mine. “Ready to go?”
He’d paid the bill even though his team had won, and now he was going to sneak away before his friends found out. Steph was right. I was an idiot for not holding on to him.
Jake helped me to my feet and wrapped his arm around me. “See you guys later. Ball on Saturday morning, right?”
I waved. “It was nice meeting you all.”
Earlier I’d been prepared to give my speech about not getting too involved; walking out of the restaurant with Jake’s arm around me, I was sure it was way too late.
Chapter Twenty-five
You can tell a lot about people by the way they act when they don’t think anyone’s looking. I lingered near the bar of the restaurant, watching Drew and Lisa laughing and talking. I couldn’t believe I’d let him convince me to go to dinner with them—I was the third wheel way too often. But Drew was right. Therewassomething different about Lisa. For one, I didn’t immediately dislike her. Most of the girls he dated got on my nerves within the first thirty minutes. But Lisa was actually easy to talk to and totally down to earth.
“Can I get you something?” the bartender asked, drawing my attention away from my brother and his girlfriend.
“No thanks.” I walked across the room and sat opposite Drew and Lisa.
She leaned her elbows on the table. “Drew talks to me about all the stuff he has to do on the ranch, and it sounds like a lot of long, hard days. How’d you like growing up there?”
“I hated it at first,” I said. “Moving there at thirteen wasn’t exactly easy.”
Her brows knit together as she turned to Drew. “I thought you said you lived there your whole life?”
