Page 68 of Pitcher Us
“Not a drop. I also quit motocross immediately after he left. I wanted to quit baseball too, honestly. I was just angry at everything, but my mom refused to let me stew in it. She forced me to stay in some sort of activity, said she didn’t care if it was chess club, but I had to do something. So I stuck with baseball and here we are.”
I smile softly. “Can I selfishly say I’m happy your mom did that?”
Will humphs a small laugh. “Yeah, it turned out okay.”
“I’m choosing to ignore the small insult for the sake of me still getting to ask questions.”
Will takes my hand from across the table. “Keep ’em coming.”
“And your family here, is that your dad’s family?”
“Yeah, Mom tried to keep them involved in our lives but everything shifted for my mom after that. She loved my dad, probably still does on some level, but there was no coming back from that for her and they couldn’t really understand that. The holidays were always her favorite in Rowley anyway, so that’s where we stayed.
“Reagan and Lucie had a hard time understanding everything at first. Mom and I really tried to shield them from the whole drama, but eventually it got easier and it’s been the four of us ever since. When I went to Seattle, I was far away from them and really they needed me less and less. Now, granted, because of that I did get back into riding. Kind of felt like I was giving my dad too much power in taking away something I enjoyed for so long, so I bought my first bike with my first payout from my contract.”
I scrunch my nose thinking of him on his bike. After today’s ride, it's growing on me.
“I really must have distanced myself because I never knew about the bike until the night at the bar. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely noticed you?—”
“Did you have a crush on me, Blaze?” Will interrupts me with a shit-eating grin.
I roll my eyes. “Finding someone attractive and having a full-on crush are two different things. I’d like to think I had the same effect on you.”
“Alright, I’ll agree to that. Your presence was always noticed, but I never acted on it. So I get what you mean.”
A blush comes to my face as I sip my tea. “Back to my original point. I never really paid full attention in Seattle. All I allowed myself to think about was you being a baseball player then shut it down from there. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Honestly, that was really all I was. After a while I think I was just going through the motions of what was required of me as a player. I didn’t have anyone there who I really cared for, and I got lost in that. But then you sat next to me on the plane, and I don’t know, you opened your mouth and it felt a little bit like home to me.”
Biting at my lip, I don’t know if I have any more questions after this. Really I just want to give Will a hug.
Will leans back in his chair and waves for me to continue. “Come on, Callie. Give me another question.”
Pushing back my chair, I round the table and lean over to give him a tight hug.
Will chuckles lightly and pulls me into his lap. “Now you’ve done it. If you think I’m letting you go back over to your own seat, you’re fucking wrong.”
Sitting up I readjust in his lap to face the table and reach for my drink to bring it over to this side. “One day at a time, right?”
“Right.” Will brushes some of my hair behind my ear. “Oh shit, I almost forgot.” Will wraps one arm around my waist tohold me to him while he leans over to get his backpack and pulls out a blue Polaroid camera. “I’m going to need my photographer girlfriend to document this killer date.”
“Shut up!” I snatch the camera from him, then kiss him on the cheek. “This is perfect.”
“That was the goal.” He places another kiss on my temple while I fidget with the camera.
Double checking there’s film in it, I turn it around. “Smile,” I say, then click our picture. Screw being scared of someone finding these, this date deserves to be documented.
Rachel comes back out a few minutes later with an Earl Grey raspberry tea and the sandwiches Will picked up from the restaurant down the strip. Will stays true to his word and keeps me in his lap the whole time.
I don’t think I would have ever made it through any dinner sitting in my boyfriend's lap without feeling uncomfortable, but with Will it was fun. It felt flirty and connecting. We laughed a lot and I took so many damn pictures we go through two packs of film before we’ve even left the tea shop.
Finally back at the hotel, I think Will might have put me in a “best date ever” trance because I don't even care as we walk toward the hotel together. Screw someone seeing, this man rented out a tea shop for me today. Then practically let me make him my model for the day. I went through almost every pack of film he bought. The amount of Polaroids I tried to carefully place in his backpack was insane.
Will stops at the corner and turns to me. “What’s your room number, Callie? I’ll do this in whatever way you’re mostcomfortable with, but I’m not quite ready to give up our day off yet.”
Me freaking either.
“I mean, there’s no harm in walking me to my hotel room. You could just be super protective over your team’s photographer. That’s very professional.”
