Page 46 of Catch Me
“I was looking at it with Mikey’s position and they’re too similar. I want each of these to be unique, plus I like the way your hair kind of swishes to this side, so I want to capture that.”
“Ooh, I got a compliment. From an artist, at that.”
I laughed. “Does that make it more special?”
“Yeah. Like when a gay man tells me I look good, it somehow makes me feel more appreciated than when a woman says it.”
My hand faltered on the tablet. “What, you want to get hit on by a guy?”
“Not hit on, necessarily. I went to a pride parade with my sister, and everybody is super nice there. We made some friends. I got compliments on my hair and the shirt I was wearing. It doesn’t mean someone’s flirting.”
I just nodded and continued sketching his position along with the background. After I took a couple of pictures to refer back to when Idid the actual piece, I looked around for the next person on the list.
“Do you know where Luis is?” I asked.
“Uh, not out here, from the looks of it. You might have to go hunting.”
“Damn.”
It sounded tedious, but I guess I didn’t have a choice. There were no other people here today, which might make it harder. I couldn’t ask if anyone had seen him, and this place was massive.
Seriously, why couldn’t people be prepared for something they knew they were scheduled for? We were only doing this three times a week, and the players had been assigned to a specific day. It was set, but if someone didn’t show up for their slot, I didn’t know what to do.
Tomorrow was Wednesday, and I didn’t have to come in. I didn’t know what I’d do with that time, but I’d figure that out later. A run and a swim sounded nice, but that definitely wasn’t a good idea.
I couldn’t let down my guard around Travis. He was nice, and I liked to think it was genuine, but I couldn’t be sure. I also felt weird around him, and I was self-aware enough to know that I needed to back it up before my dumb fucking head started questioning it. If I stopped it now, nothing would happen. It wouldn’t be like Tilian or Malcolm or Ezra. Itcouldn’tbe. They were nothing. Blips. Mistakes.
After checking the dugouts, I made my way inside. It was eerily empty and quiet, which made goosebumps rise on my arms. Maybe Luis went to the bathroom or something. I didn’t remember the last time I’d seen him, but it was as good a guess as any.
“Fuck,” I growled after I’d searched everywhere I could think of.
I was getting more than a little frustrated at this point. It was cold outside and the clouds looked questionable. Travis hadn’t come today, so I’d driven my car here, and I was on the verge of just calling it a day. It wasn’t my fault, but even so, I couldn’t get myself to do that. This was my project and I had to make sure it was perfect.
Maybe Vince had his number. I probably should’ve started with that. I took off at a jog, desperate to figure this shit out as quickly as possible.
I looked around the field, only to find it empty. This was great. Day two and I’d already failed. This was why I hadn’t told my dad yet. “Art won’t pay the bills,” was what he said, and this would just make him drive that point home.
With a sigh, I climbed the steps to the top of the stands and sat down. During the game, it was nice to be close, but when it was empty like this, I liked it up here. The view was great and it felt peaceful. I thought about how it would feel to be on that field, surrounded by this many people. I’d played in high school, but having all of these eyes on me would probably make me choke.
I couldn’t imagine how it felt for Travis. He stood on that pitcher’s mound with pressure from tens of thousands of people. So much rode on his throw. I wondered if he did it with the same nonchalance as he displayed in the rest of his life. I’d seen him play on TV, but I didn’t pay that much attention, not like I would now.
Even though this view was right in front of me, I started drawing something else. I didn’t really choose it. Inspiration was meant to take the reins, so I let it. Was it stupid? Very, but after a while, there was a work of art on the screen.
A rock formation, water, fractured sunlight shining through the trees and reflecting off the surface. Travis with his back against the stone and his hands under the water, somehow finding joy in touching a wet fucking rock. For a second, his eyes had closed and his head tipped back while a soft smile settled on his face.
I started drawing Tessa off to the side so that he wasn’t the only subject in the picture. Even when I finished, though, he was clearly the main focus.
“You really get lost in your art.”
My head snapped up, and I immediately shut off the screen. Travis was a few steps down with his hands in the pockets of his jeans and a ball cap on his head. He looked domestic while also seeming to fit into this place perfectly. The face of the Braves, as Pete said. It was a joke, but it sure felt like the truth right now.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“You didn’t answer your phone, and since you should’ve been done by now, I wanted to check in.”
“Hunting me down isn’t fucking weird at all.”
I tucked my tablet under my arm and brushed past him. The sun had moved quite a bit since I last looked, so I guess I’d been really engrossed in drawing. I would’ve preferred to stay that way. I hated being interrupted.
