Page 39 of Wild Pitch
“You doing okay?” I ask.
She looks up at me, surprised though I don’t know why. Then she recovers and the trainer-in-session expression falls back on. “No dillydallying, c’mon.”
I snort through my nose. I’ll take it that she’s fine, then.
I jog away to join the next drill and the following after that, until finally I’m deserving of a break. My legs feel heavier than usual as I make my way around the perimeter of the circuit where players are still going at it. There’s a cluster of people around the drinks composed of none other than Garcia, Lucky and our annoying main catcher.
The only person I’m ever rude with is Lucky, because we have earned the privilege of this treatment from each other. He’s chirping about who knows what when I approach from behind and jerk him back by the collar of his shirt.
“Hey!”
“You’re obstructing business,” I say, elbowing the rest of my way to grab a bottle.
Of course, he pays me back by squeezingmybottle while I’m drinking. Water explodes in my face. The bad news is that I don’t manage to drink much of it. The good news is that I feel refreshed.
I wipe my face calmly. “Thanks, man. I feel so much better now.”
“Sure you do.” He guffaws.
“You clowns are embarrassing me,” Kim says, drinking from his bottle in a civilized way.
Garcia checks over her shoulders and uncaps her bottle. “Actually, this might not be a bad idea.” Then she pours water on her face.
Happy to report I’m not the only one whose jaw drops.
However, I do wonder if I’m the only one who lingers. Thank the heavens that her shirt is purple and not white, because it’s already sticking to her chest in some typa way.
Kim clears his throat. “Since when did you decide to join these barbarians?”
“If you can’t fight ‘em join ‘em and all that,” she says, wiping excess water from her chin.
“Es lo que hay.” Lucky offers his fist and she bumps it with her smaller one.
See? This is why I struggle to comprehend why this woman doesn’t have men begging on their knees for a morsel of her attention. She’s weird and fun, not to mention those thighs.
Her brown eyes settle on me, straight up worrying me that she might read my mind. My only diversion is blurting out, “So, when’s the date with the chosen one?”
“Oh, yeah. I was wondering about that.” Lucky cocks an eyebrow. Even the catcher appears interested in the answer.
“In two days,” she responds after a deep inhale.
“Wait.” I look up to think for a second. “But in two days we’re on the road—we play whatshisface.”
The other two grunt. No one in the Orlando Wild organization wants to utter the words Ben and Williams together, like the full name of the traitor has become the newest jinx we need to beat. In two days we face him for the first time against his new team, the Denver Riders, and Beau already declared that I’ll be the starting pitcher.
Like the fool I am, I’ve had a grin on my face ever since. Until now. Pretty sure my mouth is a flat line right now.
“Yes.” Garcia bobs her head, long ponytail bouncing behind her. “I’m off this entire weekend.”
“That’s great and you definitely deserve a break,” I say carefully, scratching my chin and realizing only now that I forgot to shave this morning. “But I mean, how do we work out the logistics here?”
She tilts her head. “What do you mean?”
“I was thinking it would be a good idea for us to be there too.”
“Huh?”
“Now that’s an idea.” Kim gives me a look that makes me think it’s his first time realizing I’m a sentient being.
