Page 94 of Wild Pitch
“He means that if you keep staring at her the whole team will realize you have a giant torch for our only female trainer.”
Kim nods at Lucky. “That.”
I clear my throat. “Be quiet, you two.”
“Then be less obvious,” advises Kim.
I grumble an incoherent string of sounds and lower my face. Focusing on the game is still much harder than it should be, like I had a dormant Hope Garcia radar that can now pick up her presence no matter where she is. It figuratively beeps as she walks down my aisle, leaving a trail of vanilla that warms up my body from the inside.
“So…” I stretch out the word until it’s almost uncomfortable.
Kim ignores me, though. “Uno.” He puts a card on the pile and has one left in his hand.
“Kim.” He finally lifts his eyes to me. “You never told me how your date with you know who went.”
Dude cocks an eyebrow. “You know exactly how it went.”
“Sure, from her side.” I lift a shoulder. “But I’m also interested in knowing your side of it.”
“If you’re worried I may want to snatch your girl, don’t. I’m not into her.”
I don’t deny for a second that that’s my concern. Hell, I don’t deny anything anymore. Lucky read me like an open book thenight of Hope and Kim’s date, and the latter is too sharp for me to even pretend.
“Why not?” I ask, more confused than annoyed. I didn’t understand almost two months ago how guys can possiblynotbe attracted to her, and I still don’t get it today.
“Because I’m not in the business of taking what’s not mine.”
“Then why did you agree to date her in the first place?”
Lucky nudges me again. I take one look at the card on top and already know I’ve lost.
Sighing, I say, “Pass.”
“I win.” Kim dumps his last card on the airplane table and stretches back, hands behind his head as he looks down his nose at me. “And the answer to that is simple. I was bored and I wanted to see your reaction.”
“Wow, we’ll never get along, will we?”
He offers a feral grin. “Probably not.”
Lucky clicks his tongue. “You’re such a catcher.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re all sneaky like that. Makes me glad I’m not a pitcher.”
“Lucky you,” I deadpan at the Boricua. I push myself up to stand and stretch my back. “Anyway, I’m gonna go get a snack. Want something, you jerks?”
Kim tilts his head and gives me a look like he thinks the snack I’m talking about is Hope. And first, she’s not a snack—she’s the whole damn meal. Second, the snack is just an excuse to see her.
“Offer rescinded to you,” I say to him, glaring.
Meanwhile, Lucky smacks his lips. “I’m a little thirsty, not gonna lie. Thirsty for some ac?—”
“You also can go get your snacks yourself.”
After stepping out of my seat, I walk a step in the opposite direction and smack the back of Miller’s head.
“Hey! What the hell was that for, Cowboy?”
