Page 50 of Wild Pitch
Calmly, I set the wine glass down and tug at my ear. When nothing happens right away, I tug twice more for good measure.
Like he doesn’t notice my discomfort, Frank continues talking. “Did you know that oysters are an aphrodisiac? I never really believed it until this moment.”
The oyster must’ve been alive because it’s climbing up my throat—fast.
“Hope?”
I snap my face up. Never has Cade Starr used my first time, and never has it sounded more beautiful than in this very moment.
Behind him are Logan Kim and Lucky Rivera, and I’ve never liked these guys as much as I do right now.
“Guys!” I exclaim in a very exaggerated way.
“Fancy running into you,” Rivera says, hands on his hips like he can’t believe the surprise.
Frank gasps. “Wait, Cade Starr? And Logan Kim?”
Rivera points at himself but Frank pointedly ignores him, like he doesn’t know who our shortstop is. If I wasn’t sufficiently annoyed before, I’m even more so right now. Lucky’s one of the best shortstops of the league right now and doesn’t deserve the snub.
“Sorry to interrupt your date,” Starr says with the kind of smile that could see him through presidential elections. “We couldn’t help but saying hi to the best trainer in the Wild organization.”
“Why don’t you guys give Frank your autographs while I head to the restroom?” I say while pushing my chair away from the table.
“That would be amazing.” Frank starts looking around for something they can sign, and Kim comes to the rescue.
He pulls out a small notepad from his back pocket and opens it to a blank page. “What’s the name?”
I stand up and take my borrowed purse. Just as I’m side stepping around the towering baseball players, a hand shootsout of nowhere and grabs my wrist. I recognize the callouses even before I look up to find our starter pitcher, turned sideways from the table to slide his car key into my hand. I grip it tight and nod my thanks, and he lets me go.
I’m more relaxed than I’d have imagined for someone who is trying to escape a bad date. But then I get to the restrooms and start panicking because this is the stark opposite direction from the door.
How am I going to escape without Frank noticing me tiptoeing up to the front? There’s only so much distraction three autographs will grant me.
“Can I help you, miss?” Mandy, our server, appears right behind me.
“Oh my gosh, yes. I need to escape that creepy guy.”
She cringes. “Yikes, bad date, huh?”
“He said he could watch me eat oysters all night and did I know they’re an aphrodisiac?”
“Sis, say no more.” She casts a furtive glance around. “Come with me. I’ll sneak you out of the kitchen.”
I waste no time in following her, but the fact that none of the staff balk at some random chick walking between them through the kitchen tells me this is probably not the first time something like this happens.
Sure enough, Mandy leads me out of an exit that opens directly to the dumpsters in the back of the parking lot.
“Did you bring your car?” she asks me and I show her Starr’s key in my hand. “Good. And don’t worry, I’ll pretend like I know nothing.”
“Thank you so much.” I widen my eyes, reacting a second later for my purse. “Wait, please let me give you a tip.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“No, trust me. You’re saving me from a big mess.” I pull a Cade Starr and hold her wrist, leaving a twenty on her handbecause that’s all I have on me in cash. If I had a Benjamin I’d give her that. “Thank you.”
“We need to have each other’s backs.” She reaches out for a hug that I return enthusiastically and we part ways—her back to the kitchen, and me to furtively sneak into Starr’s truck to wait for them.
CHAPTER 18
