Page 96 of Wild Pitch
“Oh, wait. I was supposed to come in for a snack.”
“Right,” she repeats, turning her back to rummage in the cabinets. These charter planes aren’t like a regular commercial one, so they’re stocked with all sorts of nutritious and flavorless snacks fit for professional athletes. She hands me over an insipid peanut butter bar that tastes just as meh on the ground as it does on the air. “Here you go. Drinks are in the bottom cabinets.”
“Thanks.” I watch her disappear behind the curtains without meeting my eyes. Lifting an arm, I sniff my clean armpit. “Okay, I guess I don’t stink. Then what’s her deal?”
Did an accidental hug not fueled by pity make her so deeply uncomfortable?
Because if so, this whole girlfriending her thing might be a lot harder than I even imagined.
CHAPTER 31
HOPE
I’m being tested. There’s no other way to explain this.
First, I have to spend a couple of days exercising every muscle—literal and figurative—in order to act normal around the cowboy, especially because Beau still has him on light duty. Unfortunately, this means Cade’s mostly working off the field. In the training gym. Where I also work most of the time. But fine, somehow I survived. It just involved me busying myself with other players and in the back office.
Today, though? A whole mess. We’re gonna have to write it off.
Today isthephotoshoot. Featuring Cade “Cowboy” Starr. In front of a lens. ForSPORTYmagazine.
Granted,SPORTYis a family friendly publication. This one won’t pose him naked and with only a baseball glove covering his privates. However, now that my mind went there, I can’t unsee it.
I shake my head hard and literally touch some grass. I’m sitting cross legged on the turf beside Audrey as the show goes on. She’s in charge of the whole operation from the team’s perspective, so she and some crew members helped the photographer set up on the field. Cade was split off from theteam to come fulfill his contractual obligation and, instead of staying put for the post game training, Lucky Rivera rallied the troops to come watch. Staff, including me, tried to get them to return to training but to no avail. Thus, instead of keeping myself busy at the gym, I ended up here in prime position to ogle.
And ogle I do. Like I’m sorry. I’m a red blooded woman. He’s freaking gorgeous, okay?
I dig my fingers in the grass blades and grab a handful. The makeup artist, a peppy girl with blue hair, has predictably been oiling him up for the part of the photoshoot where he’ll be less, um, clothed. I’ll give her props because she’s wearing surgical gloves but I mean… she’s still rubbing him up. Like, full on getting in the nooks and crannies. And her face is blood red because whose wouldn’t?
Meanwhile, Cade has his face turned up to the sun, expression serene as though this doesn’t affect him. But I have every indication to infer heisa red blooded man and this must be affecting him. If not the oiling up, then the hecklers in the stands.
“Yeah, babe! Get in there, don’t miss the armpits.”
“Wait, did he shave them for this?”
Laughter.
Cade’s face twitches but he doesn’t respond.
“What about his face?” Rivera wonders amid chuckles. “Is oiling it up going to make him look gross?”
“Nah, I think it’s probably part of the sexy sweaty look that chicks will want.”
“Hey, Starr! Don’t forget to do the lip bite.”
“Your left side’s the best, bro. Get the pics from that side.”
“Back side would be better.”
Guffaws.
Beside me, Audrey snorts. “You know, none of them are wrong.”
Except for the left side stuff. Cade’s face is pretty damn symmetrical. In fact, he’s a study in beauty with the straight nose, full lips that stretch into a wide smile, and the square jaw that could cut steel. He doesn’t have to do anything special other than stand at the mound forchicksto go wild. Ask me how I know.
“We’re set,” the makeup artist squeaks out and I don’t blame her. If I had to do her job, I’d faint the second my hand makes first contact. Glove or not.
“All right, I’d like to get some shots in the dugout,” the photographer says. “Can you pretend like it’s the middle of the game and you’re drinking some water?”
