Page 36 of Hard Ball

16

Harper

Josh: Be ready at seven

That’s all the text says. Shivers cascade over my entire body as I continue to read it over and over again. I know he’s coming back from his road trip today, he told me last night while we were talking on the phone, something we’ve been doing a lot since he left my apartment that night we almost threw all caution to the wind. After we got interrupted by his coach, I regretted not asking him to stay every day that’s passed since he left. He’s told me many times that he wants to take me on a date, but when you have a job that takes up eighty-five percent of your time, finding the time can be very hard. Especially when you’re across the country and nowhere near close enough to do all the things I know we both want to do to each other.

I read the words one more time and blush at the promise those four words invoke. How is it that my body responds more to his texts than it did in the two years I was with Cole? That seems to be the real crime here.

The clock on my stove tells me it’s five forty-five and I immediately start to panic. I have to get ready, and fast. So I rush into the bathroom, turn on the shower and start to wonder what he has planned for tonight. Once I’m showered, I go and stand in front of my closet and look at everything I own and realize I have nothing to wear. I have nothing date-worthy at all, and so I do the only thing I know to do in a situation like this. I text Mel.

Me: Date wardrobe 911! I need options ASAP.

In less than a minute she responds.

Mel: On my way!

I spend the next twenty minutes drying and straightening my hair which reminds me why I always seem to throw my hair into a bun at the top of my head. Easier. Before long, the front door bursts open and Mel comes barreling into my room with armfuls of clothes.

“Did you bring your whole closet with you?” I ask as she spreads out a bunch of options on the bed as I gawk at the amount of clothing she actually brought. “No, seriously, did you leave anything at your house?”

“Honey, that hole-in-the-wall you call a closet is a disaster and we both know it.”

I shrug because she’s right as she places everything into piles on top of my bed and I thank the universe that this woman is a friend. Who else would bring their entire closet with them?

“Okay,” she starts, standing up straight and looking down at the mountains that are currently taking over my mattress. “I have three piles.” She gestures toward the bed. “The first one is for sure bets. These are the clothes I know are the closest to what you usually wear.” She shows me a pair of black skinny jeans, a flowy top and bright red heels. She rolls her eyes at the smile on my face, knowing that I already love that option.

“Then we have the maybe pile. This option is a little more outside your comfort zone but when you see the way Josh looks when he sees you, I think you’ll change your mind.”

The blush creeps up as I smile, loving the idea of Josh not being able to take his eyes off me. She holds up a leather miniskirt and a silver sequin top, and she’s paired that with a pair of suede knee-high boots that are too excessively high to be comfortable. She must sense my fear because she puts down the boots and places a hand on her hip.

“Come on, Harp, this is sexy. Trust me, okay?”

I nod as she picks up the last outfit.

I furrow my brow because all I see is a plain black cocktail dress.

“This is the one that will get you laid the second he sees you.”

I give her a skeptical look because all I see is a normal black lace dress. Nothing about it would warrant Josh ripping it off my body. I start to wonder why she thought this was sexier when clearly the leather outfit was the more daring, but when I open my mouth to question her, she turns the dress around and I see the back. I gasp.

The dress has no back.

At all.

From the smirk on Mel’s face, I know that was the reaction she wanted and the reaction that Josh will probably have when he sees me in it.

“That one,” I say without thinking twice.

The idea of what Josh will do to me when he sees me in that dress is enough for me to stop questioning the fact that I can’t wear a bra or the fact that I won’t be able to bend over because it’s so short. I’m desperate to see his face.

“I thought so,” Mel says while gathering all the rest of the clothes and putting them away. We spend the next hour getting me ready, Mel telling me she is determined to fix my hair and do my makeup since the way I decided to do it makes me seem “boring.”

Josh: Be there in five minutes.

My breath catches as I peer over at Mel, panic clearly written all over my face.

“Trust me, Harper. He will fall to his knees when he sees you, I promise.” She winks, picking up her purse and the mounds of clothes that are left on my bed and making her way to the front door. “I’m gonna jet, call me later!” She lets herself out and I walk to my full-length mirror that hangs behind my closet door. I turn one last time, eyeing the back of the dress and smirk. I love this dress.

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