Page 52 of West Bound

“Rodeo” - Lah Pat (feat. Big Jade)

Vivian’s taste rested on my tongue for the entire game. I didn’t chew my regular celebratory gum after a good inning. I didn’t eat anything passed to me, and I didn’t even dare drink water, despite the fact that it was hot as a muthafucka. I’d sweated it out for a couple hours just to keep her lingering a bit longer.

And I threw my best damn game ever. I’d only had my best games since coming to Houston. But tonight, the credit for my game was all because of a fiery redhead that has a feisty attitude and tastes like heaven.

We had a shutout, nine to zero, and we were lining up to give each other high five’s before heading in for press. Except me. I knew I’d be getting an interview with Viv tonight after the game I had.

So when I walked into the dugout and heard her say, “Phoenix, are you okay to talk to me for a few minutes?” I smiled wide to myself before turning around and nodding my head.

“Great. Thanks. If you can give me a few, I’m going to talk with Tuck first about his two-run homer in the sixth.” She spoke professionally like she hadn’t been riding my fingers like they were a fucking pogo stick just a couple of hours ago.

“Sure. See you out there.”

I wiped my face off, finally drank some water and pulled out two pieces of gum from my pocket.

I walked out to where she stood by third base, talking to Tuck and smiling. Jesus, she’s beautiful. I was such an idiot for being a tool in college. But I was slowly repenting for my sins.

“Congrats on the home run and the win tonight, Tuck.” She turned to look directly into the camera and said, “Stick around Wrangler fans. When we come back, I’ll be speaking to red hot pitcher, Phoenix West.”

The light on the camera faded and she relaxed her camera-practiced smile.

“That really was a great hit, Tuck. We’ll see you tomorrow.” She held up her hand and gave him a small wave as he said goodbye and jogged past me, giving me a fist bump as he went.

I sauntered up to her and she busied herself like she didn’t know I was standing inches away. She looked everywhere but at me and it made my smirk turn to a full blown laugh.

Her beautiful face looked up at me and it was laced with anger. She looked like Tinkerbell when she was mad at Peter Pan. It was fucking adorable.

“What?” She spat.

“Nothin’. You’re just cute.” I hold my hand out to her and open it up, revealing the two pieces of grape gum.

She glares at me then at the gum sitting there.

“C’mon, Peaches. You know you want it.” Her mouth opened to either yell or let me put the gum in her mouth when we were interrupted.

“Back in ten,” the cameraman called out.

Vivian steps up on her little stool, tosses her hair back, straightens her shoulders and holds the mic up to her mouth.

“In five, four, three,” the cameraman holds up two fingers then one, then motions that we were live.

“Welcome back, Wrangler fans. I’m here with Phoenix West, the man who keeps setting records and smashing them. Congrats on the win tonight and for once again, breaking your strike-out record.”

“Thanks, Pe-Vivian.” Her eyes widen then narrow when I almost called her peaches on live tv. “Tonight was a great win for the team, and I’m just happy I had a part in helping my guys pull in a W.”

“You went four straight innings with consecutive strike-outs. Was there anything about tonight, perhaps something new with your training, that you attribute tonight's performance to?”

I smirk and think, she threw the pitch, now hit it out of the park.

“Training continues as always, but there was definitely something special about tonight. I don't know what it was, but I could smell it in the air. There was an electricity in the stadium tonight. You know, the kind you can taste. It was there tonight and that’s what I fed off of. The energy. The pulse.”

The smile on her face never breaks, but her color turns flush and the look in her eyes tells me I’m gonna get it once the cameras are off.

I can’t fucking wait.

She clears her throat and blinks. “We’re heading into the final stretch of the regular season and the Wranglers are number one in the AL West division. How do you feel headed into the playoffs?”

“Great. This is a solid team with an all-star lineup. We’ve got the top power hitters right now, so as long as the guys keep making unbelievable plays and hitting home runs, and I keep throwing strikes, I think we’re poised to go all the way.”

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