And every lull in the game had had me glancing over to the brunette and her…our son in a fucking Pirates hat. I was sure of it.
A ball flew past me.
Damn, I needed to get my head straight. I missed a routine grounder.
As we left the first inning, the second baseman, Rogers, patted me on my back and asked, “So you have a family?”
I wasn’t the only one seeing my family’s face stamped on that boy.
I tugged at my jersey collar and said, “Apparently, her parents died, and that’s why she went AWOL on me seven years ago.”
Rogers knew I’d spent the second year on the road scanning the crowds for Georgie to show up. And the third year. And a bit of the fourth. He didn’t know how I rejected every other woman’s offer because no one else smelled or tasted right after being with Georgie.
She’d never showed, until now.
Rogers asked, “And she showed up at your game with your son?”
“Clearly.” I wrapped my hands for batting lineup.
Rogers did the same. “Girls like her will always exist. After the game, pay her off and be done with her. Right now, we need your head in the game.”
No. Even in the hotel, Georgie had been…sweet and memorable. I’d taken out her picture on my phone we’d taken together the day we met at the pool and wished I’d find her again before the start of every game, including now. Praying for her was part of my warm-up routine, but now that prayer was answered.
I squared my shoulders as my turn was coming up but only said, “I play to win.”
I grabbed my bat and tested it as I made my way to the plate. I stepped on the white plate to signal I was ready. I refused to glance anywhere except into the pitcher’s brown eyes.
The catcher behind me smacked his gums and said, “So Michael, you were hiding that one away good.”
A ball flew past my head over a hundred miles per hour.
I spit and talked back in the same tone. “I wore your mother out last night.”
He laughed. “Yet, it’s your son wearing a Pirate’s jersey there, buddy.”
Fire burst through my veins.
At the crack of the bat, I said, “Take that, fuckers,” and ran.
I made it to third and stopped as I knew I couldn’t barrel my way into home on time.
Georgie and her boy were a direct sight in my line of vision now. The hot blazing sun made her seem heaven-sent to me, and my son was like an added bonus.
His existence meant she’d never forgotten me. And hopefully meant she’d be open to more, because I needed her body. Seven years of pent up energy with only her picture for inspiration had been excruciating.
Soon, Rogers hit the ball, and I made it home on his single.
The crowd jeered. Pirates’ fans were clearly passionate. I wished my own team had been that enthusiastic about my skills during the contract negotiations. As I made it back to my dugout, I saw some fans talking smack to Georgie in the field.
She held her son closer as Rodriguez asked me, “Is she why you’re ditching us at the end of the season?”
I ignored my friend and walked closer to see what was going on.
Fans were screaming at Georgie for bringing the Pirates bad luck as I said, “I’m following the Benjamins. It’s what brought me here and my agent is combing through all offers. It has nothing to do with her.”
If the Sooners had shown me loyalty with their offer, I’d have stayed. I liked my team.
However, I walked into the crowd again as he asked behind me, “You joining these fuck-heads because your girl is here?”
Rodriquez didn’t need an answer. I signaled Aaron, the water and errand boy of the team, to join me.
I jumped up to where she was, and she made sweaty stands somehow smell like summer. “Georgie?”
“Yeah?” She asked and clutched her son with her face white and tight, like she expected a bomb to go off.
I snapped at Aaron to help me out again and said, “Can you get to the family seating area already so you're both safe?”
Georgie looked around and then nodded. “On our way.”
I couldn’t walk with her. I rejoined my team, but I saw Aaron walking her to the family seats, where no one else would ever hit her off the back of the head or scream in her face.
Georgie had no idea, but she’d been the only girl I’d dreamed about and the last person in my pathetic bed for years now, and that was pretty telling as I traveled around the country for a living. Rodriguez had married, divorced, and married another while I’d been in fucking limbo waiting for Georgie.
The next inning went better.
I caught every ball and light had returned to my step.
This time, I followed all my usual routines and when I went up to plate, I didn’t hear a word of the pitcher's smack talk. I hit the ball like it was a softball, and it made it over the wall.
The crowd jeered as the announcer said, “Homerun.”
“That was awesome.” Rogers dug his cleats into the field as I neared the dugout.
I detoured to go to the family area as I said fast, “My lucky charm is here.”
I didn’t care that the cameras heard me or that my team saw.
I returned to where she was and smelled the dewy sweetness.
The cameras were all on me, and adrenaline from the homerun was still in my veins, as I grabbed her soft sides like no time had passed.
Georgie softened and her eyelids lowered.
She still felt good in my arms as she said, “Michael!”
Her fingers twirled in my hair and I pressed against her and said, “We’ll talk after.”
Without thinking, I pressed my lips to hers and fireworks exploded in my veins. My memories had all been right. She
