Game on, Love (Pitch and Pits #1)

8

Oliver

I CURSED UNDER MY breath , tugging at the stubborn fabric that was supposed to be a bow tie and looked like a toddler’s attempt at origami.

Tonight was supposed to be smooth, quick stop at the end-of-season gala.

Show my face, take some photos, and leave.

Instead, here I was, a full ten minutes behind schedule, standing in front of the full-length mirror we had in our reception room, trying and failing to make sense of the video playing in front of me.

Usually, I would ask Rihaan to help with this sort of thing. He strangely had the kind of patience needed to tie a bow tie, while I clearly… did not. But seeing as I was running late, and he was supposed to meet his Dad at the venue, he had already left.

I debated calling Sean and asking him to bring me a clip-on tie when I heard the front door open.

“Rihaan?” I called, already stepping away from the mirror and walking towards the entryway and hoping he forgot something and would save me instead. “Can you give me a hand—”

I stopped halfway through my request, surprised when I spotted her.

Raina was standing by the front door, a suitcase in hand, her hair a bit messy from travelling.

“Are you… speaking to me?” My heart did a weird little jump at the sound of her voice.

“Uh, yeah. Actually, yeah, I am,” I tried to mask the awkwardness in my voice as her eyes did a quick sweep over me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice the slight raise of her eyebrow as she took the whole scene in. From my tux to the wrinkled bow tie to the look of mild panic on my face.

“Trouble with the bow tie?” She abandoned her stuff by the door and walked over to where I was standing.

I let out a laugh. “You think?”

“Want some help?” She took a step forward, tilting her head as she looked at me, clearly amused.

I couldn’t help but be caught off guard. It had only been a week since she moved in, and with her schedule, we’d hardly seen each other. But still I could tell there was something different today, almost as if she was carrying just a little less on her shoulders. Maybe it was because she was exhausted or just had a good trip, but for a second, I forgot all about the gala or the fact I was running late.

Instead, I just nodded.

“Honestly? Yes. I’m about five seconds from giving up and asking my agent to bring a clip-on-tie with him.”

Her eyes widened in amusement as she mock-gasped. “Not the clip-on-tie!”

Her glossy, full lips were parted, revealing a glint of white teeth against her warm, golden-toned skin. The curve of her mouth held a hint of smirk, soft but teasing.

My gaze lingered on her lips just a moment longer before I felt her tug at the tangled knot I’d managed to create. Instantly, I leaned down in her direction at the pull, and she smirked as if enjoying that movement. I was a solid six foot one, and she came up to about my shoulder, maybe a little higher when she was standing tall. But she was so close, I could smell the faintest hint of her perfume. A mix of something fruity and floral, with a hint of mustiness that I couldn’t quite place.

Her hands were surprisingly gentle as she worked the fabric.

“Done this before?” I muttered, watching her face as she concentrated, her brow furrowed just slightly. She had the same look she had the other day, but this time I could see the tiredness lingering underneath her lashes.

She shrugged, eyes still on the bow tie. “Yeah, you’re not the first guy who’s bad at tying bow ties.”

I paused, involuntarily leaning back slightly.

“Hold still.”

She made another pull before she glanced up at me. The corner of her lips tipping up as she pulled the fabric apart.

She was now stretching up on her toes, trying to tie the knot. She sighed, and I watched her. It was obvious that her travels were catching up to her, her shoulders dropping slowly with each heartbeat.

“Give me a second,” Without another thought, I placed my hands on her waist and lifted her up, setting her on the counter beside me so that our eyes were levelled.

I grinned as her eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she let out a soft yelp. But, as I stood between her legs, and her hands settled more easily on my tie, she instantly relaxed. “That’s one way to go about it,” she murmured, smiling as she focused on her task.

“Efficient, isn’t it?” I replied, still grinning, but every single nerve in my body had come alive. My hands were still on either side of her, holding her in place.

Her fingers worked easily, looping the tie just right, her touch light.

“So, who exactly needed your help with his bow ties?” I couldn’t help but ask, watching her face carefully.

“A friend,” she said, a little too casually, but there was a glint in her eyes.

“A friend, huh?”

She glanced up at me for a second, her face lit in amusement. “Yes, a friend. You know, one of those people you spend time with? Who needs help every now and then?”

“Only every now and then or often?”

I was as obvious as a ball pitched right in the slot.

She paused, just a second, as her eyes traced my face—which had the word ‘jealous’ written all over it—before she smiled. “ Only every now and then.”

I let out a soft laugh, amused by my own reaction and yet oddly relieved at her reply. “Good to know,”

She gave the tie a final tug and leaned back, studying her handiwork. “There. Perfect.”

Yes, you are.

“Thanks,” I said softly, my voice lowering, but she didn’t make a move to hop down just yet, her hands lingering near my collar as she looked at me. “How was the race?”

Her face broke into a real smile, and fuck.

I watched as the memory of the day before lit up her entire face, and the urge to take a picture and frame it for the world to see cruised through me.

She was unmistakably proud when she spoke, “Vedant won the race from fifteenth! It was absolutely amazing. I’ve seen him win races before, but yesterday, I watched as he made history, and it was absolutely surreal. I still get full body chills every time I close my eyes and think about it.”

I gave her a soft smile, but she didn’t notice; she was stuck in the memory, and I was completely trapped in her movements. The way she spoke about it, if Vedant had any clue, it would make his day.

“Glad you had a good time, love.” The word slipped out, smooth and unbidden, but I didn’t regret it for a second. I watched her blink, her eyes widening a fraction as she took my words in, but she quickly recovered.

I gave the side of her thigh a little tap before stepping back and picking up my tux jacket. I smoothed out the sleeves, and she took it from me and helped me slide it on. It was such a simple act, but as I shrugged into the fabric, it felt oddly intimate.

I turned to the mirror, before adjusting my shoulders slightly.

“Well? Do I pass?” Her voice was softer as I met her eyes in the mirror. I tilted my head slightly, studying her face.

“Depends,” I turned to look at her. “You planning on helping anyone else with their bow ties tonight?”

She rolled her eyes, pushing me back completely and hopping off the counter. “Not tonight, no.”

“Good,” I replied, sliding a hand in my pocket. “Because I’m starting to think I have a monopoly on this now.”

She laughed, the sound hitting me right in the chest as she walked back to pick up her stuff where she had left it. “It’s good to have dreams, King.”

She looked at me with a mischievous grin as she made her way to the stairs. “If you’re delusional enough, they might eventually come true one day.”

I couldn’t help it; a laugh flew out of me as I watched her. The familiar mix of breeziness and peace rushed through me.

Maybe it was the tux, maybe it was the way she had helped me, or maybe it was her trip. But whatever it was, it gave me my first real moment with her.

As she reached the first step, she looked back at me, and the warmth in them was unmistakable. “Have fun tonight.”

I smiled, staying silent as something in me clicked. For the first time in my life, the feeling I had chased in the world of cricket was in human form in front of me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she felt the same.

THE GALA WAS already in full swing by the time I walked into the ballroom, music and conversation filling the space, people walking up to me the moment they spotted me. It was the kind of evening that used to excite me—I’d grown up going to events like these—ones where it was all about celebrating and showing off a season’s hard work.

And yet, I couldn’t shake off the feeling from before. I was present, sure, I shook hands, made small talk as I moved around the room, and did what I was supposed to do. But, every so often, I kept thinking back to the few minutes just before I left.

To Raina.

I tugged at my collar, which suddenly felt a bit too tight as I walked up to our table and dropped next to Rihaan, who was mid-conversation with a few other teammates. They were laughing at something, but stopped when he spotted me and raised an eyebrow.

“Mate, where have you been? I was about to put a search party together for you.” Rihaan asked, a frown set on his face. “You’re usually the first one out the door.”

I hesitated; he looked at me like he was on edge, his mood darker than usual. The last thing I wanted was for him to find out that I was late because I was busy trying to flirt with his sister. If the two interactions I had seen between them were any indication, I knew she would be a sore spot for him, and the strange urge to protect the peace she'd felt today came back out swinging in me.

“Just.. got held up in traffic,” I shrugged, playing it off. He gave me a suspicious look like he was trying to read something on my face. Before he could say anything, they were settling everyone down and starting the ceremony.

Across the room, I spotted Sean in a conversation with our coach and a couple of other people. Our conversation from last week was still at the front of my mind.

And when I stood on the stage, my trophy catching the spotlight and creating a glimmer at the words STANDOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR, the applause surrounded me—a sound I was so used to, yet tonight it felt like background noise.

I scanned the faces in the crowd, halfheartedly hoping for a glimpse of something familiar, someone who might make the night feel more… real.

But Dad wasn’t there. He hadn’t been at a match in months now and hadn’t shown up for a cricket event longer.

I could practically hear his voice in my head, gruff and proud, the same as it was when I had played my first game as a kid.

The sound of the applause softened as I walked back to my seat, my teammates slapping me on the back and smiling, but it all felt distant. I plastered on a smile, laughing at their jokes and accepting their congratulations.

But it was hard to shake the feeling that for the first time, winning felt like a reminder of the people who weren’t there.