2. James
2
JAMES
The Florida sun dips below the horizon, casting long shadows as we shuffle out of the ballpark. My shirt clings to me, soaked with sweat, but I don’t mind. That, and the ache in my muscles, only serve as reminders that baseball season is creeping up and that I’m exactly where I need to be. This is what I live for.
As we walk to the parking lot, I scan the crowd of guys for a familiar face. It doesn’t take long to spot Ethan hanging back a bit, his arms swinging gently as he chats with Will.
“Hey Ethan, you enjoy your baptism by fire?” I shout over, trying to get a read on him. I can’t help but wonder what’s going on in his head. He’s tough to crack, but that makes me want to get to know him even more.
A smile tugs at the corners of Ethan’s mouth. “Yeah, it was intense.” He pauses, taking a long drag from his water bottle before dousing his hair, drenching himself to cool down.
“That’s one way to put it,” I say, striding over and giving him a playful slap on the back. My hand makes contact with solid muscle beneath his wet shirt, and it’s hard not to notice how jacked he is.
“Damn, the coaches must have drained you today,” I say. Ethan sure is quiet, but it’s rude to ask someone directly why, so I don’t.
Ethan shrugs, his expression unreadable. “Not much of a talker, I guess.”
“Hey, it’s cool. Everyone’s got their own vibe.”
And his vibe is growing on me. It’s not that he’s cold or anything, more like he’s simply absorbing his environment. Ethan doesn’t seem like the type to open up right away, so I switch gears. “Heard the team’s pairing us up already. I’ve already had at least six guys come up to me asking if I’ve made friends with the other rookie,” I say with a grin.
To my surprise, a laugh escapes Ethan, and it’s a sound that catches me off guard. Hearing that makes me relax a bit.
“I got that too. Maybe we’ll bond over being new.”
“Oh, hell yeah, we’re gonna be bros,” I say, slinging an arm around Ethan’s shoulders. “When we get a weekend off, we’re going out. I’ll show you a wild night.”
Ethan’s green eyes narrow with amusement. “A wild night, huh?”
“Oh, the wildest,” I say with a smirk. Once this guy warms up, he’s gonna be a lot of fun. I just need to get under that shell of his, and the ride back seems like the perfect time to try. After we board, I snag two seats at the back and gesture for Ethan to join me. His hair is dry now, and he’s pushed it back in a way that looks intentionally styled, even though I saw him rinse it a minute ago. Ethan is so put-together it’s almost uncanny.
“Are you always this chill after practice?” I ask, turning my head to face him.
Ethan smiles and rests his head back against the seat. “I’m just good at hiding how tired I am.”
“Okay, Ethan. You’re totally nailing the ‘Mysterious Rookie’ vibe,” I say.
Closing his eyes, Ethan laughs, and I’m taken aback by how bright his smile is. The dude has some pretty teeth.
“But seriously, how are you holding up?” I ask.
“Better now that I’m sitting down.”
The van lurches forward, throwing us back into our seats. Out of instinct, my hand reaches out to stabilize myself on something, and it takes a second to realize that I’m clutching Ethan’s arm. I freeze.
“You good?” Ethan asks.
Jerking my hand away, I smile back. “Yeah, just a reflex. Thanks for saving me from falling over, though.”
He salutes me, which makes me chuckle. “Anytime. Feel free to save yourself with my biceps whenever you need to.”
I shoot him a teasing grin, and I reach out to give him a playful squeeze. “Oh no, my seatbelt is broken. Save me with your massive arms,” I say, laying on the sarcasm.
Laughing, Ethan’s eyebrows shoot up. “James, are you trying to flirt with me?” he asks. His tone is exaggerated, making it clear that he’s joking.
“Oh, you wish,” I fire back, landing a playful smack on his hard chest. “I’m just seeing if you can live up to your promises of saving me.”
“Did I pass the test?”
“Oh, absolutely,” I flash a grateful expression at Ethan. “You’re now my designated savior.”
“I’m so honored. When do I report for duty?”
“Whenever I need you, buddy.”
Messing around with my friends like this has always been fun, and I’m glad that Ethan and I hit it off so quickly. He might be quiet, but at least we share the same sense of humor.
The next few days are a blur of early mornings and long practices. Ethan and I don’t see too much of each other, given that our positions are different, but I glance over every so often to catch his moves. The guy has some serious skills.
Then, out of nowhere, we get hit with a team dinner at some fancy Italian place downtown. Everyone’s supposed to dress up, which I don’t mind, but I’m still more of a jeans and t-shirt guy.
When we arrive, I spot Ethan across the room, and damn, the guy cleans up well. His light brown hair looks freshly cut, neatly framing his face, and he’s in a fitted button-down that hugs his broad shoulders. It’s a change from our usual baseball gear, and it trips me up for a second. If he wasn’t so quiet, I’m sure he’d turn a lot more heads.
We end up sitting next to each other, and I catch myself stealing glances at him as he scans the menu. I lean back in my chair, itching to break the silence and see if he’s as quiet here as he is on the field. “So, Ethan,” I start, leaning back in my chair, “what do you think of this place?”
He takes a sip of water before answering. “It’s nice,” he says. “Haven’t been to a restaurant like this in a while.”
“Yeah, this isn’t exactly my scene either, but hey, it’s free.”
“For sure. I’m a little more low-key, but I guess this is how they roll in the big leagues.”
“Yeah, seriously, if this is the kind of spot we go to now, imagine where the team is gonna take us when we win the World Series.”
Ethan chuckles softly, humor glinting in his green eyes. “Let’s focus on surviving spring training first.”
Will, sitting across from us, leans in with a grin. “I don’t want to jinx it, but it’d be awesome if the two of you win with us in your first season,” he says, just loud enough for us to hear.
Ethan blushes a little, which seems to happen a lot. It’s honestly kind of endearing, seeing his usual game face slip, and that makes me smile wider.
I grin back at Will. “We’ll see about that! I might end up scaring Ethan off before we even make it to the playoffs.”
The three of us laugh, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Ethan and I are chilling, and I can’t see anything getting in between us.