6. Chapter 3
Jax
“No fucking way,” Rikki yells across the locker room. “Sloan Barrett’s podcast is filming here, and she’ll be doing a few exclusives with our team.”
He’s more excited than I’ve seen him in a long time.
Sloan Barrett is not only an incredible kicker—well, was before her injury—she’s also hot as hell, and last I heard not on the market. Her boyfriend is always around, so I’m not so sure why he’s smiling so big.
“What do you think I have to do to secure one of those exclusives?” He grins and then rushes Horner as he walks into the locker room. “Horner, what do you say I get to do an exclusive?”
He’s shameless.
“I have a meeting with her today. The only exclusive we’ve confirmed is Oscar’s tomorrow.”
“Well. I’ll happily take one for the team,” Rikki says earnestly.
Horner just shakes his head and laughs, “I’m sure you will.”
“Jax, I need you on standby tomorrow in case Ozzie is… Ozzie about it. He’s a fan favorite, but also a man of few words,” Horner says to me as he continues walking past Rikki.
“He turns it on for the fans,” I reassure him. “But I’ll stick close by just in case.”
Ozzie walks into the locker room, face all flushed like he just got laid. He doesn’t even get to set his shit down before Rikki is in his face.
“What the hell did you do to score an interview? It’s wasted on you, all lovesick and shit.” Rikki pats him on the back and rolls his eyes.
“Why are you so late?” I ask Ozzie, ignoring Rikki’s desperate pleas for an interview.
“Tatum.” His eyes go glossy as he looks down at his phone.
Yep. He got laid.
Tatum is hot, but there is something about her that just doesn’t sit right with me lately. When she and Oz started dating, she was fun to be around, but lately she’s always looking for the next big thing and never happy. Clearly, he hasn’t noticed so I’m not saying anything.
Even my parents thought she was different the last time they visited, and they don’t get to come back here often enough to really know her.
Man, I can’t wait until they both retire this year and have more time to travel across the country to see me. I miss them.
“So, do you know what your interview is about tomorrow?” I ask, trying to take my mind off being suddenly homesick. It’s the hardest part of this job.
I know he answers me, but the words are lost as I see Sloan walk through the locker room towards Horner’s office. There’s someone with her, but I couldn’t tell you who she is.
Sloan Barrett is even more beautiful in person.
Her long blonde hair is swaying from side to side as they walk into Horner’s office.
The tight black dress she’s wearing is doing amazing things to her ass, and her long legs go on for days.
Her athletic discipline is clear, and I admire it.
As I trace the lines of her muscular calves, I notice the brace on her knee.
It’s skin tone, but there, and the memory of the video I watched on repeat the night she got hurt sends a shiver up my spine.
I can’t imagine having an injury take me out—just end my career with no warning.
Rikki’s hand slaps my chest, and I realize he’s got his arm propped up on my shoulder eating a Twizzler. His mouth is agape, and I move away quickly before she notices, realizing we look like Danny and Kenickie in Grease.
Damn, I love that movie. I watched it with Grandma all the time. Maybe we can do a Grease walkup in one of the upcoming games.
The entire time I was getting ready, I kept looking towards Horner’s office, waiting for her to emerge.
She never did, so I headed to practice with the guys.
Even though I’ve been waiting for it, her reappearance with Horner on the field leaves me stunned.
He’s showing her where she’ll be conducting most of her interviews, from the press area in the stands.
Like everything else in Mango Ball, the press area is right in the middle of the stands, where fans can be a part of it.
I wonder if he’s planning on having her introduce the new players he’s been scouting.
“Social Media Break,” comes over the speakers, and we all get in formation for the team dance we learned yesterday.
After we make one dance video as a team, we have a few minutes to film one for our individual pages.
It’s usually the best part of the day, but today it’s replaced by the sight of Sloan.
Tatum choreographed the dance, so she’s filming like she always does.
As she comes walking by with her phone in her hand, I realize she’s live again.
Being live isn’t my favorite, but the fans eat it up.
I smile and wave before blowing a kiss to the fans I know are watching, none the wiser to my feelings about the chance of being surprised or doing something dumb in the background of someone else’s video.
Every time someone is live my walls go up.
“Yes, that is Sloan Barrett up in the stands,” Tatum says to the phone, responding to someone’s comment. “You are right! She’s single and on the market.”
I don’t hear what she says next, because “Walk Like Ronald” fills the speakers, but that last part was all I wanted to hear anyways.
Sloan Barrett is on the market.
We spend the next minute or so filming a viral dance as a team for social media, and then it’s time for each of us to do our own thing.
As soon as the music ends, a timer starts on the scoreboard overhead, and everyone spreads out on the field setting up tripods, getting out snacks, anything they need to film a quick video for fans.
Some guys have speakers with songs playing, and some are talking.
Me—I decide this is a great time to do a video about the things fans need to know about Mango Ball before visiting the park.
I hold out my phone, grab my granola bar and take the fans on a walk around the field to chat.
“Mango Ball is baseball reimagined. Here are the 3 things you need to know before coming to the park,” I say as I walk the field.
“One—get here early. The lines are long, but the show starts right when you walk through the gates. Two—” I say, holding up another finger.
“When you hear the chime over the speakers, head to the Mango zone. Players will be signing balls, hats, and whatever you’ve got for one hour.
Don’t miss it. And three —this is a fan favorite.
Look under your seat before you sit down, one lucky player gets to come paint Ozzie’s number on him before the game starts.
Maybe it will be you.” I give the camera a little wink and turn the camera towards Ozzie, dancing in the corner.
After I ensure they’ll get a good glimpse of him, I turn it back towards me, wave and turn off the camera.
I take a minute to type out a quick caption and hit post before making my way back to the dugout. I go to look at the clock to see how much time is left, but get lost in the sight of her again.
“Come on, Jax. Tell me she’s not consuming your attention, she’s consuming mine,” Rikki says as we walk back into the dugout.
“Rikki, what is your deal? Is this the first time you’ve seen a hot athlete?
Give it a rest. Being distracted by her and loud about it isn’t going to convince Horner to give you an exclusive.
It’ll do the opposite.” I smile at him because I don’t want to hurt his feelings.
Rikki’s still really young and has a lot of maturing to do.
Plus, he’s right, and he knows it. “But yeah,” I say, confirming what he already knows.
“She’s distracting me too. It’s hard not to stare.
I’m sure the ratings for her show will only continue to grow. ”
Rikki’s eyes go wide, and I don’t know why until I turn around and come face to face with Sloan. She’s got a look on her face that I can’t register. It’s not exactly an offended look, but it’s not flattered either.
Fuck this was not the first impression I wanted to make with her.