14. JOSH
JOSH
April was on my mind night and day since our kiss. Maybe I’d crossed the line, but my restraint was gone and it seemed right in that moment. Although, there’s been a bit more pep in my step. My mood was better and I felt like I could take this bet down. Teach Carlos not to fuck with people’s lives.
April came through the dugout and just like that, my eyes tracked her instead of what was happening on the field. She was talking to one of the assistants, it seemed intense.
Kev slid next to me on the bench, dripping in sweat. He grabbed his water bottle and chugged it down. “Shit, it’s hot out today.”
“It’s July,” I added dryly.
We both glanced up as April passed and Kev nudged my shoulder.
“What was up with you two walking in?”
“Just ran into each other.”
“That’s what you’re going to say it is?”
“Yup.” I shrugged.
“What are you up to tonight?”
“Dinner plans.”
“Nice.” He grinned. “With Summer or…?” He followed my stare toward April.
My hesitation had him smacking me on the side of the leg. “I knew it. Ran into each other my ass. I saw those glances between you two.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Sure as fuck did,” he replied, smug as hell. Then he ducked his head down in a serious tone. “You smile a lot more around her.”
“It’s not like that,” I quickly objected. “We’re friends.”
Kev’s bushy eyebrows knitted together, doubting me. “Oh!” He nodded, something striking his thoughts. “Are you the date she needs?”
I shrugged, not sure how to address it. Thankfully, Kev read between the lines and agreed he wouldn’t say anything to anyone, except that he thought I needed to tell the others.
“Whispers will start,” he added. “The gazes, the sight of you on Moose’s schedule.” He wiggled his brows. “But then you walk in here all chummy with matching takeout cups.” He grins like he’s figured out a clue. “Lovers’ quarrel is over?”
I rubbed my hands down my face. April and I had figured out our rules, but not what to say to the rest of the team. Her worries about the rules were valid, so I had to come up with a way to make it all work. “I’m still with Moose. I tried to convince her to put me back on hers, but no go.”
Kev chuckled and shook his head. “Striking out there, too. You are rusty.”
I punched him in the arm. “Because like you said, there are rumors. You dick.”
Kev grimaced. “Shit, sorry.”
“Tell them to mind their own. We live in the same building; we run into each other. What am I supposed to do, ignore her?”
Kev rubbed his shoulder where I’d socked him. “That would be a dick move.”
“Exactly.”
“My lips are sealed.”
I snorted.
“Josh, Kev! The bench is warm enough, get your asses out there!” the coach bellowed from the side of the field. I jumped up from my seat and headed to the base. A single step onto the field and my vision tunneled into one thing. The game.
The sound of the crowd chanting through the stadium rang out.
I stood slightly off second base, waiting for Giles to inch off it enough to tag him out.
Bingham was at bat and everyone was on edge.
The guy had doubled his batting average this year.
He was one of the best in the league and no one wanted him to slug one out of the park.
The score was 3-2 for us, but Bingham had the chance to tie it up if he hit it just right, or worse, if he knocked it out of the park like he did in the top of the third.
Carlos squatted behind the plate and Benny dug his foot into the pitcher’s mound while the coach rifled off signals to him.
Benny checked over his shoulder to see if Giles was far enough off base to tag him.
He wasn’t. He was keeping it close, knowing he wasn’t about to fuck up the chance to get ahead of us, but I could tell by the way he was shifting left to right he freaking wanted to.
I was pulling off my jersey after the game when Carlos smacked me in the back with his towel.
“Man, you were on fire today! You finally get some?” Carlos teased.
“No,” I scoffed. “Just came to play.” I noticed Kev smirking when I turned around. “What?”
“No late-night action?”
I glared at him, not liking what he was insinuating. “No.”
“How’s the dating life?” Jake added, leaning against the locker next to mine. I rolled my eyes while Jake and Milos debated their own thoughts for my love life, Carlos eyed me. He had no idea how close I was to winning his fucking bet.
“Maybe you met someone who puts pez in your step.” Milos chuckled.
“Pez? You mean pep.” I shook my head.
“What’s the difference?” Milos genuinely asked.
“Pez is a candy.” Jake chuckled.
Milos shoulders slumped. “Oh.”
“Can’t I just be in a good mood?” I groaned, grabbing my shower stuff from my locker. Wanting to escape these idiots.
“Yeah,” Jake replied, although his tone made it clear he was suspicious. “I am all the time. Especially when I get to see the family or I get a night out with Millie.” He winked. What they had was something rare and special.
“Maybe I’m just high from winning,” I rebuked.
“Or maybe you’re getting some,” Kev whispered. I glared at him, hoping he’d read my mind and shut it.
“Whatever the reason, you had better do it again,” Carlos encouraged. “Today was your best game this year. I think you brought your average up two points.”
Rolling my eyes, I stripped off the rest of my gear and headed into the showers.
The guy’s riding my ass about being in a good mood was irritating me.
The problem was that had been my best game.
I hit two singles, caught a damn near impossible fly ball, and my shoulder hadn’t felt this good in a month.
“Time is still ticking,” Carlos warned as he came into the shower area whistling. “You have a week to tell us who the lucky girl is if you don’t want to forfeit the bet.” I turned off the taps and slung a towel around my waist.
“I’m aware.” I had given a few nuggets of information. April and I were toeing a line at work. Sure, the guys were the ones who suggested her, so it was legit, but there was also a boundary between us that we needed to keep clear.
“You’ve been awfully tight lipped about this so-called new girl.”
“Yup,” I replied, popping the p out of annoyance.
Carlos smirked at me. “If it wasn’t for today, I’d think you were lying to save your own ass. But something has you grinning like a fool and I’d bet my left nut it is a woman.”
My mouth opened to argue it wasn’t, but since I was nowhere with the bet, I didn’t want to out myself. He could believe whatever he wanted.
It had been two days since we started walking into work together.
We had also been texting back and forth.
I wasn’t usually one for endless messages or idle chitchat, unless it was sexting, then of course, I was all for it.
It was the monotonous small talk I couldn’t care less about.
Except, I was the one reaching out to April.
I was genuinely concerned about making our plan work.
Our last messages were about meeting in the morning to walk to the stadium together.
My heart raced when I got to her floor, wondering why the fuck my palms were sweating and I was feeling something. What the hell was this? Was I…nervous? I knocked three times, then wiped my palm on my pants. April winced as she opened her door.
“What happened to you?” I asked, instinctively checking her out.
She groaned and held her neck with her right hand. “I slept on it funny last night. I think I kinked it.”
“Thinking about me all night, huh?” I lifted my eyebrows, sort of hoping it was true.
She turned her body toward me. “You’re an ass.”
“You love it.” She rolled her eyes. It was fun teasing her. “Can you even turn your head?”
She grimaced as she attempted to turn to the right and stopped. “Ouch! Apparently not.”
“That’s gonna make a rough day for you.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” She grabbed her duffle and tried to put it on her shoulder, but shrieked in pain.
I took the bag from her and she didn’t protest. “Why didn’t you take today off?”
“Why?”
“April, you can’t move unless you turn your entire body.”
She waved me off. “I’ll be fine.”
She was so stubborn, marching ahead of me toward the elevator despite wincing every few steps. Carrying her bag, I followed her out. Even with the clouds outside, the air was thick with humidity. My forehead was starting to bead with sweat.
“Crap, is it ever muggy today.”
April attempted to look up at the sky and cringed immediately. Oops. “Maybe, they’ll keep the roof on tonight.”
I sighed in agreement. I preferred it when it was open. There was something about the atmosphere thundering through the streets when we were up at bat or someone made a good play. It was electric.
Silence hung between us as we walked into the building.
I was unsure if I should reach for her hand, but she had already stepped in a head of me.
Mind made up then. Something about coming in slightly early had a calming vibe.
It was humming with workers and the excitement of the night’s game.
The sweet smell of the freshly-cut grass lingered in the air as the lawn crew were out cleaning it up and making sure the lines were just right for the game.
We were tied 1-1in a three-game series against Boston and I wanted to win this one.
Not for nothing, but Boston was stellar this year thanks to their trade for Mikey.
That was just another reminder we could all be shipped out.
That was something I tried not to think about.
April and I flashed our badges at the security check point, although it was more formality than necessary. Then we made our way to the tunnels, down to the locker room and gym.
We passed a few of the guys already heading out to the pitch to warm up for the game. I ignored the shocked expressions of me tugging April down the hall. At some point, she stopped resisting and gave me the leeway to take her into the massage room.
“Sit down,” I ordered, pulling her over to one of the massage tables. She tried to get back up, but I put my hand firmly on her shoulders, forcing her back down.
“Ouch! Why? What are you doing?”
“You’re no good to us if you’re injured,” I explained. “I need you to be good, so we can be good.”
“I’m fine. I swear.” She winced, even as she sat with her neck still crooked to the side.
“April, seriously. Let me help. You can't even turn your neck right now.”
She sighed, but the tension in her shoulders eased. Once I knew she wasn’t going to bolt, I placed a towel around her. Then I went over to the warmer and pulled out a small steaming weighted bag.
“Shit. That’s hot!” I hissed as I tossed it between both hands, then precariously placed it between her neck and shoulder. I was worried about it burning her. “Is that okay or too hot?”
“No. That’s amazing,” April uttered, moaning with her eyes closed. The sound did more than it should have and my dick twitched in excitement.
I gave it a minute for the heat to relax the strained muscle in her trapezius before I pinched her skin, squeezing it between my thumbs, and rubbing in slow deliberate circles.
I tried to tell my dick not to focus on how incredibly soft her skin was or that it held the lightest scent of perfume.
It wasn’t a scent I was familiar with and yet, it was hitting all of my senses in ways it shouldn’t have.
“New perfume?”
“Hm-hmm,” she groaned happily as she swayed into the pressure.
“Smells nice.” And I wasn’t lying.
It was sweet but flowery, not strong. I was tempted to run my nose along her neck. That was what couples did right? Not fake couples! I chided myself. Focus. I pushed down further on the knot in her shoulder, clenching my jaw as she gasped and moaned. That sound went straight to my dick.
“Is that helping?” I asked, my voice somewhat strangled, like the cock that was thickening in my jeans. I knew I should let go and walk away, but I stayed with my hands digging in deeper, working the tension from her shoulder.
She moaned my name in a husky voice and goddamn, it sounded too good. I leaned in closer, adding more pressure. Her scent was enticing. My chest was on her back. Her breathing picked up.
“Is that good?” I whispered next to her ear. I felt the flush of goosebumps under my fingers.
“Hmmm.”
“What’s going on?” I heard Coach’s deep voice from the doorway. I damn near bounced off her like she was an electric fence.
“Neck. Hurt. Locked,” April stammered, in the same state of surprise as me.
“She pinched it. I was trying to get it to unlock,” I mumbled, wishing my insides weren’t twisted up about how fast I let go or the fact that I wanted to have my hands back on her.
The coach’s thick, bushy grey brows rose and fell as he looked between us. He grunted in a way that said he doubted us, but then walked away to his office.
“Thanks, Josh,” April whispered, rubbing her neck. I noticed the blush creeping back onto her cheeks. I needed to get out of there before I did something stupid, something…else.
“That’s what friends are for,” I said, shoving my hands in my pockets, as if they were protesting their withdrawal. “I should go. Gotta game to win.”