Chapter 26 Nate
TWENTY-SIX
nate
At practice the next morning, Austin caught me whistling.
“What the fuck are you so happy about?”
The vibe in the locker room had been almost somber. With two infielders out, it wouldn’t be easy to cover their roles for the remainder of the season.
“I bet he got laid last night.” Gonzo’s declaration made me stiffen, and I hoped Austin didn’t see my reaction.
“Yeah, no. He was with me last night.”
“All you need to do is watch for the woman walking like she’s been riding a horse, and that will tell you who it was.”
I shook my head. “Even if something had happened last night, I’d never tell.”
Austin patted me on the back. “Get your ass moving.”
By the end of the day, it was official. I had moved to shortstop, and they would call up someone from AAA for third base. We had more flexibility in right field, but the lineup lacked power offensively. Milligan and Griffen would be tough to replace.
Me: Are you going to be watching the game tonight?
I cringed after I hit send. It had taken me all fucking morning to figure out what to text Olivia. She had been out of the house before us; Cooper had an early drop-off at baseball camp.
Olivia: Most likely. Cooper has a sleepover. I’m probably going to park my ass on the couch with my laptop and get some work done.
Me: Too bad Austin didn’t have a sleepover…
Olivia: Yup. Shame you won’t get to hear me scream your name.
Me: I got caught whistling today.
Olivia: I’m sore. In a good way.
Me: Like after a productive workout?
Olivia: Exactly.
Me: Not too sore for a visitor tonight?
Olivia: Hell no. Good luck tonight. I don’t know what I’m talking about, but one of the sports guys I listened to this morning said you were pretty good at that position.
Me: Sports guy?
For someone who had been surrounded by baseball and professional athletes, Olivia sometimes said the funniest shit.
Olivia: This podcast...
Olivia: Link to podcast.
I opened the link and listened to the most recent episode. I hadn’t heard this one before, but their take on the Minutemen’s season was that unless we got at least one solid hitter from the ether, we had less than a zero shot at ending the season over .500.
Me: I like what they had to say about me…but the rest of it?
Olivia: Sucked. Welcome to Boston, where we get our hopes up only to crash down hard.
The podcast continued, veering into whether the Minutemen would—or should—turn a blind eye to bad behavior. I turned it off. I hated listening to men making excuses for other shitbag men.
You know the best way not to get accused of rape? It’s super easy, guys. Don’t rape women.
We got our ass handed to us that night. And Baltimore swept the series. Baltimore had been so bad this season, they were fifteen games back from first place. New York and Toronto both won, and our lead in the division slipped from nine to six.
That and Austin somehow managing to cockblock for the entire rest of the home stand, my whistling had come to an end.