28. KOA
28
KOA
“Baby,” I call out for Syd as I enter our apartment with my arms full of groceries. It’s only been a month since we moved in. It’s taken us some time but we are slowly making it our own.
I was able to get a lot of our stuff unpacked and organized when we first moved in while Sydney focused on work. I’m so fucking proud of her. I didn’t expect our guest bathroom and kitchen to turn into a science lab but I love watching her work and coming up with new products.
Working with Jade and Zoe has fueled her passion. She comes home from work with new ideas and concepts for her business. I’m back to being the thirteen year old boy hanging on her every word.
“Baby,” I yell again. What is she doing? I unload the groceries and put everything away that I won’t need for dinner. We’re still figuring out this cooking thing. We’ve managed to make a few basics like spaghetti and tacos edible. Although, even those get burned or overcooked on occasion .
I walk through our living room, passing our couch that has more blankets than available seating, and admiring all the plants she has managed to add in a tiny room.
My girl can’t cook but she can keep plants alive. They seem to multiply overnight. Every day I come home from practice or workouts and find new plants she’s ‘rescued’ from the nursery and at least two or three cups with plant clippings.
I go to our room and check the bathroom, but both are empty. Walking back to the hall, I open the door to the spare room. We haven’t been able to do much with this room yet. We’ve ordered bookshelves and a chair but everything is still in boxes.
My plan was to work on it while I waited to hear from the Cardinals. However, the call ended up coming a lot faster than we anticipated. I haven’t played a game yet but I do practice and dress for them.
As predicted, the contract wasn’t as good as the one I passed on with Colorado. But I got the better deal with the life Sydney and I are building together.
Which is proven once again when I see what Sydney is doing. “Fuck me,” I mumble to myself.
Sydney is on her knees leaning over an open box of one of the bookshelves and reading the instructions. Her ass is on full display in tiny bike shorts.
Dinner and everything else might have to wait. I readjust myself and walk into the room. She has headphones on, no doubt listening to an audiobook.
Before I can get too close, she removes her headphones and looks at me over her shoulder. “Hi,” she says, standing and slipping her arms under my shirt and around my back.
“How did you know I was in here?” I ask.
“I can feel you when you’re near me. I just know.” She shrugs. Lifting to her tiptoes, she kisses me. My hands go to her ass and I give it a pat and a quick squeeze.
“Do you want me to help you put these together?” I ask, glancing around the room.
“I don’t think so. The last time you ‘helped’ me with my bookshelves they fell apart.”
“That wasn’t just me,” I remind her. “Your brother was also to blame for that mess.”
“Oh, sure, blame the best friend,” she teases. “How come he didn’t help fix it then?”
I snag her by the waist again. “That’s because your brother doesn’t care about making you happy like I do. I don’t like seeing you upset about anything.”
“You’re too good to me,” she says. “I’m going to work on this. Unless you want my help with dinner.”
I chuckle. “No, I’m good. I’m just doing steak, potatoes, and salad.”
“Sounds yummy.”
“Come get me if you need me to hold a board or something. I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” I say, kissing her forehead.
She waves me off. “I’ve got it.” She goes back to reading the instructions and I admire her ass one last time.
Turning on some music, I busy myself in the kitchen marinating the steaks and preparing the vegetables. Sydney joins me a half hour or so later and slams her palm on the kitchen island.
“Extra pieces,” she says with a grin. I throw my head back laughing. “Do you think manufacturers do this on purpose to mess with your head?”
“Probably, baby. Did it feel sturdy?” I ask, adding the tomatoes and cucumbers I’ve diced into a large salad bowl.
“Enough to put your books on the shelf and test it out first.” She winks and steals a cucumber from the bowl.
“I see how it is.” I shake my head.
“Oh,” she shouts, waving her hands and jumping from foot to foot. “I forgot to tell you. Jade invited us to this big industry party. I told her I needed to check with my roommate and see if he’s free.”
My eyes narrow on the way her lip curls on one side. She knows exactly what she said. It isn’t the first time she’s said that evil word. I dry my hands on the towel I have thrown over my shoulder and drop it on the counter.
Rounding the island, I place a hand on either side of her, boxing her in. “Call me your roommate one more time,” I say, bringing my face closer to hers.
“What are you going to do about it… roommate ?”
I glance around the kitchen. The steaks are resting, the salad is done, and the potatoes are in the oven. As long as I turn the oven off…
I grab Sydney by the waist and throw her over my shoulder. “I warned you, baby,” I say, walking to the oven and flipping it off.
“The potatoes are going to burn.” She tries to wiggle herself loose but I just hold on tighter.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” I slap her ass enough to make it sting and walk us to our bedroom.
“What are you going to do?” she asks when I toss her on the bed.
“Remind you what kind of roommate I am. Now strip.”
“Are you ready for today?” my teammate, Caleb, asks as we take the field for the start of the game.
I nod. This is it. My major league debut. I can’t believe this is really happening. Hours of practice, nights spent outside while everyone was asleep, sacrificing almost everything to get to this moment.
He slaps me on the back and walks out to first base. I follow behind him, savoring every moment. Spinning as I walk, I take in the crowd.
My parents, brother, and Sydney along with her parents have seats near the dugout. I wave over to them, but I don’t see Sydney. I know she’s here. She's texted me a selfie every five minutes. First it was with the Cardinal mascot and then it was with a big plate of nachos. She said she was sending that one to Lauren for some reason.
I want to see her but I don’t let it bother me. Knowing her, she is standing on top of someone in the front row trying to get a better photo. Maybe I should tell her they have professional photographers. She doesn’t have to capture everything herself.
The announcer begins to introduce the starting lineup. I hold my breath until I hear my name. I stand behind home plate, taking a minute to etch this memory in my brain and my heart.
“Making his major league debut, behind the plate is number nineteen, Koa Mahina,” he says over the loudspeaker. I raise my hand and wave at the crowd before lowering my mask. Fuck, I made it.
“To make his debut even more memorable, we’ve asked his girlfriend to throw the first pitch. Please welcome Ms. Sydney Pierce to the field.”
My heart begins to race as Syd walks up to the pitcher’s mound. She looks gorgeous as always with her legs on display in denim shorts and my jersey knotted at her waist.
I wanted her here to witness what she helped me accomplish but to have her be a part of it like this makes it even more special.
Holding my gloved hand out over the plate, I open and close it to signal that I’m ready for her.
She nibbles on her lower lip before winding her arm back and throwing the ball in my direction. I stand and run forward to snag the ball out of the air. The poor thing didn’t even make it halfway to the plate.
Sydney doesn’t seem to care as she laughs wildly into the warm summer air.
She runs toward me and leaps. “Nice catch,” she says, as I hold her up in my arms.
“The best one I’ve ever made.”