Chapter 18 #2
Later, while Faye was in the shower, Jase and I cleaned up the kitchen. I rinsed the dishes, and he loaded the dishwasher.
Every time his arm brushed mine, a little jolt shot through me.
“So—” he started, but my phone rang, interrupting him.
Our agent’s name flashed on the screen. “It’s Marcos.”
His eyes widened. “Well answer it.”
I swiped to accept the call. “Hey, Marcos.”
“Hey, Dylan. You busy?”
“Not at the moment,” I replied, taking a seat on one of the barstools. “What’s up?”
“You and Jase together right now?” he asked.
I met Jase’s eyes. “Yeah, we are. Why?”
“Perfect. Put me on speaker.”
I did as he said. “Done.”
“Good,” he said. “I’ve got some news, and I wanted to tell you at the same time.”
Jase leaned on the island, arms folded as he listened intently. “What’s going on?”
“Dylan, I got a call from the Crushers this morning. They’re extending you a non-roster invite to spring training.”
For a second, the words didn’t quite compute. “You mean practice with them?” I blurted. “Not just with the minor league teams?”
He chuckled. “That’s what a non-roster invite means, kid.”
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
“Congratulations.” Jase clapped a hand on my shoulder. “That’s huge.”
“Oh, we’re not done,” Marcos continued. “Jase, the Red Sox are giving you the same opportunity.”
His mouth dropped open. “For real?”
“Yep.” Our agent’s tone turned serious. “This doesn’t guarantee you anything long-term. It’s going to take a lot to make the forty-man roster, but it’s a huge opportunity to show management what you’ve got. Don’t waste this chance.”
The forty-man roster. Every player in the minors strived to make that list. Being among the select few eligible for a call-up to the big leagues didn’t mean I’d made it, but it did mean I was on the team’s radar.
“We won’t,” I promised.
“No way,” Jase echoed.
“Good. Enjoy the rest of your time off, but be ready to work next month. I’ll email over all the details.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up.
For a moment, we just stared at each other in stunned silence, but then I couldn’t hold back. I grabbed Jase and yanked him into a hug, slapping his back hard. “We’re going to spring training with the big-league squad, baby!”
He laughed and crushed me in a hug right back. “Fuck yes, we are.”
We hopped around for a second like a couple of kids.
“This is wild,” I mused, pulling back slightly but still holding his shoulders. “Non-roster invites. Both of us?”
“It doesn’t even feel real. Like Marcos is going to call back and say they invited the wrong guys.”
“Don’t even joke like that,” I shot back.
As the adrenaline rush ebbed a little, another thought slid in.
“Do you think it’s weird that both organizations called on the same day?”
He cocked his head. “Now that you mention it. Wait, you don’t think—”
“That your dad talked to someone?” I finished for him.
Jase’s lips curved. “Yeah. That.”
“You calling him or am I?” I asked.
“I got it.” He grabbed his phone off the counter and put it on speakerphone.
Chase picked up after two rings. “Hi, Son. How’s the Caribbean?”
“Hey. It’s been good. The weather is definitely better than Portland’s.” He paused for a second. “Dylan’s here with me, and we just got a call from Marcos.”
“Oh really?” It sounded like a question, but it was impossible to miss the chuckle in his voice.
Jase gave me a look as though he didn’t believe his dad’s innocent act either. “Did you have something to do with me and Dylan getting non-roster invites?”
Chase let out a sigh. “I may have mentioned to a couple of people that they’d be silly not to take a closer look at you two.”
Jase snorted. “Unbelievable.”
“But to be clear, I didn’t get you anything more than a second look. The teams invited you because you’ve impressed them, so congratulations,” Chase added.
“We appreciate you having our backs,” I interjected. “I can promise we won’t take this opportunity for granted.”
“I’m happy for both of you,” I heard my dad call out from the background.
“Yeah, thanks, Dad.”
“We can celebrate in a couple days when you guys are back in Portland,” Chase suggested.
“Sounds good,” Jase replied.
We said our goodbyes and ended the call.
I let out a breath. Chase talking to his connections wasn’t a handout. It was a door cracked open, and we were still going to have to prove ourselves.
A few seconds later, Faye padded into the kitchen in another tiny romper, with a towel twisted around her hair. Her skin was flushed from the shower’s steam, and she smelled like the coconut body wash she used.
She stopped when she saw our faces. “Okay, those are either ‘we broke something expensive’ looks or ‘we won the lottery’ looks. Which is it?”
“Definitely closer to the second option,” I said, barely containing my grin.
Her eyes narrowed. “Explain.”
Jase couldn’t hold it in. He stepped forward, hands landing on her waist. “We both got non-roster invites to spring training.”
She stared at him, then at me. “What exactly does that mean?”
We explained how we’d be with the Crushers and Red Sox for spring training instead of with the minor league teams on the backfields.
Her mouth fell open in an O. Then she let out a sound that was basically a squeal and launched herself at us, arms thrown around both of our necks.
“Oh my God! That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you guys!” She pulled back enough to look between us. “We have to celebrate.”
“You won’t get an argument from us,” Jase replied.
I looked at Faye, the woman who’d somehow become the center of our world, then at Jase, the guy I’d finally let myself admit I wanted as more than just a brother and best friend.
We had today and the next day before we had to leave paradise, and I was determined to fill them with more unforgettable memories.