13. Smithy
Chapter 13
Smithy
The closer and closer I get to Liliana going on her date, the worse my attitude gets. I need to figure out a way to keep her from going on this date, but I don’t know how.
My head is down and my attention is anywhere other than walking into work. I should be focusing on work and preparing to start practice, but I can't do it.
“Hey, Smithy! How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.” Cici smiles as she walks down the hallway towards the parking lot.
Being Cord’s twin sister, Cici has hung out with us a lot over the years. She’s really sweet and nice to talk to. She looks like a clone of her mom and if she has any other dad, I’d be shocked she’s still single. Having Owen Powell as your father probably makes things difficult. The man has no filter and doesn’t have a problem speaking his mind. He’s the most intimidating person I’ve ever met and I know for a fact I’d never want to deal with him as my girlfriend’s dad.
Cord being her brother probably doesn’t help either. He can be intense when he wants to, especially when he’s being protective of his sister. The two are really close and I know she’d want any man she dated to get along with Cord too.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I needed my dad to sign something for Scott Powell and Coleman. I swung by on my way into the office… Are you ok? You seem kinda…” she trails off, not finishing her sentence.
She pays close attention to people, just like Owen and Cord do. It helps that we’ve spent a lot of time together outside of work. I think she’s gotten to know the entire starting lineup pretty well.
“Sad? Depressed? Maybe miserable? Melancholy? I can keep going if you’d like.”
“I think I understand the gist of it.” She flashes me a sympathetic smile in my direction. “Why don’t we grab a table at the restaurant and you can tell me what’s going on while I eat something before I lock myself in my office for the rest of the day?”
“I have to get to practice.” I point in the direction of the locker room.
“Umm… No, you don’t. I just texted my dad and told him you’ll be shit at baseball right now. I said I’d fix you before sending you into practice late!” She grins as she wraps her hand around my bicep and turns me in the direction of the restaurant.
“What’d he say?”
“He said to have fun and not to let you flirt with me.” Cici grins up at me. “Somehow I don’t think that will be an issue.”
“Why do you say that?” I frown as we continue walking.
Cici’s gorgeous. She has long blonde hair, but it’s twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck. She looks every part of the successful business woman she was born and raised to be. Her bright blue eyes are framed by long, dark eyelashes. Any man would be lucky to have her attention on them.
She’s exactly what most men are looking for. Exactly what I’d want if I wasn’t head over heels in love with Liliana.
“You’ve never flirted with me, Smithy. I know you aren’t interested and that’s fine.”
I tug her to a stop and stare down at Cici. She can't think I wouldn’t be interested in her… if Liliana didn’t exist.
“Cici, you’re gorgeous and any man would be interested in dating you.”
“Except you.” Her smile softens and she squeezes my arm. “I think that’s part of what we need to talk about while I eat.”
“You want to talk about why I'm not interested in dating you?” My brows pinch as she tugs me the rest of the way to the restaurant and over to a booth. Once she’s ordered her breakfast and we’re waiting, she turns her attention back on me.
“Spill it.”
“Spill what?”
“You have like twenty minutes of my undivided attention, then I'm walking away. I can't help if I don’t know what’s going on.”
“I'm in love with Liliana,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
“Yeah, everyone knows that.” She rolls her eyes. “Do you want to tell me why that’s making you sad, depressed, miserable, and melancholy?” She grins as she repeats my words from earlier.
“She’s going on a blind date tomorrow and I don’t want her to go.”
“Is there a reason you haven’t told her how you feel yet?”
“I'm afraid she won't think I'm sincere. I know if I make too sudden of a move, she’ll think I'm being impulsive instead of telling her the truth.”
“So… you’re going to…” She trails off.
“I need to ruin her date.”
“You can't ruin it! Liliana’s the sweetest woman ever. You can't do that.”
“What if you go to dinner with me and we just happen to eat at the same restaurant Liliana will be at?”
“How will that help? Then she’ll think you have a crush on me!” Cici sits back in her seat and stares at me.
“I don’t know! Shit, why does this need to be so difficult?” I run rough fingers through my hair and tug on the ends.
“Because anything dealing with love is difficult,” she says softly. “There are always so many emotions involved and sometimes it has nothing to do with the two people in love and everything to do with those around them.”
I watch her closely. I wonder if she’s talking about herself. I know Cici spends a lot of time with guys from the team since her brother is on the team and her best friends are dating players too. She says it’s hard for her to find genuine friends with her running such a successful business. I understand where she’s coming from. Just like the guys and I have a hard time knowing what friends or girlfriends are genuine and not just after our money.
“Stop looking at me like that, Smithy. We’re here to talk about your love life, not mine.” She thanks the waiter as he places her plate in front of her.
“Who says we can't talk about both?” I smirk. I’d rather hear about her than make myself even more miserable thinking about what to do about Liliana.
“Me. I said we can't talk about both.” She carefully cuts her food up before glancing up at me. “I’ll go with you for dinner, but it’s to discuss you going to a charity event with me next week.” She smiles hopefully at me. “I thought I had someone to go with, but they backed out. Do you think you could go with me?”
“Will Owen or Cord try to cut my balls off?”
“No, like I said, they both know you aren’t interested in me.” She waves a hand through the air, erasing my concerns. “Why do all men need to be so scared of my dad and brother?” She sticks her bottom lip out in a pout.
“Um, because they can be scary? No one wants to mess with them.” I shake my head, thinking of how miserable Owen and Cord could make my life if they wanted to. “So… the guy who was supposed to go with you, did he back out because of them?”
“We’re not discussing my love life, Smithy,” she singsongs.
“I thought we were discussing your date.” I smirk again as I steal a piece of her potatoes.
“Whatever. I hope this restaurant we’re going to is good tomorrow. I don’t want to go on a date with someone who isn't interested and have to eat crappy food.”
I chuckle, more than thankful Cici willing to do this for me. I don’t know how else to get close to Liliana without getting yelled at for showing up and crashing her date. Now, I just need to figure out where her date is going to be.
“What do you want, Smithy? I'm trying to run errands for my boss.” Winnie shuffles around something on her end of the line and mutters something under her breath.
“I thought you were a babysitter.” I frown as I walk through the halls of the stadium, trying to figure out where we’re doing practice today. Since I'm late, no one’s in the locker room anymore.
“I'm a nanny. Don’t cheapen what I do by calling me a babysitter.”
“Aren't they the same thing?”
“No! A babysitter watches your kids every once in a while. A nanny is permanent and an au pair is a nanny who lives with you. Damn, I’d love an au pair job. It would be a dream come true. I really hate my apartment and my lease will be up in nine months. But I don’t think the Montogomery’s are going to need me as their nanny much longer. I don’t really do much. I guess I should ask them before my lease is up. Then I could look for a new apartment closer to the next family I work for.”
“Winnie?”
“What? I'm having an internal freak out over here, Smithy!”
“About something that hasn’t even happened yet. I only have one question, then you can get back to freaking out.”
“What?” She groans, getting more annoyed by the second.
“I want to know where Liliana’s going on her date with the asshole.”
“Don’t call Kevin an asshole. He’s a super nice guy. You don’t even know him.” She stops whatever she’s doing on her side of the phone and I'm sure her hands are on her hips.
“Ahh, now everything is clicking into place more,” I grind out through clenched teeth. She’s always pushing Lils out of her comfort zone and forcing her to do things.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She wasn’t interested in dating anyone and now she’s going on some blind date. Stop pushing her.”
“Oh my gosh, Travis,” she hisses my name, knowing I don’t like anyone other than Liliana calling me Travis. “Liliana is free to date whoever she wants. She’s single and no one seems to be interested in her. She wants to find her happily ever after. How is she supposed to do that if she’s always with you?”
“She’s happy with me,” I growl.
“She sits by and watches you flirt with other women. She isn't with you. You aren’t dating.”
“Just tell me where they’re going.”
“Nope! Have fun trying to figure it out!”
Before I can respond, she hangs up on me, making me want to punch a hole in the wall. Most days I’m fine with Winnie. Sure, she can be overwhelming and obnoxious, but whatever. I can be too. Today, I hate her with every fiber of my being.
Why doesn’t she want to help me? Liliana will never be happier with anyone else than she will be with me.
“Smithy,” Owen calls me over before I even have both feet on the field. I let my head fall back as I stare up at the sky and try to reign in my anger. Getting agitated with him isn’t going to help anything.
“Yeah?” I fold my arms over my chest. I’m already itching to punch something and I need to be careful.
“Wanna tell me why you look like you’re going to murder someone?”
“I’d prefer not to, if that’s ok.”
“Cici said she was fixing you before sending you to practice. Please tell me ‘fixing you’ wasn’t code for something I wouldn’t like.” He uses finger quotes, making me want to laugh.
“She was talking to me, Owen.” I roll my eyes. “Hopefully she’ll be able to help me tomorrow night with some issues that are messing with my head. Then, next week I’m going to some charity event with her as a thank you.”
“I was wondering who she was going with.” Owen strokes the thick scruff growing on his jaw. “Whoever was supposed to go with her canceled and she was really upset. Do you know who it was?”
“No, she wouldn’t tell me.”
“Alright, get to practice, but if this shit with Liliana continues, I want to talk to her. I can’t have my best player suck every time you get up to bat because she’s screwing with your head.”
My brows pull together as I stare at him. How does he know this has to do with Liliana? I didn’t say a word and I doubt any of the guys would.
“Oh, please. Nothing screws with your head quite like a woman can, Smithy. I know exactly when things are good with Liliana and when you’re struggling. Your ability on the field is directly linked to her.” He pats me on the back before he walks away and over to where Macy is watching everyone from the stands.
They have such an odd relationship. I’ve never seen a girlfriend so close to her boyfriend’s dad. It would be creepy if I didn’t think Macy used Owen as a fill in father figure with everything that happened with her own dad.
“C’mon, Smithy! Let’s go! You’re up to bat!” Leo waves me over.
I jog and take the equipment handed to me. When I’m ready, I get into position.
And miss every single ball thrown my way.
What. The. Fuck.