24. Liliana
Chapter 24
Liliana
“I can't believe you didn’t take the box seats.” Winnie grimaces as she steps over a spilled container of French fries.
“I don’t want box seats, I want to watch Smithy play. There’s no better seat than sitting as close to third base as I can. Plus, it’s the opening game of the season. I want to be as close as possible.” I smile as a handful of college guys stand to let us walk past them and take our seats.
“We’ve been watching him and Wheeler play for years, Lils,” she grumbles as she falls into the seat next to me. “I'm not saying let’s stop watching, I'm just saying can't we be more comfortable while we do it?”
“You can go to box seats. Wheeler said he left you tickets, but I'm staying here.”
“You know I'm not leaving you down here alone.” She folds her arms over her chest and sinks down a little in her seat while she pouts.
My attention strays from Winnie’s complaining as the guys take the field. I smile as Smithy jogs over to third base. The entire time his eyes are scanning the section I'm sitting in. He knows I don’t want to be anywhere else.
As soon as his gaze falls on me, a slow smirk spreads across his face. He pivots and comes my way instead of going to the base.
“Hey, baby.” He comes as close as he can and smiles up at me.
“Hey, handsome. You’re looking nice in those pants.” I wink at him, earning myself a deep chuckle.
“Did Winnie drive you here?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. After the game, find Charlie or Macy and come down to the locker room. I can take you home.”
“Ok.”
His attention strays to my left and his eyes light up. I frown until I realize what he’s looking at.
“Hey, Jameson! I'm glad you could make it, man.” He waves to one of the college students who stood for us to get to our seats.
“Hey! Thanks again for the seats and the jersey! See! I told you I met Smithy!” Jameson swats at his friends.
“If you stay after the game, our PR person will come get you guys and you can come into the locker room and meet the players.”
“Really?” Jameson’s eyes light up.
“Of course. I’ll see you guys after the game. Make sure to keep an eye on my girl for me. I don’t want anything happening to her.” Smithy winks at me. I roll my eyes, but I can't hide my smile. I love this man more than anything.
“Love you, Travis.” I blow him a kiss.
“Love you, Sweets.” He waves one more time before jogging over to his base.
“Are you actually dating him?” One of the college guys stares at me with his jaw hanging open.
“Yup!”
“Oh, it’s not that big of a deal.” Winnie rolls her eyes. “I dated Wheeler.”
“Dated? So… you’re single now?” Another guy raises a brow.
“I am.”
“Do you want to change that?” He sits forward and wiggles his eyebrows at Winnie. I chuckle at the horrified look on Winnie’s face.
“See, Liliana! You don’t have to deal with this shit when you sit in box seats!”
As soon as the game is over, Charlie texts me and lets me know where to meet her. I quickly let her know I'm on my way, then I turn back to Winnie.
“Are you coming with me or going home?”
“Eh, I think I'm going home before one more guy can flirt with me. I'm not sure how many more men I can turn down in one night.” She scowls as another guy gets close to her.
“Ok. I’ll text you tomorrow then. Wheeler will be sad you’re not saying hi though,” I singsong.
I don’t fully understand their relationship, but I don’t need to. I'm not a part of it and as long as they’re happy with where they are, I'm happy for them.
“Wheeler will still be riding the high of winning. He’ll want to find someone to entertain him for the night and I'm not that girl.”
“I’m sure he’d let you if you ask nicely.” I snort with laughter when her gaze snaps to mine and she glares at me.
“You’re not funny.” She points a finger in my face. “On that note, I'm out of here. Have fun with Smithy.”
She waves and shoulders her way through the crowd. Within seconds she disappears into a sea of people.
I take my time moving through the stadium. I know it’s going to take time to get to Charlie. She already told me not to rush. She’s happy to wait.
As soon as I see her, I hurry towards her. I'm more than happy to be away from crowds as she leads me through a bright hallway.
“Wyatt did amazing tonight!”
“I know! I was so worried about him, but he made sure to really focus on his knee and make sure to protect it.” She nods her head. “I was so nervous every time someone got to third though. I kept imagining Stubbs sliding into home and taking him down. It was making me queasy.”
“I don’t blame you. I held my breath a few times when the other team came home.” I shake my head. No one understands how hard it is to watch our guys play. We understand what’s on the line and how easily it can all be taken away from them. “I'm just happy they won. I know going into the season with a win is pretty nice and pumps you up a little more for the season.
“Definitely! I know a bunch of them are already talking about going to Kennedy’s Pub. I'm hoping Wyatt just wants to go home. I'm tired and don’t really want to party. It’s been a long week.”
“Yeah, as much as it would be fun to celebrate with them, I'm ready to go to bed.”
“Same, girl!”
We step into the locker room and the place is buzzing with excitement. They’re riding the high of their first win and I couldn’t be happier for them.
I’ve hung around the clubhouse more and more since Smithy and I started dating. I know I need something to put in this article and I think this is the best way to do it. I’ll just make sure to capture the positives of the Pit Bulls and pray it’s good enough for Bill.
By being here, I’ve seen how hard these guys work and I know from experience, they’re working harder than any other team I’ve seen. It’s nice to see their hard work paying off. I'm so proud of what they’ve accomplished today. They played a difficult team and the game was close, but in the end, they pulled out a win.
“Sweets!” Smithy comes out of nowhere and sweeps me into his arms.
He spins me in a circle before setting me back on my feet. I'm barely balanced before he dips me back and kisses me like he hasn’t seen me in months.
“This was the best game of my life,” he murmurs.
“You did good, Trav,” I whisper as I ruffle his sweaty hair.
“Nah, baby. It was all about having you in the stands and knowing you’re mine. You were here for me and no one else.”
“That’s the way it’s always been, you just didn’t know.”
He presses one more kiss to my lips before helping me back into a standing position. I blink up at him, loving the excitement pulsing through him.
Playing baseball is like a high for him. He’s on the top of the world after a game. Even when they lose, he doesn’t get discouraged, he just figures out how he can do better. He works harder. He practices more. He tries something different.
No matter what, he never blames a loss on someone else. He never tries to act like he was great and the rest of the team was the problem. That’s what makes this team different from the rest. They support each other and take ownership for their own mistakes.
Smithy invited the college guys to meet the team. The next thirty minutes is spent with him introducing Jameson and his friends to all the players. They each get their jerseys signed and take more than a few pictures. By the time they leave, Smithy’s tired, I can see it in his eyes.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” He snakes an arm around my waist and presses a soft kiss to the top of my head.
“Don’t you want to go out with the guys to celebrate your win?” I peek up at him. I know I’d rather go home, but if he wants to celebrate, I'm happy to go with him.
“Nah, I just want to go home and curl up in bed with you. That sounds like a great way to celebrate a win.”