Chapter 55 She’s My Biggest Fan
-Drew-
***
“Disrobe, fellas,” she smiles and shakes the body paint.
“Cold, cold, cold—Meg, couldn’t you have at least warmed up the paint before applying it?
” Craig is whining seconds later. Luke and I laugh until it’s our turn, and then we understand Craig’s complaints, because damn, the paint is freezing as she brushes it across my stomach.
Craig looks all smug wearing his jacket over his arms now that his paint is dry.
“Meg, I swear, did you put the paint in the freezer? My nipples are like ice picks over here,” Luke comments as Meg finishes the last few swipes on his chest. “Ok, ok, I think I’m done, enough whining out of you three,” Meg says, looking over all of us.
“She is going to love it. Now zip up those jackets so they let you into the game.” We all do as we are told.
***
Inside the game, our little fan group finds seats right at the front of the stands.
I do go up and say hi to Annie’s parents in the stands.
Mrs. Campbell’s eyes are a little red and puffy.
I think she’s been crying, but she has a real smile when I greet them with, “Our girl’s going to kill it tonight.
” Her dad agrees with me before I head back down to our friends.
As I rejoin them, I can hear Meg reminding the guys, “Remember that you don’t go shirtless until Annie gets her first goal, ok?
” “Yes, Mom,” we all jokingly say together.
When the girls come out, we all chant, “Annie, Annie, Annie” to get her attention, and she smiles at us, then gives me a little heart with her fingers.
It’s the little code we said we would do for each other on the field.
It takes less than five minutes for me to be shirtless with the guys.
Annie doesn’t notice right way because she’s celebrating with her friends, but when she does, it is priceless.
The look of appreciation for us all supporting her is totally worth it.
She waves to us and gives us the thumbs-up motion followed by my heart.
She doesn’t let up the whole game, and by the end, she’s completed a hat trick, securing the Rams the W for the game.
As soon as the game is over, I put my jacket back on to warm up my upper half.
On the way out, Luke comments, “Our war paint has done its job: time to put these guns away,” before throwing his jacket back on and zipping it up.
We leave the stands and huddle together with her parents to greet her on the way out of the locker room.
She comes out pretty quickly, still dressed in her uniform minus the high socks and cleats.
We all hang back and give her a minute with her parents.
I can’t hear what they are saying, but she makes a motion with her head in our direction.
She hands over her bag to her dad and heads to us.
I scoop her up into a big hug when she reaches us.
“There’s my scoring queen,” I say into her hair.
“I’m glad you waited until I made the first goal, or your little shirtless stunt would have been distracting,” she says, the whole time smiling at me.
“Oh, no, he doesn’t get to take all the credit,” Luke pipes in.
“I had hard nipples the whole game in your honor.” “I also sat for the whole game half-dressed, please give me my credit too,” joins Craig.
I release Annie from my arms, and she makes her way to Luke and Craig, giving them both a hug, “Thank you, guys.” She repeats the process with Meg before returning to my side.
“Thank you all—it was cool to have you here tonight,” she says, looking around our group.
“It was fun to see you kick some butt out there. I wish we could come to more of the games, but I think we start crossing paths pretty much right away,” says Luke.
“Yeah, I know, it sucks. I’m going to hate to miss the baseball games, too,” she replies.
“Anyone hungry? I could do a pizza,” interjects Craig.
“I’m starving,” Annie says, looking right at me.
I almost choke on air, because my brain thinks, she’s not hungry for pizza.
***
Last night after the game, Annie and I got pizza with our friends and came back to my house for a quick make-out session after dinner.
Annie had to go home because her curfew was earlier on school nights.
Now it is my turn to kick off a season, and this baseball season is the most important one of my life.
I’m going to have to prove to the scouts that I’m ready.
That I don’t need college ball to give me time to make improvements.
I’m lost in my thoughts when I head downstairs to grab breakfast. I’m a little caught off guard when I hear my mom and Annie in the kitchen.
“Do you think he’ll like it?” I hear Annie ask her.
Mom answers, “Well, I hope so since I spent over a month working on it.” “Thank you again, Mrs. Davis,” I hear Annie say.
Mom laughs, “Annie, darling, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Jennifer?” “Probably a few more, but I’ll try, Jennifer,” Annie replies.
I can’t help my chuckle, because her tone makes it clear that she’d prefer to call Mom Mrs. Davis versus Jennifer.
Next thing I know, Annie pops out of the open doorway from the kitchen.
“Drew Davis, were you eavesdropping?” I’m delayed in my response, because Annie is in her jean skirt and my jersey.
I mean, it’s not my exact jersey that is in my locker at school, but she’s in a Rams baseball jersey with a number 17 on full display.
I eventually look around before shaking my head no to her question, “I would never, Angel.” She steps into my space and pulls me into a kiss.
“So, what has you over so early?” I ask when we break our kiss.
“A surprise. Cover your eyes,” she says, all excited.
I don’t want to cover my eyes. I want to look at my girl in my jersey.
A quick vision of her only in my jersey crosses my mind, and I shut it down because she wants me to follow her into the kitchen.
I know that my mom is in there, and I don’t need to walk in sporting a hard-on.
When she turns, I do take a peek, seeing the Davis across the back of the jersey. I like her sporting my last name.
I cover my eyes, feeling her pull me through the door frame safely.
We stop, and then she turns me in the direction of the table.
“Ok, open.” I remove my hands, and at first, I can see my mom next to Annie in my peripheral, but my eyes are completely taken over by the canvas on the table.
It’s clear that it’s a work of Mom’s; it’s got her signature style, but it’s the subject of the art that has me shocked.
It’s Mom’s take on the photo I took of me and Annie from the summer, where she’d been looking at me, and I’m looking up at the camera.
Mom has played down the swollen lips, but she’s captured the joy that we both are feeling.
I look at this photo now and wonder if this is the moment she started falling for me, because it’s the same simple smile she gives me right before she tells me she loves me.
After taking in our faces, I notice that Mom has painted Annie in my jersey in the photo too, and we aren’t in her bedroom anymore.
Mom has captured us like we are on the field.
I turn my attention away from the canvas to look at Annie and Mom.
They both look so nervous about my reaction.
I reach out, wrapping them both in a group hug.
“It’s amazing.” I pull back. “Mom, you did an amazing job.” “Oh, thank you hunny, it was all Annie’s idea.
I just put it to canvas,” Mom says, patting my arm.
“Well, Angel, thank you for giving me my favorite Jennifer Davis painting.” Annie blushes and smiles from me to Mom.
“I still think it was all your mom, but you’re welcome. Happy opening day.”