31. HOPE
CHAPTER 31
HOPE
I ’m being tested. There’s no other way to explain this.
First, I have to spend a couple of days exercising every muscle—literal and figurative—in order to act normal around the cowboy, especially because Beau still has him on light duty. Unfortunately, this means Cade’s mostly working off the field. In the training gym. Where I also work most of the time. But fine, somehow I survived. It just involved me busying myself with other players and in the back office.
Today, though? A whole mess. We’re gonna have to write it off.
Today is the photoshoot. Featuring Cade “Cowboy” Starr. In front of a lens. For SPORTY magazine.
Granted, SPORTY is a family friendly publication. This one won’t pose him naked and with only a baseball glove covering his privates. However, now that my mind went there, I can’t unsee it.
I shake my head hard and literally touch some grass. I’m sitting cross legged on the turf beside Audrey as the show goes on. She’s in charge of the whole operation from the team’s perspective, so she and some crew members helped the photographer set up on the field. Cade was split off from the team to come fulfill his contractual obligation and, instead of staying put for the post game training, Lucky Rivera rallied the troops to come watch. Staff, including me, tried to get them to return to training but to no avail. Thus, instead of keeping myself busy at the gym, I ended up here in prime position to ogle.
And ogle I do. Like I’m sorry. I’m a red blooded woman. He’s freaking gorgeous, okay?
I dig my fingers in the grass blades and grab a handful. The makeup artist, a peppy girl with blue hair, has predictably been oiling him up for the part of the photoshoot where he’ll be less, um, clothed. I’ll give her props because she’s wearing surgical gloves but I mean… she’s still rubbing him up. Like, full on getting in the nooks and crannies. And her face is blood red because whose wouldn’t?
Meanwhile, Cade has his face turned up to the sun, expression serene as though this doesn’t affect him. But I have every indication to infer he is a red blooded man and this must be affecting him. If not the oiling up, then the hecklers in the stands.
“Yeah, babe! Get in there, don’t miss the armpits.”
“Wait, did he shave them for this?”
Laughter.
Cade’s face twitches but he doesn’t respond.
“What about his face?” Rivera wonders amid chuckles. “Is oiling it up going to make him look gross?”
“Nah, I think it’s probably part of the sexy sweaty look that chicks will want.”
“Hey, Starr! Don’t forget to do the lip bite.”
“Your left side’s the best, bro. Get the pics from that side.”
“Back side would be better.”
Guffaws.
Beside me, Audrey snorts. “You know, none of them are wrong.”
Except for the left side stuff. Cade’s face is pretty damn symmetrical. In fact, he’s a study in beauty with the straight nose, full lips that stretch into a wide smile, and the square jaw that could cut steel. He doesn’t have to do anything special other than stand at the mound for chicks to go wild. Ask me how I know.
“We’re set,” the makeup artist squeaks out and I don’t blame her. If I had to do her job, I’d faint the second my hand makes first contact. Glove or not.
“All right, I’d like to get some shots in the dugout,” the photographer says. “Can you pretend like it’s the middle of the game and you’re drinking some water?”
“Make sure to spill some on your chest,” Rivera calls out.
Cade cracks a little and sends a glare to the stands of near forty grown men screaming embarrassing things that go from middle school level to definitely-for-adults. But finally he disappears into the dugout along with the photographer, with Rose at their heels because she’s been capturing video for the social media accounts, and I can relax for a bit.
“You doing okay?” Audrey watches me from the corner of her green eyes.
“Me?” I squeak like the makeup artist earlier. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem to be struggling.”
I blow a raspberry. “Not at all.”
Oh yes, super struggling. Mega struggling. I literally don’t know how I’m going to be keep a straight face the next time I have to massage him or ice him. I’ll be worse than the makeup girl.
Rose emerges from the dugout but still appears to be filming, she points both her phone and a camera toward the stands, and the guys from the team cheer for the video. She continues jogging the perimeter behind the home plate to join us.
Huffing as she sits down, she says, “I need a break in the shade. Whatcha up to, you guys?”
“I think we need a roommate meeting,” Audrey declares with no warning. As Rosalina and I stare pointedly at her, blondie raises her hands. “It’s nothing bad, just girl talk.”
“Oh.” Then I know exactly what the subject is. “I truly don’t think we need any girl talk.”
But then Cade steps out of the dugout, now wearing his team shirt but unbuttoned and his cap backward. He lifts his face and I stiffen, because he’s looking directly at me.
Or not? He could be observing either of my roommates.
Except I can feel both of them turn to me, right in time to catch the heat crawling up my neck. He seems to watch me for a moment longer while he walks over to the mound, the photographer and his assistant trailing behind.
As they take action shots of Cade pretending to pitch with his shirt open—as if real games allowed that—Rose chuckles. “Yeah, it seems like we do need girl talk.”
*
“What am I doing here?” I grouch from the middle of the couch, nursing a glass of wine and wrapped in my yellow fluffy blanket that makes me look like a certain cast member of Sesame Street.
“You, my friend, have feelings for a certain pitcher.” Rose clinks her glass with mine and after a quick sip that makes her shiver slightly, she continues, “And I’ve been down that road before, so I think Audrey had the right idea in calling for this meeting.”
“Wait, what?” I do a double take, my brain short circuiting. “You have feelings for Cade? Had?”
“Cade?” Rose’s dimples show thanks to her little grin. “Since when do you call him Cade?”
From my other side, Audrey points out, “Notice how she didn’t even deny it.”
“Rosalina Mena,” I say in a serious tone. “You need to tell me right now if you’re interested in him, because if you are then I’m not going to stand in your way.”
“Ugh, you adorable dork.” She throws her arm around me and pulls me toward her. I release a little ack not just because she’s kinda choking me, but I also have to make a huge effort to not let my wine glass overturn. “And no,” she responds, pulling away. “I’m not after the cowboy. What I mean is that I’ve been to that rodeo of dating a pitcher, and I don’t want you to make my mistakes.”
“If not Cade, who?”
“Ben Williams.” Audrey sips from her wine as we both watch her. “What? I saw him leave your room in the middle of the night once.”
While Rose’s jaw drops, I shriek, “What? How did I not notice that?”
“You sleep like the dead.”
“Yeah, it’s kinda scary.”
“Okay, never mind that.” I wave a hand. “But Ben Williams? Really? And are you still together?”
“Hell no.” She leans back into the couch, sighing hard. “I dumped his ass.”
“Go girl.” Audrey snaps her fingers. “He did not deserve you.”
“I know.” Rose tosses a glorious curl behind her shoulder. “He’s a cheating asshole and I feel like I can breathe again after he got traded. Good riddance.”
My face morphs into a mask of disgust. “I always thought he was a self entitled prick, but cheating? On you? Girl, I’m glad I didn’t know because I’d have maimed him.”
“That’s why I didn’t say anything. Didn’t want you to wind up in jail.” She pats my knee.
“So let me guess”—I interrupt myself to sigh—“this is an intervention so I don’t fool around with Cade.”
“Yes and no,” Rose says.
I turn to Audrey for answers. She drinks more wine.
“The cowboy is different from The Unmentionable,” Rose starts, twisting slightly to prop her arm on the back of the couch. “For example, I doubt he’d keep you a secret just so that his other side pieces don’t find out you’re one of many.”
My jaw drops.
“I will murder him.”
“That’s not the point. The point is that dating within the team… well, if it doesn’t work out, it can be pretty bad for you. The irony is that what saved my behind is that no one knows we dated.”
“I know,” I mumble, closing my lips around the rim of the glass.
“But on the other hand, you’ve been searching and searching,” Audrey says from her armchair. “And if the one you found is Cade then you shouldn’t let life pass you by.”
“Didn’t know you were such a romantic,” Rose jokes.
But our roomie shrugs. “I personally am not, but I call it like I see it.”
“That’s all well and good but this is me we’re talking about.” I place all five digits of one hand on my chest. “Super awkward, can’t flirt for shit tomboy with no sex appeal.”
“Pfff.”
“Who the hell said that?”
“Every guy I’ve attempted to date ever?”
“Screw them.” Rose sticks her tongue out in a universal expression of yuck. “That’s all bullshit they said to compensate for falling extremely short in front of you.”
“Let’s say that’s the case, but Cade’s just my coach. In fact, we basically just became friends. It’d be weird if I suddenly go like, hey?—”
“Let me stop you right there.” Audrey cuts in, raising her hand. “You should’ve seen that man pale when he thought you went to urgent care. His lips straight up turned blue, that’s how worried he was.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen him staring at you too.” Rose casually drinks from her wine like she also didn’t just drop a bomb on me.
“ What? ”
“Uh huh, dude’s as whipped as you.”
In turn, I whip my head side to side, waiting for the moment they drop the punchline and say this was all a joke.
But Audrey leans forward, forearms on her knees like this is serious company PR business. “Ultimately the decision’s up to you, but Rose and I got tired of watching you two do the bird dance with blindfolds on your eyes. Dating a coworker can be very tricky but what does that matter if this is the real thing?”
My mouth opens and closes. Tingles run all over my body, leaving flashes of heat and cold in their wake. I snuggle deeper into the blanket but the issue isn’t the air conditioner. It’s that I’m freaking the frack out. Straight up doing everything I can to not self combust right now.
With a thread of voice, I say, “But I don’t know how to do this—get a guy.”
“We can help you if you really want.” Rose winks. “Need to turn your dating coach into your date? Easy.”
“And if you don’t want to, we can help you avoid him for the rest of your life.” Audrey’s smile is soft. “I have a PhD on that.”
My face is absolutely flaming as I process the fact that I haven’t been anywhere near as discreet as I thought. If they’ve noticed, who else has? Does Cade know that I have the hots for him? Heavens, I hope not. Not to be dramatic but I would simply perish.
“Thanks, guys. Can we talk about something that will make us pass the Bechdel test?”
Audrey cringes. “We work with only men and basically have no social life away from work, so probably not.”
“The only way I know is to rewatch Legally Blonde. Who’s in?” Rose asks, and it gets her a full show of hands.