Rocko #2
“You were late in spirit.” He reasoned.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, shaking my head.
“Yeah, I bet. I need to know these things.”
“Why do you need to know what I do, G?” I challenged.
“So you don’t end up in the blogs. You’re at the point in your career where everyone wants a piece of you,” He shot back.
I scoffed as we walked to the parking lot, and then I got into my truck. When I took out my phone again, I had a picture of Leah. It wasn’t anything crazy, just her sitting at her desk in her office. I put a heart on the picture, and no sooner had I done it than she called me.
“What’s up?” I answered.
“How did the meeting go?” she asked.
“It was cool; I think I’m going to commit to them,” I informed her.
“I’m glad. What are you about to get into now?”
“Grab some food and then head back to my side.”
I connected her to the car phone and then pulled out of the building parking lot.
“Do you want some company?” she asked.
“Nah, not for lunch,” I answered quickly. I could hear the silence on the other end. This wasn’t regular silence either. This was Leah’s silence, and it meant she had some slick shit to say.
Before she could finish, I continued. “I’m about to head to the field with a few of the guys, and then I’ll have dinner reservations made for us.”
“Hmmm. Okay.”
We disconnected from the call, planning to meet later tonight. Leah was crazy as hell; I had already figured that out. But I’ll let her make it, for now.
***
“Ricardo…. Why do I need sneakers?” Leah asked as I grabbed the bag resting on the back seat, opened the box, and handed it to her.
“Because you talk a lot of shit that you gotta back up,” I chuckled, watching the confused look on her face.
She didn’t push back; instead, she started taking off the heels she was wearing and slipping on the socks and shoes I had bought for her. We had just left dinner, and I knew she was expecting me to take her home, but I had other plans.
We drove until I reached the park where I practice.
Every day, Leah and I would talk; she would ask how practice went and question what I had done.
Afterward, she’d always say “oh, lightwork” and then joke about how she would take my position if she tried out.
Tonight, I was about to put her bad ass to the test.
I put the truck in park, and she got out hesitantly.
“The last thing I want to do is be at a park after I just had the best food that I’ve eaten this week.” She groaned.
“We’re about to work those potatoes off, ma,” I said, going to the trunk and grabbing my bag.
We walked to the field and went through the gate to the home plate. She had her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.
“What are we about to do?”
“You said you could take my job, right? So, we’re about to play a game.”
“Just the two of us?” she asked.
I explained the rules of the game and how each hit would determine the bases we were on. She had a good game face, but I knew that she barely understood what I was explaining.
“Uhhh… I may or may not have a confession.” She yelled as I pulled over the bucket of balls that I had left when I was here with the guys earlier.
“What’s up?” I asked as she looked at me with a smile.
“I have never held a bat in my life.” She admitted, confirming what I already knew. But that didn’t stop her from shit-talking.
She continued. “You can teach me, but once I learn, Coach Newman will be begging me to replace you.”
“Just like that, overnight, huh?” I scoffed sarcastically as I went over to the pitcher’s mound and then stood there ready to pitch her the ball.
She walked up confidently, looking good as hell. She was still wearing the dress that she had worn at dinner. It was a short brown dress with a split that looked good against her skin. She had her hair put up into a bun, and she looked like she really was about to hit a home run.
“You’re left-handed, right, Leah?” I asked as she took her position at the plate.
“Yes.”
“Then why you standing on that side of the plate?” I asked as I did a light jog over to her and repositioned her to the other side. “Hold the bat like this.”
She backed against me as I reached around her to adjust her hands.
“Nah, not so tight,” I told her. “Loosen your grip for me.”
For the first time she didn’t have a smart-ass rebuttal. She was listening; her fingers relaxed.
“There you go. Atta girl.” I said as I tapped her butt.
I felt her body stiffen, but I didn’t pay it any attention, moving her top hand a little higher so she could get more power behind her swing.
“Right there. Keep it just like that.”
“Like this?”
“Exactly like that.”
I put my hands on her hips and turned her slightly.
“Now bend your knees for me.”
She did.
“A little bit more, Leah.” I tapped her thigh.
She lowered herself another inch.
“That’s good. You see? You can follow my directions when you want to.”
A quiet laugh escaped, and I saw her shake her head.
“What?”
“Nothing, Rocko.”
“Aight, then. Focus.”
“Well, I’m trying.”
“You ain't gotta try. Just listen to me.”
That made her turn her head completely toward me, and she just stared at me for a second. She parted her lips like she had something to say, then decided against it.
I looked down at her. “What?”
“Nothing, Mr. MVP.”
She faced forward again, but I could see the smile she was trying to hide.
“When it comes to you, don't tense up. Stay loose and let it come.”
She laughed for the second time.
I frowned. “Man, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“Nothing. Keep going, coach. Tell me what I do next.” She said, composing herself.
“You sure?”
“Please.”
I shook my head and went back to fixing her stance.
“When I tell you, turn your hips and follow all the way through. Don't stop halfway.” I said. This time, I guided her arms and showed her how I wanted her to swing.
“Okay.”
“You got it?”
“I got it.”
“Atta girl. Now show me you can do it without me helping you, ma.”
This time she turned all the way around. I was tired of her with this inside joke, so I questioned her again.
“What?”
“Rocko, you really don't hear yourself?”
“Nah. What's funny, Leah?”
She turned around and lifted the bat the same way I had taught her, but without my help. “Keep talking me through it like that, and I might actually learn enough to take your job.” She laughed again, and I shook my head at her.
“Focus.” I reminded her. “When I throw you the ball, you gotta keep an eye on it.”
She smiled and then repositioned herself. She took direction well when she had a point to prove.
I jogged back to the mound, stood there, and threw the ball to her. She swung the bat and the ball came directly toward me. I was surprised at the crack of the bat, but I caught it immediately.
“Out.” I laughed at her.
“I’m still learning.” She shot back.
“I can see that, but you did good.”
“Is that a compliment? Get me an agent on the line.” She laughed.
We spent the next few minutes at the park with her making up the rules as she went to a sport she’d never played and trying to convince me that she was winning.
We were down to the last inning, and the score was, by her account, 2-1 and she was up. She stepped to the plate and then put the bat on her shoulder.
I watched her lower herself into the position that felt right, then waited for the ball to come to her.
I let it go, and when she cracked it, I just knew that it was as good as caught. I didn’t even look at it; I just put my hand up, closed the glove confidently, and the ball flew right over my head. I turned around just in time to see it rolling through the grass.
When I saw the look on her face, I knew her ass would never let me live it down.
She started screaming like she had won the Worlds. Then turned around and did a little dance.
“We don’t shake ass in the majors after a hit.” I chuckled.
“They should. That’s why baseball needs me. Let’s go.” She said, holding the bat toward me to take.
The ride leaving the field was quiet. I thought she would brag about beating me in the game, but she didn’t.
“Why you so quiet?” I asked her.
“I was just thinking about tonight.” She said quietly.
“What about it?”
“It was perfect, honestly. This is one of the first times in a long time I've genuinely had fun. Work consumes me, and it felt so good just to be free.”
I nodded.
I could understand that because I feel the same. I don’t go out, I don’t really have a social life, and the fact that Leah just fell right into the plans tonight with no hesitation was cool. I liked that she was fine as hell but could still get dirty and have fun.
“You need to go home? Or you want to come back to the house with me?”
“Whose house?” she asked.
“Mine,” I answered.
She grinned, then told me she would come back to my house. I had never invited a woman into my space. It was always a hotel, the condo in Los Angeles, or somewhere I could leave when I was ready. But my house was different; that was my peace.
I didn’t have a deep reason for asking Leah either; I wasn’t going to put too much thought into it. I just wasn’t ready for the night to end.
And for right now, that was enough of a reason to take a first that I’d never given to anyone else and give it to her.