2. Jane #2
I recognize some of his teammates from parties, but I haven’t spent a lot of time around the baseball guys.
Puzzled, I smile as Cam introduces me around.
It’s only when they pull up chairs to sit with us that I fully understand what’s happening.
The flicker of annoyance I feel at our date turning into something else completely is short-lived when Cam sits beside me and drapes an arm around my shoulders.
I lean into him and revel in the warmth.
“You’re the famous chick,” one of the guys says. I’ve already forgotten his name.
I offer a weak smile.
“Ivy Greene,” Cam says. “Look her up. She knows Penelope Hart.”
The guy grabs his phone from the table and, much to my horror, looks me up on the spot. The guys hover around his phone as they swipe through my Instagram account and then do a Google search.
“Why don’t you go by Ivy now?” Cam asks. “It’s a great name.”
“It’s not my real name,” I say with a shrug.
The truth is my agent at the time came up with Ivy Greene based on some test cases of names that had star potential.
I liked it well enough, but it’d never felt like my name.
It was a job, a character. Maybe I’d feel differently if I were still acting or singing professionally.
Cam just laughs along, keeping a tight hold on me as his friends continue to perform a deep dive on my life according to the internet.
It’s the weirdest experience I’ve had at Valley.
Sure, lots of people have been curious, but they’re acting like I’m not here while gawking at old pictures of me.
It’s giving me major ick, but I try to brush it off and keep a smile on my face.
I don’t want this to ruin my date with Cam.
We’re finally out together and things were going great.
Well, maybe not great, but I was having fun.
I’m relieved when the conversation eventually veers off onto something else. I’m not usually so quiet, but I find myself fading into the background as they talk about practice, parties, and people I don’t know.
Cam squeezes my shoulder and I glance up into his eyes. He really is so handsome.
His gaze drops to my mouth, and he leans closer. I stop breathing while I wait to see if he’s going to kiss me. It seems like a bold move an hour into our first date, but I can’t say I’m not interested in finding out if he’s as good a kisser as the Valley U female population has made him out to be.
“Let’s take a pic,” he says.
“A picture?”
“Yeah.” He holds up his phone in front of us and then leans his face closer to mine.
After we’ve smiled through a few photos, he removes his arm from around me. “My buddies back home are never going to believe I’m out with Ivy Greene.”
My face flushes and I tense.
“Oh, I want a pic with her.” The guy who was looking me up on his phone earlier glances between me and Cam, silently asking for approval.
“Let’s do a group one,” someone else says.
“You don’t mind, do you, beautiful?” Cam asks.
Even if I did, saying so is going to make me seem like a total bitch. I’m not sure if my irritation is warranted. Maybe I’m being extra sensitive because I thought Cam and I would be hanging out alone tonight. “No. Let’s do it.”
For several minutes, the guys take turns getting their photo taken with me individually and then as a group. It draws the attention of other people in the bar and I’m really thankful it’s such a quiet night.
The guys are all having a good time and I’m desperately trying to see the fun in being their plaything.
I’m not sure whose genius idea it is for them to lift me up and hold me across them for a final picture.
One guy has his arms around my shoulders, another at my middle, Cam holds me around my hips, and two others are holding my legs.
“I don’t really think this dress was made for this pose,” I say as I clench my legs together. The fabric is tight enough I don’t think I’m giving anyone a free show, but one slip and they’re all going to see the lacy underwear I picked out for tonight.
The bartender snaps the pic for them, but instead of putting me down, Cam says, “Oh, I have an idea. Put her on the bar.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I say as they somehow navigate me upright and stand me on top of the bar.
I glance at the bartender apologetically. “I’m so sorry.”
“My manager will kill me if he sees this,” he says through a smile, but he doesn’t tell me to get off his bar.
“Not funny,” I say to Cam. “Help me down before I fall or get us kicked out.”
“You look so good up there. Sing for us.”
“What?” My voice quavers. “No way. Help me down.” I’ve had a fantasy or two about dancing and singing on top of a bar, living my best life with lots of people watching and singing along, but this is so not it.
Cam still doesn’t come forward to help me. He sticks out his bottom lip in a pout and stares up at me. “Come on, babe. You have an amazing voice and you look so hot.”
More and more people are watching. A few of the guys even have their phones aimed in my direction. The way the bar is situated, people on the restaurant side can see me too.
My legs wobble and it feels like an elephant just took a seat on my chest. I have never wanted to disappear in front of a crowd more than I do right now. My vision goes hazy, and I bite down on my bottom lip to stop it from trembling.
It’s only when Cam’s blurry body in front of me is pushed out of the way that I notice the dark head approaching me. I blink back what I now realize are tears in time to see my mystery guy reach up and grab me around the waist.
I freeze under his touch, but then his voice is reassuring me as his big hands span out around my middle. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”