10. It’s a Fine Line
TEN
IT’S A FINE LINE
RYAN
I can’t believe she called me Ryan. Again. She does it so sparingly that it holds more meaning when she does. Like she almost sees me as a regular person, not a commodity. Maybe even a friend? If I’m lucky.
I tip my head to lean against the window with a stupid smile on my face.
“Dude. Who the fuck were you on the phone with?” Cooper asks, his voice heavy with sleep. He has a sleep mask pushed up into his short brown hair, eyes squinting against the passing headlights.
“Fuck, sorry man. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Guilt shoots through me.
“Nah, it’s cool.” He leans forward so he can peek out the window. “Looks like we’re nearly there anyway.”
I glance outside and see that he’s right. This drive seems to have flown by from the moment I started messaging Isa. I didn’t even realize we had made it so far. This is something that happens with her often. Time seems to disappear.
“Seriously though, dude. Who were you talking to? Was it your mom? Did she ask about me?” He whips the eye mask off his head, tossing it into the seat’s pocket and turning to face me fully with a sly smile.
I shove at his shoulder. “No, man. It wasn’t my mom. It was… a friend? I don’t know. She kind of wants nothing to do with me,” I say, rubbing my hand across the back of my neck.
He narrows his eyes at me, reading me in the way that only a best friend could. “It’s that girl from the game last week, isn’t it? The one with the production crew?”
I shake my head with a laugh. Of course he knows. “Yeah, it’s her. We kind of had a moment? I don’t know. It wasn’t quite a moment. But we got to know each other a little better.”
“Didn’t you ask her out already and she shot you down? How did you get her to hang out with your obnoxious ass?”
“I’m about to start sitting next to Hunter on these trips, I swear.
” My eyes flick to where the man himself is slumped over in his seat, earplugs in, snoring like a trucker, oblivious to everything around him.
“Her car broke down after the Arizona game on Saturday. I gave her a ride home, we stopped for food, and it was… nice.”
“I have so many questions. But first, nice? Just nice?”
I huff out a breath. “I’m trying to downplay it, man. It was great. Incredible, really. She’s so funny and she doesn’t even try. And she treats me like a real person, not a professional baseball player. And damn if that isn’t refreshing.”
He nods, knowing exactly what I mean. “Okay, my next question. This happened Saturday?”
“Yeah, why?”
He gives me a knowing smirk. “So, you did change your walk-up song as a message for someone.”
Busted.
I laugh. “Yeah, I did. When I dropped her back off at home, I asked if we could at least be friends, and she shot me down there too. But I’m going to keep trying…” I trail off with a thought. “At what point does it go from being cute and persistent to desperate and annoying?”
“Bro, I don’t know. I think right now you’re probably in cute and persistent territory, but it’s a real fine line. I guess you gotta base that off her reaction. Do you think she’ll cave?”
Do I? “Honestly? Yeah, I think she might. Whenever we speak, she holds back a bit in the beginning, but once she starts to let her guard down a bit? The conversations just flow. Like we’ve already known each other for years instead of barely a week.
And as much as she tries to act annoyed with every text, she still replies.
And I called her out of nowhere and she still answered. So, yeah. I think so.”
“Then definitely keep trying. But what happens if she does decide to let you in and be her friend? You’ve asked her out twice. You clearly like her, man. Are you really going to be happy only being her friend?”
I let out a sigh. “I haven’t really thought that far ahead actually.
If she’ll only take me as a friend, then yeah.
I’ll be her best damn friend. If by being her friend, she starts to develop romantic feelings for me?
Then I’ll be the happiest fucking guy on the planet.
But I’ll follow her lead. She’s the one in charge. ”
“Well, I wish you luck man. She seems like a feisty one.”
“Oh, don’t I know it,” I say with a smile because he’s not wrong. She’s a firecracker, but she’s my firecracker.
The first thing I wanted to do when I woke up with the sun this morning was text Isa, but I held off. Waited for a more reasonable hour. Instead, I worked out my pent-up energy at the hotel gym before swinging through breakfast to snag a cup of coffee and a pastry.
Ryan
So, what’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever done?
Firecracker
I think what you mean to say was:
“Why good morning, Isabella”
“How are you doing this fine morning?”
I’m SO great Fletch, thanks for asking!
*eye roll*
Her sassy response makes me laugh out loud in the silence of my hotel room. I’m biting back a smile as I type my reply.
Ryan
Good morning, firecracker!
Halloween costume. Go!
Firecracker
Uhh I guess it would be when my friends and I dressed up as the Powerpuff Girls?
I don’t usually dress up for Halloween if we’re being honest. I’m usually working
Ryan
GASP
That’s blasphemy
But I’ve gotta know
Which one were you?
Firecracker
… Buttercup
Ryan
Oh my god that’s so good
You’re such a Buttercup!
Who were the other two in your trio?
Firecracker
My roommate, Jordan (who you met yesterday) and Liz
Wanna guess who was who?
Ryan
Ohhhh, I’m gonna go with Liz was Bubbles and Jordan Blossom?
This guess is solely based on the fact Liz is a tiny little blonde I could easily see her not needing to do much to dress up
Firecracker
Aw, look at that! You’re more than just a pretty face!
Ryan
You think I’m pretty? ;)
Firecracker
That would be what you take away from my message *face palm*
Ryan
Well, obviously. You called me pretty. That’s a big deal
My best costume would probably have to be when the guys and I did a gender bent Spice Girls
Firecracker
You’re joking
Ryan
You wish I was joking
Firecracker
Please tell me you were scary
Ryan
SCARY SPICE?!
With these good looks?
Absolutely not
I was Baby Spice
Because I’m fucking adorable
Firecracker
Whatever you say
Ryan
Alright
Your turn
Firecracker
Don’t you have something else you should be doing?
Literally ANYTHING else?
Ryan
These are the only plans until the bus to the stadium
So
No, I don’t ;)
Now ask your question
Because that didn’t count as a question
Firecracker
You’re so annoying
Ryan
Yes, but you also called me pretty earlier so you must not find me that annoying
Firecracker
I’m going to scream
Fine
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Or did you always want to play baseball professionally?
Ryan
Believe it or not, an astronaut
But once I started playing little league that dream changed
It’s been baseball since then
Firecracker
Why does it not surprise me you’d want to be launched into space
Ryan
What’s so bad about space?!
Firecracker
Space is terrifying
I’d much rather stay here on solid ground
Ryan
Nah space is sick
Other planets? Stars? It’s so cool how much else is out there
Aliens!
Firecracker
It’s a dark, soundless vacuum. You’d literally die without a space suit
I’m good, thanks
Ryan
What about you?
I’m sure young Isa didn’t dream of working in security
Firecracker
There was a brief moment when I wanted to be an actress
And before then, an even briefer moment in high school when I thought I wanted to be a vet
Ryan
And what happened to the vet dream?
Firecracker
It was frog dissection day and I learned I was much too squeamish to handle that
Ryan
You know what
That’s totally fair
I wouldn’t want to harm little froggy either
Firecracker
Yeahhhh
So, are we done here now?
Ryan
Trying to get rid of me already??
Firecracker
I’m always trying to get rid of you
Ryan
You’re lucky it’s time to head to the stadium for warmups
Firecracker
Thank god
Ryan
Try not to miss me too much
Firecracker
That won’t be too hard
Ryan
Gonna watch?
Firecracker
I’m already subjected to games while I’m working. There’s no way I’ll be torturing myself on a night off
Ryan
:(
Firecracker
In bocca al lupo
Ryan
Uhh was that even English?
Firecracker
Nope
Goodbye Fletch