Wait, Rob, aren’t you also on the west side? You guys could go together.
ROB:That works. And you and Seth are both on the east side so you’ll carpool too?
Lana is typing.
SETH:That would be great, especially since I have no idea how to get to the stadium. I’ll pick you up, Parker, if you don’t mind my still-mediocre driving.
LANA:Sure. Great. Just what I was going to suggest.
20
Baseball games are a great date night!
—Lana Parker, “Twenty Unique Date Night Ideas”
My doorbell rings exactly when Seth promised to be at my place, and I once again curse Rob for turning my matchmaking tendencies against me. Rude.
Also, why the hell is Seth ringing the doorbell instead of texting me to say he’s outside like a normal human being?
I open the front door with clear purse and sweatshirt already in hand, not wanting to let Seth take a peek inside. For some reason, the idea of seeing him in my home makes my stomach spin, and not in a fun, riding-the-teacups-at-Disneyland way. “Hi,” I say, pushing my way past him out onto the front stoop, turning and locking the door behind me. “You didn’t have to come up.” Marching down the front path, I don’t stop to see if he follows me.
Thankfully, I quickly hear the thud of his footsteps onthe concrete behind me. “I was kind of hoping to scope out your place.”
“Oh, well, we don’t want to be late.” I throw the words over my shoulder, not bothering to turn around. “Parking at the stadium is a bitch.” Which is totally the truth and a very valid reason for not giving him the grand tour.
He beeps the doors of a Prius, older than mine but still in good condition.
For a moment, I almost expect him to open the door for me, the way he always used to, but he walks straight to the driver’s-side door and climbs in.
I direct Seth to the stadium, and even though the game doesn’t start for another hour, it takes us almost as long to get through the line of cars waiting to park. By the time we get in, grab a round of beers, and find our seats, the first batter is already at the plate.
“Neither of you is from LA and yet you still roll in late like you were born here.” Rob shoots us a judgmental look from underneath the brim of his Dodgers hat.
“Not everyone feels the need to be here for batting practice.” I slip into the seat next to Tessa, leaving Seth the aisle seat since he hates having his long legs bunched up between the tight rows.
Tessa leans over under the guise of giving me a hug. “I’ve never been so bored in my life. What is one supposed to do while watching batting practice?”
“Rate the tight butts on a scale frommehtoI’d like to bite that?” I hold up my beer, waiting for her to reciprocate so we can clink our plastic cups together.
She laughs before taking a swig of beer. “Something tells me present company wouldn’t have enjoyed that.” She cocks her head in Rob’s direction, trying to look exasperated when instead pure adoration shines in her eyes.
Not that Rob notices, since his own eyes are glued firmly to the lush green field in front of us.
Seth adjusts his position in the seat next to me, drawing my attention away from my real-life OTP. Even with the added aisle space, his legs are still squished and intruding into my space. “Sorry,” he mutters as he shifts again, trying to separate us from constant contact.
Like we didn’t just have our legs permanently cemented together on the tourist bus. Like he didn’t wrap his fingers around mine at speed dating. Like I didn’t brush my lips against his in the parking lot.
But I guess some things have changed since then.
“It’s fine.” My words are as stiff as my posture.
Tessa shoots me a questioning look, but I shake my head, hopefully imperceptibly to anyone but her.
We make for an awkward foursome. Rob and Tessa clearly have feelings for each other but for whatever reason can’t seem to find a way to admit it. Seth and I were a big ball of awkward from day one, and when you add in recent events, that ball of awkward has ballooned to the size of the moon.
Tessa and I keep up a stream of innocuous conversation, but Rob’s attention stays firmly planted on the game before us, and Seth doesn’t say much of anything.
In the middle of the fifth inning, the crowd-pleasing,energizing music is replaced by a soft love song and a collectiveawwwwechoes around the stadium.
