“Are you doing okay?” Cooper asks quietly.
“I met a girl,” I say carefully.
“Here?” Danny asks.
I nod.
“Fucking hell,” AJ mutters.
“What?” I ask.
“I thought I finally had someone to hit the town with, and your dumb ass is already off the market.”
I laugh. “It’s not like that. We’ve just been hanging out while we’re both here.”
“Is she local?” Cooper asks.
I shake my head. “She’s a guest. She’s, uh…she’s here for the month.”
“Just like you,” Danny muses.
I nod. “Just like me.”
“You need another?” AJ asks Danny when he notices both of their drinks are empty.
He nods and stands. “Do either of you need anything?”
We both shake our heads.
Once we’re alone, Cooper says, “Johnny wanted to come, but he had to head home to get some rehab on his shoulder.”
“He told me he might come by.”
“It was his idea. He didn’t want to miss out. What’s been going on with you?”
“Not much. I’ve been working out. They put in a private batting cage for me. My birthday’s tomorrow.”
“I meant with the girl, but happy birthday.”
“Oh.” I lift a shoulder. “We kept running into each other, kept trying to fight it, and eventually gave in.”
“Sounds like more than just hanging out while you’re here,” he says.
I take a sip of my beer and shake my head. “Nah. We’re from two different worlds. She’s based in Chicago. It wouldn’t work outside of here.”
“Anything can work if it’s important enough.”
I twist my lips. Maybe he’s right.
I spot a couple of women approaching Danny and AJ, and I realize our cover’s blown.
Shit.
I should’ve known better than to parade my pro ball player friends around here if I wanted to maintain some semblance of privacy.
It’s why I’m here, after all. Laying low.
“Does Troy know you all came down here?” I ask.
