“He left me the record player along with his collection, then Winedown was to be mine whenever I was ready, and if I stillwanted it.” Sliding off the barstool, I make my way around the island to Adam. “He also left me his house for whenever that ten-year plan includes a family. And in that house, whenever I stayed the night, he would put this record on in the morning and every time ‘Your Smiling Face’ came on, he would dance with me.”
I reach for his hand the moment the song ends and my favorite one comes on. “Dance with me?”
“Without question.” Adam spins me around and his hand finds my waist as he pulls me to him. “You’re making it really hard for me to want to get on that flight tonight for Spring Training.”
“I’ll never make it easy for you, All-star.”
Start of Spring Training.
I want you to know the kid you signed the shirt for just talked to me in the lobby for TWENTY minutes about how amazing of a player you are.
I said you were a pretty cool regular person too, but he didn’t care that much.
Please quit talking to the kid that stole your underwear.
Don’t be such a baby. He gave it back.
He’s forever on my shit list now.
You’re literally his idol!
That changes nothing.
I may or may not have told him I could get him some tickets to a Blues game.
Mia.
Adam.
No.
Don’t do this. Just agree and say yes, Mia, I will get you the tickets.
You know I could just buy them myself.
… Don’t.
What if I wear one of those sets from the bag for you?
Shit. Fine. I’m only getting him two tickets.
Thanks babe!
I’m going to call in that deal now though. FaceTime you in ten?
I’ll get changed.
Week three of Spring Training.
“Okay, so I absolutely kicked ass today.” I put Adam on speaker then put my phone on the couch and grab my celebratory pizza. “I hired a new bartender to take over onceJensen’s gone, I filed my taxes, and prepped some quarterly stuff for this current year. I had a phone call with my dad and our family’s financial team—” I take a deep breath and slow down. “It was just a lot of productivity that felt very big… However, as I’m repeating back, it sounds very boring.”
“Not boring at all when you’re the one saying it.”
“Oh, so cheesy.”
He chuckles. “What’s the crime in being cheesy? It made you smile, didn’t it?”
“No,” I lie, taking a bite of my pizza.
