Page 42 of Miss Fortune

Tory tossed out, “You could ask him if he’ll be your date next Saturday night.”

“Date for what?”

“Chance is opening a newly remodeled VIP floor at the Cheetah Club. Drinks, dancing, and a way to see if your daytime activities could slide into night, if you know what I mean.”

I was tempted, yet I wasn’t sure how Caleb would feel about being my plus-one. Then again, didn’t friends often accompany one another to events?

“Are he and the horrible woman from the first morning you met still dating?”

“He said they’re not. But you bring up a good point. Every Saturday, after we spend the day together, he could be spending the night with some other woman.” He could be leaving our fun days together to have his real dates with someone else. The thought was depressing.

On Saturday, Caleb picked me up for the baseball game—specifically, a Dodgers game. According to him, there was no other team to root for here in Los Angeles. Being new to sports teams in LA, I took his word for it and donned the blue-and-white hat he brought me.

He was handsome and appeared relaxed in his own Dodgers cap, khaki cargo shorts, and a jersey which made it hard to remember Weekday Caleb. His enthusiasm for the day was contagious.

“How long does a typical baseball game last?”

“Should be done by five unless it goes into extra innings. Why? Are you babysitting tonight?”

“No, but I have other plans for this evening.” Attending a party solo suddenly sounded depressing. But did I go for it and ask him to go with me?

He turned toward me. “What kind of plans?”

“My friend is throwing a party.” Deciding now might be my only window, I went for it. “Any chance you’d like to accompany me?”

His lips parted in surprise. “Uh, I already have plans.”

Of course he did. Guys who looked like Caleb did not sit home on a Saturday night or lack for female companionship. Time to pretend I hadn’t just been rejected. “Sure, no big deal. So tell me about who the Dodgers are playing today.”

I didn’t know much about baseball, but I recognized our seats were excellent when he led me down the first base line. The energy was contagious and the die-hard Dodgers fans wearing blue and white were visibly excited. “This is amazing,” I breathed. I’d always wanted to go to a major sporting event and was glad I’d placed it on my list.

He smiled, taking his seat beside me. “Wait until things get started. The Giants are a rival, so it should be fun.”

“Did you play sports growing up?” He seemed the type.

“No. I didn’t start making physical fitness a priority until I got older. I was more focused on my studies. You? Oh shit, I forgot.”

I waved him off, glad he wasn’t focused on my medical history. “Good, that means you’re not thinking about it. And yeah, I focused on my studies too.”

Since he’d bought the tickets, I insisted on paying for the food. He’d already mentioned there was a lot to choose from. “What should we start with?”

“We should have the elote first.”

“What is elote?”

He grinned. “Grilled corn covered in cotija cheese, lime, mayo, and chili powder. It’s known as Mexican street corn. It’s the best corn you’ll ever taste.”

“You do realize who you’re talking to? I’m from Iowa. And there is no better corn than at the Iowa state fair.”

“Only one way to find out.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Yeah? You willing to travel to Iowa for the fair in August?”

“Absolutely. You can be my guide.”

His words were playful, yet both my heart and mind raced at the implication. Undoubtedly, he wasn’t serious, but it felt good for a moment to pretend he was interested enough in my life to want to learn more about it. “You’re on.”

“What do you think?” he asked, after I brought back elote for each of us with two large lemonades.