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I want to text her throughout the day, but she might not want to be bothered. Some women like the constant contact and others despise it, so I need to figure out which one she is. There is still so much to figure out about her, and peeling back her layers to reveal her true self.
“Quitting time. See you at practice, tonight.”
Damon catches me off guard because Tessa usually brings her, and he might be able to tell a shift between Vanessa and I. If so, then the cat will be out of the bag. I don’t want to give her a reason to run from me, but she does want to keep it a secret.
I grab my bag out of my locker, and head outside to my truck. It’s nice that practice is almost right after shift ends, so I go straight there. Will Vanessa act differently toward me with everyone around? I’d love to be able to call her my girlfriend, but in due time. I respect her wishes to keep it private. The pressure from others might be detrimental to a relationship, and she might have a point.
My truck grinds against the gravel in the parking lot, and then comes to a stop. I get out and grab my drink from the middle console. A couple of the kids are already here in the dugout so I join them.
“Hello, ladies. Ready for some drills?” I ask.
They nod, and go back to gabbing.
My eyes waver over the parking lot waiting for Vanessa to get here, because I don’t want to start without her and Sherrie, but then a black Audi pulls into the parking lot and she jumps out. Did Vanessa get a new car? I maneuver my sunglasses over my eyes, and a man gets out. He puts his bat bag on her shoulders, and takes her hand.
That must be Lee.
I try to play it cool. He comes over and introduces himself, and then takes a seat on the bleachers.
“Where’s your mom?” I ask Sherrie.
“A client made her late so daddy had to pick me up.”
I pull my phone out.
Me: Where are you?
“Alright ladies, line up behind first base. Your job is to catch the ball, tag the bag, and throw it back to me as fast as you can.”
The last thing I need to do is bring any attention to myself. Her ex-boyfriend is sitting in the bleachers watching my every move, and I’m sleeping with Vanessa.
Her calls pulls into the parking lot, and she jumps out of the car in black shorts and a blue t-shirt. She stops and talks to Lee before stepping on the field. They are amicable, which is good for Sherrie’s sake.
“Sorry, I’m late. Client took longer than expected.”
She steps in for me, and I stand off to the side, letting her run this drill. I try to keep my eyes to myself, especially with the audience behind me, but it’s hard as fuck. When the ball rolls on the ground, she has to bend over, and it kills me when her long legs flex.
I take over, not wanting to stare, and the only way is to keep myself busy. Let’s split up into two groups. Half of you go to third base.”
If we separate, then we aren’t close to each other and maybe it will help us stay professional and keep our eyes to ourselves. She has been checking me out and someone is bound to catch on.
I keep myself busy throughout practice. If we are going to keep this a secret, then I need to get my act together. It’s hard when you have feelings for someone.
When practice is over, Lee is gone. So, when I find Vanessa away from the girls, I approach her.
“Did you get a hold of Tina?”
She nods. “Yeah. Pick me up around six?”
I smile, and head to my truck, not waiting to cause any attention. Something tells me the moms might be on to us.
My truck pulls out of the parking lot and heads toward Tristan’s house. I haven’t seen him in a couple days, and it’s clear he’s upset about my date with Vanessa. Women aren’t something to be owned, and it’s not her fault that she agreed to a date with me.
I stall in his driveway. A woman is not coming between our decades long friendship. He’s had a hard time finding someone, too, but it shouldn’t affect my love life. He’s got to understand that, but it’s not worth losing a friend over.
He opens his front door, and stands there with crutches. “What the hell are you just sitting out in front of my house for?”
I get out of the truck, and walk inside. “You still mad at me?”
