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Since it seemed like what the VIP wanted, Katie put on her baseball super fan hat. "Couldn’t have said it better myself, sir. Except it’s not the hitting where he gets tripped up."
"Ballone."
"How do you mean?" Mr. Takahashi asked, hands clasped behind his back as they both watched Landon knock dirt off his cleats.
"He’s a consistent player at the plate. Not only that, he makes it home almost thirty percent of the time he gets on base. He’sa dream offensively and that’s because he can compartmentalize when hitting."
She knew that to be true because Landon had told her so himself. A little voice warned her to watch her words, but Mr. Takahashiwasnoddingwithinterestandtheyjustkeptspillingout.
"It’s on the field that he lets those emotions get the best of him. If he could get his head in the same place as the hitting, he’d be unstoppable. Except…" Katie dropped her gaze and fiddled with her thumbs.
"Yes?Pleasecontinue,"Mr.Takahashiinsisted.
"Except, well, does it even matter if he’s just an okay player when it comes to defense, since he’s so exceptional offensively? That’s the logical question, right? He certainly brings plenty to the table beyond handling the ball. Beyond hitting, for that matter. Just look at him down there. He’s magic to watch. He’s the reason all these people are here."
"Balltwo."
"You imply that it does not matter," Mr. Takahashi said, "yet I feel you actually mean opposite."
"Of course it matters, especially if this team ever plans to makeit to the championship," Katie said. "I kind of like Mr. Maverick’s idea to bring back the captain role. They need some strong leadership, some motivation, and Landon’s the guy for the job. But only if he can figure out how to keep his emotions off the field the same way he does in the batter’s box. And that’s not because that’s whattheteamneeds,it’sbecausethat’swhatLandonneeds.He’s too passionate about the game to be happy until he’s mastered every aspect of it. Once he’s happy with his game, that’s when the Mavericks go all the way. I’m sure of it. He’s the only guy with enough passion to get them there."
"Threeballs,onestrike."
"Passion, yes," Mr. Takahashi agreed. "You too seem to have passion."
Katie closed her eyes and smushed her lips together. Why had she been gushing over him like that? Why was she being so obvious?
"Passionforthegameofbaseball,yes?"Mr.Takahashi clarified. "And your job too. You have done good job tonight making sure my guests are happy."
"Two balls, two strikes, and Ryan is not looking happy about it at all folks. This could be it for the streak. It’s very likely he won’t get another turn at the plate tonight."
Katie ran a palm across her forehead, then started chattering to keep her heart from going off the rails. "Thank you, Mr. Takahashi, I appreciate you saying that. It’s been a fun night for me, it really has. And, yes, I tend to get a little over zealous about baseball. My dad took me to games when I was a kid and I guess it just kinda stuck."
"Iamsame.Mydadtookmeanditstuckformetoo,"hesaid.
Katie twisted her head to smile at him, and just as her eyes averted from the field, the crack of the bat echoed through the stadium.
They both went silent, mouths agape, chins up, watching the ball soaring into the stadium lights. A roar went up from the crowd, but it was premature; Katie could already tell it wasn’t going to make it over the wall. She twisted her fingers together behind her back, willing every ounce of luck in her universe towards that ball.
The baseball gods were listening because the ball dropped over the shortstop’s head but still out of the left fielder's reach. James Vonnegut, the runner on third, bolted for home, while the left fielder dove for the ball, sliding across the turf on his stomach and tripping up the center fielder. By the time they regained their footing and took off, Vonnegut was home free and Landon was halfway to second. He got there a split moment before the ball arrived.
The second baseman immediately whipped the ball across the infield to the catcher who was crouched and waiting for Hernandez. The Mavericks’ fastest runner, he had made it all the way from first and he slid into home plate on his hip, one leg outstretched, cleattouching the white pentagon just as the ball whooshed into the catcher’s mitt already too late for the tag.
The entire stadium went berserk, thirty thousand people on their feet, number twenty-three flashing on every jumbotron and screen in the place. Katie and Takahashi high-fived as energetic rock music blasted out of the speakers and the scoreboard updated to reflect the Mavericks’ new lead. Seconds later, the media mogul’s entourage swarmed him with hugs and raucous laughs, edging Katie out until she stood on the frays next to Mr. Takahashi’s assistant, a square-faced woman named Mayumi.
"What’s going on?" Katie asked her with an astonished laugh.
"Nobody is allowed to talk to Mr. Takahashi when his team is losing," Mayumi explained. "But it is different story when they start to win. He made exception for you though it seems."
Mayumi turned her back and stepped away, a clear snub in any culture, butKatiedidn’tcare.Shewastoobusydoingcartwheelsinsidefor Landon. He never made it home before the third out, but she snuck over to the corner of the VIP box to watch as he jogged in from the field with a huge grin and a wave of his hat to the ecstatic crowd. And at the last minute, just steps from the dugout, he looked up, smile broadening, eyebrows waggling twice in quick succession just for her.
Katie beamed back, full of so much pride for this man who worked so hard and cared so much. This man who was the epitome of baseball, yet also so, so much more. This gorgeous, talented, sexy man who was looking at her.Her. Smiling ather.
"Katie!" Lori’s voice sliced through her joy like a samurai sword. "We need to talk. Right now."
Katie’s heart plummeted to her ankles. Head hung, feet operating on nothing but autopilot, she made her way over to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Dragon Lady, just like she had with Mr. Takahashi, so they could talk while watching the game.
"Something’s come up," Lori said. "I’ve been in discussion with the television network FAB-TV. You know it?"
