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Dex: Any chance you’d like to see the Guardians’ spring training game with me tomorrow?
I expected a delay in his response. I expected him to want to think about it and let me know in the morning. Instead, his reply was instant.
Bennett: Yes.
Chapter Seven
Bennett
Istared down at my phone, my heart racing. What had I done? I’d just accepted a date with a guy I barely knew, a guy I’d only just met. That’s what I’d done. I didn’t even know enough about him to research his name online to try to see if he was a creep or something. What if he was a jerk or a stalker or a murderer? What if he was like Troy, my terrible ex, who somehow made everything about money?
I shook my head and put my phone on the coffee table. It wasn’t fair to compare Dex to Troy. There was no evidence that Dex would break my heart the way Troy had, none at all. Then again, there had been no evidence that Troy would hurt me the way he did in the beginning either. I growled at myself and shook my head. What was I thinking? I hadn’t even given Dex a chance to prove himself, after all.
I continued to stare at my phone, willing a response to come through. A few moments later, another text came in.
Dex: Can I pick you up around ten? The game starts at eleven.
My stomach soured as I remembered the way Troy’s lip had curled into a sneer when he first saw my little house. It wasn’t much, but I’d been proud of the way I’d saved for it and how I’d managed the purchase without the help of some rich family benefactor, unlike Troy. My mom had done the same for Tam and me—she’d scrimped and saved until she could afford to buy the little rental we’d grown up in, as a single mom waiting tables for most of my younger years, and it had worked out okay for us. She’d never been so happy as when I’d signed the deed to the little house I’d bought a few years ago, and Troy had ruined that special memory when he’d insulted the place for being less than what he was used to.
I swallowed the acid crawling up my throat. I couldn’t spend my entire adult life ashamed of who I was or what I came from, right? If nothing else, it would tell me a lot about Bennett and whether he was worth going on a second date with or not.
Bennett: Sounds perfect. Here’s my address.
I had watched enough baseball to know what to expect the next day, at least regarding the game. What I didn’t know was what to expect from Dex. Did I need to dress up or could I wear jeans? I’d never actually been to a spring training game. I hardly went to Guardians games at all unless someone had an extra ticket, because I didn’t really have the spare time or money.
Nerves threatened to get the better of me, even though I was excited, too. I laughed at myself a little and stood up from where I’d been sitting on the couch, shaking my arms and shoulders to release some of the nervous energy. I needed to do something, to talk to someone, but it was late and I didn’t want to wake Tam. My gaze scoured the room for something to distract me from the buzzing feeling that was coursing through my body, and eventually, it wandered back to my phone.
I scooped the phone up and dialed Parker, who answered on the third ring, voice thick with sleep.
“Hello?”
I dropped my voice to a murmur. “Hey there. Sorry to wake you.”
In the background, Travis yawned loudly. “Who is it, babe?”
Parker must have pulled the phone away for a second because his volume dipped. “It’s Bennett. I’ll be right back.” A moment later, he spoke again. “You there?”
“I didn’t mean to wake you up, I swear.”
“It’s okay. We’re like an old married couple these days. We went to bed early. And not even to fuck, just to sleep.”
I laughed at his astonished tone. “It had to happen sometime.” I was tempted to call him an old man, but considering that I was about to go on a date with a guy who was at least ten years older than me, it seemed like a bad idea.
“Anyway, what’s going on? Feeling any better?”
I’d almost forgotten I’d told Parker I had a headache and omitted telling him about the banquet entirely. “I am feeling better. But that’s not why I called. You’ll never believe what happened.”
“You won the lottery?”
I scoffed. “I wish, but no.”
“You fucked some dude you met at the bar?”
I laughed and shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. Of course, Parker’s mind would go straight to money or sex. “No. I did meet a guy, though.”
“Seriously? Nice!” There was some shuffling and the sound of a door being closed. “Tell me about him.”
“I don’t know a lot about him yet. We’re going on a date tomorrow.”
