AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shit. What did he want?
“Charlie, hi,” he said.
“Hi, Rick.” Her voice became sweeter, if he wasn’t imagining it.
“Listen, uh… about the baseball tickets.”
“I don’t want it back. It’s yours and I mean it.”
He smiled. “I know, but that’s not what I’m calling about.” What was he calling about? And why was he feeling nervous? “My buddy can’t make it to the game,” he lied. “I’m not sure if you care about baseball at all, but it would be better if you went since you got me the tickets.”
“Oh… you mean go with you to the game? Together?” she asked.
Is that what he meant? “Yeah. If you want to.”
He didn’t want to assume, but she probably wasn’t interested in sports. Not baseball. Tennis, golf, and horse racing may be more her scene. The silence on the other end of the line told him he might have gone off the path with this call.
“Yes, I’d love to,” she said, diminishing his doubts.
Astonishment filled him, but he quickly recovered. “Great. I’ll see you then.”
“Let me pick you up. I’ll be coming from work.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’m excited! I’m going to need to shop for some shoes. ”
Not wanting to admit it, but Rick was looking forward to the game. He didn’t go often, and tickets were expensive for average seats, let alone the better ones. Before the day started, he told himself that this wasnota date. He felt guilty using such an expensive gift for himself and wanted Charlie to enjoy it as well.
Her sports car pulled up in the driveway of his condo, feeling like a debutante being escorted. Although this debutante wore a blue jersey, dark washed jeans, and an unshaven jaw, he was far from a pretty princess.
The fancy Porsche roared as it stopped in front of him. The exterior looked customized, and nothing like Charlie’s taste. As the window rolled down, he got a view of Charlie’s infectious smile.
“Hey, hop in!”
He got inside, and immediately a scent breezed past him that stood out from Charlie’s perfume. It smelled a little like… the plant skunk.
“A friend’s car?” he asked.
Charlie groaned. “So itisobvious. It’s my brother’s. Sorry, I’m borrowing it for a while and he’s done… stuff in here.” She took out a bottle and began spraying.
“Don’t worry, it’s subtle.” Rick grinned, then did a double take when he got a good look at her. He was sure his mouth hung out of its jaw.
For once, Charlie looked the least girly he’d ever seen. She wore shiny big hoops dangling from her ears, her makeup soft and flawless. Her short hair was neatly brushed and curled at the end. But her outfit…
A muted peach color blouse framed her upper body, and the lower… she was wearingshorts. White denim with the hems frayed, or however the ladies like them now. The shorts did wondersshowing off her long legs and his gaze stopped at her shoes, where the show was most spectacular.
Of course, they were pink sneakers. And brandnew. She really did go shopping just for today.
She smiled and placed on her sunglasses before running the engine. “Great. Let’s get going. I hope you’re comfortable.”
It took an hour and a half to get to the stadium after fighting through traffic. Rick was impressed by how agile the car moved. He’d always been the type for practical cars, but he understood why pretty and fast cars were appealing. The ride was smooth, and the luxurious interior of dark red leather and wood veneer added a fine taste to it.
Charlie did a good job of keeping him entertained with her chitchat, that she didn’t notice him observing her. She went on about her beauty business; he understood none of it but made neutral comments.
Once they arrived, Charlie handed her car to the valet. The ushers showed them their seats, and Rick marveled at how close he was to the field. Not the front row dugout close, but so much closer than he could ever afford.
The crowd was already piling in, and the players were getting ready in the field. They smiled at each other before sitting down, then awkwardly shifted the opposite direction.
