“So how are they doing?” Elizabeth asked.
“They’re down by two runs in the sixth,” Haley said. “We figured maybe your presence could light up Gavin, who isn’t batting for shit today.”
Elizabeth snorted. “Probably because he was up late tending to his drunken house partner.”
“Girlfriend,” Shawnelle said.
“What?”
“You’re his girlfriend. Not house partner. Not roommate. Girlfriend.”
“I’m not his girlfriend.”
“Really. Then what are you?”
“His agent.”
Haley snorted. “You’re sleepin’ with him. Do you do that with all your clients?”
“Of course not.”
“Then you’re not just his agent, are you?”
“You two make my head hurt. Give it a rest, will you? Gavin and I are just having some fun together. It’s nothing.”
“I might be wearing dark sunglasses, but trust me, my eyeballs are rolling clear out the back of my head,” Shawnelle said. “Are you really that far into denial?”
“Yes. Now watch the game because that’s what I came here to do.”
In fact, in her rush out the door she’d forgotten to bring her laptop with her, so she was going to be forced to give the game her full attention. Dammit.
The Rivers were up to bat, and Gavin stood in the on deck circle, waiting for his turn at bat. He swung the bat a few times to warm up, then scanned the crowd, saw her, and his lips lifted.
And her body warmed. She smiled back.
You have it so bad for him, Elizabeth.
It was really pathetic how wound up she was around Gavin. And how badly she was going to be hurt by him when he decided he was bored with her and kicked her to the curb.
It was Gavin’s turn at bat. There were two runners on base with one out. Elizabeth clasped her hands together and leaned forward as the first pitch sailed by and was called a ball. Elizabeth held her breath on the second pitch. Gavin swung and it fouled off to the right. One ball, one strike. She swallowed, wishing she’d stopped to get a cold drink before she sat down. The third pitch was high, also a ball.
Gavin swung on the next pitch and it dropped into short center. Elizabeth stood and screamed. Gavin dug in and made it to first base. The runner on second base scored, and the runner on first base had to stay at second.
But Gavin had batted a run in. Elizabeth, Shawnelle, and Haley hugged and squealed as Gavin got a good lead off first and looked like he might run on this pitcher.
Dedrick was up to bat.
“Oh, God, they’re going to try a double steal, aren’t they?”
“Likely,” Shawnelle said. “Dedrick will take a strike if it means Gavin and Jose can advance.”
“Or Dedrick could just hit a home run and put up three more runs on the scoreboard.”
Shawnelle grinned. “Well, yeah, that would be nice. But I’ll take a double steal, and then my baby can drive those two runs home. Either way works for me.”
“Me, too.”
The pitcher kept his focus on Gavin, tossing a few pitches to first base to keep Gavin from leading off too far from the base. Gavin was quick, though, and made it back to safety without a problem. As soon as the pitcher turned his attention back to Dedrick, concentrating on winding up the pitch, Gavin and Jose were off, digging into the dirt and running like hell. The pitcher turned and fired off the ball to second base.
Elizabeth held her breath for the entire ninety feet. Jose slid into third, Gavin into second. Both were safe and the crowd erupted in cheers. Elizabeth, Shawnelle, and Haley screamed, jumped up and down, and hugged each other again.
She wanted to cry and didn’t think she’d ever been more excited about watching a preseason baseball game before.
This was going to ruin her reputation as a cool and unaffected agent.
And when Dedrick hit a line drive into the left field corner and both runs came home, she was certain she’d have no voice left by the end of the game, because she screamed nonstop until Dedrick got to second base, a wide grin on his face.
It was now three to two in favor of the Rivers, and by the time the inning ended two more runs had scored.
The Rivers ended up winning six to three. Elizabeth was exhausted from the sun, the screaming, and her hangover. She knew Gavin would be busy, so she headed back to the beach house to finish working. Unfortunately, once she hit the sofa, she passed right out.
When she woke, it was dark in the house. Disoriented, she reached for the lamp on the table next to the sofa, grabbed her phone to check the time.
It was eight p.m. She’d slept three hours. She sifted her fingers through her hair, stood, and went into the kitchen to fix herself a glass of iced tea. She took the glass out onto the deck, expecting to find Gavin sitting out there.
He wasn’t. Surprised, she headed into the bedroom and bath, thinking he might be sleeping or showering, but he wasn’t there, either.
Huh. Maybe he went out with the guys after the game.