Shit.
In my haste to come off confident, cool, and even a little cocky, I’d left the ball in Ace Newman’s hands. What was I thinking?
“I called, and we talked about hooking up but never set an actual date,” I admitted.
“So, he’s supposed to call you, or are you supposed to call him?” she pushed, sipping her wine slowly, eyeing me as she finished her glass.
“He’s supposed to call me.”
She set her glass down and reached for the bottle, pouring us both another, nearly to the brim.
“Well, good. Let him call you.”
Really? Let Ace Newman call me. That’s a joke. I hated to admit it but every hook up we’ve ever had was initiated by me, every one of them!
“Don’t you think he’ll call you?” Whitney asked. I knew my face was filled with panic; I didn’t know why I thought I’d get it by her.
I shook my head and lifted the glass to my lips, sipping the sweet alcohol slowly as I mentally beat myself up. Why didn’t I say I’d call him when I got here? What was I thinking?
“Holly, if he calls, great. If not, that’s great too,” Whitney said a little too calmly.
I took a deep breath, feeling calmer. “You’re right. It’s not like I won’t see him around.”
“What are you two ladies doing in here?” Calvin asked, his head pushed through the kitchen doorway.
Whitney held up her glass of wine and smiled. She stood, moved to him, and gripped him around the waist. The way he looked at her, touched her, smiled at her. I wanted that. Ace Newman would never be that man. Maybe it was better if he didn’t call.
“I’m glad you had a safe trip,” Calvin said.
“Thank you. And, you’re certain I won’t be a bother?” I asked.
He shook his head, brushed the blond hair from his forehead and smiled. “Not at all. Whitney really could use the company.”
Her arms were still locked around his waist as she smiled so wide I could count most of her teeth. Her head nodded wildly. “Yes, it’s such a bore around here during baseball season. Which is all the damn time!”
Calvin excused himself after giving Whitney an embarrassingly long kiss. I was glad to see him in such good shape. His injury last season had us all scared he’d be done with baseball. He was a strong man, a good man. Whitney was lucky.
“Come help me make dinner?” Whitney asked.
I was starved. “Sure.”
The alcohol diminished the sting of the cold wind as we walked outside and to the main house. Either that or it had started to warm up. Alcohol.
“You know what? I don’t feel like cooking,” Whitney announced. “You want to go out?”
I’d eaten Whitney’s cooking more than once. “Yes, that’d be amazing.”
Calvin chuckled behind me. “Her cooking has gotten better.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I blushed.
Whitney’s bottom lip popped out, and her eyes batted in my direction.
“I promise,” I lied.
“Is it okay if Jack tags along?” he asked.
Whitney looked confused. “Who’s Jack?”
“Jack Peterson. Our new third baseman, just drafted from Detroit. I promised him we’d have a drink later, but since we’ll all be going out, it might be nice to invite him.”
Whitney looked at me, her eyes wide and playful. I knew what was on her mind. New man. Not Newman.
“Would you mind, Holly?” she asked.
I know your game, sista!
“I swear this isn’t a setup,” Calvin quickly interjected. “These were my plans, not hers. We can go out alone, and you ladies can do your own thing.”
“How about Holly and I have dinner, and then meet up with you two later for drinks?” Whitney compromised.
She looked at me, and I nodded.
I could live with that.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ace
I could already hear the commotion outside my door before the bell chimed. I opened it to Frank, Luke, and a couple other guys from the team standing on my front steps.
“Beasts!” I screamed, motioning for them to come inside.
Frank patted me on the shoulder and quickly made his way to the two blondes sitting on my couch. I laughed, watching him squeeze in between them, his arms around each of their shoulders. I didn’t even have to hear what he was saying to know he was laying down the same old line that never worked. He was the only baseball player who couldn’t get laid, and that was before they even saw his little dick.
Hell, he couldn’t get laid in a whore house with a Gold MasterCard.
Luke shook his head, smiled, and looked around my place. “Nice pad.”
Pad? Was this the seventies?
“Make yourself at home, kid.” I slapped him on the back and headed back to the bar where I’d left my drink.
Luke followed me. “I’ve heard about your wild parties.”
“Nothing wild tonight, just good clean fun, kid.” I grabbed a glass and scooped in some ice. I was watching his face, trying to read his thoughts as I poured some of my best scotch over the frozen cubes.
“Here ya go.” I handed him the glass and raised mine to toast his. “Here’s to staying positive and testing negative.” Our glasses clinked together, Luke grinned at my toast in an odd way, and then slowly took a sip. “Smooth, eh?”
He nodded. He still had that shit-eating grin on his face.
“So, is Calvin coming later?” he asked.
“No. Calvin has things to do tonight.”
I felt that twinge in my stomach, the one I’d had all day. I knew what Calvin had to do tonight — entertain Holly, that’s what. She was in New York, only miles from me and it was like my dick wanted to point in her direction. Fuck, I could practically smell her. The woman had wormed her way into my mind and hell if I could pry her little ass out.
After Holly called last night, I almost couldn’t finish what I’d started with that cute little blonde — almost. I tried to blame it on Belinda and how she’d sucked me dry just hours earlier, but there’d been plenty of nights I’d dropped more than one load. It was her voice, knowing that she was coming here, and the fact that I really wanted to see her. That shit had me fucked up.
“I saw him talking to Jack. Those two going out?” Luke asked, bringing my focus back to him.
“Do I look like a fucking babysitter, kid?”
My sharp tone didn’t even faze this cocky little bastard. “I just heard you and Calvin were pretty tight.”
“Yeah, before he turned into a pussy whipped homebody.”
Luke laughed. “I’ve seen his woman. Can’t blame him for staying home with that. So you two don’t hang out anymore?”
His invasion into my privacy was growing annoying fast. Everybody thought it was so special that Calvin and Whitney had gotten back together after basically screwing their heads off with other people. But all that mushy shit was a joke. They’d get bored with each other soon enough, just like everybody did.
Because that’s what happened — people screwed other people over. People sucked, that’s why I didn’t need anyone in my life for more than five minutes.