I clapped him on the shoulder and walked away, wishing I could do something more for him. Wish I could do more for them all. I’d donated heavily to the fund to build housing for homeless vets here in the city. But some don’t want a home. Don’t feel they deserve a home. It cracks me in two.
“See ya, Oscar.”
The long corridor winded around past the main offices until ending at the locker room doors. Coach’s voice echoed through the hall as I opened the doors wide. “Good morning,” I yelled into the room, slipping back into smartass mode as easily as Oscar had slipped on those gloves.
Coach stopped his speech to the guys and stared at me in confusion.
Look at me, Coach, here on a day I wasn’t supposed to be. Brownie points? No? Fuck it, I’m here anyway.
“Newman, what the fuck are you doin’ here?” Coach asked.
“I thought you’d be happy to see me,” I taunted.
He narrowed his dark eyes at me. “I’m confused. You show up late when you’re supposed to be here, early when you’re not?”
I lifted a shoulder and leaned against someone’s locker. “I thought about what you said. I could really use more discipline in my career. I thought getting a head start on the training this year would be a good way to start.” My lips curled into a smile. I tried desperately to control my smirk, but it was useless.
“Yeah,” Coach taunted, his hands planted on his hips. “I’m thinking you just want a head start on your party.”
To my surprise, Calvin stepped up. “Having a good switch hitter would really help Luke out on the field, Coach,” he said, nodding in my direction.
I lifted my chin at him in a semblance of a thank you. “That’s true. I’m happy to sacrifice my valuable time to help the youngster out.”
Coach rubbed the back of his neck, as if trying to release some of the tension building there. It was hard to tell if he was worried or just tired. “Don’t have a ticket for you, so—”
“No problem, I’ve already booked my own, and I double checked that my room would be ready early, so I’m good to go.”
Coach nodded and met the eyes of the pitchers. “We leave for the airport in two hours. Finish up your therapy and be ready on the dot.”
I watched him walk into his office, closing the door as he entered. The large glass window gave me the perfect view of him picking up the phone before he reached up and closed the blinds.
I stripped out of my t-shirt and took a spot on an open massage table next to Calvin, not rehabbing but not missing a chance to get some of the kinks worked out.
“Have you talked to Holly?” Calvin asked.
The therapist worked my shoulders, stretching my arm, and rotating my cuff while I tried to brush off the memory of her blowing me off. “Yeah.”
“She know you’re leaving early?”
“Why should she?” I snapped.
“Easy now. I was just wondering.”
The therapist was a short guy, stocky, and his hands felt like meat nubs on the ends of his arms. “Why don’t we have any of those hot lady therapists?” I changed the topic from Holly. Away from the regret I was already feeling for leaving without seeing her first.
Calvin grinned.
I knew my old party pal was still in there somewhere. Whitney hadn’t killed him entirely.
After the massage and a long steam, I took a long shower and stuffed my gear into a bag. The guys were packing up, and Coach was barking orders when my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Holly.
Calvin walked past me, grinning as he glanced over to read the name on my phone. He shook his head, grabbed his bag, and headed out the locker room door with the others.
“C’mon, Newman!” Coach startled me as his hot breath landed on the back of my neck.
I hit ignore.
Brent was already in the parking lot waiting for me when I exited the stadium doors. He held open the back door, I slid in, and pushed my earbuds back in place.
The rest of the team all piled into a stretch Hummer. There wasn’t any part of me that wanted to share a ride to the airport with any of them.
My thumb paused over the screen of my phone, hesitating to hit the music icon. I slid to the recent calls, looked at Holly’s number, and hit call.
“Hey, babe.” Her voice was so deliciously sweet.
“Hey.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come snuggle with you last night. I just didn’t want to ditch Whitney on my first night here.” Her words sent guilt rolling into my veins, an emotion I wasn’t used to having. Of course she wanted to hang out with her best friend. That was a much better excuse for blowing me off than any I’d ever used to blow her off.
“It’s okay, babe.” I leaned back into the leather seats.
Hearing her voice had a strange effect on me. I felt relaxed, at peace, like nothing in the world could go wrong. But it had, it had gone terribly wrong. I was leaving. Fuck!
“You wanna have dinner tonight?” Her voice took on that sexy quality I loved. “Maybe we could snuggle later?” she added just to add salt to the wound.
The thought of her round ass, so pink, and so sweet, was creating an alert in my cock. As the blood rushed furiously through my shaft, the tip of my cock began to swell. Damn. I missed her soft skin.
“I’m on my way to the airport.” The disappointment in my voice was apparent.
“Oh.” I closed my eyes against the pain and confusion I heard in that sound. “I didn’t think you left for another few days.”
Regret and guilt chased each other in my head.
“It was a last minute decision. I didn’t know I was leaving until this morning. They need me. One of our new relief pitchers could use some work on his left-handed batters.”
They did need me. That was true. Dammit.
“I need you.” Her voice purred, the sound going straight to my dick. I could picture her clearly. Those beautiful eyes and soft smile. The way she actually listened when I talked, like she cared about me, not just what I could give her.
“I need you too, darlin’.”
Shit. I hadn’t meant to say that.
“Did Calvin tell you that I’ll be staying in New York from now on? He and Whitney built the most adorable pool house for me.”
So she won’t need to stay with me? The thought sent a stab of disappointment through me that I didn’t like.
“That’s great. You’ll make a fine New Yorker.”
“Maybe you can come see it when you get back?” Her voice was hesitant now, unsure.
“Sure, darlin’. I’ll do that. And maybe once things get settled in Florida, you can come visit me down there.”
Holy hell. Why the fuck did I say that? And why am I hoping she’ll say yes?
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of girls willing to snuggle with you there.” She gave it right back to me. Damn, what was it about her that drove me so wild?
“None of them are you, darlin’.”
There was a long pause, and I realized I was holding my damn breath.
“Well, then maybe I’ll plan a trip to Florida then. New York is a little too cold for me anyways.”
“Damn.” I groaned into the phone and readjusted myself. “I wish you would’ve come to me last night. Waiting for you to get there’s gonna be tough.” Suddenly, all those women in bikinis weren’t so appealing.