The team played strong together with Calvin on the mound and Todd behind the home plate. The other team couldn’t get a man past first with Todd’s amazing eye and Calvin’s quick reflexes. By the end, relief flooded my soul. Everything had gone great, and with a score of 11-0, I had no doubt the media would all be good, at least for the night.
I grabbed my notes, shoved them in my bag, and started to work my way out of the stadium before the crowd rushed the exits. The players were all headed toward the locker rooms, already shaking hands with the other team, and enjoying a celebratory moment on the field.
Todd waved at me, his arm stretched high above his head. His grin was so wide, his eyes so bright. I knew he was proud of himself. I was proud of him too. Ace ran past him, jabbing him in the ribs, from what I saw, on purpose. Todd pushed back, stopped, and yelled something toward Newman. Within seconds, the two men were in each other’s faces, screaming, pushing. I gasped when I saw Todd’s fist cocked and loaded, ready to land on Ace’s face right as Calvin gripped it, stopping him from the horrid mistake. He was working to pull them apart when cameras flashed like sudden lightning. Fuck! Are you kidding me right now? Everything was perfect.
This wasn’t going to be easy at all. In fact, herding cats into a shower would be easier.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Todd
What the fuck was wrong with Ace Newman anyway? I hadn’t done anything to him. Katrina wasn’t cold, but she wasn’t the same after that incident on the field. It had been a week, and she’d barely said three words to me. It wasn’t my fault, was it?
She sat in the locker room, her legs crossed, showing off her toned thighs as Coach announced we’d be forfeiting our next practice for some good publicity. “Katrina will fill you in. I expect you all to listen and do exactly what she says,” he warned, motioning for her to get up and take over the room.
Her eyes were focused on the group, not one player in particular, certainly not me. “We have some very special kids coming in for a training session tomorrow,” she said.
Some of the guys grumbled. I remained silent. I would do whatever it took to get back into her good graces, and her bed. After the night we spent together, intertwined in her bed, sleeping alone had become rough.
“The special needs children from Daytona had a field trip scheduled to come watch you practice tomorrow. I thought it would be a great opportunity for you to show your appreciation to your fans, and to show you are not truly beasts by spending the day with these kids, letting them play out on the field with you.”
“Well, I think that’s great,” Blake spoke up first.
I’d heard he had an autistic son so this was obviously something close to his heart.
“I expect you all to behave. Show these kids a good time,” Coach said.
“The kids will arrive at nine in the morning tomorrow. Don’t think because you have a day to sleep in that you can run amuck. Everyone is expected to be in their rooms by ten o’clock tonight. No exceptions.” Katrina spoke with an authority that made my dick twitch.
The guys all started to grumble, especially Luke and Kane. “We’re on curfew?” Luke argued.
“Yes, and you will remain on curfew for the remainder of your time here,” Coach replied sternly.
My eyes lingered on Katrina, trying desperately to get her to see me. She gathered her belongings, didn’t turn around as she called out, “See you all in the morning,” and left.
I’d heard everything Lana said to her that morning I hid in her closet. Since we hadn’t spoken since then, I had no idea if Lana had been back on her ass after the last incident. It did make the papers. Front and center, as always. The picture the media decided to run with, of course, was the one where it looked like Calvin and I were in an altercation. That was the furthest thing from the truth. He’d actually saved my ass by stopping that blow headed for Newman’s face.
Ten o’clock curfew wasn’t a big deal for me but some of the other guys were still fuming. “We’re not children,” Kane stated.
“Some of us are,” Calvin laughed.
I finished my beer, tipped the lounge bartender a twenty, and patted Kane on the back. “You should feel lucky we’re allowed out unsupervised at all after some of the past stunts from this team.”
“Watch it, Morris,” Ace warned.
“Fuck off, Newman. You’re the reason we’re all on lock down,” I snapped.
“No. It’s my fault. My petty shit with you.” Calvin directed his comment to me.
Wow.
“We’re past that. We’ve been past that. I just want to know what this one has a beef about.” I nodded toward Ace.
He stood against the wall, his hands pushed deep in his pockets, his back slouched like he didn’t give a shit about nothing. “I don’t have a beef.”
“Good. Then don’t fuckin’ push me again,” I warned.
His eyes narrowed, his lips pursed tightly together, and his hands slid from his pockets. I watched them reach up, slide his fingers through his thick locks before crossing his arms over his chest. “I just don’t like anyone who brings tension to my team.”
“Your team?” I laughed.
“Stop. I was so excited to be on this team. To play with the greats, but you all act like children…” Kane spouted and then sucked down the last of his beer. “I’m going to my room. Like a child. Thanks to you, the fuckin’ greats,” he added before walking away.
I slid back onto my bar stool. “Can I buy you guys a beer?” I asked.
“Hell yeah. But make mine a Mountain Dew,” Newman said quickly with a laugh, taking the seat next to mine.
“What about the curfew?” Calvin asked.
Ace shot him a look. “Don’t be a pussy.”
Calvin seemed to blush a little at Ace’s prodding. I wondered what it was like when those two were partying together. I couldn’t picture it, no matter how hard I tried. Calvin was just so straight-laced, so small town na?ve. He just didn’t fit with Ace as a partner in crime.
We didn’t talk about the past, about our grievances, or about what Kane had said before he stormed off. I think it was mutually agreed upon that he was right, and it was high time we started acting like the greats we truly were.
Luke poked me in the ribs hard as I took the last swig of our second beer past curfew. I turned, ready to snap at him when I realized that his poke was a warning.
“It’s after eleven o’clock,” Katrina said, staring directly at me when she spoke. Oh, now she wants to give me some attention?
“We were just bonding. That’s what you wanted, right?” I said, a little more sarcastically than intended.
Her eyes darkened. “If you’d done that earlier, I wouldn’t be here ordering you to bed like a bunch of twelve-year-olds.” Her hand jammed onto her hip like my fourth-grade teacher before sending me to the principal’s office.
“You’re right. We’re going,” I promised.
The guys all quickly slapped money on the bar and scampered from the tiny room. We were alone. After all this time, Katrina and I were finally alone.
“We worked out a lot,” I offered as an excuse for my betrayal of her rules.
“Go to bed, Todd,” she murmured.
“Whose bed?” I asked, trying to be flirty but sounding drunk.