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  As Jake gallops across home plate and returns to the dugout, he looks up in the stands again and our eyes meet. His deep blue orbs penetrate the air, his smile wider than before.

  Instinctually, I grasp my necklace, and as I smile back at him I know this time, for sure… he’s looking at me.

  Chapter 7

  Jake

  I told myself tonight that I had to look in the stands because I had to confirm if that girl was there again. Even though I knew it was a risky move, my gut was telling me I needed to do it. If I was spending as much time as I was thinking about this girl, there had to be a reason.

  I’ve never obsessed over a girl like this. I had a few girlfriends in high school and college, but they were always casual and never electric. This look between me and this girl was just that---electric.

  After the last game during which I avoided the audience but sensed she was there, I convinced myself that she had to appear at a game again, and hopefully in the same area since she seemed to be there last time.

  And as fate would have it, the moment I tore my eyes from the field before the game started, I saw her.

  This time she was wearing a Rays hat though, so I had to squint to confirm that those eyes I saw before were the same ones. And the old man sitting next to her looked familiar from the first night as well. I didn’t see the young boy though, which made me curious, but I figured there was a reason.

  I’ve been keeping that ticket on me for the past three days, including tonight in my back pocket. Baseball players are known for our superstitions, and since I had such an awesome game the night her friend delivered this ticket to me, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have it with me just in case.

  My fingers had hovered over the numbers on my phone so many times over the past few days I lost count. But I couldn’t pull the trigger. Something was holding me back.

  So I told myself that if I saw her tonight, and I felt that same pull as before, I would take it as a sign.

  And as fate would have it, her eyes were the first ones I saw when I looked into the rows of orange and white seats. The small smile she gave me made my heart beat erratically, even more than it already does at the start of the game. Once I confirmed what I needed to know, I dialed in and focused, hitting a home run on my first step up to bat.

  “Fuck yeah, rookie!” Rocky greets me as I make my way back into the dugout, ruffling his hands through my hair once I remove my batting helmet.

  “You’re on a roll!” Brandon Cash, our first baseman seconds the celebration.

  “Thanks! Damn, that hit felt good!” I’m smiling from ear to ear, not only from my score but also from the smile and interaction I got from the girl before I went down the stairs into the dugout.

  Rocky comes over to me as I take my seat on the bench.

  “Was she there?” He whispers, knowing that he’s the only one I’ve confided in about the ticket girl.

  I nod. “Yup. And she smiled at me.”

  “Oh hell, not a smile!” He teases as I punch him lightly in the arm. We are ball players after all. I don’t want to be responsible for injuring my teammate.

  “Shut up, dude. I know it sounds stupid, but that was what I needed. I think I’m going to text her.”

  Rocky lets out a long breath. “Wow, rookie. Okay, just be careful.”

  I give him one nod. I will, but I have to know who she is now.

  The game drags on with little action, making my anticipation grow, knowing I have made my decision to reach out to her. We win four to one, calling for a celebration night at Sully’s, which I decide to skip.

  “You’re already going to skip out on drinks with the team? You don’t even know her name yet,” Rocky jokes while we grab our bags and make our way outside to the cars.

  The vans are waiting to take the team to the bar, but I click the automatic start button on the key fob for my truck.

  “I’m just not feeling it tonight, Rock,” I explain. “Plus, I’m beat. I’ve got an early appointment with the trainer tomorrow too, so I’m just skipping out this once. I promise.”

  “Okay man, whatever you say. Have a good night.”

  “You too,” I call out for him and the rest of the team as I climb in my truck and drive towards my condo in Turtle Ridge, a private community in Irvine that is close enough to the stadium, but secure enough for a professional athlete. A few of the other players live here too, which is how I heard about it.

  I enter the code in the gate, park my truck in my spot, and find my way inside my condo, greeted by nothing but silence. However, everything is sparkling clean, so I know my house cleaner came today.

  Maria was recommended to me by Brandon. Maria’s sister, Marisol, cleans for him and helps with stocking the fridge, laundry, and those other menial tasks that a professional athlete truly doesn’t have time for.

  Maria has been an angel, helping me manage things when the game takes most of my time and energy. She’s like my surrogate mom.

  I grab an apple from the fridge, kick off my shoes by the door, and plop myself down on the mahogany leather couch, reaching to fish my phone out of my pocket. I retrieve the ticket from my back pocket as well, even though I already have the number memorized from staring at it for the past three days. I turn on the table lamp next to me and set the ticket down on the coffee table adjacent to the arm of the couch.

  No name. Just a number with a heart next to it. How do I even start this conversation if I don’t know this girl’s name?

  I take a deep breath and remind myself there is no pressure. If this doesn’t go anywhere, or she turns out to be crazy, I can always change my number.

  I know it’s late, but I’m sure this girl will realize I just played a baseball game and this is the only time I have to contact her. I pick up the phone, open a new message window, and start typing.

  Chapter 8

  Dani

  Gramps and I stumble in the house just past ten o’clock. Even though it’s a Monday night, I don’t have to be at work at the gym the next day until ten, so I know I’ll be able to sleep in a bit. Being a season ticket holder has some downsides, particularly when a home game falls on a weeknight. Luckily, tomorrow I don’t have classes and don’t have to be at work until later than normal. Though it wouldn’t be my first time going to work or class tired as all hell from a game the night before.

  My job at World Fitness came at the perfect time two years ago. They needed someone to take over their marketing and social media branding. Given that I was working on my degree in public relations and marketing, and I hit it off with the person doing my interview, they took a chance on me with the prospect of full-time employment once I finish my degree. My manager, Tina, has been very flexible working around my school schedule each quarter and has helped mentor me in all aspects of the job. I’ve been very lucky to get on-the-job training while finishing my degree, and I can’t wait to be done with school so I can give them even more of my focus.

  Covering my mouth as I yawn, I use every last ounce of energy I have to saunter into my room and change my clothes before heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I tie my long blonde hair back in a ponytail and rub moisturizer on my face, noticing even more freckles across my nose from my time in the sun. Those spots will get darker as the summer progresses, a feature I inherited from my mother.

  Given that I spent some time reminiscing about Dad earlier, I trace my freckles while images and memories of my mother flash through my mind. While Conner resembles our father, I came out looking like a younger version of my mom. She had the same blonde hair, although she wore it cut just above her shoulders, and the same dark eyes both me and my brother display.

  She was kind, loving, and would sing any chance she got. Many mornings I was woken up by her performing a song in the kitchen while making breakfast, or the humming of her voice while she walked down the hallway. My parents actually met at a bar one night while she was doing karaoke. Dad always said the minute he saw her swaying and singing on st
age, he knew he would marry her.

  The memory pops in my head just as a flash of my first encounter with Jake comes forward.

  Trust your path.

  My dad’s words ring true when I realize that the one look we shared could have turned me down a road I never knew was possible.

  While brushing my teeth, I hear the ping of my cell phone go off. My first thought is that Lochlin is texting to see how the game went, but when I stare at the screen and see a message from a number unfamiliar to me, my heart lodges in my throat. And when I read the message, I choke on my saliva.

  Unknown: Hi. This is Jake. I hope this is the girl from the game. If not, please ignore this message.

  I read it over about ten times, analyzing the vagueness of his words. I assume since he’s not sure who he’s talking to, he didn’t want to give too much information away. But he did use his name.

  My heart is beating frantically, my hands are sweating, and I swear I feel the fuzziness come over my head that you get before you pass out.

  I want to reply, but I need to relax before I say something stupid. Glancing at the time, I decide to call Lochlin.

  “This better be good,” her raspy voice filters through the phone.

  “Are you asleep already?”

  “I just laid down. Today is my long day of classes, you know that. I’m beat. What’s up?”

  I clear my throat. “Jake just messaged me.”

  I hear a loud thud through the speaker and then her voice comes through.

  “Oh my God! I’m sorry. I just dropped my phone when you said that! Holy shit, Dani! He text you?”

  I laugh nervously. “Yeah, I mean, at least I think it’s him. It’s an unfamiliar number and he said it was Jake. He referred to me as the girl from the game…”

  “Didn’t I tell you he would contact you? Oh my God, I’m SO excited right now!” She definitely sounds more awake than she was when I initially called.

  “Ok, so what do I say?”

  “What do you mean?”

  I push myself back on my bed so I’m leaning against the headboard, crossing my legs like I’m back in kindergarten.

  “I mean, how do I even start this conversation?”

  She hums in thought. “Well,” she pipes up, “You need to make sure it’s him. I mean, I know I’m the only one that knows about this whole situation, but you never know how creepy people can be.”

  “You’re right. Maybe I should ask him how he got this number?”

  “Yes. Because there is only one way he could have.”

  I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Okay, hold on.”

  I stare down at my phone and open up the message again, typing out my reply. The click of the keys as I press them echoes in my room.

  Me: I don’t mean for this to sound rude, but how did you get this number?

  It takes less than thirty seconds for me to get a reply.

  Unknown: Well, this was the number written on the back of the ticket given to me by our batboy. If I have the wrong girl, please let me know.

  I bring the phone back up to my ear.

  “What did he say?” Lochlin sounds like she’s waiting on pins and needles.

  “I asked him how he got this number, and he explained it was on the back of the ticket the batboy gave to him. Holy hell, Loch. It’s really him!”

  “Damn, girl. This is amazing! Ok, I’m going to let you go, but you better fill me in with all of the details tomorrow!”

  I chuckle. “Of course I will! Night, Loch. And… thank you,” I whisper softly, still in shock that this is happening.

  She chuckles back at me. “I expect one hell of an extravagant gift,” she jokes. “Have fun!” She declares before the line goes silent.

  I take a deep inhale and then refocus on the conversation. Ok, here goes.

  Me: Sorry, I just wanted to make sure I’m not talking to some creepy guy. LOL Yes, this is her. Hi, Jake. My name is Danielle.

  I never really use my full name since almost everyone I know calls me Dani. But it just felt appropriate to give him that information. And as I wait for his reply, I change the contact information in my phone to his name.

  Jake: Well, you don’t really know me. I could be creepy. I guess we’ll just have to find out.

  Me: You’re lucky I have a sense of humor or otherwise I would end this conversation right now.

  Jake: Yeah, sorry. I just read how that must have sounded. I swear, I’m not creepy. Let’s start over.

  Me: Ok. You played one hell of a game tonight. Congratulations.

  Jake: Thanks. My first game started off kinda rocky, so I was unsure if I could pull it together, but luckily, things have gotten better.

  Me: What happened during your first game?

  I ask the question, fairly confident I know what the answer is, but downright curious how honest he’ll be with me.

  Jake: I made the mistake of looking into the stands and saw a beautiful girl. It made me lose focus.

  And my heart takes flight in my chest. He did see me, and our moment did affect him. Although, I wish it wouldn’t have affected him negatively in his game, but at least what I felt wasn’t one-sided.

  Me: Damn, that’s tough. I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm to you though.

  I bite my lip as I smile, relishing in the fact that I’m flirting with Jake Calhoun via text. This is unreal.

  Jake: Yeah, it’s not her fault she’s so beautiful.

  Me: Smooth.

  I chuckle as I make my way under the covers.

  Jake: So, Danielle, what made you so brave to give your number to a major league baseball player?

  Me: Ha! Sorry to burst your bubble, but this wasn’t my idea. My best friend took it upon herself to meddle. Although, right now, I’m kind of glad she did.

  Jake: Me too. I don’t want this to sound creepy, since you know, we’re trying to prove that I’m not. But, did you feel what I did when we saw each other that first game?

  And now I can hear my pulse in my ears. He felt it too. The pounding of my heart is making my body shake. I can’t breathe. The reaction my body is having is crazy. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins. Even when this conversation is over, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.

  Me: Yes, I felt it too. It scared me, if I’m being honest. I’ve never felt something like that before.

  Jake: Likewise. And when I saw you again tonight, I knew I had to contact you. This is crazy, and just so you know, I’ve never done something like this before.

  Me: I’m well aware of how crazy this is. And neither have I. If it weren’t for my best friend, I don’t think we would be talking.

  Jake: Well, I’m glad she meddled. So where do we go from here?

  Me: Well… what do you want?

  Jake: If I’m being honest, my life is crazy. My first year in the MLB is going to come with a bunch of change and learning to live a life very different from the one I had before.

  My heart sinks a bit in my chest. I can’t imagine how much his life is changing, and is going to change as more focus from the media is on him. But then why did he text me?

  Jake: But I would like to get to know you. Text and talk and just kind of see where this goes? I don’t know what this is, but I know I would have regretted not contacting you.

  And my Cheshire grin is back. He has any woman at his fingertips. Millions of women would give their left boob for a chance with him. And he wants to talk to me.

  Me: I completely understand. And I would like that very much.

  Jake: Ok then. Well, it’s getting late, so I’ll let you go. But thanks for the talk. I look forward to speaking to you again soon, Danielle.

  Me: Me too, Jake. Good night.

  “EEEEEKKKKK!” I squeal while I thrash my body around excitedly in my bed, kicking my legs around wildly. “Holy shit!”

  My hand instinctually comes over my mouth as I realize how loud I’m being. I don’t want to wake my grandpa, even though I know he could sleep throu
gh a tornado.

  I plug my phone into the charger and put it on vibrate. Turning over in my bed, I hold my covers up close to my face, tucked under my chin. The smile on my face is so massive, I’m pretty sure it stays there all night while I command my mind to sleep, but all I envision is Jake.

  Life just changed completely.

  Chapter 9

  Jake

  “So you texted her, huh?”

  Rocky comes up to me as we make our way to the tunnel leading into the stadium for our early morning practice. I got a workout in at the crack of dawn with my trainer and now I get to practice with the team. Most of our time will be spent watching tape though as we have a game again tomorrow and Coach won’t want us to overexert ourselves.

  “Yeah. She seems nice. I text her once I got home and we talked for about a half hour before I went to sleep.” Rocky follows me inside the clubhouse.

  “So she IS the reason you skipped out on drinks with the team last night?” He jokes while we hang our stuff in our lockers.

  “I was tired too, bro. But yeah, I had to text her.”

  “Are you glad you did?” He asks while tying his shoe laces.

  I follow his lead, taking a seat on the bench next to him.

  “Yeah. I told her I just want to get to know her, see where this goes. I didn’t give her any false hope.”

  He chuckles. “Even if you think you played it safe, some girls will have you married in their heads already. Just be careful, Jake.”

  “You keep saying that.”

  “Once you’ve dealt with a stalker situation, believe me…. You will understand my reservations.”

  “Seriously bro? A stalker? When?”

  “Come on gentlemen! The movie room awaits!” Coach shouts into the locker room, interrupting our conversation before Rocky can reply.

  We spend the next two hours dissecting the last two games, my team giving me props for my home runs and success at the plate. Of course, when Coach talks about distractions, Rocky gives me a side-eye glance.