The Perfect Game (22 page)

“Let me take one of you and Jack, dear. Do you trust me to use your camera?” Gramps asked with a laugh.

“Of course! Be careful, it’s a lot heavier than it looks,” I noted, handing him my weighty equipment.

“Oh, this is heavy.” He carefully placed the camera strap around his neck.

“Okay, now you have to look through it like a regular, old-fashioned camera.” I paused, realizing that Gramps had probably never used anything but an
old
-
fashioned
camera. 

I placed his index finger on top of a round, smooth knob. “Then you press this button halfway down so that Jack and I come into focus. Once we’re focused, you press it all the way down and you’ll hear it click. And that’s it!” 

“I can do that.” Gramps gave me a confident nod and I scurried over to Jack’s side.

I glanced sideways, taking in his new hat and jersey before wrapping my arm around his middle. He pulled me tight. “This is exciting, right?”

“Understatement of the year.” I shivered with excitement and grinned up at him.

We stood still for what felt like an eternity while Gramps maneuvered us and played with the camera. “Oh, Gramps, can we get one more with Dean?” I looked at Dean and waved him over. “I don’t have any pictures of the three of us. I really want one. Or twelve,” I said with a chuckle.

“This is fun! I see why you like doing this, Cassie. You can’t screw up because you can’t run out of film.” 

“It’s pretty cool, huh?” I asked, removing the camera from around his neck.

“Pretty cool indeed,” he answered with a wink. 

FOURTEEN

Jack left for Single-A ball a few days following the draft. Dean drove up north with him in his deathmobile, and then spent a few days there with him. It had been twenty-seven days since I last saw him, not that I was counting or anything.

He told me before he left that the minor leagues consisted of Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and then The Bigs, which was another word for the Big Leagues, the Majors, The Show. Although signed by the Diamondbacks, Jack would have to work his way up through a succession of teams that funneled players to the Diamondbacks, starting with Single-A.

The Diamondbacks’ Single-A team was in a small town in Northern California and even though Jack didn’t have to leave the state, he still had to leave where we lived in
Southern California
. The truth was that when it came to matters of the heart, distance was distance, no matter the number of miles. I was confused at first why he wasn’t going to
Arizona
, but after Jack explained to me how it all worked, it made sense that he would be going to
Northern California
instead.

It was hard having him gone. I’d become so used to Jack’s physical presence that his absence was unavoidably felt and missed on a daily basis. I was thankful for e-mail, Facebook, and our cell phones, but nothing replaced his actually being here. It was weird too, being the one left behind. Jack moved, his life now filled with new experiences, friends, teammates, and adventures. But I was still here, doing the same things I did before he left, seeing the same people, living pretty much the same life.

Yeah. It was definitely weird being the one left to live in the memories of what used to be. Fortunately for me, I kept myself busy with my new summer internship. I’d finally convinced my parents to let me bring my car to school for the summer, since I needed to drive to and from work five days a week. They agreed, but only with the understanding that once the fall semester started, my car had to return to its dust-collecting spot in the driveway.

Seriously? Who were these people claiming to be my parents? They felt like such strangers with whom I had absolutely nothing in common, least of all common sense.

My personal ringtone for Jack blared as I sat outside with my co-worker, Lesslie, watching the surfers during our lunch break. I fumbled through my purse looking for my phone, a smile plastered across my face. “Babe!” I shouted as soon as I answered.

“Kitten,” his voice purred in response. “I miss you so much. How’s the internship?”

“It’s so freaking cool. I love it. I’m learning so much.” Seagulls cawed in the background as I pressed the phone closer to my ear so I could hear Jack better.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it when you get up here.” Jack’s voice was upbeat, his excitement confusing me.

“When I get…what?”

“I wanna fly you up for the weekend.”

“Really?” I shot Lesslie a glance.

“Yes, really. I’m pitching on Saturday night and I want you to meet the guys. And I fucking miss you like crazy.” 

“I miss you too.” 

“Check with your boss to see if you can take Friday off. E-mail me and let me know what he says, okay?” 

“Okay. I’ll ask as soon as I get back from lunch,” I responded, suddenly not hungry anymore.

“Maybe you oughta remind him that your boyfriend has a bit of a temper, so he probably shouldn’t tell you no,” he teased with a laugh.

“Oh yeah, I’ll definitely make sure to threaten him. That stuff usually works on normal, sane people.” I rolled my eyes, safe in the knowledge that he couldn’t see me.

He laughed and I pictured his face in my mind. “Seriously though, if he says no, I’ll fly you out after work on Friday night or first thing Saturday morning, okay?”

“Okay! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! Thanks, babe.”

“Me too. Talk later, love you.” I could hear Jack’s smile in his voice as he said good-bye. I smiled back and dropped my hand holding the phone, before tilting my head toward Lesslie.

“Was that your superstar boyfriend?” she asked with a grin, her straight brown hair blowing in the breeze.

“Uh-huh,” I responded, my mind a million miles away as I thought about what to pack for the weekend.

“So what are you asking about after lunch?” She elbowed my arm.

“If I can take Friday off or not. He wants to fly me up there for the weekend.”

“Oh, Tom’s not going to care. Offer to work a half day, and he’ll tell you to take the whole thing off.”

“Really?” 

“Really. Don’t even stress about it,” she said and I exhaled with relief. “That’s sweet of your boyfriend to fly you up. Most guys probably wouldn’t want their girlfriends around, let alone pay to bring them there.”

I stiffened. “Why would you say that?” 

“Oh, I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just that I know that scene. And there are a lot of girls waiting in the wings to get in on that action,” she said with a crooked smile.

“The groupies.” I nodded my understanding.

“Yeah.” She nodded back, frowning her disapproval.

“I know. I’ve already dealt with my fair share of them at school. They’re pretty brutal.” I winced at the memory.

“And those girls are nothing compared to the ones who chase after the professional ball players. Consider the girls in college amateurs and strap your big girl pants on, ’cause you ain’t seen nothing yet.” She gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze.

“How do you know all this?” I asked, my thoughts drifting.

“I used to photograph a minor league team in town. I saw a lot of things I wish I could un-see.” She laughed with a shudder. “I’m just saying be careful. I’m sure your boyfriend
’
s a stand-up guy and all, it’s just those girls definitely aren’t.”

“And you definitely haven’t met my boyfriend or you wouldn’t describe him as a stand-up guy,” I joked with a snicker, doing my best to change the subject.

“Well, you have the right attitude. I’m sure you two will be fine.”

“I’m not really worried about it,” I lied. 

“We should head back in.” She stood before reaching out her hand to help me up.

*****

I headed down the escalator in the airport and saw Jack standing there holding a sign that read:
Anyone seen my Kitten?

I laughed so loud when I read it, I scared the poor guy in front of me. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to the irritated stranger before quickly covering my mouth with my hand. I stepped off the moving stairs and ran into Jack’s waiting arms. 

I knew that I missed him, but being in his arms reminded me just how much. He tilted my chin and leaned down to kiss me. “I’ve missed you,” he said with another kiss, his lips brushing against my ear. 

“Me too.” I wrapped my arms around his body and squeezed, the sound of suitcases rolling past us. 

“Do you like my sign?” 

My body let out a loud, quick
ha
that could wake up an entire building. “It’s adorable. And hilarious,” I answered, trying not to laugh but failing miserably.

He reached down, grabbing my carry-on bag with one arm and swinging it behind his shoulder. “Do you have a suitcase?” 

“Just this.” I smiled, pointing at the bag he carried.

“Really? You’re my dream girl.” He tossed his free arm around my shoulders and led me out of the airport.

I shivered when the cool morning air hit my body as we exited. “Holy shit, it’s cold up here.”

“Yeah. The weather’s a little different than back home.” He lifted an eyebrow as he led me across the street toward the first row of cars.

I scanned the area looking for the familiar white death trap when he clicked the unlock button on an unfamiliar black Acura. I stopped walking and tilted my head back. “Whose car?” 

“My roommate, Tyler’s. He let me borrow it since I’d knew you’d freeze in mine.”

“Thanks,” I said, moving into the chilly leather seat.

Jack slid his muscular frame into the car and turned to look at me. His face twisted into a sexy smile, his dimples appearing. “I’m so happy you’re here.” 

I felt my cheeks warm with his words. “Me too. Thank you so much for flying me.”

“Gotta see my girl!” he said with enthusiasm before the engine purred to life.

“So tell me about your new roommates and your place and stuff,” I asked, even though he’d told me a lot of those things before.

“Well, you know we have a house that we rented. We each have our own room. The guys are Tyler, Nick, and Spencer.
Tyler
’s girlfriend Amanda’s in town too. You’ll like her, she’s cool. And you girls can go to the games together and stuff, so that worked out.”

“What worked out?” I asked, wanting clarification.

He glanced at me before looking back at the road. “Well, I was sort of going crazy before I knew that Amanda would be here. I didn’t want you going to the field by yourself. I’m not sure if you know this or not, but I really fucking hate leaving you alone. Especially after what happened.” His tone tightened with irritation.

“Jack.” I sympathized as I flashed back to the night of the beating. 

“I know I have issues. But I can’t let something happen to you again.” He exhaled through his nose. “So I was happy when
Tyler
told me that Amanda would be in town. Now you don’t have to be alone.”

I smiled and rested my hand on his thigh. “Sounds good.” 

Jack pulled the car into the driveway of a gorgeous two-story house. “Jack, this house looks brand new!”

“I told you it’s only a few years old. The guy who owns it has like twelve properties or something. Wait ’til you see the backyard.” His eyebrows lifted as he smirked.

“I’ve seen the backyard.” I hinted at the many cell phone pictures he’d sent me.

“Well, wait ’til you see it in person.”

I walked on the cobblestone pathway to the oversized front door and headed inside, where music blared in an empty room. “Jesus. Sorry, Kitten, I’ll turn it down.” Jack ran to the stereo and flipped the switch off.

“Hey!” A rowdy voice yelled from a distance and I peered around the wall into the perfectly manicured backyard. Green trees, bushes, and plants surrounded the back side of the pool, making it appear lush and tropical. Earth-colored stones and matching boulders accented the area, bringing out the blue of the water. 

One of Jack’s roommates sat floating on a neon pink raft as another tumbled down the built-in slide. “Wow, you were right. It’s much better in person.” 

“And you can’t even see the hot tub from there,” he whispered before running up the stairs. “Come on, Kitten.”

I followed Jack up before colliding with a girl I assumed was
Tyler
’s girlfriend Amanda, knocking her twisted hair loose. I watched as the light brown strands fell from the once messy bun, into just…a mess. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?” I asked as I helped her up.

“Yeah. You must be Cassie? I’m Amanda,” she said, grabbing and twisting her hair back into place.

“Nice to meet you.” I smiled, my tone cordial.

“You too. Okay, I really have to go before I pee my pants.” She laughed, ran into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut.

*****

The thought of going to my first professional baseball game alone didn’t really appeal to me, so I was thankful Amanda was in town. We arrived at the field, parked, and headed toward the Will Call ticket booth. I gripped my camera tightly as we walked to our seats next to the visitors’ dugout.