by Vera Roberts
As August Alsina’s “Don’t Matter” blared out from the speakers, Quinn reached over and grabbed Bobbi’s hand. He kissed and felt her sigh. She was relaxed and happy. He hoped to keep her that way.
Bobbi was in heaven. She was on a date, with a man she’d been fighting her feelings for, and she finally succumbed to maybe they should just see where it went. He winked at her before he turned his attention back on the road.
When they arrived at the park, they found a secluded area where Quinn laid out a blanket with food and water. They fed each other sandwiches and fruit as their legs were wrapped around each other. They barely spoke because nothing needed to be said.
They people watched and Quinn talked to Bobbi about the different wildlife in the park. They shared stories from childhood and talked about everything under the sun. Quinn played Taylor Swift’s new album and Bobbi surprisingly liked it.
When it was getting dark, Quinn began to clean up. He helped Bobbi up and held her waist for a moment. The moment was too good to pass and honestly, he just wanted another reason to hold her.
The sun began to set and they were in the middle of the arboretum, far away from prying eyes and rubberneckers trying to get a good look without being too inconspicuous. Not that it would’ve mattered.
Only inches separated them, if that, and Quinn wondered if there would be more moment like that, where it was just the two of them. No agents. No fans. No detractors. No teammates. No family.
The only people that mattered on the planet was just him and her, and Quinn was fine by that. With “Lover” playing in the background, Quinn decided to challenge Bobbi more. “What is your biggest fear?”
Bobbi was taken by surprise with the question. Usually men would ask her what her favorite color was, or what type of music she was into.
Then again, Quinn wasn’t like any other man she’d dated. That is, if what they were on was a date. It seemed they have done everything backwards. They hooked up and then pretended they were strangers. A brief dalliance in the platonic zone did nothing for neither of them.
Now they were alone in a grassy field and Quinn wanted to know the inside of her soul. No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn’t figure him out. “Failure.” She finally answered after a long pause. “I’m afraid of disappointment.”
“Disappointment?” He softly asked.
His eyes softened to an ocean blue. Quinn wasn’t just a handsome man; he was heart-stopping gorgeous. Yet, he was humble about it all. He didn’t use his good looks to his advantage and people often noted his humanity before they spoke on his physical appearances.
He smelled like leather, musk, and rain, wrapped into a delicious and sexy package of a man. He was corny, but adorable. He was intelligent, but could get silly. He was a beast on the field and in bed.
Quinn was everything.
Bobbi held onto Quinn and stared into his eyes. “I’m afraid of disappointing those who care. It’s why I keep going sometimes and much to my detriment.” She paused for a moment and looked away into the distance. “It’s also why I run.”
Quinn turned her head back to his gaze. He ran a free hand through her hair and caressed her cheek. “Maybe I can be the reason you stop running.”
Bobbi sighed again and tried to put the wariness of everything at bay. “You’re asking me to be your girlfriend while you try to get another World Series this year.” She was rightfully skeptical. “The press won’t leave us alone.”
“We don’t have to tell them.” He shook his head as he cupped her face. “We can keep this private.”
“We’ll be pretty busy this season.” Her lips touched his. “The odds of us spending a lot of time with each other will be slim.”
“But you’re going to travel with us, aren’t you?” Quinn wiped Bobbi’s hair away from her face. “We’ll see each other all of the time.”
“You really want us to pursue the unknown,” she stated, “against all odds.”
“Oh, I say the odds are pretty good in our favor.” Quinn wrapped his arms around her. “What do you say? You wanna give this a shot?”
“We need to take this slow, Q.” She pressed. The days of Bobbi jumping in head first without checking to see if there was any water were long over. “Can we get to know each other more first and then process from there?”
“We know each other pretty well,” Quinn replied before he acquiesced. “If that’s what you want, I’ll agree. I want to get to know the woman who’s going to be my wife soon.”
“Soon?” Bobbi smiled. The thought of being Quinn’s wife was music to her ears. “What does that mean?”
“It means exactly what it means,” Quinn brought Bobbi’s lips to his and softly kissed her. She moaned into his mouth before she opened up and welcomed more of the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his back as he held onto her.
Quinn pulled away and stared into her eyes. “Soon.”
The End