Squeeze Play

by Aven Ellis

  I groggily open an eye, and with a jolt I realize Brody’s hand is splayed across my right breast. I’m on his couch, and apparently, we fell asleep. The room isn’t dark, but the rays of first morning light are filtering through the blinds.

  “Brody!” I yell. “Oh my God, we fell asleep!”

  Brody jerks out of his sleep beside me, but when he goes to lift his hand, it’s stuck. His leather bracelet is caught in my crocheted cardigan.

  “I swear I wasn’t trying to feel you up!” Brody says in a panic. “Dammit, I’m stuck!”

  “Pull it, I don’t care!” I cry, tugging on his arm. “I can’t be late for work on my fourth day!”

  Brody tries to free himself, but his buckle is hooked into the delicate crochet.

  I take my hand and jerk at the fabric and rip! Brody is free and wearing a chunk of my sweater on his wrist.

  I scramble off the couch and race to my purse. I fumble around in my bag for my phone and retrieve it, my heart pounding as I do.

  I touch the screen.

  It’s six forty in the morning.

  “Shit! It’s six forty, Brody! Oh my God!”

  I frantically pull on my ballet flats.

  “I’ll drive you home,” Brody says, quickly grabbing his shoes that he left on the floor last night. “Then I can take you to work when you’re ready.”

  “In DC traffic? No, the Metro will be faster. Dammit, I’ll still be late. I can’t be late!”

  “You won’t. I’ll get you home. You’ll be ready and on your way to the Metro in no time. What time do you have to be at work?”

  “Nine.”

  “Nine? You’re fine. You might not be able to do the whole girlie routine thing, but you can be on time.”

  I cringe. I always like being early. I hate being merely “on-time.”

  Brody leaps up and hustles over to the kitchen countertop, swiping his keys as fast as he swipes bases. “Let’s go!”

  We hurry toward the elevator, and of course, since it’s a work day, we’re stopped multiple times on the way down which fuels my anxiety. By the time we hit the garage level, I feel like I could hyperventilate. Or throw up.

  Or both, which would be totally disgusting.

  We hustle to his Jeep, and as soon as we’re buckled up, Brody backs out and begins the drive to my place.

  “You can let me out halfway there. It might be faster for me to walk than for you to sit in DC traffic. I need to get home as soon as possible. I can’t risk being late. I can’t, not the first week on the job. They could fire my ass for that!”

  “Hayley, calm down. You’re going to be fine. You need to stay in control, adjust your get ready plan to make it work in a shorter frame, then go take on the day, okay?”

  I feel a sense of calm come over me. He’s right. For the first time in my life, I’ve met someone who has the ability to slow down my brain.

  “Your mad catcher skills are working magic right now,” I say.

  Brody grins. “Good.”

  I rub my face, and I feel crusty mascara flake off. Oh, no. No.

  I jerk down the visor and gasp when I see my image.

  I slept in my makeup. I have mascara smudges under my eyes, and dear God, I look like a raccoon!

  “Aah! My makeup is all over me,” I cry, embarrassed.

  “You’re beautiful, even with black circles.”

  I glance at him, and Brody winks at me.

  I notice his wrist on the steering wheel, a huge hunk of my sweater hanging off his bracelet.

  It’s so ridiculous that I start laughing.

  “You are driving with my sweater stuck to you,” I get out between giggles.

  Brody begins laughing. “Something to remember you by when I leave for Boston this afternoon.”

  I stop laughing. Oh, right. He’s going to play a series in Boston next.

  I study his profile.

  I’ll miss him.

  Brody pulls up in front of my building.

  “Hey, I know you’re in a hurry, but give me a few seconds,” he pleads.

  I nod.

  “We can FaceTime tonight when I’m in Boston,” he says, cupping my face in his hand.

  My heart lifts. “I’d like that.”

  “I’ll miss you,” Brody says.

  Oh, I’m falling for this boy.

  “I’ll miss you, too. Have a good trip.”

  “I will. Can I see you when I get back on Sunday night? We’ll have an early evening, I promise.”

  I know I’m beaming at him now.

  “Yes.”

  Brody leans forward and drops a kiss on my lips.

  “Okay, go!” he says, smiling at me.

  “Bye!” I yell out.

  I hurry into the building and to the elevator, waiting impatiently for it to come down. Finally, it does, and I leap inside and punch my floor. I need a plan. I will take the fastest shower ever. I’ll buy lunch on the fly today. I can make some instant oatmeal while I dry my hair. Get my moisturizer, pore minimizer, and foundation on and bolt. Do powder and blush on the Metro. Then finish everything else in the restroom at work.

  I can do this.

  Ding!

  The elevator chimes open, and I step out only to find Barbara and Dominik walking down the hall toward me.

  Oh, no.

  I realize it looks like I’m doing the walk of shame right now in their eyes.

  Eek!

  Both of them stop when they see me, eyes wide.

  “Hayley, are you okay?” Barbara asks, concerned. “You look like you’ve been crying. And your blouse! Did someone tear at your blouse? Oh, my lord, did someone hurt you? Dominik, call the police!”

  “No, no!” I cry, shaking my head. “I had a date with Brody. I fell asleep on his couch. He uh . . . got his bracelet stuck in my shirt and um . . . it ripped.”

  It falls silent in the hallway.

  “I see,” Barbara says slowly.

  “Must have been a good time if you are coming home now,” Dominik adds, grinning.

  “Oh, don’t be a dirty old man,” Barbara chides.

  “Who says fun is dirty?”

  I want to die.

  “Um . . . I need to get ready for work,” I say.

  “We need to go, too. Time for the senior special breakfast at the diner,” Dominik says, shuffling to the elevator and punching the button.

  “It’s our excitement for the day. Oatmeal with a different view,” Barbara says. Then she leans closer to me. “I’ll come over with bread tonight, and of course, it would be rude if I didn’t stay for a cup of coffee. Then we can talk. I want to know everything about your hot date last night.”

  Then she flashes me a huge smile and heads over to stand with Dominik.

  I should be mortified, but I find myself grinning back at her.

  I let myself into my apartment and practically run down the hallway to my bedroom.

  Or is that skip?

  All I know is the rush to get ready this morning, the embarrassment of Brody seeing me look like a raccoon, the teasing from Dominik and Barbara—was all worth it.

  Brody is worth it.

  And I can’t wait to talk to him later tonight.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Ultimate Modern Girl’s Guide to Self-Motivation, Zen, and Being the Absolute Best You Now!

  Today’s Question: What qualities do you admire in your friends? What can you learn from them?

  “I’m so glad you could go to lunch today,” Addison says, smiling brightly at me, “and that you like poke bowls. I love Hawaiian and Japanese food.”

  I smile back at my coworker. Luckily for me, Addison could go to lunch today, and we’re sitting in a crowded poke restaurant in DC. Power suits surround us, and the noise level is high as the place is packed. I would have thought getting here by eleven would have averted some of the crowd, but no such luck.

  “Me, too,” I say. “I’m excited to try this.”

  I study my self-created poke bowl. I we
nt with a healthy combination of brown rice, greens, ahi poke, carrots, cucumber, and mango. I count this as a good counterbalance to the cherry donut I ate last night.

  Addison spears a forkful of the seaweed that is in her bowl, and I notice that she got seaweed, tofu, and loads of vegetables. I wonder if she is a vegetarian.

  I’m about to ask her when she asks me a question first.

  “Are you from the area?” Addison asks, taking a bite.

  “I grew up in Bethesda,” I say. “I lived in exactly two different homes growing up, both in the same town. My parents work in DC, and my brother is in Baltimore. How about you?”

  I pause to try my tuna. Oh, my. Yum. This is fresh and delicious.

  I bet Brody would like this place, I say to myself, thinking of his California roots. He lived next to the Pacific, and I know he loves fish. I’ll bring him here when he gets back.

  “I grew up in Pennsylvania,” Addison says. “I wanted to go to UPenn, but followed my boyfriend to the University of Virginia instead.” She frowns. “He was my first love. That was his dream school, not mine, but I was young and stupid. I thought I’d follow him, we’d get engaged, and eventually be married. Then we’d have a baby before I turned twenty-four. My future was mapped out.”

  “And that didn’t happen,” I say.

  “No. He dumped me two weeks after classes started our freshman year. He had a new girlfriend a week after he told me we were too young to be serious. I cried a river of tears that whole first year. To say I was devastated is an understatement.”

  “You were so young,” I say, thinking of how a young first love must have swept Addison away, so much so she followed her boyfriend to a university she didn’t even want to go to.

  “Naïve,” Addison adds, pausing to eat some of her food. She takes a moment and blots her lips with a napkin. “I learned a lot about myself, though. I’ll never let a man cloud my judgment like that in the future. I’m focused on me, on my career. I’m going to do everything I want to do now as a single woman.”

  “You sound a lot like me before this week,” I say aloud.

  Addison smiles. “I take it you’ve met someone?”

  I grin at her. “Yes. It’s new. Very new. I just started seeing him this week.”

  “I can tell he makes you happy,” she says. “Your smile is huge right now.”

  I blush. “I can’t help it. I wasn’t looking for any man, let alone one like Brody, when he came into my life. But when he did—it was like fate, you know?”

  “No, I don’t, which is why I’m single. Fate hasn’t introduced me to anyone worth giving up my no-man lifestyle.”

  “Maybe fate hasn’t brought you the right guy yet.”

  “I’m not accepting men from fate. I ship them back in return-to-sender packages,” she teases.

  We both laugh, and I can’t help but notice how much Addison is like the old me on men. Okay, so she got hurt while I didn’t, but why do I think this zero interest belief will come crashing down like mine did once the right guy comes into her world?

  The rest of our conversation over lunch is easy and light. I learn that Addison’s parents live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and she has one sister, Ari, who is a freshman at Princeton and is studying music.

  “What do you think of Expanded World so far?” Addison asks, her blue eyes studying me while she waits for an answer.

  Okay. I like Addison a lot, and I can tell we’ll be work friends, but I’m not going to say I think the organization is crippling itself with outdated communication strategies. It’s not good workplace politics, and not until I know Addison a whole lot better would I even hint at what I really think.

  “I love what I’m working on now,” I say, which is the truth. “I’m putting together a plan for the gala social media strategy, along with some updated information for the external website.”

  “Mariah is thrilled to have you pushing this,” Addison says, her eyes shining brightly at me.

  “Do you like working in fundraising?” I ask, taking another bite of my bowl.

  “I’m learning a lot of different things, which has been interesting,” Addison says, “but my heart really lies in working with an animal organization. I would love to do fundraising or be a social chair for a rescue group.”

  I smile. “You’re passionate about animals.”

  “Oh, yes,” she says, taking a sip of her iced tea. “All kinds. I have a ferret, Willy. I love that little guy. I even have him leash trained.”

  “Oh, how cool is that? I’d love to meet him,” I say, intrigued by her choice of pet.

  “Sure!” Addison says. “Maybe one night we can go out and get dinner and you can hang out with me and Willy. We’ll watch a movie or something.”

  “That would be great,” I say, nodding excitedly. “I can’t wait to meet him. I have a kitten myself,” I add. “She’s six months.”

  “I love kittens! They’re so cute.”

  “Well, my kitten hates everyone except for me and Brody,” I say, my heart warming as I remember how Pissy responded to him. “I would introduce you, but she’ll hiss at you.”

  “Ha, I don’t care. I’m a sucker for all animals, even the hissing variety.”

  The rest of lunch turns out fantastic, and goes by way too soon, and we have to walk back to the office before I know it. We’ve talked non-stop and I absolutely feel like I’ve made a new friend. One who could become a close friend outside of the office, too.

  I sit back down at my desk, and as I do, my phone vibrates. I pull it out of my bag, and my stomach flips with excitement when I see it’s a text from Brody:

  Hey, I saw your poke bowl on Instagram. When are we going? I love poke.

  I grin and type back:

  I was planning on taking you there. So yummy! Also, please explain why you are on Instagram when you haven’t posted anything in like, oh, the past year.

  Then I hit send.

  I wait for his reply as I access my emails, seeing what I received during my lunch break.

  Ding!

  Brody has replied:

  I’m on Instagram because YOU are on Instagram.

  Swoon.

  He shoots me another text:

  I don’t like social media. I know it has a purpose and a place, but it also creates negative vibes and toxic behaviors. Yes, I am my parents’ son in this regard.

  I sigh. Brody’s attitude is so refreshing in so many ways. I reply:

  I get that. And nobody besides you probably cares that I had a poke bowl for lunch.

  While I wait to see if he will respond, I reach for my self-improvement book and scribble a note in the margin next to today’s question:

  Admire Addison’s friendly, welcoming attitude toward new people.

  Admire Katie’s drive and passion for things she loves.

  Another text drops in:

  I care. Social media is a way I can keep up with you on the road.

  Oh, this sentence makes me so happy.

  I flirt back with him:

  How do I keep up with you, other than watching your games?

  Brody replies:

  I’ll text you my pictures of life on the road. And FaceTime. I need to see you tonight. Haven’t left yet and I already miss you. But speaking of that, need to finish packing and head out for the airport.

  I’m melting. I text him back:

  Already missing you too. Look forward to talking tonight. Have a good flight.

  I put my phone away and realize that even his text messages are causing me to fall that much more for him.

  And I’m already looking forward to FaceTime with my baseball player this evening.

  ***

  Katie puts a carton of cream down on the table and places a coffee cup in front of Barbara. True to her word, she showed up tonight with a poppy-seed cake loaf, ready to serve us her baking goodness in exchange for gossip about Brody.

  I cut myself off a sliver, my way of sampling without indulging in a whole slic
e. Katie sits down across from me, and with envy I watch as she cuts a super thick slice and drops it on her plate. Keep in mind this is after she already ate an order of Kung Pao chicken and egg rolls for dinner.

  Meanwhile, I ate a veggie burger, no bun, and baked zucchini rounds. Ugh.

  Score another feeble yay for me.

  I take my fork and eagerly dig into my cake, scoring a piece coated in rich glaze. Oh, my. This is to die for. I taste bitter and bright orange and syrupy delicious sugar. Food bliss.

  “Now dish,” Barbara says, taking a sip of her black coffee. “I’ve been waiting all day to hear about your all-nighter with Brody.”

  Katie laughs as she pours cream into her coffee. “I have been texting her all day.”

  “And I’ve been ignoring you all day,” I tease back, taking another bite of my bread. “Barbara, you should open a bakery. This is the best bread ever! If I wasn’t dieting, I could easily eat another piece.”

  “How many calories does kissing burn?” Katie asks, shooting me a mischievous grin.

  “From the looks of her this morning, she could have half a loaf,” Barbara says, bursting into giggles.

  Katie joins her, and while I should be embarrassed, I find myself laughing, too.

  “He’s a great kisser,” I say, sighing blissfully. “I like him.”

  “Like?” Katie and Barbara say at the same time.

  I blush. “Okay, I really like him.”

  I go on to tell them all about Brody, from the interesting conversations we have to how we click, despite our different backgrounds. I explain how neither one of us was looking for anything, but the moment we met it all changed. When I’m done speaking, Katie has a dreamy expression on her face. I know this is what she wants to find more than anything. Barbara’s eyes are crinkled up, and I can tell she is happy for me.

  “He’s your Dominik,” Barbara says, taking another sip of her coffee. “I knew right away he was special. I remember taking a walk with Dominik after we saw a movie on our first date. He put his hand in mine, and I never wanted to let it go. It felt wonderful and right. I knew.”

  My mind flashes back to my night under the cherry blossoms with Brody and how I felt the second his hand reached for mine.

  It was wonderful and right, just like Barbara described.