I could feel my heart break for him. I hate to see children so upset, especially over something like this. I went back to the table to see Grady with his head down on the table. I noticed his book bag had the Blue Birds logo on it and smiled. I sat down beside him, hoping I could break through to him.
"Do you like baseball?"
He lifted his head slightly. "Yes."
"Me too. Who's your favorite team?"
"The Blue Birds."
I faked surprise. "Really? That's my favorite team too!"
He sat up fully, now looking at me. "You like baseball? You're a girl."
I laughed. "I love baseball. I have season tickets. I never miss a home game."
"Never?"
"Never."
He chewed that over for a moment. "Who's your favorite player?"
I felt my cheeks flush. "Um...I really like Carson Lawrence." In more ways than one, kid.
"He's our catcher. I like him too. I really like Cruz, he's the best pitcher in the world."
I nodded in agreement. "He is really good. What do you think about Nathan Ross?"
"He's overrated." He shrugged.
The kid knows his baseball. "I think you may be right."
"Grady, your dad is here!" Lexi called from the front of the room. Grady grabbed his book bag and jumped from his seat. I watched as he ran over to his father and tackle him as he wrapped his arms around his waist. His dad kissed the top of his head and messed Grady's hair up. "You ready, bud?"
He nodded and turned around quickly. "Bye Miss Mel. See ya tomorrow."
"Have a good night, Grady." I waved.
His father looked up at me, a smile appearing on his face. "You make a new friend?" He asked his son, but still looking at me. Wow...he was pretty freaking gorgeous. Same sandy blond hair as his son, but holy blue eyes, batman. He was a tall, delicious glass of water.
Grady's voice pulled me from nearly drooling over his father. "Yeah, Miss Mel likes baseball too. She goes to all the games."
I crossed the room and extended my hand. "Hi, I’m Mel, one of the volunteers."
He took my hand in his and shook. "Adam, nice to meet you."
"Come on Dad, let's go." Grady pulled at his other hand.
"Alright. I guess we are heading out." He chuckled. "Bye Mel, see you tomorrow." Adam said as Grady pulled him out the door.
Once the door shut, Lexi's mouth dropped. "Holy shit he is a DILF." she practically moaned.
"Meh." I shrugged.
"Don't act like you didn't notice."
"Fine. He was blessed in the looks department." I admitted.
"That's putting it mildly. I'd like to have a parent teacher conference with him. One on one, baby."
"I thought you refused to date your students' parents?"
"That was before I saw that parent. Sweet Baby Jesus." She fanned herself. She grabbed her purse and messenger bag. "Are you ready to head out? I'm starving, biotch. I want some tacos."
"I can't believe how you can turn your professional demeanor on and off so well. One minute, you're sweet Miss Murray, next you're crude and foul mouthed Lex."
"It's a gift. Come on, we're going to Paco's."
***
Lexi accidently found Paco's Tacos one evening while out for a bachelorette party for one of her fellow teachers. Apparently there were copious amounts of Fireball shots involved and the party stumbled into Paco's Tacos. Paco, the owner, luckily took the rowdy party in stride and took care of them until they were all sober enough to not be arrested for public intoxication. Lexi and I have been coming here ever since, not only because the food is amazing, but because Paco and the staff are genuinely good people.
"Ah! Lexi and Mel! Sitting on the deck or inside this afternoon?" Paco called from behind the counter when we walked inside. The restaurant itself is extremely small, only six tables could fit into the dining area, but they have a beautiful deck that faces the harbor during the warmer months.
"The wind has a chill to it, I think we'll eat inside." Lex answered. We sat at an empty table as Vin, one of the waiters, brought out a pitcher of beer and two glasses for us.
Yes. We eat here way too often.
"Thanks Vin." I smiled.
"Anything for my favorite ladies. You doing taco platters tonight?"
"Of course, why else would someone come to Paco's?" Lexi scoffed.
He laughed and headed towards the kitchen.
"Are you excited about your date with Carson?" Lexi practically bounced in her seat.
"It's not a date. It's dinner. Then he can leave me the hell alone."
Except I don't want him to leave me alone. I would very much like for him to pay special attention to me daily. Especially with his hot as sin body.
"It's a date." She said it as if it were a fact. "You must be releasing wicked sexy pheromones or some shit."
"What?"
"Pheromones. They are-"
"I know what pheromones are. Why do you think that?"
"Obviously because you're attracting all types of hot guys right now. First Carson, then Adam."
"Adam? As in Grady's Dad? Are you insane?"
"Mel, you really need to take off your blinders. He was checking you out, even though I wish it would have been me. I'd tear him up."
"He only introduced himself!"
She arched a brow. "He said, 'it's nice to meet you.' In guy terms, that means 'I'm going to picture you while I'm beating off tonight.' It's true."
I rolled my eyes. "You are ridiculous."
"And he said he would see you tomorrow."
"Because he will see me tomorrow!"
She shook her head. "You're in denial."
"You're delusional."
"Uh huh." She smiled. "Anyways, how did you get Grady to open up?"
“He likes baseball. I noticed he had a Birds backpack."
Realization came across her face. "Ah, that's right. That was the first time in weeks I've seen him happy. In class he has been so down, he won't even play with the other kids at recess. He used to be one of my rambunctious ones at the beginning of the year, but I've seen a huge change in him. That's how I knew something was up at home."
"That makes me so sad for him. For any kid, really. They shouldn't have to deal with shit like this until they're much older. The good thing is it seems like Adam is a great dad. I think you were right earlier. He's going through a tough spot right now, but he'll be okay."
"Yeah, he will. I'm glad he was able to connect with you. It may help him become his old terror self again. I kind of miss it." She laughed.
"Let's hope so." I smiled.
Vin came back with a large platter full of tacos and two plates. "Ladies, I hope you're hungry."
Lexi licked her lips. "I'm going to devour these bitches."
Chapter Eight: Melody
A walk in closet full of clothes, and I feel like I have nothing to wear. Not going out to dinner worthy, anyways. It's been a while since I have been asked out and I see no point in buying dressier outfits if I'm not going to wear them. I stood in the middle of the closet and groaned. "I'm canceling."
"You're going out with Carson if you like it or not. Stop huffing and just pick something, damn it. The guy saw you in a hideous hospital gown with a horn sticking out of your forehead for Christ sakes. He still thought you were hot as shit and got a chub. You could literally wear a paper bag and he would be drooling." Lexi said with distraction. She was tapping on her phone as she laid on my bed. She was supposed to be helping me decide on what to wear for my dinner with Carson tomorrow night, but she hadn't looked up from her phone in over twenty minutes.
"Who in the hell are you texting?"
She smirked, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Nobody."
I turned back to the closet and finally picked a pair of dark skinny jeans. I pulled a top out, holding it up. "Do you think this white flowy tank-"
"TASTY."
I whipped around quickly. "Are you seriously playing Candy Crus
h over helping me?"
She put her arms up in the air victoriously. "I had been stuck on that freaking level for over a week. I totally just made it my bitch!" After a brief celebration she hopped off the bed and stood with me in the closet. "Told you I wasn't texting. Now I can help."
I shook my head slightly. "Thanks, friend."
She dove into the rack of tops. "Ooooh, where is the white tank? You know, the silky flowy one?" She continued to search through all the hangers in the closet, coming up empty.
"I haven't seen you wear it in a while, where is it? I didn't borrow it...or at least I don't remember."
I cleared my throat and held the tank in front of her face. She turned around, recognition displaying across her face. "That's it!"
“I seriously worry about you sometimes.”
She flashed me her middle finger. "You should go with your red fuck me heels. Those are hot as shit."
I sat in front of my shoe rack and debated. "I don't want him to get the wrong impression."
She plopped down beside me. "And what impression would that be? 'Fuck me'? You've had a dry spell since you broke up with Shane last summer. Those red shoes practically whisper sex as you walk. Put them on and listen."
She's right. I haven't had sex in ten months since I found my ex Shane trying to take pictures under Lexi's skirt. "Forget it. I'm not looking to hook up. I promised him one outing."
"Also known as a date."
"It is dinner, not a date. After that, he can forget he ever hit me and stop feeling guilty about it. I'll go back to enjoying my baseball games in peace. Everything will be right with the world."
But that was a lie, at least on my part. Even after we say goodbye tomorrow night and he forgets about me, I won't be able to forget him. His smile. His laugh. His charm. His god awful singing. It will be hard to forget Carson Lawrence, but this will at least make for a funny story to tell my kids one day.
Lexi grabbed my foot, shoving it inside the red heel. "Stop! What are you doing?"
Once she successfully got the other one on, she stood up and grabbed my hands, pulling me up to my feet. "Walk. Listen to the shoes."
I crossed my arms. "You are absolutely ridiculous."
She reached around and smacked me on the ass. "Go!"
I sighed loudly before walking across my bedroom. "I didn't hear a damn thing Lex. You're insane."
"Shhh!" She scolded. "Now come back to me. Slowly and quietly."
I rolled my eyes before walking back towards her. "Do you hear that?" She whispered. "Fuck me, Carson. Bend me over the bed, Carson. Lick my-"
"Enough!" I laughed loudly. "You seriously are the craziest person I've ever met."
She shrugged. "I won't deny it. Besides, you should take your new red clutch. The shoes will match perfectly. You're welcome."
"You should have made that point to begin with." I told her.
"What fun would that have been?"
***
I grew more nervous during the game, my dinner with Carson creeping up closer with the close of each inning. By the time the game was over, my hands were practically shaking in my lap. I didn't notice the game was over until a heavy hand landed on my shoulder.
"You know you don't have to go out with that chump if you don't want to." Clay reminded me for the tenth time today.
"It's fine." I reassured him, for the tenth time. "It's just dinner, then he'll be off my back. You won't have to worry about him anymore."
Clay stood and shook his head. "I would tell you to have a great time, but then you'd see him again. So have a horrible time, Little Mel. A terrible, terrible time."
I laughed and gave him a hug. "Thanks Uncle Clay. I'll see you next week."
The Birds lost today, 6-4. I was hoping it wouldn't put Carson in a sour mood for tonight. I quickly ran back to the apartment to get ready to go out for tonight. Carson said he would meet me at my place after he was finished at the stadium. After my hair was curled, make up applied and I was dressed, I sat in the living room and waited for him. Lexi had a teacher conference, so she wouldn't be home until later this evening. I wish she could be here to talk me down, but I have a feeling she would be shoving condoms in my purse instead of helping.
A sharp rasp played against the door, my body jumping at the unexpectedness. I checked myself in the mirror on the way to the door once more, then grabbed the handle.
It's just a meal, Mel. You eat three of those a day. Sometimes more. You're just sharing a table with a smoking hot human, that's all.
I opened the door, my breath catching. Carson occupied the doorway, and he looked even more handsome than usual, if that is at all possible. Dressed in dark jeans and a black blazer I almost overlooked the bouquet of fresh flowers in his hand. "Wow, you look beautiful."
I swallowed hard, wondering how in the hell I was going to make it through dinner with my cheeks on fire. "Thank you, Carson. Come on in."
He entered into the foyer and handed me the flowers. "I thought the ones from the hospital may be getting a little crunchy." He smiled, almost looking nervous.
I kissed him on the cheek and took them. "I threw them out this morning, actually. This is very sweet of you. Thank you." As I was putting the flowers into a vase, I watched as Carson took in my apartment.
"This is a really nice place. I didn't realize you were so close to the ballpark."
"This wasn't my first choice, actually. There is an apartment building over near Fells Point that I really wanted to get into, but there was a long wait list. Once I found this place, though, I figured it would save me driving to the ballpark and it is closer to Lexi's school. It wasn't intentional, but it worked out for the best."
"I live in Fells Point. I like it."
Fells Point is a small, historic neighborhood located on the other side of the harbor. It’s known for beautiful architecture and its abundance of restaurants and bars. I love the cobblestone roads and community feel, despite being next to such a busy city like Baltimore. "I'm jealous. I love it over there." I put the vase of flowers on the table and grabbed my clutch. "I'm ready when you are."
He put a hand over his stomach. "I'm starving, I hope you're hungry."
"Where are we going?"
A smile played on his lips. "You'll see."
We made small talk about the game as we walked to the restaurant. After walking about ten minutes and ending up in the middle of the harbor, he stopped abruptly and smiled. “We’re here!”
Realizing where we were, my eyes grew wide. "There is no way I'm letting you take me in there to eat."
Carson extended his hand for me to take. "Come on, the food is great, I swear."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "It better be for what they charge. There is no way I'm eating a piece of meat that costs over a hundred dollars. That is ridiculous."
We were standing outside of Vander's, an upscale and extremely expensive restaurant in the harbor. The head chef won a cooking competition on television a few years ago, and that is the only reason for the inflated prices. Lexi has been dying to try out the menu, but I think she's insane. There is no food that can taste that amazing that deserves to be priced that high.
"I wanted to take you to a nice dinner." He shrugged.
"If you make me go in there, I will only eat bread."
"I can afford it." He argued.
"Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. I won't allow you to spend your money foolishly. Especially on me."
We were staring one another down, waiting for the other to break. Finally he sighed in defeat. "Where do you want to go?"
My lips tipped at the corners. "Do you trust me?"
Chapter Nine: Carson
At first I was a little thrown off that she refused to eat at Vander's. Everyone wants to eat there, it's the most high end restaurant in the city and there is a wait list months long to get reservations. But not Melody. I admired that she was so against allowing me to spend that much money on her. Most girls I've taken out like
going to the fancier places and ordering the expensive meals. It’s almost as if they expect it.
I think I was even more surprised when she dragged me towards the other end of the harbor and to a small hole in the wall place called Paco's Tacos. "You want tacos for dinner?" I questioned.
She smiled brightly, looking up at the neon sign outside. "These just aren't regular tacos, Carson. These are the best tacos I've ever had in my life, and that's saying something since that's my favorite food."
I was trying to comprehend that I was taking my date to get tacos for dinner. "Tacos?"
"If you don't like them, then I promise you can take me to Vander's and I will eat a meal. But I can promise that you will absolutely love these tacos."
I opened the door for her and followed her inside. “Fair enough.” There were only a few tables in the dining area, all of which were occupied. I followed her to the counter, a middle aged man recognizing her.
"Mel! Why didn't you call? I would have saved you a table."
She waved at him. "It was a last minute decision. We can eat on the back deck if you don't mind."
"Not at all." He smiled and looked over to me. "Who is this?"
"This is my friend, Carson. Carson, this is Paco, he owns the place."
Paco extended his hand across the counter and shook mine. "Any friend of Mel's is a friend of mine. Follow me, we'll get you set up out back." Paco led us outside to a large deck on the harbor. With the sun beginning to set, it was absolutely a perfect evening to eat outside. There were only three tables on the deck, and all were empty. We sat down and Paco handed us each a paper menu. "I'll be back in a few, Mel. Beer okay for you Carson?"
"Yeah, beer is great. What about you Melody?"
She smiled over at Paco. "He's got me." Paco gave her a wink and disappeared through the door.
I don't know why, but her friendliness with him made me...uneasy?
Falling for the Rookie (Fan Girl Book 1) Page 4