Slowly, a big grin formed on Melody’s face. “Well, shit, Ryan Cruz just saved the day.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I took out my wallet and handed Melody my credit card. “Buy every blue dress you see. And don’t let Lexi near that card.”
“Why?” Lexi asked.
“Because I don’t want a ten-thousand-dollar bill at the end of the month.”
She shook her head. “No, why are you doing this? I know you have a thing for Sam, so please tell me it’s not a ploy to get into her panties. Otherwise, Mel and I will buy the dresses.”
They expectantly looked at me.
Fine, it sounded like something I would do but not to Sam.
During the season, I had gotten to know her. She was beautiful and had great tits and legs for days, but I knew she wasn’t the type of girl you fucked and forgot. Carson had warned me that she was a good girl, but I hadn’t believed him until I really talked to her. As much as I did want in those damn pants of hers, I respected her too much to use something such as this to do so.
“I’m doing this because she’s a part of the team. Everyone loves Sam, and she should be able to attend the gala and enjoy it more than any of us in the room. It’s the right thing to do.”
Melody nodded her head with a smile, but Lexi still seemed unsure.
“This is a really sweet thing you’re doing, Cruz. Please don’t turn it douchey.”
“Lex, you have such a way with words.” I plopped down onto the couch.
“What size do you think she wears?” Mel asked Lexi.
Lexi shrugged, but I knew what to do.
“Just head to the first store. I’ll text you her size. When you get all the dresses, text her to meet you here.”
All three of them looked at me as if I had an extra head. And maybe I did because I didn’t know where this shit was coming from.
“Girls, go! I just gave you my credit card and permission to buy shit. What are you waiting on?”
Lexi grabbed Mel’s hand and dragged her to the door. “Peace out, bitches!”
Once the door closed behind them, Carson still looked at me, confused. “How in the fuck are you going to figure out her size?”
“Watch.” I scrolled through my Contacts and called Vanessa, the manager for the customer service employees. She was the one who assigned the uniforms to her staff, so she’d know Sammie’s size.
Vanessa answered the phone on the third ring. “Well, well, hotshot Ryan Cruz is calling little ole me. To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked dryly.
“Hi, Vanessa. I need a favor.”
“For you? Hell no.”
I guessed I should mention that Vanessa had been one of my hook-ups last season, and let’s just say, things hadn’t turned out so well.
“Well, not for me. For Sammie.”
She paused for a moment. “What does Samantha need?”
It was a testament to Sam’s character that everyone loved her and would do anything to help her out.
After a quick explanation of what was going on, Vanessa sighed. “Size six dress. Shoes are nine. But, Ryan, don’t fuck with her. She has a good head on her shoulders, and her future is bright. Don’t mess that up for her.”
“I know.” And I did.
Getting to know Sammie over the season had made things very clear. She was the type of you girl you took home to Mom and Dad first, not to your bed. And, although I liked her, I wasn’t ready to take anyone home to my parents. I did not have time for a serious girlfriend, nor did I want one. Things were much simpler when you kept hookups as casual. It was less messy, and there were no feelings involved—typically anyway.
“And don’t breathe a word to anyone. I don’t want Sam to know.”
She laughed into the phone. “You don’t have to worry about that. I will never paint you in any type of positive light, Ryan. I’d rather catch myself on fire.”
Ouch.
I tried to thank Vanessa, but the line went dead before I could.
I texted the information to Melody.
Ryan: Size six dress, size nine shoes. Do not let her know I had anything to do with this.
Melody: What are you talking about? These are my dresses she’s borrowing. ;)
I liked her. I was glad Carson had smacked her in the face with that ball.
Chapter Four: Sammie
Lexi: Hey, bitch. I have something for you. Come over to my place. Pronto.
I was still in bed, watching episodes of Grey’s Anatomy that I’d fallen behind on. I hadn’t put pants on today, and I really wasn’t planning on doing so. Pantless Saturday for the win.
Plus, I was still moping a little because I wasn’t going to the Blue Gala tonight. Some of the players who hadn’t left the area for the off-season would be there tonight, and I was wondering if Ryan Cruz would be one of them.
He was my you can fantasize until the end of time, but you can never, ever touch him guy. He was a player, and let’s be honest, if most guys looked like him and had his athletic abilities, they probably would be just as full of themselves. So, I just thought about him and what he could do to me … a lot.
Lexi: HELLO? Do I need to come over there and bang on your door like a banshee?
A small whine escaped my lips before I replied.
Sammie: Can it wait until tomorrow? I’m a little busy at the moment.
Lexi: Nope. It’s time sensitive. Put pants on and get over here.
I glanced around my room, wondering if, somehow, someway, there were hidden cameras, and crazy Lexi was watching me like a creeper. If anyone in this world were capable of such, it would be her.
Sammie: How do you know I’m not wearing pants?
Lexi: Lucky guess, ho-bag. See you in twenty, or I’m coming over.
Crap.
I looked down at my bare legs and sighed. “I’m sorry, legs. Pants it is.”
Sammie: On my way. It’d better be good.
Twenty minutes later, I was knocking on the door of the address Lexi had sent me. Melody opened the door and pulled me into the condo without a hello.
“Hey, Sam.” Carson waved, sprawled out on a large sectional sofa in the living room.
I smiled and waved back, noticing how different he looked out of his baseball uniform but still handsome.
I wondered what Ryan Cruz looked like out of his uniform … and clothes altogether.
“Sam!” Lexi squealed when she ran out of the hallway off of the living room.
“What in the world is so important, Lexi?” I crossed my arms.
Lexi grinned. “You’re just cranky that I made you put pants on. Here, pick a dress.”
Behind her was a rack of dresses, all different shades of blue.
I had a mini heart attack at that moment. “Please tell me you didn’t buy all these dresses for me.”
“Don’t be so fucking conceited. They are Mel’s and my old dresses from weddings and proms and shit we had shoved in our closets. We pulled out the blue ones, and we want you to borrow one, so you can come tonight. You’re part of our squad.”
“Squad?” I questioned.
“You know, like Taylor Swift. She has her squad of Amazonian girlfriends, and this”—she waved between the three of us—“is our squad.”
“I think we need more than three people to be a squad, Lex. Let’s just keep it as our group,” Mel debated.
“Ooh, how about posse? Clan? Gang? Which do you prefer?”
Mel looked at me and frowned. “Are you sure you want to hang with us? She’s certifiably insane.”
I looked at the rack of dresses and then back to her. “Are you sure you all didn’t pay for these dresses? If you did, I’m going to be really upset.”
“We honestly did not pay for these dresses,” Melody said.
And I believed her. It meant a lot that they would pull together dresses, so I could go tonight.
“So, are you in?” Lex asked.
A flurry of excitement coursed through me. “I’m so in.”
~*~*~
Oh my word … this dress.
It was perfect and beautiful and probably cost more money than I’d collectively made in my entire life … but it was perfect. The royal-blue lace fit my skin like a glove without feeling constrictive, and the V-neck showed enough of my tan skin without looking trashy. I would never have thought to try a mermaid-style dress, but along with the small train, it was absolutely amazing. More importantly, it was comfortable.
As silly as it might sound, I’d never thought of myself as an adult. I might be about to graduate college, but I still felt I was too young to be considered an adult.
But, tonight, I actually looked and felt like an elegant woman.
It was funny how simple things like a different hairstyle and applying makeup could make you feel like a new person. But this dress … it made me feel confident.
The girls agreed, and after my hair and makeup were perfected by the pair, they both squealed.
“Okay, now, there are two women I would switch teams for—Melody and Samantha. Holy shit.” Lexi winked.
“Who would you switch teams for?” Carson mumbled as he walked out of Melody’s room, attempting to adjust his tie. He looked up at the three of us, and his eyes widened when he noticed me. “Holy fuck, Sam. You look …”
“I know, right?” Lexi squealed. “But be careful. Your girl is here.”
“It’s okay. Sam does look gorgeous.” Melody smiled.
“Sam, you look beautiful.” Carson walked straight to Melody and lovingly kissed her. “But you are breathtaking, gorgeous.”
Melody’s cheeks turned pink at his compliment, and she busied herself with fixing his tie.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, Mr. Lawrence.”
Lexi groaned and walked past them and into the kitchen. “Ah, for fuck’s sake, you two make me sick.” She returned a moment later with four shot glasses and a bottle of vodka. “Come on. Let’s take a shot before the limo gets here.”
“Lex, there is going to be alcohol in the limo. We can pregame on the way to the gala,” Carson mentioned.
Limo?
She filled all four shot glasses to the brim and handed one to each of us. “We’re pregaming the pregame.” She cleared her throat and held her glass in the air. “To celebrating the Blue Birds on a fantastic season …”
Aw, that was sweet.
“And for the generosity of the owners to throw a party with an open bar that I’m gonna crush.”
So much for that.
“It’s going to be a long night.” Melody chuckled as she brought the glass to her mouth.
The vodka burned the entire way down, reminding me that I was not a fan. At all.
Carson looked down at his phone and quickly did his shot. “All right, the limo is waiting downstairs. Let’s go.”
Five minutes later, we were in a stretch Hummer limo, heading to the gala.
“So, do you always take stretch Hummers everywhere you go, moneybags?” Lexi asked as she attempted to pop open the bottle of champagne in her hands.
Melody and I held our hands over our faces, not trusting Lexi in the least.
“Give it here, Lex.” Carson took the bottle and placed a linen napkin over the cork, successfully opening the bottle without anyone losing an eye. “The organization hired limos for the players who are attending tonight.”
He filled our glasses, and I thanked him for mine.
“So, you mean to tell me, Ryan didn’t use his limo for me? He’s a shitty date,” Lexi mumbled.
My stomach dropped at the mention of Ryan’s name and then churned when Lexi mentioned him as her date.
Of course he would date someone like Lexi. She was beautiful. Her long, dark hair and piercing blue eyes would make anyone with a penis pay attention. Although she was feisty and sometimes a bit overbearing, she had a wonderful heart. Any man with a heartbeat would be attracted to Lexi.
“I didn’t know you and Ryan were dating. That’s exciting.” I chugged my entire glass of champagne to choke down the lie.
“Ew, we’re not.” Lexi’s face scrunched. “I’m only his date to get into the gala. Once I’m in, we made a deal not to talk to one another. He doesn’t want me to cockblock, and I don’t want anyone to think I’d be with him. Ever.” She shuddered.
Melody looked at me and my empty glass of champagne but didn’t say anything—thankfully. My heart was racing again, and I didn’t know if it was because I was now a shot and a glass of champagne into the night or if it was because Ryan Cruz was going to be at the gala, unaccompanied.
It didn’t matter anyway because, although he’d flirted with me all season, I was not one of the girls he typically went for. To be honest, I hoped tonight wasn’t any different … because I didn’t think I could resist his panty-dropping grins … and because I wasn’t wearing panties to be dropped.
We pulled up outside of the Harbor Hotel, which was holding the gala in one of their large ballrooms. Lexi saw Ryan waiting outside, so she quickly hopped out of the limo to catch him, so they could walk in together.
Once the door shut, Melody pinned me with her stare. “What is up with you?”
“Me? Nothing. Why?” I asked, paranoid.
“You downed your entire glass of champagne in one gulp when Lex mentioned Ryan. Was he an ass to you this season?”
Because I did have alcohol in me, my lips were a little looser than normal, and my confession flowed freely. “I have a crush on Ryan Cruz, which is ridiculous. I am not a girl he would typically go for and—”
Carson barked out a deep laugh. “Sam, you have tits. You’re a girl he would go for.”
Melody smacked his arm, and he cleared his throat.
“He wanted to get in your pants this season, but I told him to back the fuck off. Cruz isn’t looking for a girlfriend. He’s looking for fuck buddies, and they only last one night. I told him you deserved better than that and to move on.”
I never wanted to hug someone and smack the crap out of them at the same time. While I would have died for Ryan’s attention, Carson was right; I was not the kind of girl who would be willing to hop in someone’s bed for a few hours and act like nothing had happened the next day.
“Thank you, Carson. That means a lot that you would take up for me.”
“So, if we see Ryan trying to work his charm on you tonight, should we stop him?” Melody asked.
As much as I wanted to say no and to let him charm me all the way to his house, I nodded. “If I seem as if I’m falling victim to Ryan Cruz’s charm, please save me.” I chuckled.
“You got it. I’m willing to cockblock for you.” Mel winked.
The driver of the limo opened our door. Carson stepped out first and then helped both Melody and me out. The cool October air felt nice against my skin, which was warmer than usual because of the alcohol. Melody and Carson walked hand in hand toward the hotel, and I stayed back, needing a few moments before going in.
“Hey, you coming? I’d feel pretty amazing, walking in with the two most beautiful women at the gala tonight.” Carson winked.
I smiled and waved them off. “I just need a minute. I’ll be in soon. Thank you both.”
They walked into the hotel, and I took a seat on the outside bench. People I recognized from the Blue Birds staff were arriving, all looking so handsome and beautiful. I heard someone call my name from afar, and I smiled when I saw Owen, the team physician, and his wife walking toward the doors.
“Hi, guys. How’s it going?”
Owen’s wife, Maya, pulled me into a hug. “Sammie, you look gorgeous! I’m so happy you made it this year.”
“Thank you! I’m so excited to be here. You look amazing, Maya.”
“She does. I’m a lucky man.” Owen gave her an adoring smile. “Have you started applying for jobs for after graduation?”
“I have my packets ready to send out as soon as the baseball team pharmacy positions come open. I heard that there would be three new positions this yea
r.”
Right now, my ideal job would be to work as the team pharmacist for one of the professional baseball teams. Most teams didn’t have a pharmacist yet, so I would love to help build the program along with the rest of the team’s medical team. So far, the Blue Birds hadn’t received the approval for the position from the organization yet, but if it ever came open, I would do just about anything for that position.
Chasing The BallGirl (FanGirl Series2) Page 2