I giggled through the emotion in my throat. “I think you’re right, JT.”
He let out a chuckle. “I can’t believe she showed you those pictures.”
“I think you were adorable, and I love Justin Timberlake. You can sing ‘Señorita’ to me anytime.”
“I don’t sing often, sweetheart. And I haven’t played piano in a while. But, for you, maybe someday.” He winked.
There weren’t many people in my life who knew about the situation with my family, but I was glad I’d told Ryan. I wanted him to see the entire me, to understand the entire me, and to maybe, one day, love the entire me.
Chapter Nineteen: Ryan
I was sore as fuck.
No matter how much I worked out and kept my arm loose during the off-season, the first two weeks of spring training always kicked my ass. Hard.
Carson, however? Not so much. That fucker was running circles around me like I was an elderly man, and he was a damn toddler.
“Come on, old man. Can’t keep up?”
“Fuck off, Lawrence.”
We were on mile three of our five-mile warm-up, and I was trying to keep a clear head while I ran, but this asshole wasn’t helping.
“You told me to keep working out during the off-season. Didn’t you take your own advice? It looks like you’re struggling a little.”
“Of course I did,” I growled. “Probably not as much cardio as I should have.”
“Obviously.” He smirked.
“If my shoulder wasn’t so damn sore, I’d throat-punch you.”
“And that’s why I’m getting my jabs in now. Anyway, how’s Sammie?”
“Good. Busy with school.”
“Is Sam coming down at all for training? She could always stay at Mel’s place. She has plenty of room.”
Like fuck she would. If Sammie were in Florida, she’d be with me, not staying on some deserted island with Carson’s girlfriend. But it wasn’t like that would happen anyway. She wasn’t going to have any more than a day off at a time until she graduated in May.
“No, she’s not going to make it. I won’t see her until we get back to Baltimore for the regular season. She did tell me she’ll be taking off this summer to prepare for the boards, and she’s going to work her last season as ball girl.”
“So, what is she going to do after that? Does she have a job lined up?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly.
“Has she mentioned if she’s going to stay local or move? A friend of mine from high school is a pharmacist, and he ended up taking a job in Kansas. Apparently, the company he works for was in desperate need of pharmacists, and they paid to move him, and they gave him a higher salary and a sign-on bonus. He practically ran after that offer. She might end up on the other side of the country.”
Shit, I hadn’t thought about anything like that. I’d just thought she would get a job locally, and that would be it. It never crossed my mind that she might move after she graduated.
“You all right over there? You’re looking a little green,” Carson noticed.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I lied.
I wasn’t good. Not at fucking all.
~*~*~
Carson, Melody, and I grabbed a drink at the bar across from our hotel after dinner tonight. The bar was crowded with females that I would typically be already getting to know; however, there was only one girl on my mind.
“You’re being awfully quiet tonight,” Carson observed.
I shrugged and pushed the button on my phone to light it up for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. Sam should be calling anytime, and I was getting restless, waiting on her call.
“Are you expecting an important phone call? Is everything okay?” Melody asked.
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” I was getting a little annoyed by their questions, and I wondered if it was because they were being nosy or because I was worried that Sam wouldn’t call.
“Oh my God.” Melody’s face lit up with recognition. “You’re waiting for Sam to call. Are you nervous she’s not going to?”
I shifted to sit back in my seat. I grabbed my beer and took a long pull to buy me time. “She’s just busy.”
Carson’s head fell back, and laughter erupted from his throat. “Holy shit, Cruz is waiting for a girl’s phone call.”
Melody ignored him and leaned forward onto the table. “Carson’s right, you’re not yourself. You haven’t given any of the women in here a second glance tonight, and usually you’d be dry-humping someone against the bar by now. You really like Sam, don’t you?”
Before I could tell her I was pretty sure I more than liked Sam, I felt a small hand land on my shoulder. Melody’s eyes followed the hand to its owner and scowled. I grabbed the hand and gently removed it from my arm.
“Not interested,” I said without turning around.
She leaned down to whisper in my ear, “You’re Ryan Cruz, right?”
“You interrupted my conversation with my friends. Do you mind?”
Melody’s grin was the only sign I needed that the girl had moved on. “Damn, Ryan, you didn’t even turn around.”
“It wasn’t Sam,” I said simply. “That’s the only person I want.”
Carson still looked like he wasn’t convinced. “Anyway, are you sure you don’t want to come to Captiva tonight? Mel has a few guest rooms, so you wouldn’t be imposing.”
We had tomorrow off, but I had no interest in hanging out with Carson and Mel. “I’m just going to chill and see what there is to get into in Fort Myers. Thanks for thinking of me though.”
“Suit yourself.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Melody chimed in.
My phone rang and danced across the table, Sam’s name coming up on the screen. “I’m going back to the hotel. Have a good time,” I told them as I picked up my phone and stood to leave. “There’s my girl,” I answered.
“Hey.” She sounded tired, her voice raspy, but just hearing it made me smile.
“You sound exhausted,” I pointed out.
“Just a little. Part of being a student, I guess.” She yawned loudly into the phone. “Sorry. What are you doing?”
“I just had dinner and drinks with Carson and Mel. I’m walking back to my hotel now.”
“That sounds nice. How was practice today? Gearing up for the first preseason game?”
Our first preseason game was the day after tomorrow against Arizona. The team seemed ready to go, but I’d heard Arizona was looking pretty tough this year.
“I’m ready for it. I’m planning on just relaxing tomorrow on our day off. I’ll be the starting pitcher for the opener.”
“That’s so awesome.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “I’ll make sure I catch highlights when I get home that night.”
“So, how about you? How was your rotation today?”
“Palliative care isn’t the field for me. Three people died today, and there had been nothing to do but make them comfortable and wait. One was a teenager. Today wasn’t that great of a day.”
“I’m sorry, baby.” When she didn’t respond, I continued to talk, “Do you know what field you’re going into? One that is your favorite?”
“I don’t know. Maybe pharmacy school was a bad idea.” Her voice was shaky, and I could tell she was crying.
It killed me that I wasn’t there to console her.
“Sweetheart, you had a bad day. There will be more good days than bad. You’re going to be a fantastic pharmacist.”
She sniffled into the phone. “How can you be sure?”
“Because you’re you. You are great at everything you do, and I have the utmost confidence that you’re going to be a positive influence in the pharmacy field. I’m so proud of you, Sam.”
There was a long pause in the conversation before she whispered, “I wish you were here to give me a hug. I miss you.”
Although she was having a shit day, hearing her say those words just made my day ten times better. “
I miss you, too. I wish you were here.”
“I wish that, too.” She chuckled lightly into the phone. “Only a few more weeks until I see you.”
“That feels like an eternity.”
“Nah, it’ll go by quickly. You’ll be so busy with preseason; you’ll hardly have time to think about me.”
“Not possible,” I answered honestly. “Is it okay if I ask you something?”
She hesitated for a moment. “Sure.”
“Are you planning on moving away from Baltimore once you graduate?”
“I don’t want to. No, it’s not in my plans. I’ve already agreed to move in with Lexi after graduation. I have a potential job lined up that would keep me in Baltimore. So, unless it doesn’t pan out and all retail pharmacies suddenly become staffed in the next few months, I really don’t think it will come to that.”
“You didn’t tell me you have a potential job. Where is it?”
She chuckled. “I don’t want to jinx it. It’s still in the works. But, if I get it, I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”
“Thank God,” I exhaled.
“Why? Trying to get rid of me, Cruz?” she teased.
“No, baby. It’s the exact opposite actually. I don’t want to give you up. Ever.”
“Those are some pretty serious words.”
“I’m pretty serious,” I told her honestly.
“I am, too.” She was quiet for a moment before she giggled. “If someone had told me a year ago that I would be dating you, I would have called them a liar.”
I smiled at the thought. “I would have, too, but damn it, I’m glad that I would have been wrong.”
“You’ve made me feel a lot better after today. Thank you.”
“You’ve made me feel better, too. Knowing that you’re not going to run far away from me for a kick-ass job has made my day.”
“Well, hold on for a second. If I get an offer to be a pharmacist in Bora Bora, we might have a situation on our hands.”
I laughed hard. “Sweetheart, if you get a job in Bora Bora, I’ll be there with you; no worries. I’ll be a pool boy for a resort or some shit.”
She full-out belly-laughed. “Now, that’s something I’d like to see.”
Chapter Twenty: Sammie
I was staying at Lexi’s tonight since she’d be taking me to the airport early tomorrow. I’d talked to Melody last week, and since I had a few days off for spring break, she’d invited me to stay in Captiva with her. The boys would be away for a game the first day I was there, but then I’d be able to spend three days with Ryan. He had no idea I was coming, and I hoped that it would be a pleasant surprise.
When I arrived at Lexi’s condo, she declared it wine night, and she had already crushed one bottle by herself. Obviously, she was feeling good, and by my second glass, things began going downhill.
And quick.
“So, are you going to spend the entire trip letting Cruz tap that sweet ass?”
I spit my wine, leaving a residue of stickiness on the tabletop. “Excuse me?”
“You know what I’m talking about, Sammie. Parting the pink sea. Mattress dancing. Playing peekaboo with his vein cane in your flesh—”
“Stop!” How many freaking euphemisms were there for sex? I took the paper towels and cleaned the surface of the table.
Lexi giggled and downed the rest of her wine. “You said he’s a fucking beast. Your vag is going to be so torn up at the end of the trip.”
Her hands measured out at least two feet, and I shook my head.
“I think I’ll be fine,” I said, mostly to reassure myself.
I tossed the paper towels in the trash and flopped onto the couch. Wine made me really warm. The leather of the couch was cold, and I welcomed it against my flushed skin.
“Really? Since he’s like a fucking horse, I imagine, when he pulls out, it’s like birthing a toddler. He’s going to be taking you to pound town all weekend. Your ’jayjay is about to get fucking wrecked. It’ll never be the same.”
I knew in the very small part of my mind that was still not drunk that she was exaggerating since I’d already had sex with him, and I was fine. Surely, having sex a few times wouldn’t wreck it too badly … right?
“And just imagine if things don’t work out and you have sex with someone else after him, who obviously would be less impressive in the meat department. You’ll never be satisfied ever again. It’ll be like throwing a hot dog down an empty hallway.”
“Shut up, Lexi! Don’t ruin sex for me. You’re scaring me.”
She sat down beside me and pointed a finger in my face. “You are going to Florida and jumping on his Louisville Slugger, damn it. He’s gonna bunt that cunt. And we are going to get you ready for it.”
“Excuse me?” Hesitantly, I asked, “How are you planning on doing that?”
An evil grin curled Lexi’s lips upward. “How is your situation?”
“What situation?”
“Are you shaved? Waxed? Natural? Bush woman?”
Oh.
“I … uh … it’s trimmed.”
“Let me see.”
My mouth dropped to my lap. “No way!”
“Come on, Sammie. Men like it when women are hairless. Let me see if it’s long enough for me to wax.”
“You wax?”
“Oh, yeah. I wax myself all the time. It’s super easy, and it doesn’t hurt much at all.”
“And do you think he’ll enjoy it more that way?”
“Definitely. They see bare pussy and go fucking crazy.”
I thought about it for a long moment and then grabbed the bottle of wine off the coffee table. I chugged the rest of the bottle before looking at Lexi. “And it doesn’t hurt?”
“Not at all. Now, take off your pants.”
Ten minutes later, I was naked from the waist down on the sectional, except for a towel covering my lady parts. Lexi had what looked like a Popsicle stick in her hand with a large glob of yellow wax hanging from it.
And, suddenly, there wasn’t enough wine in the world to get me through this.
“Okay, move your towel, so I can get started.”
I took a deep breath and did as she’d said, baring myself completely to my friend. Because that was what friends did, right? We trusted one another and put our lives—and vaginas—in their hands when we needed a little help. And let’s face it; I was in need of a lot of help.
Well, I learned very quickly that Lexi was not a friend I should trust with my vagina and that I made poor decisions when I was intoxicated.
As she spread the burning wax over the top of my mound, I tightly clenched my teeth. “This isn’t going to hurt?”
She took a white strip of fabric and rubbed it over the wax. “No, you’ll be fine. I—”
RIIIIP!
“FUUUUCK!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Lexi cringed at my reaction. “Shit. I’ve never heard you drop an F-bomb.” She proudly held the strip up. “But look at all this hair! You’re going to be so smooth!”
I sat straight up and covered myself with the towel. “You’re crazy. That hurt like a mother—”
“Stop being dramatic and lie down. We still have a lot to do.”
“Like hell you do. You’re not putting that crap on me anymore! It feels like you took the damn skin off, Lex!”
She rolled her eyes and handed me her glass of wine. “Here, you’re not drunk enough yet.”
I took the glass, drank what remained, and handed it back. “I won’t ever be that drunk to let you do that again. EVER.”
“I need to at least fix it. You have a huge patch missing right in the middle. Your ’jayjay looks like it has male-pattern baldness, and it’s not cute.”
“Forget it. I’ll shave the rest. You’re not touching me again, psycho. How in the world do you manage to do this torture to yourself?”
“Well, to be honest, I’ve only done my underarms. Mel never lets me do hers, so you were kind of my guinea pig. Now, I
know not to do it.”
If my arms didn’t feel so heavy from the alcohol, I would take the wax warmer, dump it all over her hair, and wax her entire head.
“I will get you back for this,” I promised.
Chasing The BallGirl (FanGirl Series2) Page 11