the ball. Ethan threw her a few practice pitches and before she knew it she was behind a batter.
Mercifully the game wasn’t too strenuous. She caught a couple of fouls and tagged out a couple of runners. All in all it was actually less intense than when she had played in high school but she could definitely feel the soreness in her legs. They won but as soon as the game was over Erica’s main concern was getting back into her own clothes. She hurried towards the same public restroom she had changed in previously and quickly stripped off the gear in the small space. She was tired, she was sore, she was sweaty and dirty. But oddly she was exhilarated at the prospect of celebrating with Ethan.
When she was finally all put back together she exited the stall only to discover she wasn’t alone. The blond cheerleader from the bleachers was primping in the dingy mirror. She met Erica’s gaze and smiled.
“Great game.” The perky blond said between lipstick applications.
“Thanks.” Erica looked in the mirror and was slightly aghast. Her face was dirty and sweat streaked and her ponytail had loosened and let her hair slip free haphazardly around her face.
“So are you Ethan’s sister?” The woman asked. Erica felt the barb, the question implying that she wasn’t hot enough to be a girlfriend or a date.
“We’re friends.”
“Oh, that’s nice. I guess someone should have warned you he really hates the cheering. Jace likes the attention but not Ethan.” Erica offered the woman a tight smile.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She left the bathroom not bothering to straighten out her hair or wash her face. She immediately regretted that when she found Ethan waiting for her just outside the bathroom. His face split into a wide grin and her heart stuttered. He was sweaty and dirty as well, but on him it was hot.
“You were great.”
“Yeah and I am going to feel it tomorrow.” She laughed.
“Come on, the whole team is headed to Jack's to celebrate.” Jack’s was a popular sports bar. The last thing she wanted right now was to be seen in public.
“Oh Ethan I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I need a shower for one thing.”
“We all need showers.” He laughed. “Come on, you have to come, you’re our good luck charm.”
“What?”
“This is the first game we’ve won. You have to be the key.”
“I don’t think so.” She laughed.
“Come on, you have to be starving.” He opened her door and looked into her eyes. She felt a melting sensation that felt suspiciously like her defenses and relented.
“Fine,” she sighed, “You win.”
“I love to win,” he said and shut the door. Erica immediately pulled the visor down and looked in the mirror. She tried to do something with her hair but it was so dried from the sun and dust it was like straw.
“I have an extra ball cap if you want.”
“That would be great.” He reached behind the seat and tossed her a black ball cap. She turned it around and saw that it was a Raiders cap.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!"
"What?" He quickly looked over at her alarmed tone.
"You are a Raiders fan?" She held up the cap and he grinned. "I can't wear this. I'd rather just have my dirty hair," she said haughtily and he laughed. He reached behind the seat and pulled out another cap, this one said Reynolds Security on it.
"Better?"
"Yes, thank you." she barely suppressed a laugh and he shook his head.
By the time Erica had her hair tucked through the loop on the back of the cap they had arrived at their destination. The place was already crawling with baseball players that had left the field before them. They threaded their way through the crowd and managed to find an open semi- circle booth in the back. The waitress had just taken their drink order and dropped off chips and salsa when someone slid into the booth on the other side of her.
“Hi Jace Carpenter.” He held out his hand.
“Erica Sanders.” She shook his
Mercifully the game wasn’t too strenuous. She caught a couple of fouls and tagged out a couple of runners. All in all it was actually less intense than when she had played in high school but she could definitely feel the soreness in her legs. They won but as soon as the game was over Erica’s main concern was getting back into her own clothes. She hurried towards the same public restroom she had changed in previously and quickly stripped off the gear in the small space. She was tired, she was sore, she was sweaty and dirty. But oddly she was exhilarated at the prospect of celebrating with Ethan.
When she was finally all put back together she exited the stall only to discover she wasn’t alone. The blond cheerleader from the bleachers was primping in the dingy mirror. She met Erica’s gaze and smiled.
“Great game.” The perky blond said between lipstick applications.
“Thanks.” Erica looked in the mirror and was slightly aghast. Her face was dirty and sweat streaked and her ponytail had loosened and let her hair slip free haphazardly around her face.
“So are you Ethan’s sister?” The woman asked. Erica felt the barb, the question implying that she wasn’t hot enough to be a girlfriend or a date.
“We’re friends.”
“Oh, that’s nice. I guess someone should have warned you he really hates the cheering. Jace likes the attention but not Ethan.” Erica offered the woman a tight smile.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She left the bathroom not bothering to straighten out her hair or wash her face. She immediately regretted that when she found Ethan waiting for her just outside the bathroom. His face split into a wide grin and her heart stuttered. He was sweaty and dirty as well, but on him it was hot.
“You were great.”
“Yeah and I am going to feel it tomorrow.” She laughed.
“Come on, the whole team is headed to Jack's to celebrate.” Jack’s was a popular sports bar. The last thing she wanted right now was to be seen in public.
“Oh Ethan I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I need a shower for one thing.”
“We all need showers.” He laughed. “Come on, you have to come, you’re our good luck charm.”
“What?”
“This is the first game we’ve won. You have to be the key.”
“I don’t think so.” She laughed.
“Come on, you have to be starving.” He opened her door and looked into her eyes. She felt a melting sensation that felt suspiciously like her defenses and relented.
“Fine,” she sighed, “You win.”
“I love to win,” he said and shut the door. Erica immediately pulled the visor down and looked in the mirror. She tried to do something with her hair but it was so dried from the sun and dust it was like straw.
“I have an extra ball cap if you want.”
“That would be great.” He reached behind the seat and tossed her a black ball cap. She turned it around and saw that it was a Raiders cap.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!"
"What?" He quickly looked over at her alarmed tone.
"You are a Raiders fan?" She held up the cap and he grinned. "I can't wear this. I'd rather just have my dirty hair," she said haughtily and he laughed. He reached behind the seat and pulled out another cap, this one said Reynolds Security on it.
"Better?"
"Yes, thank you." she barely suppressed a laugh and he shook his head.
By the time Erica had her hair tucked through the loop on the back of the cap they had arrived at their destination. The place was already crawling with baseball players that had left the field before them. They threaded their way through the crowd and managed to find an open semi- circle booth in the back. The waitress had just taken their drink order and dropped off chips and salsa when someone slid into the booth on the other side of her.
“Hi Jace Carpenter.” He held out his hand.
“Erica Sanders.” She shook his
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