Opening day. There is nothing like it. Looking up into the stands and seeing forty thousand fans is surreal. Some days I still can’t believe I get to play ball for a living. I stick my head out of the dugout and take a long look around. Just as the last Beatles song is finishing up in my ears, my eyes land on Murphy. She’s gorgeous in her Hawks shirt.
I wonder what hat she’s wearing today. She has quite the collection of hats in her apartment now. And often when we’re together, she’ll wear one and I’ll take it off her to see which date is inside. Then we’ll reminisce about how she came to have the hat.
I try to guess which one sits on her head right now. The one I gave her on our first Christmas? Or maybe the one I gave her the day we met in the hospital. Or better yet, it could be the one I gave her in the tent on the beach when she came down to Tampa. Each one holds a special meaning. And I find myself hoping she never stops wearing them.
I take my earbuds out and stash them in my bag. When I do, something falls out and Sawyer reaches down to grab it. He opens the small velvet box to reveal a diamond ring.
“Shit, Kess. Really?”
I shrug my shoulders. “What can I say, man? She’s the one.”
I bought the ring in Florida a few weeks ago. I’ve been carrying it around with me because I’m waiting for the perfect time to propose. I still haven’t figured out if I’m going to plan out an extravagant proposal or let it be a spur of the moment sort of thing. All I know is that I’ll know when the moment is right.
Sawyer takes the ring out of the box and examines it. “Damn fine ring,” he says.
“Damn fine girl,” I tell him, taking it back.
“We love you, Caden!” some girls scream next to the dugout.
I quickly throw the box into my bag and slip the ring in my back pocket to keep anyone else from seeing it. I don’t need some teenage fan-girl ruining the surprise by tweeting about me showing off an engagement ring to my buddies.
“Gear up,” our coach says.
Adrenaline flows through me like hot lava. I can’t wait to get back out on that field.
God, I love baseball.
~ ~ ~
My teammates pat me on the back on the way to the clubhouse. Today was an epic day by anyone’s standards, but a personal best for me. Not only did I have a two-run homer, but a total of four RBIs, and three double plays.
Lady luck was surely on my side. As I undress, the ring falls out of my back pocket. I forgot it was even there. I study it for a minute, thinking of the game I just had. I smile as I put it back into the black velvet box. It’s Murphy. She’s my lady luck.
I see an envelope taped to my locker. It has a sticky note on it from Melanie that says she was told the message was urgent. I rip it open and pull out a letter.
Since Murphy will no longer take my calls, and she walks into the back office when I try to confront her at the gym, I have no choice but to come to you.
I have something you want.
If you want to protect your girl, I suggest you meet me in the tunnel to parking lot B, right outside the locker room.
Now.
Otherwise, I can’t guarantee she won’t get hurt.
There’s no signature, but it doesn’t need one. It’s from Tony Fields. My blood boils. My jaw tightens. My temples pound. I want to tear up the letter, but I don’t. It could be evidence. He wants to hurt her?
Before I’m even fully out of uniform, I pull my pants back on, grab the letter and my phone and go out the back entrance of the clubhouse.
I text the head of security along the way.
Me: Meet me behind the clubhouse in the parking lot B tunnel. Now.
Drew: I’ll be there in 5.
I spot Tony immediately. I’m not sure how he got access. This tunnel is off limits to fans. It only gets used by players and stadium workers.
“You threatening her?” I yell at him on my approach.
“Well, if it isn’t the famous Caden Kessler,” he says, mocking me. “Can I have an autograph?”
“Are. You. Threatening. Her?” I say, slow enough for his pea-sized brain to understand as I press him hard against the wall.
He has the gall to laugh. “That depends on what you mean by threaten,” he says, trying to break free. “I’m not going to hurt her physically, if that’s what you mean. I’m not like that, man. I’ve never hit a girl in my life and I won’t start now.”
“And yet that fact still hasn’t kept you from being a complete asshole.”
“You might want to choose your words carefully,” he says. “Otherwise I might not play nice.”
“What the hell do you want, Fields?”
“I’ll tell you as soon as you take your hands off me.”
I take a step back, but still stay in his face. “Spill it.”
“What do you think I want?”
I shake my head. “Same thing as every scammer. Money.”
“Ahh, yes, it’s true,” he says. “Except for one thing. I’m not a scammer, big man. I’m merely an enterprising businessman. I have something you want and you are going to pay me for it.”
“Blackmail? Nice try. There is nothing you have that I could ever want.” I turn to walk away.
“I beg to differ. And I’ll bet Murphy would, too. But I guess it’s up to you if you want your girlfriend’s naked body all over the internet.”
Fuck.
I know he’s probably lying. I mean, this is Murphy we’re talking about. No way in hell would she have given him a naked picture of herself. But I need to be sure. I turn around. “If you have a naked picture of her, prove it. I want to see it right now.”
“Well, it’s not a naked picture exactly,” he says, chewing the inside of his cheek.
There. That’s it. He’s lying. Murphy said he chews his cheek when he lies. Or was it that he bites his nails? Shit.
“What do you mean it’s not exactly a naked picture? Either you have one or you don’t.”
“Oh, it’s a lot better than a naked picture, man. I’ve got full-blown video.”
“You’re lying,” I say.
He shrugs. “I guess I could be. But then again, are you willing to risk a million people watching your girlfriend come as she rides me?”
I pin him to the wall by his neck. “You stupid prick. If you really had a video, you’d show it to me.”
Drew walks up behind me. “Is there a problem here?”
I drop my hands away from Tony. “This shithead is trespassing,” I say. “Please make sure he gets to his car.”
Drew takes Tony by the elbow. “Sure thing, Mr. Kessler.”
Tony yells back over his shoulder. “I’ll give you a week, Mr. Kessler. If you can’t come up with a cool mil by then, I’ll make good on my word.”
I walk back into the clubhouse and take a quick shower. I know Murphy is waiting for me and I don’t want her to worry. But the whole time, I wonder. I wonder that despite the little prick biting his cheek, could it be true?
I can’t tell her about this. She’d be mortified. It’s most likely bogus anyway. He’s going to have to offer me proof. Proof he doesn’t have.
When I walk out the door, fans are screaming. I stop to sign some autographs and pose for a few pictures. Then I see her coming towards me. She’s still wearing my hat and one hell of a smile. I catch her when she flings herself into my arms.
“You were great, Kessler,” Murphy says, planting kisses on me.
I want to be happy. I want to celebrate with her. But I can’t. All I hear are Tony’s words about a million people watching her ride him. “Hey, what do you say we celebrate?”
“Definitely,” she says. “What did you have in mind?”
I lean in close to her ear. “Let’s get crazy and video ourselves making love.”
She pulls back, looking horrified as she studies me with a slack jaw. “Kessler, you are crazy if you think I’d ever do anything like that. Have you completely lost your mind?”
I can’t help it when my lungs deflate and I blow out a huge sigh of relief. I knew the asshole was lying. “Sorry,” I say, flashing her an innocent look. “I guess the adrenaline of tonight just got to me. I was only joking, Murph.”
She rolls her eyes, laughing. Then she leans up and whispers back to me. “But I’m not opposed to watching you make love to me,” she says, her hot breath flowing over my ear. “You do have a floor-to-ceiling mirror in your bathroom.”
And suddenly, I’ve forgotten all about the asshole scammer. Hell, I’m not even sure I can remember my own name. Because all I can think about is what I’m going to do to my girl when I get her home.