Brady

August…

Mean Joe Sanders eyes me while holding the ball hidden away in his glove. He shuffles his feet and a dust cloud surrounds his legs. His solid, angry stance reminds me of a bull right before it charges—and Joe’s a true bull in this league. His stats top all the other pitchers and he has a wicked inside curve ball I fucking love. It’s the best pitch for my swing.

Joe brings his glove to his chest, then winds his arm over his head. Twisting his body at the waist, he lifts his left leg, unwinds, and releases the ball with lightning speed. The pitch is gonna be low and inside, so I pull back my arms and lean toward the plate while letting her rip. My bat connects with a glorious crack and the ball heads out of the damn park.

A booming roar from the crowd follows as I toss my bat to the side and start my victory lap around the bases while watching the ball sail over the ivy-covered wall.

In a measured stride, I make my way around the diamond. No need to hurry, so I might as well bask in this intoxicating spotlight while I can. I raise my hands and pump my fists in the air, motioning for the crowd to yell louder.

“Lucky! Lucky!” the fans scream their nickname for me, their coordinated shouts echoing around the stadium as I head for home plate.

This hit is my second grand slam of the night, and we’re winning against Saint Louis eight to nothing. I raise my hands over my head and pump my fists into the air. Stopping just short of home plate, I hop onto the bag and the crowd goes fucking ape shit.

My other three teammates who scored on my homerun are waiting for me just outside the infield line. I run over to them and they hoist me up on their shoulders.

“This is our year,” one of my teammates shouts.

“We’re fucking unstoppable,” I respond as they carry me to the dugout.

The fans join in the celebration. I can’t imagine any high being better than the experience of having the crowd screaming after my grand slam. It’s like a baseball player’s fucking nirvana.

The last two innings go by in a blur and the guys gather in the locker room after the game. Everyone can feel the hope in the air that this may be the year Chicago finally wins the World Series, but I need to stay lucky and keep on this winning streak.

I was on a Sports Illustrated cover last week with the headline “LUCK: The Answer to Chicago’s Bad Luck.” The franchise hasn’t won a World Series in over one-hundred years. Our team has the dishonorable title of North America’s longest sports drought. I should feel the pressure of winning like a two-ton weight on my back, but I don’t. It’s like I can see the future ahead of me—and it’s all winning.

Getting ready to hit the shower, I see coach in the distance. He catches my eye and his pointed stare tells me he’s got something to say.

“Luck,” the coach calls out. “Got a minute.”

He turns and heads to his office before I can reply, obviously not asking. I follow him in and he closes the door. Next thing I know, I’m in some awkward bear hug, but he lets go of me before I can react.

“I’ve never been prouder of a player than I am of you.” He’s facing me now at a comfortable distance for two straight dudes. “I didn’t want to get all sappy in front of everyone, but seriously, you are the best I’ve ever coached.”

“Wow,” I say, running my hand through my hair. Coach isn’t one to disperse such compliments, so I’m struggling on how to handle this. “Thanks.”

“We’re off tomorrow and I want you to go out with the guys tonight and have some fun.” He waggles his brows. Fun to him means getting my dick wet. Usually we have a self-imposed curfew and I try to refrain from going out too much during the season—or if we have a game the next day, at least.

“Happy to follow your orders.” I flash him a knowing smile and he laughs.

“I remember what it’s like to be young.” Coach pats his paunch of a belly. “I can only imagine the women tripping over themselves to get with a good-looking hotshot like you.”

“Yeah, they want the D. This one time, these three chicks were climbing all over me, practically humping my leg and acting like my dick was the secret to eternal life. So, my solution? The Luck train! All three girls at once—boom!”

“Get the hell out of here, kid,” he says with a twisted grin. “And I’ll deny that hug until I die.” I throw him a quick nod and leave. I have a shower to take and a hole to drill…with my dick.

“Brady,” Lance calls out as I exit the shower. I give him a tip of my head. “Wanna go to The Wit with us?”

“Is that even a question?” Lance gives me a thumbs up. “I’ll get my driver to take us. Cool?”

Lance walks over and gives me a high five. “More than. No game tomorrow bro. P. A. R. T. Y.”

“Damn right.” I leave off the fact that Coach is endorsing my time out tonight, which is a first.

Thirty minutes later, the three of us arrive at The Wit. It’s like we’re the single dude posse, since we’ve been wing-manning it for two seasons. We gather on the sidewalk before entering the bar.

“Okay. Our VIP spot should be ready.” Lance is the social director of the group. He’s got the owners of all the hotspots on speed dial. The biggest problem we face is crowd control, but the owners make sure their staff handles things for us. “You all ready?” he says with a smirky grin and a raise of the brow.

“See these fingers.” I hold up my hands and wiggle my digits. “They’re needing two things. Shots of Jameson and pussy.”

“I hear you, man,” Shaun says, clapping me on the back. “Let’s do this, and a few of them.”

We all laugh and head for the entrance. Shaun opens the door and the guys let me lead. I duck under the doorframe and stand tall once inside.

Heads turn and the normal buzz in the busy bar stops. You could almost hear a plastic stirrer hitting the floor.

“Gentlemen.” A smoking hot blonde whose blouse is open to her navel greets us. My eyes trail over her assets—and damn, she’s fine. “I’ll show you to your table.”

The three of us look at each other and smile. It’s the beginning of our unspoken wingmen language for the night. We tend to communicate with our eyes, subtle brow movements, and tilts of our heads.

We walk past a table on the way to the VIP area when I spot a pretty brown-haired girl. She looks smart, and professional—an unlikely candidate for a one-night stand. More like the kind of girl my mother would love to see me date, marry, then pop out a few kids with. She’s not a pump and dump. She’s the forever kind. Well, that ain’t gonna happen, but this girl’s as cute as can be, and her eyes and mouth are opened wide in shock as she stares at me.

Maybe it’s cruel, but I give her a quick wink and she brings her ringless hand to her throat. I tap her on the nose and she jumps from my touch, loses her balance, and falls for me, literally. She ends up on the floor in a heap in front of me after sliding off a barstool.

Being the sometimes gentleman my mother raised me to be, I scoop her up and sit her properly back on her vacated seat. She’s tiny—hell, I’ve lifted equipment bags that weighed more. She’d be easy to fuck against a wall for sure.

What the hell? I mentally slap myself. She’s looking up at me with sweet eyes of innocence and that’s not what I’m after.

“You okay?” I ask to the now red-faced beauty.

“Fine,” she says in a whisper while inspecting her clothes. “Just…horribly embarrassed, but I’ll live.”

She turns up toward me again, bringing us a few inches from each other, face to face. She tilts her head and goes all dreamy-eyed on me. I’ve seen this look a thousand times and need to leave the scene before I commit a moral crime and try to make this good girl bad.

“Glad to hear it. Have a nice night.” I give her one more wink and she sighs.

I feel a nudge in my side and turn to see Shaun. He’s shaking his head and laughing.

“Come on, buddy,” he says, signaling Lance to move on. I twist around one last time to see Ms. Brown Hair again.

“What’s your name?” I ask before I’m out of hearing distance.

“Cali,” she replies, but my friends keep pushing me toward our reserved table and the moment is gone—probably for the best.

“Californication,” I mutter under my breath, because that’s exactly what I’d like to do with her.

“Who was that girl?” Lance asks.

“No clue. There was something different about her, though,” I say more to myself than the audience of players walking with me.

“Yeah, if you like the virginal girl next door type,” Lance says, and he’s right. “Besides, who wants to date when we can fuck a different piece of ass each night?”

“Not me,” Shaun says as the hot blonde shows us to our table by the back wall. “I’ll save those boring dating days for after retirement. I’m all about getting laid now.”

The instant we take our seats, another busty blonde sets drinks down in front of each of us. Clinking our glasses, we toast each other for the game we played earlier and the hookup games still ahead for the night.

My head is pounding and my mouth tastes like ass. Opening my eyes, I see the dark wood of my dresser and my framed poster of Kate Upton. I sigh in relief, realizing I’m in my own bedroom. The shades are drawn, immersing the room in darkness. And thank fuck for that. The sun would be a killer for my headache.

I stretch out in the bed and my foot touches something—or, more likely, someone. I glance over at the pillow beside mine. “Fuck,” I curse under my breath.

The chick from last night didn’t leave after our hookup. Shit! This is just fucking great. I’m breaking rule number one: never let them stay past the last orgasm.

The minor leagues were the last time I woke up to find a woman in my bed the next morning. I sure as hell don’t need that kind of trouble again. I grab my phone on the nightstand to check the time and see it’s only eight o’clock, which is early for me on a no game day.

I look closer at the girl sleeping next to me. Long, raven hair hides her face. I search my mind for a face from last night, but honestly, all I remember are black eyes matching the color of her hair.

Damn, I was pretty wasted, but I do remember two unforgettable details about the woman lying next to me: her tits were awesome and real. Make that three: they fit perfectly into my eager hands.

“Hey,” I say to her in a soft voice while tapping her sheet-covered shoulder. “Time to wake up...” I have no clue what her name is, so I go with my usual standby, “baby.” The chicks dig it.

She doesn’t stir on the bed next to me. Instead, I listen to the even pace of her breathing. The chick is zonked out. I decide it won’t harm anything if she sleeps a little longer, so I hop out of bed and take a quick shower—five minutes, tops.

When I open the locked bathroom door, the raven mystery woman is nowhere to be seen.

Tossing my towel on the floor next to the dresser, I pull out a pair of sweats, put them on, commando style, and head out of the bedroom to see if she’s left. God, I hope she’s gone. Seeing her now will be all kinds of awkward—mostly because I have no clue what the fuck her name is.

As soon as I enter the hallway, the smell of bacon cooking gives away her location. Helpless to stop myself, I follow the ambrosia filling the air like a starving animal—which I am, despite my horrible hangover.

I pause before I walk into the kitchen, peek around the corner wall, and see the raven chick standing over the stove, flipping bacon in a skillet.

She’s wearing a black dress that pushes her boobs out of the top. If she sneezes, I’m sure they’ll pop out. Her black hair is braided and still reaches down to almost her waist. Her pale skin contrasts with the dark hair, and in the light of day, it gives her a spooky sort of look, like the mother on The Addam’s Family.

I have a flashback from last night when I met her at the bar. She sat on my lap with her raven hair cascading around her shoulders. I thought she was exotic then, mysterious. But in the light of day, she looks more like a gothic vamp walking around modern day Chi-town.

Avoiding the fact that she’s here in my house will not make her disappear, so I walk into the kitchen and she lifts her head at my movement.

“Morning, handsome.” She has a distinct accent—kind of southern and kind of Spanish. Hearing her voice triggers another memory. She whispered dirty promises into my ear that made me bring her home, which was a big mistake. She stayed over and the women I fuck never do. I can blame plowing her on being plowed.

“Morning,” I say, shifting from side to side. I check out the bacon in the skillet and decide I can at least wait until she’s finished cooking. After that, she’s gone.

“Feeling hungover?” she asks.

“Maybe a little.” I move around the farthest end of the island, purposefully keeping my distance from her, and reach the coffee maker on the opposite side of my kitchen. “Little java will help, though.” Taking a cup from the cabinet, I look over my shoulder. She’s looking at me with her brow raised, so I grab another cup for her.

Fuck me! Getting her to leave my apartment is going to be beyond awkward.

I don’t utter a word while I make us both some coffee. I stand on the other side of the island and hand her a full cup. Reaching for it, her fingers graze over mine and I shudder as chills run down my spine—and not the good kind. I lift my eyes, trying to keep the grimace off my face. Her lips are turned up at one corner in a smirk and her eyes seem knowing…though I’m not sure what they know. There is something off about her. I just can’t figure out what.

“Thanks,” she says, and I nod in response. “Bacon’s ready. I wanted to cook you eggs and toast, but you’re out of everything. We should go shopping this afternoon and stock up,” she says, turning around to face the cabinets.

Taken off guard, I spit coffee out of my mouth, coating the granite and my stomach. This girl is Looney Tunes, for sure. Fumbling to wipe up the mess and not seem as off balance as I feel, I think back to last night. Did I say anything to lead her on—like ask her to move in with me? I’ve got nothing, but flashes of Fatal Attraction stream through my mind.

“Um, I have plans in an hour. Team stuff.” I wipe the coffee off the counter and myself. She’s acting like we’re an item, and it’s freaking me the fuck out.

“No problem,” she says while turning around. “I’ll run out for food while you’re gone. Any allergies?”

I want to say, yes, I’m allergic to hookups that never leave, but I hold my tongue.

“Um…” I don’t even know her name. Shit. “Yeah, today’s not gonna work for me.”

She narrows her eyes at me and quits moving, the plate of bacon she was almost ready to set in front of me now frozen in mid-air.

“What do you mean? I thought you said you never wanted me to leave your bed,” she spits out, venom lacing her words. The plate lands on the granite in a crash, but it doesn’t break. High-dollar stoneware paid off this time.

“Well…” I pause, trying to figure out the best way to make my you-need-to-leave speech without her turning into a raging lunatic. She’s already fuming; one wrong step here and my future may look a little like ground beef.

“I’m waiting.” She crosses her arms in front of her and her black eyes hit me like daggers.

“We had a great time last night,” I start, though I have no clue if it’s true. I don’t remember anything, and to be honest, I might’ve said that about my bed and her never leaving it. Fuck, I need to work on new lines—ones that have no promises attached to them.

“You screamed my name several times.” I twist my lips to the side and furrow my brows, beginning to wonder if she’s delusional. I have no idea what her name is now, so I’m pretty sure I didn’t know her as anything but “baby” last night.

“See, I am not interested in dating. It’s me, not you,” I say, and cringe.

“So, what? I was just some random girl you brought home?” She paces across the kitchen floor, her arms flailing about.

Knowing there’s no way I can answer her question in any way that will satisfy her, I reach for the cookie jar on the island where I hide some extra spending cash and pull out enough money for a cab and a new pair of designer shoes. I use the money mostly for when I order food and emergencies—and damn if this isn’t a fucking five-alarm fire.

“Here…” Taking hold of her moving hand, I place a wad of hundreds in her palm, curl her fingers around the money, and wait. “Should be enough for you to get a taxi home.” I move away from her before she reacts, mostly because I have no fucking clue what she’s capable of.

She stops dead in her tracks and looks at me with a murderous glare. “I’m not a damn whore.” Well…that didn’t work.

“Where’s my bag,” she yells, frantically searching the kitchen area and then the adjoining living room. When she comes up with nothing, she rushes to my bedroom and I follow behind her. I’m not letting this chick out of my sight.

She crouches down next to the bed and rises up holding a black bag so large, it could be used for weekend getaways. I take another step back, imagining what type of arsenal she might be packing.

She puts on her stiletto heels, mumbling under her breath, and I stand there like a fish out of water, having no clue what to do next. Should I say something—do something? I fidget, trying to decide, while listening to her incoherent babble. Between her accent and rapid fire talking, the words all blur together.

“Listen, I’m sorry if—” she slaps me in the face before I can get the rest of the sentence out.

“Ouch,” I cry out cradling my face. What the fuck? That sure as hell stung.

“You will be sorry, Brady Luck.” She struts past me on her heels and flings her bag over her shoulder with ease. Girl’s got some muscles in those arms.

Please let her be heading toward the front door, I think to myself as I follow behind her, rubbing my jaw and hoping she didn’t leave a bruise. I have dinner at my mom’s house tonight.

Instead, she stops at the kitchen island, sitting her behemoth bag on the granite countertop, and I groan internally. “Your luck ran out, Lucky.” Throwing back her head, she cackles, causing the hair on my arms to stand straight up, and I wonder if she’s wanted back at the psych ward.

She opens her bag and pulls out an odd-looking doll. It’s more like a stuffed ragdoll with black buttons for eyes and knotted yarn for hair. I move closer, trying to get a better look. When a pin sticking out of the stomach of the doll comes into view, I nearly lose my footing. I shake my head back and forth while stumbling a little, not sure whether I should haul her ass out or be thoroughly terrified of the voodoo doll hanging out in my kitchen.

An eerie heaviness fills the air as she begins to chant in a foreign to me language. Raising the pin up, she plunges it into the doll’s groin and I flinch. Jeez.

She waves her hands over the doll and gives me an evil glare. “Yes, you’re cursed now, and it will take a special woman to break it. Your days of fucking like an animal are over.”

Picking up her doll and throwing it in her bag, she heads toward the door, leaving me standing in the kitchen with my jaw dropped open. I don’t believe in voodoo—or, at least, I don’t think I do, but I’ve never been voodooed before either. My eye twitches and I shudder as another chill crawls up my spine, freaking me out.

“God help the woman you end up with,” she says while turning the door handle, “because God will have nothing to do with you now.” The door slams behind her and I try to shake it off.

It’s all make-believe, I tell myself after checking the front door a couple times to make sure it’s locked and glancing in the peep-hole to see if she’s truly gone.

Her little shenanigans are just a game. She was just trying to scare the shit out of me. Besides, I’m Catholic…on occasion. That has to count for something.

I walk back toward my bedroom with the urge to pull out a can of Lysol and some bleach. A condom wrapper lies on the floor next to my bed and I let out a long breath. At least I was smart about one thing last night.

Talking myself out of torching the bed, I yank the sheets off and wad them up in a ball, along with her pillowcase, ready to chuck them out the window.

My phone rings from the nightstand and I nearly jump out of my skin. “Get it together,” I mumble to myself while picking up the receiver.

“Hello,” I say, my voice a little uneasy.

“Brady, have you seen the papers?” my brother greets me in his typical non-greeting way. Bryce, who plays quarterback for the Bears, is a couple years older than me and twenty years wiser, or so he thinks.

“Haven’t been up long enough.” I hate conversations with him that start this way. They’re never about my grand slams or great plays on third base—it’s always a lecture.

“There’s a pic with your tongue down Marie Lafayette’s throat. Do you know who she is?”

Ah, Marie…at least I now have a name.

“Well…” I trail off, not needing to say anything more.

“You’re such a dumb shit. She’s a self-proclaimed voodoo queen.” My blood turns cold. “She’s bad news, Brady. The stories I’ve heard from guys on the team…”

“Er…what stories?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even. I wonder if any of the Bears have had her pull out that fucking voodoo doll on them.

“Bad stories. Scary as shit stories.”

“Like voodoo doll stories?”

“Don’t tell me she pulled that voodoo shit on you, too?”

“Um…maybe,” I sort of confess.

“You’d better call mom and catch her before mass starts. She needs to light a candle for you.” He sighs into the phone. “Mom’s going to be all over your ass at dinner tonight, so get ready.”

Shit! Hanging up the phone, I blow out a breath, trying to come up with an excuse to get out of this dinner…