Page 11 of The Yips

Our eyes held briefly before I tossed my first pitch. So much made sense now, including her intense relief when we won the money playing Keno and her concern about safety at the game. Was she a single mother? Was the father in the picture? Her companion, with the same red hair, looked very similar, so she was likely her sister. Why did I want to know everything about her immediately? Was I still interested in getting to know her better if that was her son? Maybe.

My first pitch crossed the plate right where the catcher had called for it, and it was delivered exactly as intended. I let out a massive sigh of relief and dug into work. I retired the side quickly, and Coach Blanks patted me on the back as I took the bench between innings.

If I had suspected that Kelsey brought me luck, I was convinced when I remained perfect through the seventh inning. By that point in the game, no one dared speak to me on the bench for fear that something they said would throwme off. The next time I took the mound, she waved frantically at me, smiled at me like I’d solved world peace instead of just tossing a ball, and finished with a giant thumbs up. Her sister was going nuts cheering next to her. From her reaction, she understood what was happening.

The baby must have fallen asleep because I could no longer see his face; his body was turned towards Kelsey. I didn’t know much about babies, and the inner dialogue ran through dozens of scenarios. In some, she was happily married to some idiot who found it acceptable for his child’s mother to drive around Boston picking strangers up in her car – alone. In other scenarios, she was babysitting for a friend, though that was unlikely. He was far too comfortable with her.

While I ran scenarios, I pitched better than I’d ever pitched in my entire life. With my good luck charm in the stands, I made history with the twenty-fifth perfect game in league history. As the team ran to celebrate on the mound, I watched as security escorted Kelsey and her sister to meet me. I hoped she would wait for me since this wouldn’t be quick. The media would tie me up for at least another hour.

Whatever happened, Kelsey needed to be at all my starts. I was already thinking about how I could make that happen.

CHAPTER 11

Kelsey

Being at the game was overwhelming but in a good way. The energy that night had been electric, and while I didn’t understand what it meant, Sam had been “perfect,” and that was a big deal. Crew had been great during the game and fell asleep in his carrier. I asked the security guard for a quiet place to change him, and he led me to the family area in the stadium, letting me know I could wait there until Sam finished his post-game interviews.

“Does he usually have interviews after a game?” I asked the guard.

“Not like this,” he answered, shaking his head in amazement.

I realized quickly that I was with the other teammate’s wives and girlfriends, and there were still a few kids running around. A tall, beautiful blonde introduced herself to me as Avery and helped me find a quiet place to nurse Crew. She tried to figure out why I was in the family room by peppering me with questions. While the other women were curious, they all seemed to accept my presence.

“Oh, I came as Sam’s guest tonight. I met him the other night and picked his Keno numbers; he seemed to think I brought him luck and thanked me with tickets to the game.” I attempted to explain the ridiculous scenario.

“Ah, he’s known to be superstitious, I can see that. But do yourself a favor; don’t tell that story to the rest of the WAGS.”

“WAGS?” I asked, confused.

“Wives and Girlfriends. Tonight was a game that will forever be one of the highlights of his career. My husband, Carlos Martino, caught the game. I haven’t talked to him yet, but I know he’ll be leaving here pumped up. With the media frenzy, it might be a while before Sam makes it out to see you.” She explained, helping me reach my bag where I’d left a burp cloth.

“I don’t want to seem stupid, but I don’t know much about the game. My sister had joined me but left to go home right afterward. She made it sound like perfect games were rare.”

“They are. Not only did Sam pitch the entire game, but he also made zero mistakes.”

“Shouldn’t he not make mistakes if they pay him that much money?”

Avery laughed out loud, “You know, after his last game, I thought someone would ask him that question in an interview. But they held back; I like your innocence; it’s refreshing. After being around the sport for a while, people get jaded.”

My phone dinged with a text, and I adjusted Crew so that I could read it.

Sam: I’ll be finished in a bit. I hope you can still wait for me. I have a proposition for you.

Me: Okay. I met Avery. She helped me find a quiet space. I can wait a little while.

Sam: Avery is good, but if Margo tries to get involved, be wary.

When Sam finished, security walked me to meet him near the back entrance. Crew had fallen asleep again after I nursed him, and the front of my shirt was covered in his drool.

“Hey,” Sam approached me cautiously, glancing down at Crew and then back up at me. “Who’s this?”

“It’s my son, Crew,” I answered, trying to gauge if he found this off-putting. This wasn’t a date by any means, but being around Sam, feeling the intensity he brought to a room, made me wish it was a date.

“Ah, I didn’t know you had a baby.”

“Well, we don’t really know each other.”

“Is Crew’s father okay with you taking him to the game?” Sam asked, and I had a sneaking suspicion Sam was trying to gauge whether or not I was single.

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