Page 41 of Tagging Bases

“Why don’t you tell your parents you’re under the weather? Say that the sun tired you out or something.”

Daniel gives me a look that’s equal parts exasperation and fondness. “Charlie, you know I’d much rather be at the party with you. But these things are important.”

I frown. “But you’re not even the one trying to climb the social ladder. They are.”

He stops walking and considers his next words carefully. “It’s not about climbing. It’s about maintaining. And they’re my family. I have to be there.”

“Yeah, I know.” I relent. For the Hollingsworth family, obligations are nonnegotiable.

“Now, don’t get too drunk at the party. I’m going to be texting you a lot to stay sane, and I need you sober for that,” he says with a smirk. “I’ll be surrounded by a bunch of rich old people complaining about the new money in town while sipping champagne with their pinkies out.”

He imitates the action, and I burst out laughing. It’s probably the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen him do. And that’s saying something, considering what we got up to on New Year’s Eve.

We head into the stadium lobby and come to a halt when we see Harrison and the woman from the art gallery—Denise, was it?—sitting on a bench.

“Hey!” Harrison rises to his feet and waves. He’s wearing a leather jacket over a plain white tee, every bit the rebel artist that I’ve grown to like more than I probably should.

“H!” I shout his name a little too enthusiastically, but I don’t think anyone noticed. “And…?”

“Danielle,” the woman interjects with a bright smile.I was close.“It’s nice to meet you. Harrison spent the better part of the game telling me all about you two.”

Oh God. Allabout us?

“It’s all lies,” Daniel says smoothly, extending a hand that Danielle shakes with vigorous delight.

“We were just heading out,” Harrison says. Although to me, sitting on a bench isn’theading out. “But congrats on the win. Charlie, you were amazing out there.”

My chest swells at the compliment, and my face breaks out into a shit-eating grin. “Thanks! I wish I’d known you were here. We could have given you a backstage tour.”

“Sorry,” he says. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Well, you sure did surprise us!”You sure did surprise us? Ugh, be more lame, Charlie.

Harrison turns his attention to Daniel. “And you, how are your legs not burning from all that squatting?”

Daniel chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. “Years of practice, Price. I’ve got thighs of steel.” He slaps them for good measure, and all of our eyes follow the movement. Danny Boy’s not kidding; he could crack an entire bag of walnuts with those bad boys.

Danielle adjusts her pink cat-eye glasses, studies us with an appraising gaze, then struts out the door without even saying goodbye. I like her.

“There’s an afterparty at Kappa Sig,” I say, breaking the silence that settles around us. “You should come, H. Daniel can’t because he has a family thing, so I’m flying solo.”

Harrison glances outside, then back at us. “I’d love to, but I have a family thing too.”

“Seriously? You guys are killing me.” I scrub my hands down my face in an overdramatic fashion. “I can’t face a house full of drunk baseball players, frat boys, and sorority girls all by myself.”

Daniel rolls his eyes. “You’ll be fine, drama queen.”

I pout, genuinely bummed that not even Harrison can come. It would’ve been nice to have someone to talk to about things other than ERAs and WHIPs.

“Did you enjoy the game?” Daniel asks Harrison, changing the subject.

Harrison shrugs out of his jacket and drapes it over his shoulder. “I did. It was my first one.”

My eyes widen to saucers. “Wait, are you serious? You’ve never been to a baseball game before?”

“Nope,” he says with a shake of his head.

“Well, we’re glad you came out to support, right, Charlie?” Daniel claps me on the back, and the sudden jolt rocks me forward into Harrison, who stops me with a hand on my chest.

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