Page 28 of The Perfect Play

Penny stepped out of the bush and grinned. “I thought I’d give it a try. You look tired.”

“Claudia was in a mood today, so I had to work double-time to make sure she didn’t end up throwing plates against the wall again. Lou laughed every time I came back with another load of dishes, and the place was packed until about thirty minutes ago.” I leaned against the Jeep and folded my arms, taking in her appearance.

Her auburn hair shone a bit in the moonlight, and it was all down, looking a little damp still. She wore bright pink and purple heart pajama bottoms and a plain gray t-shirt.

“How was your game?” I asked, watching the features of her face turn into a smile.

Penny moved over to lean next to me on the Jeep. “It was really good. Seventeen strikeouts and three really good hits.”

“Oh man! I would’ve been so bored out in the field with seventeen strikeouts. Sounds like you were on fire, though.”

She nodded. “It felt good. Coach Ambrose was really happy too. I think I’m warming up to her.”

Her hair tickled my arm, and I lifted my hand to rub the spot. A few seconds later, she leaned her head against my shoulder, and I froze, unsure what to do. This had never happened to me, where I wasn’t Mr. Casanova with a girl. But this was Penny Davis, my oldest friend and next-door neighbor. If I screwed this up, it would end up being worse than anything before.

Unfolding my arm, I draped it around her shoulders and pulled her in a bit. “What do you mean ‘warming up to her’? Coach Maddox said she’s always raving about you.”

Penny leaned back, her eyebrows pinched together. “I’ve never heard that. I think today was the second time she’s told me good job since the season started. But maybe that’s good for me so I keep pushing myself.” She sighed, laying her head against me again.

“That could be a good reason,” I said, wondering if she could hear my heart thudding around in my chest with her ear right next to it. “I should probably head in. I’ve got some homework to finish up, and then I need to sleep for the game tomorrow.”

Penny jumped away from me and waved her pointer finger at my face. “Who are you, and what have you done with Jake White? The Jake I know hardly ever does his homework.”

Raising my hands as if she were pointing a gun at me, I laughed. “Well, someone has been telling me to step up my game and take advantage of the skills and talents I have. I figured I won’t make it far or even to a decent college if I don’t make some kind of an effort.” I winked at her and then tapped the tip of her nose with my finger.

“So you’re actually thinking about college now? That’s awesome, Jake. You’ll be amazing. Did your coach tell you which college coaches will be at the game tomorrow?”

I shook my head. “No, just made a point to give me a long stare. He’s been telling me to think about it for the last few weeks. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”

Penny reached forward and rested her hand on my forearm. “Please. Just fool everyone with your amazing diving skills and the most accurate swing I’ve ever seen, and the coaches will be lining up at your door.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks, surprising me that a compliment could make me feel so embarrassed. I’d received plenty of praise over the last several years, but for some reason, Penny’s words hit home. Probably because from the look on her face, they were the most genuine of any I’d heard before.

I reached out for her and wrapped my arms around her back, pulling her to my chest. She wrapped her arms around my waist, the top of her head resting just under my chin. I held on to her for longer than was probably acceptable, but something about it infused more confidence in me, like someone else really cared about what I did with my life. If only things could stay this simple.

“Good luck tomorrow,” Penny said, pulling away a few inches. She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek, leaving the spot tingling. Giving me a quick smile, she turned toward her house.

“Don’t screw this up, Jake,” I whispered to myself. If I just took it slow, hopefully I wouldn’t mess up the greatest thing I had going for me at the moment.

* * *

“What areyou doing home so late?” roared my father.

I took a step back, surprised to see him home on a Thursday night. Usually, his work kept him out of town until Friday afternoon.

I frowned, bending over to take off my shoes by the door and hang up my bag on the hooks. Keeping things orderly helped my mom’s anxiety stay at a minimum, and it was the least I could do when I came inside.

“Answer me, son!” His large figure towered above me as he grabbed my arm, but as I stood to face him, a flicker of fear passed over his face. He hadn’t been around much in the last few months, and I was now just an inch or two shorter than he was. He had at least fifty pounds on me, but if needed, I’d employ my speed and run away from him if the conversation escalated.

“I was at the diner, paying my debt to society, all right?” I knocked his hand away from my arm and walked past, feeling more confident than I had in past years.

His heavy footsteps thundered behind me. “Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you. I’m still your father.”

Whirling around, I stopped short, causing him to go off-balance. His arms flailed to the side, and the smell of his breath reeked of alcohol.

“Where are your mother and the girls? I’ve been here over an hour, and no one has picked up my calls.” He staggered over to sit in the recliner in the family room, leaning back with his legs propped up.

“I don’t know, Dad. I can’t have my phone out at work. Like I said, I just got home. If you don’t need anything else, I need to go shower. I smell like dirt and grease.”

---