Page 89 of The Change Up
Pushing through the doors that lead to the outside patio, I’m greeted with sunshine. There’s just something about the sunshine in a coastal town that hits differently. I have spent the last fifteen minutes unpacking my suitcase and arranging my room so that I don’t feel like I’m living out of my bags.
Scanning the space for a seat, I spot a familiar person sitting alone at one of the metal tables. Walking up next to him, I place my hands on the empty chair across from him. “Mind if I sit here?”
Bright blue eyes find mine, and his serious ‘leave me alone’ expression quickly morphs into warm and welcoming when he realizes who is bothering him. He gestures to the empty seat before speaking, “How’s everything going, Chloe?”
Coach Callan Weber is nothing but intimidating. With his tan skin, piercing blue eyes, and dark—almost black—beard that is trimmed close to his face. Black ink peeks out above the neckline of his T-shirt before running down both arms and ending acrosshis fingers. He screams rough and tough, unapproachable, but he’s the farthest thing from that.
“Everything is going great. I just wanted to sit outside for a while. I love how the outside feels near the coast.”
He chuckles. “I know what you mean. I grew up in a small coastal town, and I miss smelling the salt as it floats around me.”
“Yes, the salt breezes through the air. It’s the best. Candle companies are always trying to give you ocean breeze scents, but it’s nothing like the real thing. Do you think you’ll ever go back to your hometown?”
“Maybe someday. But right now my focus is on CTU. I love the culture the campus brings with it.”
Callan leans back in his chair as he reaches up to remove his hat. Running his hand through his hair, which he keeps longer on the top and shorter on the sides, before returning his flat-billed hat to his head. There’s a reason why Callan has been voted college baseball’s sexiest coach and why he’s the face of the sport. He oozes sex appeal from his chiseled jaw, model-like features, and fit muscular build which has his shirt stretching taut against his chest.
“Did you know you always wanted to coach?”
“Is this on or off the record, Ms. Mariano?” His eyes lower as he squints at me.
“Busted,” I chuckle, and he returns my comment with a laugh. “Sorry, I thought I could ask you a few questions without it feeling like an interview.”
“No worries. You’re easy to talk to. That’s what makes you a great journalist. You’ll have people spilling all of their dirty secrets, and they won’t even know they’re being interviewed.”
Blushing, I brush a loose piece of hair behind my ears. “Thank you, Coach.”
“No, I wouldn’t say that I always wanted to coach. Before my injury, I thought my future would revolve around playingin the majors. That at some point in my career, I’d settle down with a wife and kids before retiring from playing and picking up some kind of sports broadcasting job. But life had different plans. From the moment I went down on that ski slope, I knew my career was over. There was this overwhelming feeling that spread over my body. I decided that if I couldn’t play, I’d coach. And that’s what I’ve been doing.”
“So is a wife and kids still in your future?”
“No comment,” he says with a smirk. Smiling, I glance around at some of the other tables around us. Couples sit across from each other at a few tables while other tables are occupied by people working on their computers.
Returning my attention to Callan, I run through some thoughts in my head. Sitting down with him wasn’t on my to-do list for the day which means my notebook with questions is currently sitting in my hotel room. I rack my brain with some things to ask him in the meantime.
“Is there anything you want your players to leave CTU with the knowledge of?”
“At the end of the day, baseball isn’t everything. That might seem odd coming from a head coach at a prestigious university, but it’s the truth. Life can flash before our eyes, and life-altering things can happen resulting in everything changing. The most important lesson to learn in life is how to adapt. It’s okay to mourn the life you thought you’d have, but it shouldn’t derail your entire future. Life is constantly evolving, and why shouldn’t our dreams evolve with us? Take the time to process and say goodbye to what you thought your future would hold, but don’t take too much time. Find something else that keeps you motivated. Set new goals, face new fears, but don’t stop living.”
Cody’s dad should sit down and have a conversation with Coach. Maybe he’d get his head out of his ass and stop treating his son like a doormat.
“That’s incredible advice. It not only applies to baseball, but to anyone who stares adversity in the face.”
He nods before glancing down at his watch. “Exactly. I hate to cut this conversation short, but I have to get ready to head to the field for pregame press. We can sit down again and talk more, but I have a feeling you’ve been weaving things together over the last couple of weeks.”
A sheepish grin lifts at the corner of my lips as I bring my arms out to the side, shrugging. “Guilty.”
Laughing, Coach Weber slides his chair out from the table before standing to his full 6’2” frame. With a small nod, he walks away leaving me to sit alone in the South Carolina sun. Leaning my head back, I welcome the rays against my face. My skin absorbs the energy as the heat radiates, spreading warmth throughout my soul.
Yes, we have sun in Texas, but this sun just feels different. Maybe it’s the refreshing aroma that when you smell it, you know you’re near the sea. Or the change in humidity. Whatever it is, I welcome it like a desert cactus welcomes rain.
The sun is long gone as darkness surrounds the brightness of the stadium lights. Tonight’s game was a late seven o’clock start. The guys just wrapped up the bottom of the seventh inning, and the Eagles are on top six to zero.
Cody is pitching another fantastic game. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s been pitching as well as he has. I didn’t see him much before the game started as he was busy with his pregame rituals, handling a few media interviews, and warming up forthe game. But there was definitely a dark cloud following him around today.
I noticed it when we got off the bus to board the plane, but I didn’t bring it up. I wasn’t fueling the fire of whatever was sparking his poor attitude. I did spend the flight to Charleston combing my brain for any hints that I had done something wrong. When I came back with nothing, I was halfway through my book when I realized that his parents were coming to the game. He had mentioned it a while ago that they were planning on coming to South Carolina. That’s the reason for the sour mood.
It was during the third inning that I noticed that his mood was starting to brighten. Maybe it had to do with the fact that his pitches were looking incredible. Ending the third inning with no hits, he found me waiting at the top of the stairs with my camera—something that I do every once in a while. Busy snapping photos, I didn’t realize that Cody was making my way toward me. It wasn’t until he stopped in front of my lens that I slid the camera down.
