Page 14 of Wild Pitch
Lily had opened her closet to me, a benefit of us being the same size and a holdover from her previous astronomical clothing budget. Lily’s family had beenrich,rich. Meaning they were friends with the owners of baseball franchises.
Going through her closet had been humbling, and I passed up a Dolce & Gabbana mini-bustier dress for a simple A.L.C. strapless, black mini-dress. I had an intense fear of splashing sauce or red wine on the pale blue dress.
I scanned the photo of Kelsey that had been splashed across the internet. Kelsey’s new red-bottom shoes would be perfect with my dress, but I settled for the pair I had picked up on sale at DSW.
I tried to sneak past my father on the way out the door. “Where are you going?”
“Out to dinner,” I answered evasively.
“Anyone I know?”
“No, but I’ll let you know when and if he becomes a person of note.”
“Be safe, okay?” I knew he wanted to pry but had committed to letting us come to him when we were ready. I wasn’t home when Kelsey announced her pregnancy, but I’d heard he’d handled it like a champ.
But that was Dad, always there, never prying, but ready to kick someone’s ass if necessary.
“I heard you met Sam Drummond yesterday. What did you think?” I asked.
“Well, aside from the fact that he’s taller than most people we know, he seemed normal. And it’s clear he’s more than a little interested in your sister.”
“What about Crew?” I asked.
“That surprised the shit out of me, but yeah, he was great with him.”
That surprised me, too. Kelsey had filled me in on Crew’s fever in Minnesota, including how much Sam helped her when she panicked. Dad’s confirmation reassured me that it wasn’t just Kelsey’s perception of the situation.
“Is Mom working overnight?”
“No, she’s on the same schedule as us for the next few days. Just try not to wake her when you get home tonight. I’ll be at Kelsey’s.”
“Got it. Alright. Have a good night,” I said, closing the door behind me while I waited for my Uber to arrive.
I looked down at my dress once more before entering the restaurant. I loved it, and I knew it accented my figure perfectly.
I took one more deep breath to quell my nerves, and I was ready. The host held open the door, and I walked in with as much false confidence as I could muster.
While I had dined at as many North End Italian restaurants as possible, I hadn’t splurged to eat at the restaurant Luc had picked tonight. The reviews were all in the four-and five-star range; the only complaint was the cost. But that apparently wasn’t a concern for Luc.
From my earlier Google search, I knew there was an eleven-year age gap between us, and while Luc didn’t seem that much older, I didn’t want people to think he was out to dinner with a kid.
When I arrived at the host stand, I gave Luc’s name.
“Your date is already here. Right this way.”
I followed him towards a secluded section of the restaurant, catching sight of Luc seconds before he saw me.
Luc’s eyes widened and drank in my appearance, his gaze greedily crawling up and down before meeting my eyes. I inhaled sharply, my stomach flipping as I practically tripped over my own two feet.
Oh man, how had I forgotten how attractive this man was?
He had left the stubble instead of shaving his face clean. His deep brown eyes softened the sharp, chiseled, and commanding appearance of his jawline.
I found my legs again and continued towards him. He stood, and his long legs closed the gap between us. He confidentlyleaned in, brushed my hair to the side, and kissed my cheek before ushering me to join him.
“Beautiful, Kylie.”
“Thank you,” I said, my eyes dropping to my hands before lifting to meet his.
