Page 37 of The Pale Rider
“I didn’t say I would not show off. How is your dinner?”
“I could see myself raving about falafel in a chatroom. Have I told you how sweet you are for getting these for me?”
Aeron winked at me.
“I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”
I already liked Aeron way more than I should. I apparently liked Leif too when I met him in that chatroom.
What the fuck would happen if we finally made it to Mexico?
Chapter 23
I
am in my bedroom in front of a computer. I am in my twenties, and I’m in a group chat for fastpitch softball. A stranger enters the room. I know everyone on most of the teams, and I know most of the fans who come to our games. I don’t recognize this person. My stalker radar goes on high. I think every single girl on all the leagues has dealt with a deranged fan at one point. Girl’s fastpitch softball caught on and had a rabid fan base.
This new user went by the name HorsemanD. He isn’t focusing on one player, and he seems friendly. Still, my hackles are raised. My team all dealt with stalkers the same way, and we just had to put a man in his place because he wouldn’t leave Pokey alone. This could all be some ruse. No one knew about this chatroom except my team and fans we trusted. How did this newbie find us?
I question him. He pretends to be new to the area and wants to see a game. That sets off even more red flags. The only way he could have found this room would be if he had already been to a game, and one of us on the team let him in on how to get here.
I wasn’t standing for this. I wasn’t letting another creep skeeze on my teammates. I click a few keys and get his IP address. I run a search. Why is someone in Mexico in our chatroom? I send him a private message demanding an answer.
“I’m not in California now, but I will be. I do want to see a game.”
“Bullshit. The only way to find this room is because one of us gives it to you.”
“Not if you are looking for it. Just like you dug around on me and found out I’m really in Mexico, I found your chatroom when I was looking for something like it.”
“Why are you so interested in fastpitch softball, Tiger?”
“Are you this suspicious of everyone interested in coming to a game?”
“When they aren’t even in California and find our secret chatroom, then yes.”
“How about this? You can personally vet me. I was planning on bringing a friend. We’ll still be in Mexico for several months. Get to know both of us, and if you don’t like us, we’ll disappear, and when we get to California, we won’t go anywhere near a softball game.”
“And if I say no?”
“We’ll both find out your jersey number and show up to a game wearing nothing but tutus and your jersey number painted on us.”
I find myself laughing. I didn’t know shit about this guy or his friend, but I have this feeling he would keep his promise. I almost want to tell him no, just to see him do it.
“Fine. But we need our own chatroom. I don’t know if you joined to stalk one of the other players, and if I think it’s me you’re after, I’ll have you banned from the game. What’s your name?”
“Aeron. My friend is Leif. Call our chatroom Revelations.”
“You aren’t some weird-ass person trying to save my soul, are you?”
“Not at all. We are just two awesome guys who are fans of softball.”
“I have a feeling you are weird.”
“You have no idea.”
I bolted to a sitting position. Aeron groaned and tried to pull me back into his arms. I poked him in the side like he did to me, and I hated it when he did.
“Revelations! You found our secret chatroom and pretended to be into softball. We made that chatroom so I could make sure you weren’t stalkers.”
