Beyond the Game

“Guess who also lives here?” Willow says. I can hear the smile in her voice.

I turn slowly, bracing myself at the sight of him standing in our small kitchen. “Cameron,” I greet him.

“Looks like we get to have dinner together after all.” He winks.

“I invited him,” Willow blurts. “I bought way more than the two of us can eat, and I don’t want to eat leftovers the entire time you’re gone.” By means of explanation, it’s a good one, except for the fact that I needed to vent to her. About him.

“Thanks for picking this up, Wil,” I say, ignoring Cameron’s reference to how we’re having dinner together even though I turned him down.

“Sure thing. I’m just going to run and change. Be right back.” She shoots off down the hall to her room, and I want to yell for her to wait for me.

“How was the rest of your day?” Cameron asks.

“Uh, good. Good. Yours?”

“Overwhelming,” he says with a chuckle. “I’ve waited what feels like a lifetime for this, and it’s finally happening. It all seems pretty surreal.”

“You’re going to do great,” I reassure him.

“Yeah?” he asks. “I’m glad you have faith in me. I have this feeling I’m going to get out there and choke.”

“Come on now. A big, strong, tough guy like you? I’d have thought you’d have all the confidence in the world, ready to take the game by the horns and all that.”

“No. I do, but it’s still got me a little shook up. This is my chance, you know? I could just be filling in for Hastings, or I could stay, and I really, really want to stay.”

“The team is great, and Coach Drummond is fair. Just do what you do best. Play ball. Don’t let the hype or the fact that it’s a different team get to you. Go out on the field, play your game, and it will all work out.” Baseball talk I can handle, especially if it’s the Blaze. It’s a safe topic for us.

He steps up beside me, but I don’t stop pulling food out of the bags. “Hey.” He places his hand on my arm, which forces me to stop and look at him. “Just breathe, beautiful.” He smiles at me.

“Look. The game was fun, but we work together now. It’s important that we remain professional.”

“The game was fun.” He gives me a wicked smile. “And I agree with you. We should maintain professionalism while we’re working.”

“Good.” I stand up a little straighter. “I’m glad we can agree on that.”

“Paisley?” He tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

“Yeah?”

“We’re not working right now.”

“N-No, we’re not, but we are coworkers.”

“Meh, not really. I’m a baseball player. You work as a part of the training team. We work for the same facility, but technically not together.”

“Until you need me for something in regard to the game.”

“I need you for something now.”

“Oh, yeah?” I can’t help but ask. “Do tell?” I turn to face him and move to cross my arms over my chest. Cameron, however, is faster and captures my wrists, bringing one, then the other to his lips for a kiss.

“I just need your time, Paisley. I just want to spend time with you. That’s all.” The conviction in his voice has me reaching out to grip his shirt.

“Friends,” I blurt. It’s the first thing that comes to mind, and I’m reeling for a way for us to remain professional. We’ve both worked our asses off to get where we are. Sure, I had some family connections, but I’m not the least bit naïve to think that if I were not qualified, my dad or even my uncle Drew wouldn’t call me out on it. I’ve put in the time and the work to be where I am.

“That’s a start,” he concedes. However, when he leans in and presses his lips to my forehead, I want to take the words back. I want to tell him that I’ll be whatever it is he needs me to be.

“Let’s eat,” Willow says, bouncing back into the room. She doesn’t comment on our position. Instead, she finishes unpacking the food and setting out plates.