Third Base (The Boys of Summer 1)

When Shea runs by Branch Singleton, he scoops her up in his arms and spins her around while making airplane noises. Singleton has a son, but he never gets to see him. I don’t know all the specifics, but the baby mama drama was too much, and he doesn’t like to talk about it. I do know he pays a shit ton in child support and that his son lives in Phoenix where the mother moved after the baby was born.

I let the guys entertain Shea, although it’s likely the other way around with the way she has them all wrapped around her finger, while I get ready. For being three, she’s outgoing and loves attention. Shana and my parents ensure that she experiences a lot of different social situations in order to teach her about stranger danger.

Once I’m dressed and ready, I hold Shea’s hand as we walk down the corridor leading to the field. She wears cleats, like me, only hers have plastic spikes and her tiny baseball glove is tucked under her arm. Mine is already in the dugout, waiting for me.

My dad is waiting for us at the top of the dugout since he’ll be keeping a close eye on Shea during warm-ups. He and Cal Diamond, our manager, are in an in-depth conversation, but he makes eye contact with me briefly as Shea and I climb the steps and step out onto the field.

“I’ll take her with me, if you want to hit,” Kidd says, as he stands near us.

“Me too,” Bainbridge says. With both of them being in the outfield, she has less of a chance to get hurt.

“Do you want to go with Steve and Travis to the outfield?” I ask her, pointing toward the outfield. She clutches my hand a bit tighter and tries to mold herself to my leg. I imagine being three and looking around the baseball field. This place is enormous for an adult, so the size must be overwhelming to a toddler. It takes under a minute until she decides that yes, she does in fact want to be out there.

In a picture perfect moment, my niece is walking hand-in-hand with my best friend and mentor, and the people that are here early are eating up every minute of it.

“Hey, Stud.”

The sound of Sarah’s voice comes from behind me. T

he nickname she gave me in high school, sticking even today. When I turn to see her, my world shifts on its axis. I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe a white coat with her dark brown hair in a bun for starters. Instead, I’m graced with the woman I was once madly in love with wearing a version of a BoRe t-shirt that I’ve never seen before, showing off her curves and ample cleavage. She beckons me with her finger and, as if it had me on a string, I’m walking toward her.

“Hey, Doc,” I say, taking her all in. “Although, I have to say, you don’t look much like a doctor to me right about now.”

When Sarah smiles, her light brown eyes light up. She’s beautiful, always has been. And I’d be a fool to ever tell her no.

“We can play doctor later,” she whispers into my ear, sending a jolt right to my cock.

“I look forward to it.” I back away slowly, trying to undress her with my eyes. I know what’s waiting for me. Hell, I watched her transform from a girl to woman while I caressed every inch of her body. That’s a definite benefit from being her boyfriend for so long.

I wink before turning away and adjust myself. As soon as my hand touches my cup, I count one in my head. I’ll be sure to tweet the BoRe Blogger how many times an adjustment was made tonight so his statistical count isn’t skewed.

Nothing makes me happier than a win. Actually that may not be completely true because the idea of getting laid has me pretty damn ecstatic right now. The win makes our manager happy, and the fact that it was a close victory, with a late two-run shot by Branch, puts a shit-eating grin on his face. With back-to-back road wins, it’s a boost in the standings.

My routine is different this time around. I’m not going to linger in the clubhouse nor am I going to shower. The sooner I arrive at Sarah’s, the sooner this pent up frustration will be released. She made the game almost unbearable today with her shy finger waves, blowing kisses and yelling crude comments about my ass when I was in the on-deck circle. Even though she was sitting next to my parents, she didn’t hold back. My sister encourages Sarah’s behavior and even though Shana is happily married she has no qualms about cat-calling my teammates who, in turn, give her what she calls the “sexy eyes”.

It’s no secret that we all have slump busters or cleat chasers in the towns we visit. I’ve hooked up with random women in different cities, but Sarah is my only consistent one. My parents know about our arrangement, and while they may not approve, they at least know her and consider her a part of our family.

As soon as Diamond is done congratulating us on the win, I’m taking off my uniform and throwing it into the laundry hamper. My cleats, glove and everything else I need stays in my assigned locker until I need it again tomorrow. I put my game day attire on: Dress shirt and slacks and tell the guys I’ll see them later. Kidd shows me how much fun I’m about to have when he puts his fist to his mouth and juts his tongue into his cheek.

“Be jealous,” I say as I grab my dick and give it a good shake.

“Be sure to wrap your junk so your pecker juices don’t sneak out.”

I flip him off as I walk out of the clubhouse, laughing. At the end of the corridor the parade of women starts. Most of them filter around, but a few are brazen enough to flat out ask you to come hang with them. At first, it’s an ego booster when they choose you... until you remember they just want to say they fucked a major league baseball player and take a selfie as proof. I won’t have to worry about that tonight. Sarah doesn’t care about what I do for a profession, she wants my dick and I’m going to give it to her.

The car I had in high school and college waits for me in the parking garage, along with my overnight bag. The smell of home surrounds me as I navigate my way to Sarah’s apartment. It’s close to the hospital so she can walk to work and not far from Safeco Field. There were many times that Sarah and I opted for the cramped quarters of the car even when we had a bed at our disposal. It wasn’t just the thrill of possibly getting caught, but also how close we had to be, and how creative we had to get in order to make things work.

I pull onto Sarah’s street and maneuver my Toyota Camry into a tight parking spot. Sarah’s building used to be an office building until a big time developer came along and converted the space into apartments for students. Mostly medical students live here, but you’ll find a few engineers and teachers as well.

I’m all but jogging to the main door, eager to get upstairs. As soon as my foot hits the first step, the buzzing of the door sounds and there’s the telltale sound of it being unlocked, signaling I can go in. Despite everything that’s happened between Sarah and me, we still have this weird sixth sense shit going on. I guess that’s what makes our situation work so well. Neither of us have any expectations, but we both know when we need that certain itch to be scratched. Sex, in general, is great but when you’re with someone who knows how to make you let go of everything, it’s ten times better.

Her door is open when I round the corner on her floor. Some could take this as a sign that she doesn’t care and is going through the motions, while others could take it as a sign that she’s eager and ready to get shit done. It’s neither for me. Sarah is very matter-of-fact about everything and simply making things easier for me. As soon as she sees me, her eyes widen. I’m dirty, probably stink and look like shit.

“Need a shower?” she asks with one eyebrow raised. I give her a smirk and wink in return before heading toward her bedroom, where her only bathroom is, and drop my bag on her bed. Her apartment is small but cozy. After I graduated, I stayed here for about a week until we all but killed each other - it was a little too close for comfort back then. Now, I welcome it. I unbutton my shirt, tossing it on her bed as I pass by her and undo my pants, letting them fall to my ankles before kicking them off, along with my shoes, on my way into the bathroom. She had to have known I was going to head right here as towels sit on the counter waiting for me.

Starting the shower, I finish undressing before stepping in and letting the hot water pound down on my muscles. I rotate my shoulders and flex under the spray, hoping to get them to loosen up. I jump slightly at the feel of her hands on my sides, but quickly relax into her touch. She slowly runs her hands down my hips until she’s stroking my dick. My head falls back while my hand steadies myself against the wall. I reach back with my other hand and grab her ass, pulling her to me as she nips at my back.

It’s been far too long since I’ve had the attention of a woman like this and I find myself turning, moving her hand away. She looks confused, but I displace any errant thoughts she has when I pull her to me, kissing her hard and fast. We’re all teeth until we find our familiar rhythm, our tongues gliding against each other and our hands roaming paths that had been forged long ago from years of being together.