Hot Corner (Baseball Romance) (9 page)

"Look, I just hope he doesn't show up.  I don't want him to think he was right--even for a second," Audrey said. 

"And I think it's important for you to know that he wasn't right.  Trust me, you're the one that's different.  You're the one that's special.  And even though he was a fool to let you get away, I'll never be that foolish," Peter explained. 

With that, Audrey's nerves calmed down. 

***

Gator University was a sun-baked sweatbox that left you sticky in all the wrong ways.  But it was also Audrey's alma mater.  So driving into town made Audrey feel an inescapable sense of nostalgia.  But before Audrey could soak up all the old memories, she had to pick up one of her friends at the airport. 

"I can't believe this is happening," Audrey said. 

The state of Florida would give a drivers license to a blind monkey if he could pay his DMV dues.  But navigating the aisles of the airport parking lot, all Audrey cared about was the Geezer with a perpetual left turn signal blinking and an apparent allergy to driving faster than five miles an hour.

Audrey was already running ten minutes late to pick up her old friends and had been shooed away from the arrivals terminal by menacing meter maids. 

But living in Florida, Audrey knew she had a better chance of getting hicks to stop wrestling alligators than she did of making a senior citizen to stop putt putting along. 

Ten minutes and every ounce of patience later, Audrey and Peter darted like Olympic Sprinters to baggage claim.

But neither Audrey's friend nor her luggage had arrived on time.  Audrey was never happier to see a delayed flight in her life.  But with waylaid plans came excuses only Florida could provide. 

"I'm sorry I'm late," Alice Walters eventually said, bursting through the terminal.  "My connecting flight in Miami got delayed because some idiot was trying to smuggle live snakes in his pants."

Alice was like the long lost sister Audrey never knew she had.  A best friend forever who knew just the words to soothe a weary soul.  Alice and Audrey were cut from the same cloth.  Both hopeless romantics prone to flights of fancy, they had very similar backgrounds.  The broken hearts, the childhoods spent with their heads in the clouds, the slightly off-kilter world view. 

Audrey and Alice related in a shorthand of two friends that had known each other since pre-school instead of just meeting in college.  But it was hard to believe sometimes they only met in the dorms before truly bonding in a creative writing class where they wrote about wacky misadventures in cafeteria dining while the rest of the students typed up stories of shirtless vampires.  But Audrey and Alice could pick up a conversation weeks apart without skipping a beat, a product of the kind the friendship that living in different states couldn't squelch. 

"Ali-gator," Audrey declared with glee, hugging Alice like they hadn't seen each other in years.

Alice eyed Peter and sized him up.  "Nice arm candy.  Did you pick him up in the gift shop?"

"Yeah.  I was in the bargain bin," Peter joked. 

"Self deprecating too.  I like.  Maybe I should see what else is in that bargain bin," Alice ruminated.

"I'm Peter Short by the way," he said, introducing himself. 

"Long as you don't come up short where it counts most," Alice joked, winking at Audrey.  "What's the snake like in his pants?" she joked to her old chum. 

"And now I'm back in junior high again," Peter replied, trying to keep from laughing. 

"In that case, I'll save a wet willy for later.  Anyway, I'm Alice Walters," Alice said. 

"You mean Ali-gator," Audrey cut in.

"It's amazing.  I was grumpy one day in the three years we lived together and she hasn't stopped calling me Ali-gator since," Alice bemoaned. 

"Ok, fine Miss 'Woman In The Blue Dress.' Where's that rock star boyfriend of yours?" Audrey asked. 

"Um, Portland I think," Alice replied, not convinced of her own answer. 

"I can't believe he's not coming," Audrey remarked, deflated.  "What, is he too good for a little reunion all of a sudden?"

"Look, he's on tour.  Besides, it's probably for the best," Alice explained. 

"What do you mean?" Audrey asked.

"Trust me, everything takes a backseat to this tour.  I'm here though." Alice then tried to quickly change the subject.  "Besides, why don't we talk more about this new boyfriend of yours?"

Peter got self conscious with all this talk about him. 

Another familiar then voice cut into the conversation to distract from Peter.  "No wonder Florida bungles every election," Stacey White said.  "They think stranding people on tarmacs is kick ass customer service."

***

And with that, the crew was ready to storm their old campus.  Peter drove while the ladies meanwhile caught up on lost gossip. 

"Ali, I just couldn't get your song out of my head this morning," Stacey remarked. 

"I don't know whether to say thank you or I'm sorry," Alice replied. 

"You kidding?  How cool is it that the most popular song in the country is written about someone I know?  You must just be over the moon," Stacey boasted. 

"I know it may be hard to believe, but if you hear the song a thousand times, you'll just want to howl at the moon," Alice replied. 

"Oh Ali, don't be modest.  I mean the closest I've come to a song written about me was when Jean Pierre sang novelty accordion tunes to me while drunk one night," Audrey explained. 

"Hear that Peter?  You have some mighty high standards to live up to," Stacey wise cracked. 

"And me without an accordion," Peter replied. 

"Hey, that's not true Audrey.  Remember that weirdo at the bowling alley that serenaded you with his kazoo?" Alice recalled, much to Audrey's chagrin.

"Is that a euphemism?" Peter joked. 

"Hey, least I didn't have the moves put on me by the Magician of Marshall Street," Audrey countered.  Alice blushed. 

"So we've kissed a lot of frogs.  We haven't croaked," Stacey cut in.  "I'm just happy we're all in loving relationships for once."

Audrey and Alice both got quiet.  "Hey, why don't we see if Ali's song is on the radio?"

Chapter Three

"Who wants to party?" Steven Adams asked, with a beer in one hand and a plastic novelty arrow on his head. 

Steven may have been a goofball, but he sure knew how to throw a party.  And the festivities awaited in the basement.  Then again Steven didn't have just any basement, but a full on man cave.  A wet bar sat in the corner, flanked by pinball machines, and arcade video games.  The rest of the room was decked out with a billiards table, ping pong table, and a seventy inch big screen television.

Nostalgic mid 2000's rock music blasted over a speaker system as Audrey, Peter, Stacey, Alice, and Steven entered the man cave.

But as Frank Stein spotted Alice, he immediately started playing "The Woman In The Blue Dress." Alice blushed, then pleaded for Frank to change the tune. 

Stacey meanwhile spotted the buffet and answered the call of her stomach.  Of course it didn't hurt that her man candy Tim Channing was making quick work of the artichoke dip. 

"I need a refill," Steven remarked, looking at the bottom of his beer cup.  "You guys want any?"

"Two please," Audrey replied. 

"Coming up," Steven replied, before moving over to the bar. 

"Wow.  You have some interesting friends," Peter said to Audrey. 

"And it's time to start impressing them," Audrey said.  "All right, let me give you the run down.  That over there is Frank Stein, a robotic genius and widow.  His wife Elizabeth died in a car accident a year and a half ago."

"Oh God, that's horrible," Peter responded. 

"Yeah.  So whatever you do, don't bring it up.  Next we have Damon over by the billiards table.  Total lothario.  The guy used to plow through coeds in college like a snow blower during a blizzard.  Then we have Stacey's boyfriend Tim over at the buffet.  A total sweetheart.  He and Stacey actually started dating because he called her the most beautiful women in his company.  Then finally, we have Steven over there with the plastic arrow on his head.  Matchmaker extraordinaire who for the longest time couldn't match himself up.  Until he met his own Jasmine," Audrey explained.

"So which one of these guys is your ex-boyfriend?" Peter asked. 

Audrey looked around and bit the corner of her lip.  "Even the City Of Lights isn't as bright as you," Trevor Brockman remarked. 

Audrey turned around saw her former flame.  "Well, if it isn't the emotional hurricane himself.  Have you come to devastate me again?"

Peter meanwhile had other thoughts on his mind.  After all, Trevor wasn't just any ex-boyfriend.  He was Trevor Brockman, the starting third baseman for the Atlanta Pythons.  No wonder Audrey was so nervous. 

It was amazing though.  Even though Audrey had dated two different baseball players in her life, they couldn't have been more different.  And it wasn't just because Peter was stuck in the minors while Trevor was practically an all star.  While Peter was Mr. Reliable, Trevor lived and died by the long ball.  He was a homerun hitter through and through.  So when he was on, he was really on.  But when his swing was off, he struck out a lot.  It was big risk big reward for Trevor. 

But while Peter was still coming to terms with the fact that Trevor Brockman was Audrey's ex, Trevor seemed primed to try and win Audrey back. 

"Alright, you got me.  I'm sorry.  But to be fair, that was a long time ago," Trevor downplayed. 

"Maybe.  But time will never heal those wounds," Audrey said. 

Trevor deflected.  "So where did you find this stiff, the county morgue?" he asked, sizing up Peter. 

"I'd rather be a stiff than trample Audrey's heart," Peter declared, with gusto. 

"Thanks, dickwad.  What do you, sell Bibles for a living?" Trevor cracked. 

"Actually, I play ball," Peter replied.

"Oh really?  For what team?" Trevor asked. 

"Orlando," Peter said. 

"In that case, why don't you go back to the minors?  You're out of your league," Trevor insisted. 

Peter didn't back down though.  "Sorry.  You've already had your shot with Audrey.  Go strike out somewhere else."

"Well, I guess he told you," Audrey remarked, trying to keep from smiling. 

Trevor focused his smack talk on Peter.  "You having fun in the minors, punk?  Because Audrey needs a major league slugger."

Audrey didn't need Peter's help to defend herself though.  She had plenty enough moxie on her own.  "Actually, I think it's about time you get back to your perfect little wifey."

"I was kind of hoping you and I could have a little talk...in private," Trevor said. 

"I'm going to need a couple more drinks before I can handle that," Audrey warned. 

"Please.  Just let me try and explain myself.  It won't take long," Trevor continued. 

"Come on Audrey.  Let's party," Peter insisted. 

As Audrey and Peter turned to exit, Trevor dropped a bombshell.  "Janie left me."

Audrey turned back around.  "I'm sorry.  What?"

"Just give me a minute.  I'll explain everything," Trevor insisted. 

"Audrey, we should get some food before it gets cold," Peter argued. 

"Get me a plate," Audrey replied to Peter.  "I'll be back in a minute."

***

"So let me get this straight.  You leave me for Janie, then Janie leaves you for Mike Madigan," Audrey said, basking in Steven's backyard. 

Mike Madigan wasn't just another professional baseball player.  He was a perennial all-star.  One of the best players in the game.  The kind of man that could have any woman he wanted.  And apparently, he wanted Janie.  It was such sweet irony.  Not just because Trevor finally knew what it was like to get his heart broken, but because he now realized that Janie had just been using him as nothing more than a step stool to climb up the social ladder.  Janie proved to be nothing more than a gold digger, and she had dug right into Trevor's bank account on her way out the door. 

Trevor grimaced.  "You know, you don't have to take quite so much pleasure in my pain."

"Are you kidding?  Talk about poetic justice," Audrey said. 

"I hate poetry," Trevor declared. 

"Karma can be a bitch like that," Audrey said. 

"It's amazing how she just played me," Trevor replied. 

"Hey, I recognize that sentiment," Audrey said. 

"No matter how much money I gave her, she always wanted more.  Then the moment Mike Madigan showed the slightest bit of interest in her, bam--she was gone," Trevor explained. 

"As fun as this pity party is, there's an actual celebratory party going on that I'm going to get back to," Audrey said. 

"You weren't like that.  You loved me for who I was," Trevor replied. 

"It's nice that you're finally appreciating that.  But you're about four years too late.  Have fun sulking," Audrey said, before heading back towards the house.