The Brat and the Brainiac (6 page)

All I want to do is be home and see Miranda. We have two more games here in Boston, then three in Kansas City, and finally, four in Chicago. Before the game the next day, I go shopping for a surprise for Miranda. I want to find her something pretty to wear for our first time together, something that’ll make her feel less self-conscious about her scars. I try to pick a good store, so I go to Neiman Marcus. I’ve never been in the place before, but I know it’s the ritzy kind of place Miranda can afford to shop at. I head for the Lingerie department. Mostly, they have a lot of stuff for older ladies, but I spy something she might like near the far wall.

I head over to the display of nightgowns, and there’s a tangerine paisley baby-doll nightie I think she’d like. It’s not pink, but I know tangerine would complement her hair and skin tone. Also, It’s got a halter neckline, which will cover up most of the scar and hopefully give her more confidence. The panties don’t come with it, so I go find a g-string that sort of matches, and add that to my purchases. The nightgown sets me back about seventy-five dollars, and the panties another twenty, but it’ll be worth it to see her face when she opens it up.

I want to get her some jewelry, too, but the only time she’s ever called me her boyfriend is when I was spanking her, so I’m not sure I should. I tell myself to stop being afraid of rejection all the time, so I settle on a bracelet made of sterling silver, rock crystaland pink tourmaline. As for the rest, I’ll buy some scented candles for the condo and some flowers to give her when I get back to town
.

We finally leave Boston on a winning streak. Miranda and I have a pretty good thing going. We either call or Skype or both every day, and the more I talk to her, the deeper my feelings go. I wouldn’t say I’m lovesick or anything, but there’s never been a road trip that felt so long.

The second day in Kansas, Miranda surprises me. We play an early game and I get back to the hotel around six-thirty or seven. I call her to let her know I’m in my room and done for the day.

“Good,” she tells me. “Want to have some phone sex?”

I’m shocked, so I don’t say anything for a minute, but eventually, I find my voice.

“No,” I tell her. “No, I do not.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m waiting for the real thing.”

“You are?”

“Yes. When I get home, we’re going straight to my place for a special date. In fact, I bought you a couple of presents.”

“You did?” she asks, sounding happy. “What are they?”

“I’m not telling. You’ll just have to wait until I get home.”

“Oh, Jason, it feels like a year from now.”

“I know, baby. It feels like that for me, too, but it’s only five days.”

“Thank God.”

“How’s school going?”

“Okay.”

“Did you have any tests?”

She doesn’t say anything at first, but then she admits she had another quiz, and this time she only got a C-.

“Well, what are we going to do about that?” I ask, feeling my heart start to beat in my throat.

“Um, I don’t know. Study more?”

“You didn’t study?”

“Not as much as usual. I was busy doing other stuff.”

“So, do you think you should be punished?”

“If you do.”

Her voice is barely a whisper when she says it, and I know she’s craving a punishment.

“Then that’s another thing you’ll be getting when I get home. We’ll get the punishment out of the way and then we’ll make love.”

“’Kay.”

I hear the lock in the door and warn her that my roommate’s home.

“Bring a hairbrush in your purse,” I tell her, just before the door opens.

“’Kay.”

After that, we chat a little more, but we’re both so aroused by then it’s hard to think of anything else to talk about.

“I’m going to go,” I tell her. “Call me later if you get bored.”

“I will.”

“I want you to make sure you study your Math.”

“Yes, Jason.”

“All right. Talk to you later.”

When I’m done talking to Miranda, I glance over at Brad, who’s grinning.

“She’s awful cute, isn’t she?” he asks.

“She is.”

“Tommy doesn’t mind?”

“No. He’s the one who set us up.”

“I give you six months and you’ll be tying the knot.”

“Nope. Not until she graduates.”

He claps a hand on my shoulder and gives me a squeeze.

“She’s a nice girl. You be good to her.”

“I will.”

When we finally get to Chicago, I invite my family to come to an early game. Afterwards, we go out to dinner and my parents are excited to hear I have a girlfriend. They don’t like it too much when they find out she’s the niece and ward of one of our players, but I try to reassure them.

“Don’t worry,” I tell my dad, cutting into my steak. “I don’t do anything he doesn’t approve of.”

“Well, someday you’re bound to. It just happens.”

“Well, we’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

I lay my fork down and pick up my glass of wine, but I catch my mother’s glance. She’s smiling, her arms crossed over her chest.

“What?” I ask her, setting my glass back down.

“Nothing. It’s just that you’re getting so mature.”

“It’s the job.”

“I think it’s more than just that, don’t you, hon?”

“Yep,” says my dad, picking up his glass of whiskey and taking a drink. “You’re turning into a real man lately, son.”

“What’s with the fuzz on your chin, though?” asks my snotty little sister, Veronica.

“Shut up,” I tell her, stroking it. “Miranda likes it.”

“What does she look like? Do you have a picture?” Mom asks.

“No, actually I don’t. Huh. I’ll have to get one.”

“You still haven’t told us what she looks like,” says Joanna, another of my sisters.

“Well, she has dark hair down to her waist, but she usually wears it in two braids.”

“Like an Indian?” asks Veronica. “Excuse me, I mean a Native American?”

“Yeah, except she looks kind of Goth in them, only not creepy and morose. She’s actually very perky.”

Nellie, my middle sister, wrinkles her nose.

“She sounds weird.”

“She’s nice. She’s got the right kind of face for braids, big, brown eyes and a serious expression. Except she’s really bubbly and upbeat. It’s a funny thing. It’s her smile, I guess. When she’s resting and she thinks no one’s looking, she’s all serious, but as soon as you talk to her, she comes alive.”

“Sounds like a big phony to me,” says Nellie.

Lucky for her, I’m busy chewing my steak, but my mom takes care of it and tells her to stop being so rude.

“She sounds really nice to me,” says Joanna, my youngest (and favorite) sister.

“Well, thanks,” I tell her, and finally swallow my food. “She is really nice.”

“This is a hell of a halibut,” my dad tells me.

“What’s her uncle’s name?” asks Joanna.

“Tommy Wright. He’s the one who hit that home run in the sixth inning.”

And Veronica says, “Oh, my God. He is so cute.”

“Sorry. He’s got a girlfriend,” I lie, thinking about Vanessa, the reporter he took out.

“Oh. Drag.”

I glance up and see our server, a cute little blonde, coming our way.

“Would anybody like any dessert?” she asks.

“Just some containers,” says my mom.

“Can I get a piece of cheesecake to go?” I ask.

“Plain, or with caramel sauce?”

“Sauce, please.”

The server returns a few minutes later, bearing my cheesecake and containers for mom and the girls. My dad tries to reach for the check, but I grab it first.

“No way. My treat.”

“Thanks, son. You’re a good man.”

My dad drops me back at the hotel. Having survived dinner with my family, I feel like I could use a drink, so I head to the bar downstairs. It just so happens that Tommy’s there with a few of the guys.

“So I have Miranda,” he’s telling them, “and she’s projectile puking all over the place, so I call the doctor and they want me to bring her in. I’m like, ‘I’m not putting a puking kid in my new car. Just prescribe something to stop it.’ Hey, Jason. Just talking about your sweetheart. Come on over here and have a beer.”

He calls for an extra glass. I pull up a chair and gladly let him pour me some beer.

“Where’ve you been?”

“Dinner with my family. Oh, my God, my sisters are so annoying. I thought they’d outgrow it, but they’re even bigger bitches than they used to be.”

“Have you talked to Miranda yet this evening?

“No. Not yet. Why?”

“No reason. She was just asking for you, is all. Think we’ll sweep the Sox tomorrow?”

“I hope so. We’re starting Jimmy, so...”

Dan Fry, our catcher, yawns.

“I’m going to finish this one and call it a night.”

“Yeah, I need to call Miranda.”

That effectively breaks up the party, so I slam my beer and go up to my room.

Miranda picks up on the third ring.

“Hey,” I tell her. “Just me.”

“Oh, I missed you. How was dinner with your family?”

“Tedious.”

“It can’t be that bad,” she says, and I know she’s grinning.

“You just don’t know. Two of my sisters had snide comments when they heard we’re dating, but the youngest one was cool about it.”

“How can they be so mean when you turned out so nice?”

“I don’t know. I stopped downstairs at the bar and had a beer with your uncle.”

“Oh? How’s he doing?”

“Still amped-up from hitting that game-winning home run.”

“I’m so proud of him. I can’t wait until you guys get home.”

“Two more days, babe. Two more days.”

“I know. But I’ve been keeping myself busy so I don’t think about it as much.”

“Good girl.”

“I think Ignatius and Kevin are getting serious. He spends the night every night and they’re hardly ever apart.”

“Well, good.”

“And I got an A on the paper I had to write on Sartre,” she tells me.

“Oh, God. I had to write a paper on him, too, only I didn’t do so well with it.”

“My professor says we ought to feel lucky, because he had to read it in French and write about it. The next book we’re doing is ‘On the Road,’ though. It’s a much more fun book.”

“I almost forgot. I’m bringing you a special treat from Chicago, and if you eat it with a knife and fork, I’ll break all your fingers off.”

She laughs.

“You must feel pretty strongly about it. What is it?”

“An Italian Beef sandwich.”

“How are you getting that home?”

“Well, I went to my favorite place to see if they can pack a couple in dry ice for me and they can. They said they do it all the time.”

“Yum. Sounds yummy.”

I notice she’s been avoiding the subject of her upcoming spanking, but I want to build her anticipation, so I bring it up.

“Don’t forget about your punishment.”

“I know. I already have the hairbrush in my purse. Don’t spank me too hard, okay?”

“I want you to wear jeans that day.”

“How come?”

“So I can make you pull them down yourself.”

Her breathing changes, and I know she’s both turned on and fearful.

“But wait.”

“You’re going over my knee the minute we get to my place, and you’re going to learn your education is the most important thing you have to do.”

“I promise not to get any more bad grades.”

“I know you won’t.” She’s quiet on her end, and I know I’ve achieved my objective, so I say, “You do know you deserve it, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

I find myself nodding.

“Okay, then,” I tell her. “I’m looking forward to coming home.”

“Me, too, except for...you know.”

“I know, baby, but we’ll get it over pretty quickly, and then we’ll have some fun.”

“Sexy fun?”

“Hell, yeah.”

Though I was a couple thousand miles away from her, I was pretty certain she was smiling again.

“You’re not mad at me, then?”

“Of course not. Don’t be silly, Miranda.”

“Okay. Call me tomorrow. I...miss you.”

I hear it again, the strain in her voice as she tries not to declare her love, the same strain I feel, too, every time we speak. I hang up the phone, unable to stop smiling, because I know she loves me, and I love her, too.

The next day flies by. Get-away day is always hectic, and today is no exception. When we’re finally all on the bus, I sit back, my cooler of Italian Beef sandwiches and my bag of presents beside me.