Tami was one of only a handful of people in the stadium who could truly appreciate what David had done. Almost every outfielder would have had to slow down to gather the ball and then would have taken more time to collect themselves to throw home. If David had done that, the hitter would certainly have made it to second. The catcher would never have had the time to make his play and get the ball out of his glove to throw to second.
What David had done was give a master class on how to play the position. It had all come down to his footwork. The vast majority of players would’ve had to slow down because they’d have needed to get into a position to make the play and then throw the ball. David instead had timed it so that his right foot was just touching the ground when he retrieved the grounder. As he’d planted his foot to throw, the baseball was already in his hand, and he was releasing towards home.
Not only had he gotten the ball out of his hand faster than any outfielder she’d ever seen, but David had also thrown a perfect strike from over 200 feet away, enabling his catcher to handle it quickly. It was the combination of those two abilities that told Tami that David had a real shot at playing at the next level if he so desired.
After the game, David had had team obligations. He’d sent her a text to let her know that he would meet up with her for lunch at a sports bar.
Tami had assumed it would be just her and David for lunch. She’d just arrived when a bus adorned with USC’s logo pulled up, and the whole baseball team began to unload. She shook her head at the guys as they filed off the bus and acted like the boys had when she’d played Little League. They were joking around, knocking hats off each other, shoving, and generally acting rowdy.
The bar had just opened. That allowed the team to grab all the tables in the center of the room. When David spotted Tami, he said something to his coach and joined her at a table for two by the window. His teammates made smartass comments about his having a girl in every town, which he didn’t even acknowledge.
“Did you finally get your head out of your butt and start getting your grades in order?” David teased right out of the gate.
He gave Tami a smile that could light up the darkest of days. She saw he was in a playful mood, so she ignored his tease. Growing up, their group of friends had been nerds, and many a conversation had centered on who was the smartest. Of course, Tami was sure she was. David just wished he could keep up.
“How goes your quest for world domination on the football front?” she asked.
He rolled his eyes when she started a serious conversation right off the bat. Tami ignored the eye roll; she knew that his time was limited, so she wanted to get to the good stuff before he left.
“I had lunch yesterday with a sports reporter who might be useful. I’m not quite sure if I trust him yet. After the spring game, I went to a booster party and got a better idea of who the key people behind the scenes are. Two of them hold the most sway, and one of them I already know. He’s the head of the studio that made The Royal Palm,” David shared.
“Who’s the other one?”
“He got the current athletic director his job. I met him and his daughter; they own a large trucking company. He’s looking to retire soon and have her take over,” David shared, then added, “He and I have sent text messages back and forth. Nothing big, but I give him updates about my baseball games and how offseason workouts are going. I think he likes me.”
“What about the team?”
At that question, he threw her a face that told her it hadn’t gone to plan.
“I did have an interesting lunch with Matt Long’s girlfriend.”
“The quarterback’s girlfriend?” Tami asked.
“Yep. She asked if I would be interested in letting her and Matt move in with me over the summer in the townhouse. She tried to sweeten the deal by having her roommate, Milena, move in too.”
Tami chuckled at that. David would have to be serious with a girl before he let her live with him. Until that happened, he would want to be a free agent. Besides, she suspected that before the summer was out, Matt might go missing.
“I take it you said, ‘no.’ None of the girls told me of a change in living arrangements this summer,” she said and saw David cringe.
Tami just flipped him off, which made him grin. He had issues with her knowing everybody and having them tell her ‘everything that was happening in their lives.’ At least, that was how she described it. His take was she had a spy network that kept track of his every move. The truth probably fell somewhere in the middle.
“I didn’t let her talk me into it,” David conceded.
“What about the rest of the team?”
“The younger guys are more open, and I’m getting to know them. The older ones want to protect what they have, which I can’t really argue with. Who wants some newcomer coming in and telling them what to do? Not that I’m doing that.”
“But you did turn the culture around in high school and win three straight state championships,” Tami said.
“Even so, a lot of these guys come from successful programs. Add to that the fact that USC won 11 games last year, and you can see why they don’t feel the need to change. But I just keep hearing the predictions of a possible losing season this coming year, and, from what I’m seeing, I’m worried. It’s all too nonchalant, and everyone’s giving lip service to their assumed success. I’m not seeing the work effort or team building we used to do,” David explained.
“Then take the guys who’ll listen and build for the future,” she suggested.
“That’s what I figured too. Before the team listens to me, I have to prove myself. Same with the boosters, coaches, and even the reporter I talked to. They need to see me walking the walk, so to speak.”
She nodded her agreement.
“If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”
“Being able to talk to you about stuff helps. You always tell me what you think, and most times, you spot stuff I’ve missed. It means a lot,” David said.
“You will always be my stupid boy,” Tami said to play off what he’d just said to her. It felt good to know that he still looked at her that way. “Speaking of you being a stupid boy, how’s your love life?”
“Honestly, not that great. The other day I was thinking I might have feelings for Lexi,” he said.
“Please tell me that’s not happening,” Tami said before she could stop herself.
David chuckled.
“No. I mean that we are probably more than her just working for me...”
“Because you sleep together,” Tami said to interrupt him.
“It’s more than that. I was with Lexi daily for over half a year, and we became close.”
Tami sighed.
“Tough love time,” she said, and David groaned in response. “Lexi has a lot of qualities that would make her a good match for you. She’s a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need you to hold her hand constantly. It doesn’t hurt that she’s someone who gets stuff done, like you do. In a lot of ways, the two of you are kindred spirits.”
“But?”
“I know that you believe in redemption and that people should be given a second chance. But the old Lexi and the new one that you now like are two completely different people. I know you said she made a conscious decision to change, but everyone who has known her for any length of time has warned you about her. A zebra doesn’t change its spots just because it says it has,” she said.
David must have been deep in thought because he ignored her zebra comment as he took in what she told him. She let him sit there and think because she knew that was how he worked. Then he looked at her.
“So, who should I be looking for?”
Tami wanted to scream ‘me’ but knew that wasn’t practical or smart. She still had plans for ‘someday’ with the big lug. But right now, they both had to focus on the prize at the end and not the in-between.