"When did you become captain of the team, Foster?" Peg said to Jenny before turning her attention back to the attractive blonde. "So you're Laura's new girlfriend, hmm?"
"I'm her roommate, not her girlfriend," the stripper replied quickly, not wanting anyone to get the wrongi.e.about her relationship with Laura. Looking around the field and audience, Crystal began to suspect that heterosexuals were in the minority here.
"Just friends?" Peg smirked and took a step closer. "Taylor must be dying with you around." She patted Crystal's bare knee just below thee.g.of her khaki shorts. "Honey, if you were my roommate I guarantee you wouldn't be going to bed alone at night."
"I'm straight," she said, shifting out of reach. The first pitch was a ball followed by a strike. Then the batter managed to connect wood with leather and the ball sailed out to deep right field. It hit the ground a second before Laura caught up with it. The batter rounded first and was halfway to second when wisdom dictated not testing the arm strength of Ameilia's Pub's right fielder. She jogged quickly back to first.
"Hi Jen, how's it going?"
"Good Tracy, how are things with you?"
"Just fine. I think Lisa might go out with me tonight."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, at least she's talking to me again." Tracy turned her attention to home plate. All right, time to get your pretty asses kicked." "Diane couldn't hit a beach ball," Jenny said, referring to the batter who just swung and missed the first pitch.
"Big talk, Foster. You'll be eating crow when she knocks that ball over the fence."
Despite Tracy's hopes, Diane hit a slow roller to second which was then thrown to first for the double play. The next batter struck out, ending the visitor's half of the inning. Laura and the rest of the outfield came running in, the Ameilia's pub players settling on the bench between the bleachers and the first base line.
"Having fun?" Laura asked as she tossed her glove on the ground and opened the cooler in search of something cold to drink. "Sure, see that one over there?" Crystal pointed at Peg, who was plying her charms on the third baseman.
"Peg? What about her?"
"She's jealous of you."
"Of me? Why?"
"Ah Laura," Jenny said as she joined the conversation. "You know Peg has a thing for spunky looking blondes. She offered to keep Crystal warm at night."
The writer nodded. "Ah, and I suppose she wasn't quite as subtle as that, was she?"
"I thought she was going to drool," Jenny said as she reached past Crystal and took a bottle of ice water out of the cooler. "Crystal told her she was straight and Peg took a walk. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out and protect our friend's virtue."
"I'm sorry about that," Laura said to her roommate. "Usually they know how to behave like ladies," she shot a warning glance in Peg's direction but it was lost as the redhead's back was to them.
Jenny picked up her helmet and bat. "Guess I'd better get over there."
"Good luck," Laura said.
"Yeah, good luck," Crystal added as Jenny headed for the batter's box. thwap! "Strike one!" the umpire called.
"Shake it off, Jen," Laura encouraged, clapping and urging her teammates to do the same. Half-hearted calls of support came from the bench. thwap! "Strike two!"
"Come on, Jen, you can do it." thwap! "Strike three, you're out!" the umpire said. Jenny walked back over to the side of the bleachers and picked up her drink. "Hey Doc, I thought thei.e.was to hit the ball," Crystal said, earning a snort from Laura.
"You be quiet, my dear Laura," Jenny warned. "As for you," she turned her attention to the now grinning Crystal. "I see you're picking up her warped sense of humor." She took a long swallow of her fruit juice. "It's only the first out. Nothing to worry about."
"Duck!" Someone yelled as a foul ball cleared the bench. "Donna, do us a favor and try not to kill us before the inning's over, okay?" someone yelled to the embarrassed batter. The next swing put the ball in deep left field, allowing Donna to get to second base. Toni's base hit advanced the runner to third and a walk to Lisa filled the bases.
"All right, Laura," Jenny said. "Show 'em what ya got."
"Why is she standing on that side of the plate?" Crystal asked. "Everyone else stood on the other side."
"Laura's a lefty. They're supposed to stand on that side," the therapist explained.
The first contact sent the ball over the fence on the third base side.
"Foul ball, strike one!" the umpire called.
"Come on, Laura, show these little girls up," Kelly, the Ameilia's catcher, shouted.
Crystal sat quietly on the bleacher and watched as the pitcher wound up and fired the ball underhanded at the plate. This time Laura's hit was good, dropping into shallow center field. It was enough for the runners to advance, allowing Ameilia's Pub to score the first run of the game.
"Nice shot," Tracy said, taking her position covering first base. "Trying to impress your new girl?"
"She's my roommate, not my lover," Laura corrected. Tracy looked over at the blonde woman in question and shook her head. "Too bad, Taylor. Looks like she's got a good set going there."
"Pervert."
The first baseman looked at Crystal again. "I don't know. Seems to me that it's perverted to let something that fine live under your roof and you not doing anything about it."
"She's straight, Tracy."
"So I've heard. Wouldn't be the first time one of them was shown how much better a woman can be."
"She's off limits. Pay attention to the game."
"I'd much rather pay attention to her," Tracy said with a sigh, reluctantly turning her focus back to the softball game.
Unaware that she was the subject of conversation between the two women at first base, Crystal continued to listen to Jenny identify everyone on the team. "Now the one up to bat is Kelly."
"The catcher," Crystal said, receiving a nod in reply.
"Yeah, now remember the one that hit on you earlier? That's one of her ex's."
"One?"
"Oh yeah, Kelly makes the rounds. We were together briefly."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm a minority here?"
Jenny laughed and reached for another bottle of juice from the cooler. "Because you are, m'dear." She popped the top off the bottle. "Take a look around. I think you're probably the only straight one here except for maybe some of the other fans." Jenny took a step closer to the end of the bleachers and lowered her voice, not wanting their conversation overheard by the players on the nearby bench. "Does it bother you to be around so many lesbians?"
"No, I don't think it does," Crystal said, sliding down one row of seats on the bleacher, bringing her face to face with the therapist. "I don't think I've ever been around so many."
"Well don't worry," Jenny said. "We don't bite."
"Unless asked," Carmen said as she walked by, catching only the tail end of the conversation. She stopped and held her hand out. "Carmen Cruz." "Crystal Sheridan."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Sheridan." Carmen's darker skin stood in contrast to the blonde woman's lighter tone as they shook hands. "I haven't seen you here before. Whose girlfriend are you?"
"None. I'm Laura's roommate," she said for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Well I'm glad you decided to grace us with your presence," the pitcher said, reluctantly releasing Crystal's hand. "Maybe you'll bring us good luck. Lord knows we could use some lately."
"We've lost our last four games," Jenny explained.
"Oh," Crystal said as she rose to her feet. "I don't know how you can play in this heat." She was wearing a tank top covered by a light blue short sleeved shirt. Without thought she peeled off the outer shirt and tossed it aside. At that very moment, Kelly hit a slow roller up the third base line. Distracted by the activity on the bleachers, the shortstop bobbled the ball, accidentally kicking it out to center field and allowing two more runs to score. Laura advanced from first to third and the home team bench exploded with catcalls and teasing comments when they realized what had happened.