Page 8 of Off Season
I smirk. “Yep. Maria had a nose piercing and Marco had two balls.”
He and Ezra start laughing but I hold up my hand. “Just kidding. There are always subtle differences in twins. You need to find them. It’s like a treasure hunt.” I look around and innocently ask, “Are Trey and Gemma coming?”
Trey is our third baseman, and his wife of a few years is Gemma. They used to come out all the time, but they had a baby a few months ago and don’t go out as much. I obviously see Trey in the locker room and on the field, but I miss Gemma. She’s the coolest chick I’ve ever met. She’s a super smart lawyer, but also a down-and-dirty secret romance author. I love her sense of humor. She may be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I admittedly have always had a crush on her, but Trey staked his claim the second he laid eyes on her. Layton wasn’t wrong earlier today. Gemma is the reason I’ve had a several-year brunette fetish.
She and I have a lot in common, and she’s become one of my best friends. I decide to text her.
Me: You guys coming out?
Gemma: Sorry, no sitter. Fletcher is asleep, and Trey wants me to himself. He’s not home many evenings during the season. I need to get my fill of my sexy man when I can.
Me: Okay. Book club meeting this week?
Gemma and I have lunch once a month to chat about the romance books we’re reading. I love reading romance books. It’s like porn with a storyline. I also think it gives insight into the minds of women. I try to tell the guys that all the time, but they don’t listen. They never read anything except fantasy football magazines.
Gemma: Yep. Come by my office and we’ll grab lunch one day.
Me: Yes, Mommy.
Gemma: Such a good boy.
I smile as I place my phone back in my pocket. She always has a comeback for my comments. Yep, Gemma DePaul is a unicorn. What I wouldn’t give for a woman with a dirty yet smart mind like Gemma’s.
Layton announces, “Here they are.”
I look up and see four women walking toward our table. Four gorgeous women. What’s cool is that they’re dressed casually, not like the usual women in the bar who dress more provocatively. The four women are all in sweatpants, but it’s the one brunette in a cropped T-shirt catching my attention. She’s fucking beautiful, with long hair, huge golden-brown eyes, a button nose, and a body built for sin. There’s something about the twinkle in her eyes and the confident way she’s walking that tells me she’s a little crazy. Just how I like them.
Layton introduces all of us and I take Kamryn’s hand in mine. A lot of women get shy or awkward when meeting famous baseball players, but she doesn’t cower at all. In fact, she licks her lips like I’m her next meal.
I squeeze her hand a little harder and ask, “Do you know the difference between a cheeseburger and a boner?”
She smiles. It’s mischievous, and I love it. “Do tell.”
“You’re not giving me a cheeseburger right now.”
She giggles. “I like you, Cruz.”
“I like you too, Kamryn. How old are you?” She could be twenty-two, too young for me, or thirty, I have no idea. Though I’m thinking older, given her confidence.
“Old enough to remember when sayingshoveitupyourasswas an insult, not a pickup line.”
I can’t help but chuckle. She’s a hellcat. I think I’m in love.
Rubbing my scruff, I ask, “But are you old enough that you still type a double space after a period?”
She lets out a laugh. “Definitelynot.”
“Hmm. I’d say that makes you roughly twenty-nine.”
She nods. “Close. Twenty-eight going on twenty. How old are you? Forty? Fifty?”
She’s fucking with me. Love it. “Thirty, going on eighteen. A perfect match.”
“Thirty, and you’re using cheesy pickup lines about cheeseburgers?” She tsks.
“You liked it.”
She bites back her smile. “Pickup lines aren’t really my thing. I’d rather be pinned down than picked up.”
