Page 11 of The Game Changer
Just then, a deep voice from behind us bellows, “June bug!”
Juni spins around on her stool, flinging her arms out. I turn around as well, just in time to see a tall man swing her off her seat.
“You’re back!”
When she’s finally set back down, Juniper turns and grabs my hand. “Isla, this is Cal. Cal, meet my best friend Isla.”
Cal’s face falls into a sad puppy expression. “Damn, I thought I was your best friend.”
Juniper’s eyes roll as she shakes her head. “It’s different,Cal. Boy best friend and girl best friend are two separate things. Deal with it.”
His face lights up again in a grin as he sticks out his hand. “Cal Prescott. Nice to meet ya, girl best friend.”
I take his enthusiastic shake, but mentally, I’m drawing connections. This is Cal? The guy Juni has a hundred stories about? I’ve seen his photo around the stadium, of course, and in pictures on Juniper’s social media. But somehow, he’s even better looking in person. Especially with that smile he’s giving her, as if she’s the only person he sees.
They’ve only known each other a few years, but she talks about him so much, I teased her once about their relationship being beyond friendship. She shot me down immediately.
“You play for the Thunder, right? I just started a couple weeks ago, running the marketing campaign for the relaunch. Were you at the barbecue on Wednesday?”
He shakes his head. “Nah, I was out of town helping my baby sister deal with some shit. But I heard the new boss hired a bunch of people to help turn things around. I’m excited to see what happens.”
I give him a genuine smile back. “Me too.”
Dot returns, sliding two big plates of food across the counter before turning to Cal. “What can I get you, big guy?”
He sneaks a fry off Juniper’s plate. “This looks great, Dottie, can I have the same?”
“Of course, hon. How’s your mom doing?”
Dot and Cal strike up a conversation and I spin Juni to face me, my eyebrows raised.
“What?” she mumbles around a mouthful of french fry.
I shake my head in amusement. Okay, she’s oblivious. But before I can say anything more, a big arm is draped over her shoulder.
“So, Isla, what do you think the chances are of the team getting new uniforms?” Cal’s hopeful puppy dog expression has me chuckling.
“Pretty good, actually.”
“Thank God,” he says before stealing another one of Juni’s fries.
She slaps his hand away. “Wait for your own food!”
“But yours tastes better.”
I hide my smirk as I watch them. Yep, oblivious. Both of them.
6
LUCA
Who knew tryingto revitalize a baseball team would involve so many goddamn meetings.
Yeah, the thought sounds ridiculously stupid as soon as I think it. But I’m used to a lot more hands-ondoingto get shit done, and a lot lesstalkingabout it. That’s part of why I sold GaitSync. Because I wasn’t interested in the business side of distributing the technology, I just wanted to build it.
The payout from selling it didn’t hurt, either. But how did I not realize buying a baseball team would mean endless conversations about budgets and plans.
Dom’s waiting for me in his office space to discuss those very things. Budgets and plans.
