Page 32 of Leave It On The Field (Grand Slam 3)
ChapterTen
SEB
October 30, 2022
After the party last night, I talked to Sophie on the phone for almost an hour, and then tried to get some sleep. I was very unsuccessful. I tossed and turned most of the night thinking about ways to sneak her into my room. In the little more than a year we’ve been married, we’ve only spent a handful of nights apart. She’s my security blanket. I get edgy when she’s not around.
As we pull up to the stadium for the first game of the series, I’m a weird mixture of exhausted and hyper. I feel like I have no energy and way too much energy at the same time. The adrenaline keeps bursting through my body in uncomfortable jolts. I’m usually pretty even. It feels weird to be this jumpy.
“Damn,” I say as our bus pulls into the underground parking. “First the crazy crowd around the hotel and now at the stadium. There have to be a couple thousand people out there. The game doesn’t even start for seven hours.”
Joe laughs. “I already told you just because this isn’t a big deal for you doesn’t mean it’s not a big deal for the rest of the city. Miami’s crazy right now. Everything is about this team.”
As we get off the bus, a group of people start walking toward us down the concourse. They’re all dressed in team jerseys. Dottie’s leading the way. They form a two-sided receiving line that leads from the bus to our clubhouse.
“Welcome, team!” Dottie yells. She starts a clap that ripples through the rest of the line. “Good luck tonight!”
She gives us high fives as we start down the line. The other people mimic her and offer us fist bumps and words of encouragement as we funnel through their human tunnel. Evelyn’s at the end of the line. She’s has her hand over her mouth trying to hold in a laugh.
“Was this your idea?” I ask, pointing at her.
“It wasn’t,” she says, finally letting the laugh come out, “but seeing that awkward, pained look on your face has made it all worthwhile. This was actually Ken’s idea.”
“Hey!” Ken shoves her as she continues to laugh. “Don’t try to get me into trouble with him. This was entirely Dottie’s idea. And since she signs our paychecks, we can all act like we’re enjoying this little pep rally. Seb, pregame presser in ten. MLB is running it. Let’s try to be on time.”
I nod as I walk into the clubhouse.
Bud walks over and pats my back. “Exciting, right? You ready?”
“Just any other game,” I say as I throw my bag at the foot of my locker. “Once we get on the field, anyway.”
“Seb,” Ken says from the door. “Let’s go. Alex, Manny, you’re with us too.”
As we start walking down the concourse to the interview room, I spot Sophie standing with Dottie. My body relaxes instantly when I see her.
“Soph!” I jog over to her.
“Hey!” She runs over and flings her body into mine. “I’m so glad I got to see you before the game. I missed you last night. Did you sleep okay?”
“Not at all.” I pull her to me. “I think I’ve forgotten how to sleep without you curled up next to me.”
“Same. I’m sure I kept Raine up most of the night.”
Mason’s standing a few feet away. His face is drawn. It makes my body tense up again. “Did something happen this morning? Mason looks like he’s about to kill someone.”
“Nope. All good.” Her voice is fake cheerful.
“Soph,” I say, tilting up her chin, “you know I get crazier when you hide stuff from me. What happened?”
“Nothing important.” She puts her hands on my chest. “When we left the hotel, a bunch of fans were yelling stuff at me, but they didn’t get close. Butch and Mason have been stuck to my side.”
“Seb.” Ken’s waving me toward the interview room.
“Hold up!” I yell at him. “I’ll be there in a second. What were they yelling?”
“The normal stuff—how I’m a distraction to you. It’s no big deal.”
“You’re not a distraction.”
