Page 24 of Leave It On The Field (Grand Slam 3)
ChapterEight
SEB
October 29, 2022
“You ready for the party? Drew wants the team there in ten.”
I glance over to the elevator as Joe walks into the suite.
“Yeah,” I say, tucking in the shirt that Sophie packed for me. She said it’s some special shade of blue. I can’t remember what she called it, but she said it makes my eyes look dreamy. “Where’s the party?”
“The rooftop deck. It’s a pool party.”
“Oh man. Are the sponsors wearing swimsuits? Talking to them is already uncomfortable enough.”
Joe laughs. “I doubt anyone’s going to swim, but someone might get thrown in at some point. Everyone’s getting that crazy World Series energy.”
I grunt. Sophie calls this reaction the “reluctant caveman.” Basically I acknowledge what I heard but don’t really like it, so now I would just like to move on.
“Sophie texted me about a half hour ago,” I say. “She said she’s at the hotel. Have you seen her?”
“Yeah, I witnessed her arrival. Drew’s so pissed. He screamed at Max when he said hi to Sophie. All this stuff about team security not being responsible for Sophie. Max was like, “Damn Drew, I’m just saying hi to her.” Then Drew ran over to me and told me Max was being insubordinate. Drew’s gotten so insecure. He was never like that before this year.”
“Because he had Gary Randall in his back pocket,” I say, grabbing my phone and room key off the dresser. “Since Gary sold the team, Drew’s been crazy as fuck. He thinks Dottie doesn’t like him, and he’s probably right. He’s gotten all paranoid that she’s going to fire him.”
“He needs to chill. I’m sure Mrs. Morris loves the fact that he got her team to the World Series—”
“Drew didn’t do shit,” I say, pointing at him. “Bud and our coaches deserve the credit. Not him.”
Joe holds the elevator door open. “Well, he got the right pieces in place. Drew’s a dick, but he did a good job assembling this team. Maybe give him a little bit of a break.”
I grunt again as the elevator opens on the rooftop level. Everyone turns to me when someone yells, “Seb’s here!”
Joe puts his hand on my shoulder and starts pushing me through the crowd to where the rest of the team are standing.
“Hey, man,” I say to Alex. “Have you seen Sophie? I just texted her, but she hasn’t texted me back.”
“Not yet. I’m sure she’s fine, though. Raine said Mason and Butch haven’t left her side since she got here.”
“That makes me feel better.” I pat him on the shoulder. “How’s this feeling for you? Your last year playing and all. It’s got to be kind of bittersweet, right?”
“Honestly,” he says, looking around the deck, “not really. I won’t miss this stuff at all. You and the guys, yeah. Actually being on the field playing, yeah. But there’s a lot I won’t miss too. I’m looking forward to blending into the woodwork.”
“You’re not going to blend. Just because you’re not playing doesn’t mean people will leave you alone. They’re still going to recognize you.”
“Yeah,” Alex says, nodding at Manny as he joins us, “but it’s not going to be this intense, especially since I won’t be living in Miami.”
“Did you decide if you’re selling your house here?” Manny asks.
“Not at first. Maybe not ever. I love Miami. But while I’m in school and Raine and I are deciding our future, I’ll be in California more than here.”
The team’s head of sales, Evelyn, wedges her way into our group. “Gentlemen, you talk to each other enough. You need to mingle with our sponsors.”
“Come on, Ev,” I say, “you know how much I hate talking to strangers.”
“I’ve worked with you for almost nine years. I know everything about you, but I also know you promised Dottie you would play nicely tonight.”
I look at her and snarl. She crosses her arms as she smiles up at me. She’s one of the only team employees who can get me to do sponsor stuff. It’s been that way since I was a rookie.
