“I’ll let the servers know.”
“Are there many VIPs up here today?” Violet asked. Sometimes there were actors, politicians or rock stars roaming around these halls and taking in a game.
“More important than you?” Eddie asked with a smile. “Of course not.”
Violet playfully smacked Eddie on the arm. “Flattery will get you everything.” She turned back to Aidan and took his hand. “Come on.”
It didn’t take long to reach the Niarchos Foundation box. Just slightly to the right of home plate, they had one of the best views of the park. They went inside, passing the private catering and lounge seating area and approaching the large wall of windows and rows of seats that held over twenty people for each game. When they did big events here, the room would be filled with people munching on platters of catered food and bottles of imported wine and beer. At the moment, the large space was silent and empty.
“It’s a shame we don’t use this more. Occasionally we auction off use of the box for charity events or bring donors as a perk, but more often than not, it’s empty like this. We should coordinate with children’s groups like the scouts or contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation to let them use it. It’s such a waste.”
Violet looked out the window where the two ball teams were still warming up on the field. The stadium seats were pretty full now, so it would be time to start soon. “Well, what do you think?” she asked. “Do you like it? We don’t have to stay up here if you don’t.”
When she got no response, she turned to see Aidan looking wide-eyed and overwhelmed behind her. “Aidan? What’s the matter?”
He pulled his gaze away from the stunning view of the ballfield and turned to her. “This is, uh, nice.”
Violet frowned. “You don’t like it.”
“No, no. I mean, it’s very swanky. I should be thrilled to get the chance to sit in a private box, knowing how much it costs to reserve one for a game, much less a season. But I don’t know...it feels like something is lost. Almost like we’re watching it on a television from home. It’s impersonal.”
A tap at the door was followed by the entrance of a server wearing the standard all-black uniform for the VIP suites. “Good afternoon. Can I bring you anything before the game starts?”
Violet looked to Aidan, hoping perhaps the perks might win him over. “Would you like to order something? They have a full bar, lots of food options...even a sushi chef.”
“Are you serious?”
With his Yankees cap pulled down over his eyes, it was hard to read Aidan, but Violet was pretty sure he wasn’t impressed with the sushi. “I think we’re okay right now, thank you,” she said, dismissing their in-suite server.
Once the door clicked shut, Aidan crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled. “Is this where you sit every time you come to a game?”
“Yes,” she said. “Although sometimes we go down to the sky bar.”
“Where you drink martinis and eat sushi while enjoying America?
?s game?”
He was making fun of her. Violet wasn’t used to that. Most people kissed her rear end because of her money. Others just ignored it. But Aidan, he was goading her because of it. “We have this box. Why wouldn’t I sit up here?”
Aidan just shook his head. He looked around the room one last time and held out his hand. “Come on. You’re coming with me and you’re going to have a real game experience.”
Violet hesitated. She wasn’t sure why.
“Come on, this is a date and I planned for us to sit in cheap seats, drink sodas and share nachos while we scream at the umpire. I don’t want to sit up here in the sterile, fancy place where the rich can avoid dealing with the rest of us.”
“That’s not why—” she started to argue, but Aidan cut her off.
“Come on, Violet. We’re going to start by buying you a Yankees shirt.”
Violet took his hand and before she knew it, she was in a section of the stadium she’d never seen before. She was wearing a brand-new Yankees T-shirt blinged out with rhinestones—her requirement—and sitting between Aidan and a family there with their young kids.
He was right. There was definitely a different feel watching the game down here. You could feel the energy of the crowd, smell the roasted peanuts and freshly mowed grass, and actually see the players as more than tiny white blurs. Aidan got them both cold lemonades they drank from plastic cups, then they had hot dogs and shared a huge container of nachos.
When one of the Yankees players hit a home run, she leaped from her seat in excitement with everyone else, loudly cheering for the team. And when the seventh-inning stretch rolled around, she sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with the whole stadium.
By the top of the ninth, the sun had set and bright lights shone down on them. The game was a blowout and some people had already started to mill out, but she wasn’t ready to leave yet. She was full of greasy ballpark food and she couldn’t stop smiling at Aidan.
“So what do you think?” he asked her. “Shall we go back up to the VIP seats? Get some sushi?”