JENN
Here’swhat I know about baseball now: There are nine innings. There are nine players in the lineup. And my boyfriend is, bar none, my favorite player of all time.
It’s a couple of weeks after our big reunion, and the weather is perfect for Austin’s charity game. He tried to get the Mavericks fancy tickets, but Seb called him a snob. So we’re all in the cheap seats, picnicking with a delicious assortment of food and cheap beer. Dating your way into a group of food and beverage connoisseurs: highly recommended.
“I saw Lanie’s TikTok post about Vital last night,” Grace tells me, beaming. “I’m truly obsessed with her now.”
“Welcome to the club!” Millie toasts with her plastic cup.
“She’s great, right?” I ask. “The woman is a born PR genius.”
“So, she and Mac are actually coming into the spa?” Callie asks. “We need to start using our passes if it’s a celebrity hotspot.” She elbows Dash, who’s deep in conversation making wacky bets on the game with Flynn and Seb.
“Huh?” he looks up, confused.
“Don’t worry,” Callie steals his fries. “And put five for me on someone’s pants splitting.” She turns back to me. “So, any gossip from your new famous friends?”
“Well…” I lean in closer. “They got in a little trouble last week.” Waggling my eyebrows, I whisper, “They got kicked out of the sauna for… Activities not befitting our organization. Even investors can’t break health code.”
“Shenanigans,” Millie shrieks, with a laugh.
I nod happily. “It’s actually pretty sweet how in love they are.”
Millie nods thoughtfully. “By the way, any word from Other Jennifer?”
“Yes, we had drinks on the weekend.” I say. “She’s doing so well. Signed a year-long lease in the city, which is a first for her. She was always bouncing from place to place.”
“That’s great,” Millie cheers, already pink-cheeked from a single beer.
“Her new boyfriend is a research scientist at a local hospital,” I add.
“Research scientist,” Millie coos. “Fancy.”
I grin. “They met at a stamp-collection convention.”
Grace gasps. “Stop it. You’re making that up.”
“Honest to God,” I say, holding up one hand like an oath. “Apparently, it’s been her hobby since she was a kid, and seeing me and mytrèsuncool knitting circle inspired her to pursue it properly. Can you imagine? Me, inspiring her for a change!”
Callie giggles. “Amazing.” She turs her attention to the baseball diamond. “Is Austin pumped about this?”
Pumped… Maybe. Nervous, definitely.
“I think he’ll have fun,” I tell them. “Getting on the field again must be weird, after all this time. But, once he gets going, I think he’ll have a blast. He was excited to see some of his old teammates,” I add.
Still, I can’t help feeling a tiny twinge of worry, so I decide to go wish him luck. I head down the bleachers, and back into the players’ complex, sneaking past security and into the dressing room.
Too late, I realize I might be walking into a naked-player situation, but luckily, the first man I encounter is Austin, shirtless in his baseball pants.
I wolf-whistle, and he does a double take. “What are you doing in here?” he mock-scolds me, pulling me tight against his body.
“You know me,” I tease. “I’m just a rule-breaking, wild kind of woman.”
“Yes, you are.” Austin steals a kiss. Around the office, we’ve tried to keep things professional, but I love being able to indulge in PDA when he’s not in CEO-mode. “Miss me already?”
“Mhmm.” I nuzzle into his chest. “I wanted to wish you luck. Nervous?”
He shrugs. “It’s not a real game. As long as we sell tickets, and raise money for a good cause…”