Turbulent Desires(19)

"I don't want to be a burden to them," Lindsey insisted.

"It would be so much more of a burden to them if you left before you  were ready," he said, and there was so much truth shining from his eyes  it was impossible for her not to believe him.

"Thanks, Mav. That does make me feel better," she told him.

They chatted as they left the harbor and got on the freeway. He still  wasn't telling her where they were going, but when he pulled up to a  nearly empty parking lot at Safeco Field, she wondered what he had up  his sleeves.

"Engine trouble?" she asked.

"Nope. We're gonna play some baseball. Hope you have your swinging arm ready."

She waited for the punch line but one didn't come.

"I thought we had a meeting about the fund-raiser," she pointed out.

"We do. We're meeting with the manager of the team, who is a huge  supporter of the organization, and then we're playing with the team."

"But I really don't get it," she said, confused.

"Part of fund-raising is friendships. People want to support  organizations for causes they empathize with, but they also need to like  the people they work with. However, most of what I do is about making  people feel relaxed and appreciated. We all help each other out."

"I really don't understand this. I'm so not the girl to chair your  event. All I see is that this is a pro-ball field. We can't just go in  there and play," she told him.

He laughed before he leapt out of the truck and came around to open her  door. "We're not sneaking in. We're having a meeting and then playing  with the team."

He was so matter-of-fact she almost felt silly questioning him.

"Normal people don't get to go and play with a major league baseball team," she said, hoping to knock some sense into the man.

"Whoever said I was normal?" he asked as he reached up and grabbed her  by the waist with his good arm, pulling her down from the truck. He  gripped her hand and began tugging her toward a side door.

"We can't do this. I'm not good enough to do this," she said, digging her feet in, which at least stopped him.

"We're just going to have a little fun," he said with his "trust me" smile.

"Falling on my face in front of the Seattle Mariners is not my idea of a little fun," she said.

"How am I going to show off in front of you, sugar, if I can't even get you on the field?" he said with a laugh.

"Do you play?" Was there anything he didn't do would be the more accurate question.

"A little," he said with a shrug.

"What's a little?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"I played in high school, and Duke offered me a full baseball scholarship, but I was a moron back then and didn't take it."

"Duke? Like the Duke?" she said in shock.

"Yep, one and the same. My life ended up taking a different path. I'm  grateful I joined the Air Force, even more grateful I fly F-18s, but I  sure wish I would've played ball. I have some great friends here,  though, and come play with them once in a while to get the bug out."

"Wow, just . . . wow." She didn't want to be in awe of this man, but it was getting more and more difficult not to be.

She was deathly silent, though, as they made their way inside the  stadium. He took her down tunnels she'd never even dreamed of walking  through before, and then he pushed his way through a door that she knew  instantly was the locker room. That smell was something they couldn't  disguise no matter how fancy a place was.

"Cover up, boys, I brought a lady," was the only warning Mav gave before he turned a corner.

Lindsey was both fascinated and embarrassed as she entered the sacred  locker room of athletes she'd admired for years. Baseball was her  favorite sport, and to be in the locker room of the Mariners was about  as cool as it got. She went to as many games as her schedule and budget  would allow.

"Dang, Mav, how did you get such a hottie to go out with you?" one of  the guys asked as he sat shirtless on the bench tying his cleats.

"I've got charm," Mav said with a grin. "Aren't you girls ready yet?  We're running late. I figured you'd be on the field by now."         

     



 

"Half the team's out there. A few had to drag their butts in. We had a long week on the road."

"Sounds good. We're meeting with John and then we'll be out to kick some butt. Where's Lindsey's stuff?"

"John put it over there," the man said and pointed, and much to  Lindsey's delight, Mav took her over to a pile where a jersey and hat  were sitting.

She had to fight tears as Mav handed them to her. It was authentic gear from the team.

"These are mine?" she asked, feeling foolish as she fought not to cry.

"Yep. You're part of the team tonight," he told her.

Without a second thought, she threw her arms around his neck and hung on  tight. This was truly the greatest present anyone had ever given her.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how I could possibly ever pay you back for this," she said as she stepped back.

There was something burning in his eyes that she couldn't quite read so  she turned and looked away. She didn't want to feel confused, and  whatever that look was, it was certainly making her head spin.

"No prob. I needed you to see how fun this can be," he said with a chuckle as he caressed her cheek.

"This is bribery, you know," she said, feeling as if she were going to burst.

"Then my plans are working. I know your weaknesses now," he told her with a wink.

She really was caving far too easily. But she couldn't find it within  herself to care. She threw the jersey on over her shirt and then got her  hair tucked up under the hat before sending a beaming smile to Mav. She  didn't even care if she fell on her face. It would be worth it. Just  getting to go out on the field would be the greatest night of her life.

"Maverick, you're just in time."

Lindsey turned to see a man dressed in a suit walking up to them.

"Good to see you, John. Let's get business out of the way so we can go  hit some balls," Mav said as he walked up and shook the man's hand.  "This is Lindsey. I'm trying to talk her into chairing the event.  Bringing her here has given me some good points," he added with a laugh.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lindsey. Let's step into my office."

They followed John through some more tunnels and then sat with him for a  half hour speaking about numbers and projects. What shocked Lindsey was  that she was able to keep up with the conversation. What shocked her  even more was that she found herself jumping in and coming up with her  own ideas.

By the end of the conversation, as Mav led her back through the tunnels,  she was ready to commit. The cause truly was something she felt she  could promote. But fund-raising was pushed out of her mind as they made  it back to the locker room.

"Now that work is out of the way, are you ready to play?" Mav asked.

"More than ready," she told him.

He took her hand again, but this time he didn't have to drag her. She  practically dragged him as they made their way out onto the field where  the players were already hitting and throwing balls. She stood there on  the edge and watched the magic for a few minutes before the rest of the  team joined them. Then they split up.

"All right, Lins, you're up at bat first," Mav said before he trotted off to first base.

Her heart was racing as she selected a bat and slowly approached home  plate. She prayed she didn't completely fail. That would really suck in  front of her heroes.

"Ready?" Jonathan Arturo Aro called and her heart beat a bit faster. The very talented Mariners pitcher was talking to her.

"I think so," she said in a choked voice.

He gave her a grin that nearly made her faint, and then he leaned back.

The first ball whipped by so fast she didn't even see it, just heard the  sound of it hitting the mitt behind her. In astonishment she turned  around and looked at the catcher who was grinning ear to ear.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she gasped.

He smiled even bigger as he stood up and threw the ball back, not quite  as fast, but pretty dang quickly, in her opinion, before winking at her  through the mask he was wearing.

"Nah. He wasn't even putting any real heat in it," Steve Clevenger replied.

"Dang. If that wasn't putting heat into it, I don't want to see what he can really do," she mumbled.

"Okay, quit showing off now, Jon," Mav yelled from first base.

"Ah, I was going easy on her, Mav," Jon yelled back.

"She's already taken, so give up the showboating," Mav called back.

Lindsey's head whipped back and forth at the exchange. Then Jon laughed  and got back into position, so she returned to a batting stance and  waited. The next ball went much slower, and she was satisfied when the  bat connected and the ball went soaring through the air.         

     



 

Dropping the bat, she ran as hard as she could while Mav stood on the  base, waiting to tag her out. When she landed before the ball, she knew  the players were letting her get away with it, but she didn't care. This  was way too much fun and she didn't want to be sent to the dugout.