In the car, his excitement slowly fades, and he gets around to asking why I was late.
“I got hung up leaving the hotel. I was working, and you know how I get,” I tell him, thinking we’ll laugh about how when I’m in research mode, I sort of forget the time.
He looks over at me at a stoplight. “I was starting pitching today, Rose. You knew that. I needed you there.”
I don’t want to fight with him. The six months we spent apart seemed to make Brody even more dependent on me. It’s good in a way, because I like to feel needed. But sometimes he takes it too far. As if it’s all about him.
“First of all, it was a midday game, right in the middle of my work. But I was still there before the game started. I didn’t even miss one pitch. Plus, what about me? While you’re in there taking your time after the game, you leave me waiting in the parking lot. I could tell you the same thing.” I try not to get annoyed with him, but it’s hard when he sometimes only sees things from one side.
He starts to talk and then stops, reaching for my hand. “You’re right. I shouldn’t make you wait like that. From now on, after the coaches’ meeting, I’ll meet you. I won’t even shower.”
I scrunch my nose up. “No, really, take the time to shower. I don’t mind.”
He laughs out loud and squeezes my hand. He may have been upset, but even when he’s mad, he’s still holding on to me. It sometimes feels like he’s worried I’m going to walk away. By the time we get to the hotel, Brody’s joking and laughing with me, and I decide to allow him to distract me from our silly argument.
Brody
Training between games has been relentless, but I’m pleased to see it paying off. I’ve been pitching better and better, and if I keep it up I’ll be getting an increase in pay per my contract agreement, and the possibility of endorsement money.
Getting that kind of money would mean that I can finish securing a great future for Rose and me and our future kids. Of course, I know it’s a process, one thing at a time. First the career and money to get that security, later we can worry about having kids.
As soon as we get back to the hotel, I’m on the phone with my agent. “I can definitely promote that shoe brand. See what you can do.”
We say goodbye, and I turn excitedly to Rose. “I think we’re going to get the shoe deal.”
“That’s great, Brody.” She smiles at me in the mirror as she’s putting her earrings on.
“Babe, that’s like a million-dollar endorsement. You should be a little more excited that that, don’t you think?”
I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her, staring at the two of us in the mirror. She has her long brown hair down, and she’s putting her lipstick on. I hold on to her a little tighter knowing that when we go out tonight there’s going to be plenty of men looking at her. She’s always the most beautiful woman in a room. She leans back and fits perfectly in my arms. She’s smiling, but it’s not quite reaching her eyes. “I’m happy for you…” she starts, but I interrupt her.
“Us. It’s you too. If I get this, do you know how big this could be for us?”
She nods her head before turning in my arms. “I am happy. And I’m so proud of you. But even without all that, I’m just happy when I get to spend time with you. That’s more important to me.”
I know what she means, and I understand her frustrations. Finding time between training and games to go out is difficult, so I’m excited that we’re going out tonight, especially after that little spat we had in the car earlier.
“Me too. I love you, Rose. And you look beautiful.” I give her a quick kiss before we head out to meet up with my teammates.
3
Rose
It’s obvious by the way his teammates look at Brody and me that they didn’t think he was bringing his wife along for their night out on the town. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come, Brody,” I tell him as we’re walking up to his team at the bar downtown. I feel a bit awkward, sort of like a third wheel—or in this case, the ninth wheel. They’re all smiling at me now, but I saw the surprise on their faces when they saw me. I look around them but don’t see any of the other girlfriends. And the few that do have wives are not here tonight.
“No.” Brody squeezes my hand before pulling me in closer. “You belong by my side.”
There’s heat in his eyes as he says it. We may be considered newlyweds, and I’ve heard that our passion for each other is destined to fade, but the way he looks at me, as if I’m the only woman in the room, has me hoping not.
Some of the guys break off, and Brody and I sit at a table with a few of the older guys from the team.
After we’ve talked about the game, and the excitement has worn off some, the topic of kids comes up. Brody is quick to answer for the both of us that we’re not rushing things. “Just because we married young doesn’t mean we’re filling up the love nest with hatchlings.”
Everyone around us laughs, and I try to shrug off his quick response. We’ve talked about waiting to have kids, but I can’t help but wonder what we’ll do when we do have them. Brody can’t expect me to follow the team with a baby on my hip.
The guys are all about jumping from bar to bar and club to club, and it seems like every place we go, the team picks up more and more slutty women wanting to share a night with a major leaguer. I know it comes with the territory, but I can’t get used to seeing random women drooling all over the players, including Brody.
“Do you wanna dance?” a woman asks over the beat of the music.
Brody, Kyle and I are sitting at a table. Of all his teammates, Kyle is probably the one I like best. He seems down to earth. Although he’s had a good time tonight, he hasn’t let it get out of hand. And I’ve seen him turn down more women to dance than any of them.
I look up from my glass of wine and am a little stunned that it’s Brody the woman is asking, not Kyle… and she is absolutely stunning.
I swallow the liquid in my mouth and take a deep breath. I watch Brody closely and he doesn’t even hesitate. “No, thanks. I’m married,” he tells her, reaching for me.
The woman turns to me and seems to take me in before turning back to Brody with a shrug. “Your loss.” And then she saunters away. Stunned, I sit back and shake my head. Did she really just say that? Brady squeezes my thigh under the table and finishes the story he was telling Kyle before the woman interrupted.
But instead of talking, I get lost in thought. Brody turned the woman down. He’s great about letting them know he’s off limits, so I know I really don’t have the right to be mad, but the way he blushes and sometimes watches the women he sends packing walk away makes me wonder if he feels like marrying me was a mistake. He’d said we were young when we got married, but it sounded like he’d meant too young with the way he’d verbally stressed the word young.
Looking around at the men enjoying being worshipped by women, I can’t help but think that Brody probably wishes he could get in on all the false worship and endless meaningless sex his teammates are enjoying.