Page 127 of Banter & Blushes #1
M itch’s blue full sized truck pulled into the parking lot of Gandolf’s on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Not wasting any time, Elva stepped onto the sidewalk in a long light blue sundress, hat under her arm and a small purse.
Wow, Mitch mouthed to himself before repeating it to her. “Wow, you look amazing.” He gushed more than he meant to, opening the passenger side door.
“Thank you,” she blushed. Glancing at the large faded tattoo peaking up from under the rolled sleeve of his light blue button collared shirt untucked over his khaki shorts. “You look nice too, new hat?” She asked, seeing a fresher Blue Claw cap on.
“This is just my dress up hat,” he grinned with his entire face. The stubble on his face seemed strategic, helping him look rugged and handsome.
“I like it,” she complimented.
Barely out of the Landings she asked, “so tell me about your cousins.”
“I think you’re going to love them. I mean, I hope you do. I know they are certainly going to love you.”
“Are they older or younger than you?”
“Much older. They were almost like my older sisters, more than cousins. We grew up very close. I still do all the work they need around the B&B when I have free time, or even when I don’t.” He laughed, “trust me, they aren’t shy about coming up with projects.”
“That’s sweet of you to help them.” She grinned, watching his side profile as he drove. He really was so handsome.
“I thought we’d stop in and see them after the game, if you are okay with that? If I don’t stop by when I’m in town, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Sure, I can’t wait to meet them,” she looked out of the window, wondering the last time she took an entire day off. She couldn’t remember it.
They pulled into the parking lot next to the baseball stadium, but there were only a few cars. Surprised not to see more people, she asked, “Did we miss the game?”
“It’s pre-game practice right now. This parking lot will fill up very soon. Trust me.”
“Oh?” She tried to hide her confusion.
“Wait there,” he opened his door and jumped out. Walking around the front of the truck, he opened her door from the outside and offered his hand for her to hold getting out.
“Thank you, sir.”
Instead of going through the main entrance he walked her to a door on the back of the building, opening it for her to step through. “Are we sneaking in the back?” She couldn’t help but ask. When he offered to take her to the game, she assumed they’d have tickets.
“I guess you could say that,” he grinned without giving too much away.
They walked down a cold cement block hallway painted in the Blue Claw blue and gold colors before opening to the baseball field.
Standing on the perfectly manicured grass, she looked up to the expanse of the empty stands around them.
The team was practicing on the opposite side of the field.
“Come on,” he offered her to take his hand.
Weaving his fingers in between hers, he guided her to the other side.
“Hey guys,” he smiled to the team warming up.
“Mitch!” Half of the team yelled out in unison.
“Fellas, I’d like to introduce you to El.”
She felt her insides flutter hearing him shorten her name. “This is her first game, so we are giving her the full VIP treatment.”
“It’s a beautiful day,” she contributed with the warmth of the sun shining down on their faces.
The pitcher who was stretching out his arm yelled out like the game announcer, “IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR SOME BLUE CLAW BASEBALL!”
“That’s Hank,” Mitch pointed. “Boomer, Red, James, Stretch,” he pointed from one player to the other. “Poppi, Dan, Bingo, Parker and our shortstop, Top.”
“Ma’am,” the captain of the team nodded his head. “Nice to meet ya. We are going to play a great game for you today.”
Elva wasn’t used to so much attention, but she wasn’t shy about it either. “I hope you do,” she smiled back at him.
“ALRIGHT! Let’s get going out here,” the coach came out of the same hallway, yelling at the team the moment he hit the sunlight. Then he saw the visitors. “Mitch!” His hand instantly extended to shake, “how’s it going, man? We haven’t seen you in a bit.”
“Work, you know?” Mitch shook his hand back. “Gary, please meet Elva. This is her first game. I was just introducing her to the team.”
“Good to meet you,” he offered his hand for her to shake, “Gary.”
“Nice to meet you, Gary. You have a nice group of guys here.”
He laughed looking at his team grabbing their gloves and running out to practice their formations on the field, “sometimes.” He swatted the side of Mitch’s arm with his clipboard. “We’ll try to play a good game for ya today.”
With that, Mitch led Elva up the small steps to the stands above the dugout.
“Everyone knows you here, don’t they?”
He wrinkled his nose, “maybe not everyone.”
Laughing as she followed up the riser stairs she added, “I feel like there’s more to the story?”
His hand motioned for her to take a seat, pushing down the bottom of the foldable chair. “Well,” he sat down next to her, adjusting his hat, “I played a little ball in my younger days.”
“Played? Here?”
Nodding his head up and down, “yep. After my Marine Corps service. Pen was just a toddler then.” He looked around before he went on, “Her first job was as a ticket girl here, actually. Now she works for the GM.”
“Wow! You are just full of surprises, aren’t you?” She batted her eyelashes his way. Taking in everything he shared, she readjusted in her seat to see his face better next to her, “so you played on the team?”
“It was a very long time ago.”
“What position?”
“DH, uh, designated hitter.” He explained. “Gar and I played together, actually. I try to stop in when I can to catch a game but honestly I haven’t been coming much recently. “
“Why’s that?”
“Just busy with work.”
“And you aren’t busy now?”
Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, he realized that wasn’t the best choice talking to the woman in charge of his current project. “Well…”
“I’m just teasing you,” she tapped his knee with her hand, letting it sit there for a minute.
“That’s a relief. I wouldn’t want you to fire me.”
“I wouldn’t want that, either.” She looked at her hand still resting on his knee.
“Thanks for agreeing to come with me today,” his hand came to rest on top of hers on his knee.
Feeling her cheeks blush, she didn’t know how she wanted to answer. Luckily, before she had to, another friendly face appeared to shake Mitch’s hand.
“Mitch!” A tall man with the same ball cap walked down the steps toward them. “I thought that was you,” he continued as Mitch and Elva turned toward him.
Mitch stood up to greet him, offering his hand that was just on Elva’s to shake. “Hey, man! ”
“How’s it going? I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“Great, actually. I’ve been working on a big project in the Landings.
North Shores.” Turning toward his seat, he motioned for Elva.
“I’d love to introduce you to Duke Spring.
Duke, this is Elva. She owns the very famous Gandolf’s restaurant on the coast of the Landings.
She hasn’t been to a game before, if you can believe that? ”
The man in his early forties gave her a million-dollar smile. His strong cheekbones lifted, his eyes lighting up his entire face. “Hello,” she smiled, shaking his hand, “it’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Spring.”
“Duke, please. Mr. Spring is my father. It’s lovely to meet you.”
“Duke and his sisters own a large farm on the edge of Red Bird. He’s on the town council now. Mayor next?” He explained to his guest.
“I don’t know that I’m the right Spring for politics. Donna, maybe? To tell you the truth, I’d rather be on the farm.” Duke chuckled.
“I hear you there, man.” He agreed.
Music started playing on the speaker system to hype everyone up for the game as more and more spectators began finding seats.
“If you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to go say hello to.” Turning his attention to Elva, he smiled, “it’s a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again.”
“You too, thank you.” Taking her seat again and looking across the ball field before turning to Mitch. “Everyone is so nice here.”
His eyes stared straight into hers, “Reminds you of home, doesn’t it?”
Instead of answering, her smile grew larger. It really did.