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BASEBALL BOYFRIEND

Amanda

I will always hate travel weeks.

Jamie comes home tonight, but being apart for the last week has sucked. I’ve had events, volleyball, and my friends to keep me entertained, but I always miss him. Especially at night. The bed always feels lonely. If there was any sort of consistency in our lives, I might consider getting a pet, but that’s a long way away.

Me: Less than twelve hours!

Baseball boyfriend: Counting down the seconds. Love you, baby. Good luck today!

Me: Lol. Pretty sure I’m the one who should be saying that. Pitch awesome.

Baseball boyfriend: You have a half-day tournament, so good luck, kick ass, and I can’t wait to hear all about it.

Me: Back at you. Love you. See you soon! If you need a pick-me-up, text me any time and I’ll sneak into the bathroom and send you a shot of my tits.

Baseball boyfriend: As badly as I want to see that, there are too many prying eyes around. I’ll have to settle for the live show tonight.

Me: I’ll be waiting.

He sends a kissing face emoji, and I finally tuck my phone in my bag.

“How’s Jamie?” Chelsea sings from her spot next to me on the bleachers.

Chelsea Winters is one of my best friends in the universe. Which is saying something since I have a whole tribe of them now. We met at the beginning of fall semester when she started working with Rae and then dating Trevor. She easily became a part of our friend group, and we’ve formed a strong bond. We both love volleyball, so we teamed up for the rec league this year along with Dani.

We named our team the Ida Heartthrobs after the town that none of us are from but bonded us anyway, and the fact that we’re hot as fuck badass babes.

One of the douchey guys from another team tried to mansplain how “heartthrob” is only supposed to be used for men. He was on the receiving end of three withering glares and a speech about feminism.

Secretly, our team name is also a little nod to our guys, since they are three hotties from Ida, who everyone always wanted, but they only have eyes for us.

I’ve gotten a lot better about not questioning that. I’ve had to. Of course, in almost two years, Jamie has shown me over and over again how much he wants me and how deeply I can trust him. With him on the road and even at the minor league level having ball bunnies around, my trust in him has been put to the test, but I don’t even question it now. Jamie has shown his loyalty and put my heart at ease. He comes home as quickly as he can and is always ready to worship me. I do everything I can to make him feel the same way.

Our relationship is far from perfect, but it’s beautiful, hard-won, and something we both continue to work on and fight for every day. If I could describe my perfect relationship, that’s exactly what it would be. Even in our rough moments, he always makes me feel seen and understood. He is my safe place and my home, and I’m grateful for how hard we’ve worked to be here now.

I elbow Chelsea. “He’s fine. How’s Trevor?”

“A sweet little grumpy bear like usual,” Chelsea says.

Dani laughs at that. “He’s so soft for you. It’s adorable. You know he’s going to be here with a jug of water, cheering you on, scowling at all the guys—especially the ones we have to play against—and making sure you’re hydrated.”

“And Jesse will be right next to him,” Chelsea throws back. “Probably with ice cream.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he convinces Garrett to bring the truck down.”

One of Jesse’s best friends owns an ice cream place, and would probably happily sell ice cream to all us sweaty and overheated players.

I smile along with the girls, but that pang of sadness hits me. I wish Jamie could be here too. I love when he’s cheering me on, but this is a part of life—a part of his career. One that I’ll probably never get used to, but I’m okay with that if it means I still miss him. I’d rather feel those achy pains in my heart than not care when he’s gone.

“You two ready?” Dani asks.

Chelsea and I stand up, and follow her onto the floor as the announcer calls out, “And in our first matchup, the Ida Heartthrobs versus the Good Old Boys.”

Chelsea, Dani, and I look at each other and snicker .

Time to hand the douchey boys their asses.

“Yes, I can add those flowers to the list, but it will increase the price of the bouquets.”

The bride I’m on the phone with sighs heavily then says she’ll confirm with her mother, who is paying for the wedding.

“Okay. Have her call me directly if she has any questions. Anything else?”

When she says no, I happily end the call and put away my phone.

I have a love-hate relationship with planning weddings. Some couples are incredible to work with and have fun ideas and input. We work together to make the day their dream, no matter the budget. It all started with Aaron and Rae. I planned their wedding in four months, and it was amazing. It’ll go down as one of my favorite events ever planned, and that’s only partly because I love them so much. I’ve done a handful since then, and they’re always either awesome or terrible, nothing in between.

This one has been terrible, bridging on migraine territory every time I have to solve a disagreement between the bride and her mother . The groom is as useful as a dull nail, and usually looks like he’d rather be watching paint dry than having a conversation about the wedding. The bride and her mother are either crying happily in agreement—rare—or they’re yelling at each other while the mother threatens to not pay, and the bride threatens to uninvite her from the wedding. Somehow, I’ve become the family therapist. I’m not sure who I feel worse for.

Besides myself.

Whatever. I keep business hours. In theory. So the work phone is going off—because I do not give clients my actual number anymore after one called me at three in the morning. Any other chaos will have to wait until morning .

I made food earlier, so all I have to do is warm it up when Jamie gets home.

I take a peek at the clock—almost nine—then change into my silky pajama set and climb into bed for a little nap. Jamie should be home around eleven, so this will give me time to warm dinner up, so it’s ready when he gets in.

I’m so ready for him to have a day off and be home for the whole week.

After setting my timer for an hour, I turn the noise machine on and settle in.

When I wake up, there will be an hour or less until I’m finally in Jamie’s arms again. That achy feeling hits again, but I revel in it. It’s a sign of our love, and I’m always happy to honor that.

Jamie

We got our asses kicked. Not that I’m surprised. It was drizzly. It was the last game of a road trip, and everyone was exhausted and ready to be home. I gave up more hits than I wanted and two runs, but the reliever they put in gave up five more runs. We ended with a seven to two loss.

It hurts, but with the season we’ve had, it’s not a huge deal. It’s all part of the game.

I’m still going to beat myself up a bit because that’s what I do. I always want to grow and get better and slumpy games like this throw me off, but my coaches were quick to remind us we still dominated this series.

None of it matters right now though, because all I want to do is get home to my girl. We’re back earlier than we thought we’d be, and I always love that because it’s a little extra surprise for her.

The apartment is quiet when I walk in, though some lights are on.

I find Amanda in the bedroom, asleep on top of the covers, and the timer on her phone about to go off.

I stare down at her, splayed out beautifully. She’s so peaceful like this.

She’s mine.

My cock thickens as I stare at her, then I flick her timer off and carefully crawl onto the bed, ready to give her a much better wake-up call than her alarm.

Carefully, I pull down her silky little sleep shorts, spreading her legs and putting her slick pussy on full display.

I wonder if she’s dreaming of me. If she’s been desperate for me. How many times she touched herself this week while missing me.

Settling between her legs, I lap my tongue up her center, enjoying her sweet and tangy taste, then work my way up and swirl my tongue over her clit.

She moans in her sleep, and my cock leaks in my pants.

Gripping her thighs, I lick her clit again, then suck it into my mouth.

She inhales sharply, and I glance up, watching as she stirs. Blinking a couple of times, she looks down at me, her eyes going wide. Joy fills her face, but it’s quickly replaced by pleasure. She fists my hair and rolls her hips, riding my face.

Yes, baby. Take what you need from me.

I love waking her up like this. There’s an extra high when she’s sleepy and relaxed and she’s malleable under my touch. All it takes is the swirl of my finger around her opening and her body seizes, pulsing in long contractions as she whimpers and whines.

My cock is painfully hard as it pushes against my fly, but I don’t care. All I care about is her.

“Jamie…” She wiggles her hips and pulls away from my touch. “How long was I asleep?”

She fumbles for her phone as I sit up and crawl over to her.

“You’re home early,” she says happily, sweeping her hand over my face as I lie down next to her.

“Yep. I missed you so much I made the bus driver speed. ”

She laughs and kisses me. “I missed you too. That was quite the way to wake me up.”

I give her my best charming smile. “Did my girl like that?”

“So much.” She pulls me to her lips again. “God, I missed you.” Another kiss. “I love you.” One more kiss. “I’m so excited to have a whole week with you and watch you kick ass at home.”

I trail my finger over the low-cut V of her tank top. “How was your day? How was the tournament?”

She gets a catlike smile. “We won.”

“Of course you did. You’re amazing.” A flicker of pain shoots through me. Leaving her is hard every time, and I hate it more when I miss things like that. “I wish I could’ve seen it.”

“Trevor recorded a bunch of it. He and Jesse were commentating through the whole final match.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course they were.”

“How was the game?”

“We lost. 7-2.”

“I’m sorry, babe.” She kisses my neck.

“It’s okay. Part of life. I gave up two runs early on and our team wasn’t hitting well. Then the reliever gave up five.”

“Five? And you have to take the loss for that? I hate baseball statistics,” she seethes. It’s so cute how invested in all things baseball she’s become. She and Rae have bonded over that. If we weren’t an antiquated society and allowed women to play professional baseball too, Rae would’ve been the one who wanted to go pro.

Trailing my fingers through her hair, I look into her eyes. “It’s okay. I’m just happy to be home.”

“I’m happy you’re home. And I know exactly how to cheer you up.”

I arch my brow. “Oh really?”

“Yes.” She grazes her lips over my jaw. “You need to fuck my mouth.”

My cock, which had died down to a semi, comes roaring back to life .

“Oh, really?”

“Mhm. Stand up.”

I do as she says, and pull my shirt off as I go, breathing a sigh of relief when the button down hits the floor. Tugging my T-shirt off next, I move to drop my pants.

When I look down at my girl, she’s lying in the center of the bed, her head tipped back over the edge, mouth open for me.

Ah, fuck.

She’s right. She knows exactly what will cheer me up.

Turns out Amanda loves to be out of control in the bedroom—some of the time at least. Sometimes she owns me and rides me until we’re both shaking messes. Others she pins me down and blows me, not letting me have an ounce of control. But then there’s the side of her that’s most open and vulnerable, and she loves to be fucked, spanked, choked, have her hair pulled, and choke on my cock.

I’m happy to oblige.

Her hand wraps around the base of my cock, then I grab one of her tits and hold her as I sink into the wet heat of her mouth.

The groan I let out is unholy, and a shiver runs through me.

As much as I’d love to stand here and own her mouth like this for as long as possible, watching her eyes water as she gags, I can’t hold out. Being apart for days at a time means sometimes our reunion sex is short-lived—at least the first round. But as I come down her throat to the sound of her choking and sputtering on my cum, it’s hard to care.

I rub her cheeks as I pull away, then grab her water bottle while she sits up.

“Okay?”

She grins up at me. “I’m perfect.”

Sighing, I look around. I hate being away, but there’s nothing like coming home.

“So am I.”

We’re cuddled on the couch eating quiche and hash browns while we talk about everything that happened during our week apart. I relay all the nonsense the guys on the team got up to. She asks me if one particular teammate cheated on his wife again . He did. Like he always does. It’s disgusting, but from what the other guys on the team told me, she knows and she cheats on him too. It’s a super toxic relationship, and it only makes me more grateful for what I have.

I can’t imagine being with anyone else besides Amanda. I can’t imagine ever wanting to. She’s it for me. I think about proposing sometimes, but I want to wait until I’m finally playing for a major league team—the Metros, assuming they don’t trade me. Planning a wedding while adjusting to an entirely different place and life doesn’t sound fun.

I do everything in my power to make sure Amanda knows how much I love her, though she doesn’t seem in a rush for a ring, either, despite plenty of our friends heading in that direction.

“That was delicious. Thank you for cooking.”

“I’m happy to, but I’m going to beg you for homemade chicken wings this week. You make the best ones.”

“We can do it tomorrow? Maybe invite some of our friends over?”

She tilts her head back and forth. “Maybe. It might mess with my plans to keep you naked all day, though.”

“Even while I’m making the wings? A little pain with pleasure is fine, but I don’t want to risk bodily harm.”

“I guess I’ll just have to take advantage of you now.” She climbs onto my lap and grinds over my crotch.

“Mands,” I groan.

She pulls her shirt off, letting her tits fly free right in my face. I suck one into my mouth and tease it with my lips and teeth. She hisses in response, combing her fingers through my hair .

“Where do you want me to fuck you?”

“Right here. Doggy style.”

She moves to climb off me, but I grab her ass, holding her still, then I slip my hand under her shorts, rubbing the skin for a moment before I spank her.

She whimpers, and her head drops to my shoulder.

“Get naked and get ready for me.” I pull the hair tie from her hair and twirl one of the stands around my finger. “And I need this wrapped around my hand.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mm, you’re making me leak, baby. Need to be inside you and remind you who you belong to.”

I move to stand, but when I’m halfway off the couch, my phone rings.

Glancing down, I groan—in annoyance this time.

“Who is it?”

“Dave.”

Amanda scrambles off the couch and reaches for her clothes. “If he’s calling you this late, you should probably answer.”

I nod, quickly buttoning my pants as if my agent can see me.

A whoosh of fear rolls through me. A late call like this could mean a trade. I’m hoping the Metros wouldn’t do that. I know the coaching staff there—particularly the pitching coach—like me a lot, but this is a business too.

I grab the phone and answer, putting it on speaker. If it’s any kind of bad news, I want Amanda to hear it too so I don’t have to tell her.

“Hi, Dave.”

“Jamie. Don’t worry. Nothing scary. I’m calling with some good news, actually.”

Amanda slips her shirt back on and pulls her shorts up, then sits down on my lap.

“We’re listening,” I say.

He laughs a little. “Hi, Amanda.”

“Hi, Dave. ”

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“You’re being called up.”

My eyes flare. I’ve been hoping for it. “How long? A game? Two?”

Dave chuckles. “No, Jamie. You’re being called up. Trade deal just went through and they let go of one of their pitchers in the deal.”

“Without a replacement?” Jamie chokes out.

“You’re the replacement. They’re betting on you.”

My heart hammers in my chest. It’s actually happening. After all these years. All this work.

“Baby,” Amanda whispers, tears in her eyes. “You did it.”

“Congratulations, Jamie,” Dave says.

“What—what… now?”

“They need you here tomorrow. There’s paperwork to sign—since technically they’re buying out your minor league contract and you’ll be getting at or slightly above the base required salary for a major league player.”

I blink a few times, trying to wrap my mind around that number. It’s like twenty times what I’m making now.

“Then they want you to meet the team, particularly the pitching staff and other pitchers, and then you and I have some things to discuss. We already have an apartment lined up to show you. It’s in a great neighborhood.”

My mind spins with all the information.

“I know this is a lot, but for now, take a deep breath and enjoy this. You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks, Dave.”

“We’ll talk tomorrow. Have a good night.”

“Night,” I mumble, everything setting in at once.

The call ends, and Amanda grabs my arms.

“Jamie?”

Emotion swells and my throat tightens. “I did it.”

She leaps into my arms. “Hell yes, you did. I’m so proud of you. Looks like we’re going to New York City. ”

I start laughing despite the tears streaming down my face.

Amanda cradles my face in her hands. “Dave was right. You earned this. You earned every second. You get to live your dream. My heart feels like it’s flying out of my chest. I’m so insanely proud of you. I love you.”

She kisses me, and I fall into it. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without her. Achieving my dream is the ultimate fantasy, but doing it with her by my side is everything.

There are a million things to do. So much to plan. So much that’s going to change.

But I don’t care. I can’t care. We’ll figure it out.

Because it’s finally happening.

I’m officially a New York Metro.