Page 19 of Totally Played (Love In Play #5)

Chapter eighteen

Ashley

“You wanted to see me,” I say, walking into Redmond’s office.

It’s set up like some frat house common room, with a foosball table and sports memorabilia adorning all the walls.

Not that Redmond or I were ever in a fraternity.

I thought about pledging junior year, but then Redmond and I became best friends, and I didn’t want to room with anyone else.

We still hit up their parties, when I could drag Redmond away from his computer, that is.

He’s sitting at it now, and although he probably has a bunch to do, he turns his full attention to me.

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” he says, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back in his oversized black leather chair.

It’s a gaming chair that he had designed to perfectly fit around him for all the long nights coding.

My stomach churns. What the fuck have I done gotten myself into? Shit. Did the DeVos deal fall through?

“Ahhh, I’m sure I have a great explanation for whatever it is,” I say nervously, sitting in one of the brown leather chairs opposite him. He’s got one eyebrow raised and a stern lip. I’ve rarely seen him like this. He’s usually super happy to see me. What the fuck have I done?

“Great, well go on then, explain this,” he says, turning the laptop around. On the screen is a still shot of the Banana Ball game, but it’s not of the field, it’s of the stands, the family section, and there I am, fist raised in the air, cheering with Calvin’s family.

“Oh, fuck is that all?” I ask with a relieved sigh, slumping back against the chair. “Fuck man, I thought I really messed up.”

“You have. What the fuck is this?”

“I, sort of, maybe went to a game. You were right. It’s pretty fun.”

“I thought when you turned your phone around the other week, I recognized the guy on there. Are you dating Tony Parks?” he asks, smiling wide.

“Ha, no.”

“You’re standing with his family.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m dating Tony,” I say with a chuckle.

“Come on, man, I’ve been obsessed with this game for years, we moved here for this game, and you’re secretly dating a player and sitting in the best seats in the stadium cheering along with the families and friends. How did this happen?”

“I’m not dating Tony. But I’ve met him and his family. Actually, I’ve met a few of the guys, but I’m not sure I can say more.”

“I’m your best friend,” he replies, a deep frown etched into his brow.

“Okay, if I tell you, then you have to keep it to yourself. Swear it.”

“I swear. Who would I tell anyway? I only really talk to you.”

That’s mostly true. He’s not some kind of hermit, but Redmond really only talks with the staff, and only when he has to. He’s one of the shyest guys you’ll ever meet, and at those parties in college I used to drag him to, he’d spend most of his time nursing a drink in his lap, watching the room.

“I was supposed to go on a date with Tony, but he was sick, so his brother came.”

“Calvin or Cosmo?”

“Do you know their parents’ names, too?” I ask with a laugh.

“I do, but not important, go on.”

“It was Calvin. Tony wanted him to pretend to be him, but I could tell he wasn’t the same guy.”

“Bullshit, they are two of the most identical twins I’ve ever seen.”

“I swear, I could tell, and then he told me, like right at the start, he didn’t want to lie, and instead of us going home, we decided to hang out, anyway.”

“And….”

“And we just…clicked.”

He frowns again as he stands and comes to sit beside me on the other brown leather chair.

“So you became fast friends with Calvin, and that’s why you’re sitting with his family at the game?”

“Yeah.” I don’t tell him that since the moment I met Calvin, I’ve thought of nothing else but his lips, his hands, his cock. Fuck, I’m falling for this guy hard. Is that good, though? With this all being so new to him, can I really let myself go all in on us?

Redmond shakes his head.

“I can’t believe you,” he says, standing and walking over to where he’s got a ball from one of the games, enclosed in a clear box, beside a framed signed jersey and a plushy of each of the mascots.

The corset I’m wearing suddenly feels inches too tight and I’m struggling to draw breath.

Would it be weird if I started to strip off in the office?

I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it won’t budge.

I stand, pulling at the hem of the corset to try to let some air underneath, but it’s no use.

Then Redmond turns, the baseball out of its case, and rolls it between his hands.

“I can’t believe you’ve been friends with the Banana Ball teams for weeks, and I only find out now.

Can you get this signed by them? You can, can’t you?

Oh, oh, oh, can I come with you next time and sit with the family, too?

I promise I’ll behave. I won’t be weird; I’ll just sit there and cheer and be totally chill. ”

He’s red-faced and practically bouncing on his toes as he talks.

No way would he be chill. But I should be.

Calvin felt the same pull I did when we met.

I have to stop worrying this will all fall apart, even though that tends to be what happens.

I fall hard for someone and they get what they need from me, then leave. But that’s not Calvin.

“Are you okay?” Red asks.

I sigh, scrubbing my hand through my hair.

“I think I’m really falling for this guy.”

“For Calvin?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh…” he replies with a frown.

“Is that… Okay?”

“You tell me.”

“It’s just been a while since we talked about a guy I was seeing and you were all frowny face, and I just…”

“Dude, I don’t care who you date. I mean, I care. If any guy is a dick to you, I’ll send Riggs to sort them out. Oh, speaking of Riggs. I’ve got him carving down his twenty-minute video to a five-minute one for the Millers in Montana next week,” Redmond says, returning to his seat at the desk.

“So what do I do?”

“About what?”

“About falling for Calvin. How do I not screw this up?”

“I’m sorry, have we met?”

“Very funny. I know it’s been a while since you’ve dated, or at least since you told me about a guy you were seeing, but you know me. Probably better than anyone. You’ve watched me burn every relationship I’ve been in from the inside out since college. How do I not do that with Calvin?”

“I guess maybe don’t try to make yourself the person you think they want.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, with Bryce, you started wearing polo shirts and bought golf clubs that now sit in the closet in your office.”

“I was trying to show interest in his passions.”

“And with Robert, you were always on some kind of juice cleanse.”

“What was wrong with that?”

“You hate juice.”

“I don’t.”

“You always say it’s stupid to buy a bottle of juice when you can just eat a piece of fruit.”

“Okay, so what I am hearing is don’t be all about what they like.”

“Exactly.”

“So no more Banana Ball games?”

“Hey, woah, now I didn’t say that.” He laughs, tossing me the ball. “That ball is from when the Funky Monkeys beat the OGs last year, so if you can get the guys who scored the points to sign it, I’ll make sure your bonus this year is a big one.”

“It already will be with the contracts I’ve signed, but I’ll see what I can do about the ball.”

“And you’re coming with me to the next game. I’ve been wanting to take you for years; you can give me that.”

“Okay, deal.”

***

I meet Redmond at the main gates, and he’s wearing his Funky Monkey jersey and eyeing my outfit with a quizzical brow.

“That’s how you dress for baseball?” he asks, and I flip the sides of my sports jacket out at the sides and prop my hands on my hips.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I ask. “It’s the team colors.”

It took me an hour to decide on what I’m wearing, finally settling on a dark green shirt paired it with a deep purple corset.

“I still don’t get how you find those things comfortable.”

I shrug.

“I guess I’m just built differently from you mere mortals.”

A familiar voice comes from behind me. “You sure are.”

I turn and find Calvin smiling next to one of the security guards.

“Do you want to sit with the family again?” he asks, and Red immediately steps forward.

“Yes, we do. Hi, I’m Redmond, Ashley’s best friend.”

Security eyes him suspiciously but relaxes a little when I grab him by the shoulder.

“You can just call him Red; we all do. Are you sure it’s cool?” I ask, and Calvin’s already nodding.

“Come this way, it will be easier,” he says, heading in through a staff door.

We follow close behind, security walking in behind us to be sure no extra fans follow.

The fanatics are already through the main gates.

I watched them basically storm the entrance as soon as the doors opened, trying to get to the closest seats to the players they could.

They call themselves the Bananaramas, and while they’re mostly harmless, they did make things really hard for Lion last year.

Tim told me at dinner last game night how they practically surrounded Lion at the front of his then job.

They’re pretty full on, so you can’t blame the players for mostly avoiding them when they’re out interacting with the crowd.

“This is so cool,” Redmond leans in to whisper in my ear as we’re led through the staff corridors under the stands.

Calvin stops beside some double doors and turns to face us.

“Kurt will take you the rest of the way, I have to finish getting ready.”

“Thank you,” I say, stepping closer to him. I want to kiss him, to wish him luck the way a boyfriend might, because as surprising as it is, that’s how I feel. It surprised even me that I have fallen so fast for him, but I have. From the moment he stepped foot in the bar, I was gone.

“I like this one,” he says, reaching forward, his fingers brushing over the light pattern of my corset.

“Is that because it has a zip and is easier to get off?” I joke, and he smirks.

“Maybe.”

I lean down to whisper, “You can unzip it with your teeth after you win.”

He chuckles.

“I look forward to it.”

“This way,” Kurt interrupts, opening one of the double doors.

The noise of the crowd floods the corridor and is followed a second later by the delicious smells of buttery popcorn and hot dogs.

Fuck, I wish I could have one of those. I’m yet to find a decent gluten-free hotdog bun, and even if they did have them, I wouldn’t take the risk that it hadn’t been contaminated by the other non-gluten-free ones.

As delicious as it smells, it’s not worth the pain it would bring me later.

“Have a great game,” Redmond says, following Kurt.

“See you soon,” I tell Calvin, but before I can follow them, Calvin leans past me and closes the door, holding it shut with one hand.

He reaches over and grabs me by the jacket in his other hand and pulls me to him.

My mouth is on his a moment later, and it’s fireworks and butterflies and over way too quickly.

“I needed my good luck kiss,” he says, letting me go and moving to the side.

“You can have as many of those as you want, whenever you want,” I say, adjusting myself to hide my semi.

“I’ll take care of that after the game,” he says, glancing at my groin, and I groan.

“Fuck, go away before I take you into a room right here.”

The speakers above us crackle, and a voice welcomes the crowd to the game.

“Sorry, no time, got to go.” He laughs and jogs down the hallway.

I make a few more adjustments and try to settle my thoughts before opening the door again to the stands.

Red and Kurt are still there waiting, but while Kurt is wearing a stern frown on his face, Red is smiling widely.

“You good now?” he asks, and I nod.

“Let’s go, Kurt, the game’s starting.”