Foul Pole by Tina Gallagher
Chapter Twenty-Two
Leo
“I toldyour mother Nori and I will be up for Christmas,” Trey said.
“Yeah? For the whole week?”
“That’s the plan.”
“What about you?” I asked Crispin. “You know you’re both welcome and I have room if you want to stay at my house.”
“We’re spending Christmas with Ben’s family.” He looked at his boyfriend. “Do we have plans for New Year’s Eve?”
“No, nothing yet,” Ben said. “I’m off until the second week of January so I’m up for whatever you want to do.”
“We’ll talk about it and I’ll let you know when we’ll be up. You’ll be there?” he asked Anjannette.
“Yes, I’ll be there. The studio is closed for the week so I’m free.”
Like I told my mother I would, I’d asked Anjannette if she could come for Christmas early. In fact, I did it while she was visiting Thanksgiving weekend.
“What’s on the list for the New Year’s Day movie marathon?” Trey asked.
“I didn’t ask. It’s not like I have a say anyway.”
The movie marathon started twenty-some years ago when there was a massive storm and we were snowed in. We ate leftovers and my mom made copious amounts of popcorn and it was so much fun, we decided to make it an annual tradition.
Back then, we voted on the movies but as the years went on, the girls pretty much dictated the lineup. Mostly because the movies Nicky, Chris, and I wanted to watch had either too much violence, bad language, or sex and my mother vetoed them all.
“What’s this about a movie marathon?” Anjannette asked. “You didn’t tell me about that.”
“Sorry, I didn’t even think about it.” I looked at her then over to Nori. “Bring something comfy to wear because you’ll be vegged out in my parents’ family room for hours eating, drinking, and watching movies.”
“I love that,” Nori said.
“It honestly sounds like a perfect day,” Anjannette said. “Especially with Annita making the food.”
I’m glad she’s looking forward to hanging out with my family again. Myra, aka “the one who didn’t eat” said she’d be reluctant to go back after that first time. She didn’t like all the people or the loud family dynamic. Not to mention the food. I don’t know if she thought I’d choose her over my family or what, but if that was the case, she was obviously wrong.
“All this talk of food has my stomach grumbling,” Crispin said. “Should we go somewhere to eat or order in?”
After going for a low-key hike earlier, we grabbed sushi and settled onto the deck to enjoy the perfect day. Other than getting up to grab a drink or go to the bathroom, we’ve pretty much been planted in our seats.
“If you want to go somewhere, we could walk to Ike’s. The food is good and it’s close.”
“Define close,” Crispin said.
“Five blocks.”
“Okay, because after that hike today, I’m not looking to take many more steps.”
“Oh my God, you looked and sounded exactly like David Rose when you said that. Do you practice that in a mirror?”
When I first met Crispin, I thought I knew him from somewhere, then I realized he reminded me of Dan Levy’s character David from Schitt’s Creek. And once I saw it, it’s hard to unsee and I notice it ninety percent of the time he speaks. I usually don’t say anything, but every once in a while I toss in a comment.
“Look, I can’t help it if Dan Levy borrowed my persona for his character.”
I could have added fuel to the fire but my stomach growled, reminding me to get back on topic.
“Will five blocks put you over the edge or will you be okay?”
“It will technically be ten blocks walking there and back, but I think I’ll manage.”
Trey said, “Actually I was just thinking we could grab a rideshare home from Ike’s and I’ll come back tomorrow for my truck. That way I don’t have to worry about having another drink and I can give you two a ride to the airport in the morning.” He looked down at Nori. “Plus I can relive the memory of meeting this beautiful lady.”
“You met in a rideshare?” Anjannette asked.
“We did.” Nori smiled at Trey then looked over at Anjannette. “Trey had gotten called up to the Waves and needed a ride from Fayetteville. I finished up a commission in Fayetteville and had allowed myself plenty of time to get back to Myrtle Beach for a meeting with a potential client, but my car broke down. I called the same company he’d used and they reached out to his driver since he was going to the same place and Trey agreed to share his ride.”
“That is so sweet. It’s seriously like a meet cute in a movie,” Anjannette said. “Was it love at first sight?”
They both laughed.
“Not quite,” Nori said. “I thought he was a snob and he thought I was a freak.”
“But they had good friends who made them realize how much they loved each other,” Crispin said, drawing out the word love.
“How did you do that?”
Before Crispin could launch into a detailed explanation, I cut in.
“Why don’t we continue this story over dinner?” I suggested. “I’m starving and I have a feeling this conversation isn’t going to end anytime soon.”
“That sounds like a good plan.” Trey stood and reached out for Nori’s hand and pulled her out of her seat. “Then we can talk about how Anjannette slammed the door in your face the first time she laid eyes on you.”
Anjannette bit her lip and glanced up at me, holding back her laughter. I don’t know why because no one else is. She finally let go and I enjoyed watching her lose herself.
Both Clay and Keera have commented on how she’s getting back to normal. While I haven’t known her as long as they have, I see a difference in her behavior since we met. She’s more free and relaxed.
We filed off the deck and walked out the side gate then made our way to the street. I took Anjannette’s hand and entwined our fingers together as we headed toward Ike’s.
“I’m so glad we decided to stay the extra day,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“MmmHmm. It’s nice to have time to just relax.”
We initially planned on flying back today, but Keera offered to cover the studio for another day and Anjannette took her up on it. I’m hoping that’s a good sign that she’ll be willing to do the same thing once the season starts. But that’s a conversation to have with her another day.
Anjannette
“I can’t believeI woke up in Myrtle Beach this morning and now I’m here in Scranton, freezing my ass off, having tacos and margaritas like any other Tuesday.”
“You know you’re basically living my dream life, surrounded by all those sexy baseball players,” Keera said.
“Most of them are happily married so they wouldn’t be of use to you anyway.”
“I can still look.” She picked up her glass and after licking some salt from the rim, took a drink. “Tell me again who you met. The players only, please.”
“Phillip Riddle sat at our table Saturday night, but other than being introduced, I didn’t really interact with him. Then there was Dale, Cal, Dan, and a guy with red hair, but I forget his name.”
“Chris Russell,” she said. “They call him Rusty.”
“Oskar, Jimmy, and Sam.”
“Marquez, Chavez, and Cherry.” Keera filled a chip with salsa and popped it into her mouth. “And of course Jack Reagan. That man is so hot. Does he smell as good as he looks?”
“I didn’t stand there sniffing him.” I thought about it as I took a drink. “But I guess he smelled spicy.”
“Spicy?”
“Yeah, spicy. Kind of like walking into one of those all-natural stores that sell essential oils.”
“In that tell-all book his ex wrote, she said he’s obsessed with his skin and makes his own lotions and stuff. I saw him in an interview and he said he has severe eczema, so maybe that’s why.”
I shrugged.
“He’s really nice though. All the guys are and so are the wives I met. They’re not at all what I expected.”
“Are you glad you went?”
“I am. It was a lot of fun and everyone was so friendly.”
“That’s so great. As jealous as I am, I’m happy for you.”
The waitress arrived with our tacos and we both dug in.
“And did I mention it was in the seventies down there?” I asked after I finished my second taco.
“Only a million times.”
“We walked on the beach and hung out on the deck. Maybe I had such a good time because it was so different from what I would have been doing here.”
“Or maybe it was the company?” She bobbed her eyebrows.
Her words were meant to be playful and they’re definitely true, but instead of making me smile, I felt an overwhelming sense of melancholy. I don’t know, maybe the second margarita hit at that moment, but all of my insecurities floated to the surface, making me feel unsure about the future of our relationship.
“Yeah, Leo is really great.”
“Woah! Wait, what happened between your sentence and my question? Anjannette from three years ago just took over your face. Why?”
I dragged my fingers through my hair trying to figure out how to put what I’m thinking into words.
“You know, I went on my first date with Leo figuring it would be a one-time thing. I
didn’t think he could be as nice as he seemed.” I rested my elbows on the table and held out my hands. “But he is. He’s amazing. I honestly can’t find anything wrong with him, and you know I’ve looked.”
“I agree. Leo is great. Why is that a problem?”
“Once that first date turned into a second and the second into a third, I figured I’d just keep taking it one day at a time and enjoy myself. But now, it’s going beyond that. We’re making plans. I’m spending Christmas and New Year’s with him and his family and he asked me to be his plus one for Trey and Nori’s wedding in January.”
“So your relationship is moving forward. That’s a good thing.”
“Not really.”
“Why not?”
“Because.” I gestured wildly and shook my head. “Where could it possibly go? He’s on the road half the year. Actually, it’s more than half the year and I have a business to run. I can’t just take off and meet him wherever he is.”
“You met some of the wives. What do they do?”
“Sabrina is a partner at a physical therapy facility a couple hours away from Myrtle Beach. She gave up meeting patients there and just holds the financial interest. Now she works through the sports academy Cal and Dan own. Same thing with Karen Montgomery. She was living in St. Pete working as a realtor but when things got serious with her and Dale, she and her son moved to Myrtle Beach. Nori lives there already but she does work her schedule around Trey’s.”
“See? They all make it work.”
“Yeah, because the women make concessions.”
“Honey, you’re spiraling. Leo is kind, thoughtful, and sweet and he’s obviously crazy about you. So you’re starting off at a better point than with any other guy you’ve been with. Don’t ruin things between you because of what ifs.” She reached out and squeezed my hand. “I know my own relationship history is less than stellar but if a guy looked at me the way Leo looks at you, I’d hold onto him with both hands.”
She has some valid points. I do have a tendency to worry about things I’ve fabricated in my brain. But the long-term issue I’m talking about isn’t totally imagined. Still, I don’t have to worry about it right now. If we stay together that long, we’ll figure something out.
“You’re right,” I said.
“Of course I am.”
I took a deep breath in through my nose and let it out the same way.
“I’ll just keep going with the flow and see where it leads. Thanks for talking me down.”
“What are friends for?”
She finished her margarita in one gulp and set the glass on the table with a triumphant thump, looking very satisfied with herself.
“Now that my love life is solved for now, I have to point out the fact that you do have someone who looks at you like you’re the best thing since sliced bread.”
“Who?”
“Simon Parker.”
She snort-laughed.
“You’re insane. Simon and I are just friends.”
“That’s just because you keep throwing him do-not-touch signals.”
“Because we’re just friends.” She looked at a spot over my shoulder and dragged her fingers through her hair three times before meeting my gaze again. “Besides, Simon isn’t my type at all.”
“Did you ever think that maybe that’s a good thing?”