Hot Corner (Baseball Romance) Read online

  "Only better," Elizabeth replied.

  "I didn't know there was anything better than a fairy tale," Audrey said.

  "Wait until one comes true on you and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about," Elizabeth insisted.

  "I don't know if that will ever happen. The problem with some girls having all the luck is there's none left around for the rest of us," Audrey joked.

  Elizabeth stared into her sisters eyes. "Your time will come."

  "Well your time is here now. Let's not spoil it by talking about me," Audrey urged. "I'm so happy for you."

  "It's still so hard to believe," Elizabeth said. "But one thing is for sure. This is a day I'll never forget."

  Chapter Eight

  While other people were living fairy tale lives, all Audrey had were the fantasies in her mind to comfort her. But upon finding out that the Luau Love Surfer Romance series would soon have a new book out, her imagination caught fire. At least she'd have her fictional romance to fawn over until the real romance came to her life. If--it came to her life. Audrey didn't want to think about that anymore. She'd already spent too many nights entertaining that thought.

  Instead Audrey focused her attention squarely on book two of her favorite Hawaiian Romance series. When the book arrived at the store, Audrey was desperate to start digging into the story. The first few pages certainly didn't disappoint. The sand, sun, and surfers were all back from the first book, as was the heart stopping leading man of the series. Audrey was enthralled all over again and could have read the whole thing while standing in the bookstore. But Audrey had to get back to the ballpark. Her lunch break was almost over.

  As Audrey parked in the lot at the ballpark, she sprinted back towards her office, fearing that she'd get barked at for coming back late from her lunch. With all her rushing though, Audrey ended up bumping into a man on her way back into the ballpark. As Audrey ran into the man, her book fell to the ground.

  Peter Short, the man she ran into, then bent over, and picked up the book. Audrey was so embarrassed, and not just because she'd just run into a guy. Peter didn't just pick up the book, he was staring at the cover.

  Audrey meanwhile couldn't help but notice Peter's equipment bag. It was funny, Peter had rugged good looks, short brown hair, a tall strong body, and a warm gentle face. He had the look of a baseball player for sure. But Audrey knew everyone on the team, and she'd never seen Peter before until now.

  Audrey didn't know where Peter had come from, but seeing how hunky he was, she sure wasn't about to let the chance to talk to him pass her by. Normally Audrey was the downright chatty, but things were different this time. Audrey tugged on her blue dress without even realizing it, wanting subconsciously to look her best for Peter. She ran her hands through her hair quickly, then took a deep breath while she thought about what she wanted to say.

  Audrey couldn't believe she was putting so much fuss into starting a simple conversation. She only got one chance to make a good first impression though. And who knew, if the first impression wasn't good, there may not be a second. Audrey debated whether to start with something witty. She always liked to crack jokes when she was nervous. It was a natural impulse to diffuse tension and keep things from getting awkward.

  Then again, maybe this guy didn't like jokes. Of course if he didn't like jokes, Audrey would have little in common with him. She felt herself getting sidetracked again. Maybe a simple hello would just be best. Then the conversation could just go from there. Unless the conversation went nowhere. Audrey knew one thing though--if she kept delaying, the man would be gone before she even had a chance to introduce herself. Worried that the opportunity was slipping away, Audrey just said the first thing that came to her mind.

  "Funny running into you," Audrey joked.

  "Do you make a habit of running into random guys?" Peter asked.

  "Not usually," Audrey said.

  "So I'm a special exception then, huh?" Peter asked.

  "That depends. Do you want to be?" Audrey replied.

  "Well, I'm not shirtless surfer," Peter joked.

  Audrey then started blushing. "You know, that's actually a really good book."

  "I wouldn't know," Peter said.

  "You'd be surprised how good the story is," Audrey replied.

  "You're right. It would surprise me if a book like that had a good story," Peter said.

  "Look, I wouldn't expect you to understand," Audrey replied.

  "Good, because I hate romance novels," Peter said.

  "Wow, that's a strong response. Have you even read any?" Audrey asked.

  "Nope. And frankly, I don't even understand how women could read these," Peter said.

  Audrey was blown away by Peter's all too blunt opinions.

  "Excuse me," Audrey replied.

  Peter then realized how brash he sounded. He immediately back tracked and was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot."

  "That's because you put your foot in your mouth," Audrey said.

  "You're right," Peter admitted. "What I should have said is, as someone who does read these kinds of books, what is it about them that draws you in?"

  That one was easy. "Well, the romance of course," Audrey answered.

  "But doesn't it bother you that relationships aren't really like that?" Peter wondered. "I mean, nothing is that perfect."

  Audrey would rather have talked about a hundred other things at that moment.

  "Isn't that the point though?" Audrey said. "That there's a world out there--fictional or not--where things can flow perfectly."

  "Don't you worry that it creates unrealistic expectations?" Peter asked.

  "No. I mean it's just a book," Audrey said.

  "To some people at least," Peter replied.

  "Look. We all need an escape. I mean, isn't there anything you do to get away from the realities of everyday life?" Audrey asked.

  Peter shook his head side to side. "Nothing this damaging."

  Audrey couldn't believe how different the conversation was going than she expected.

  "I'm sorry. I'm seriously confused here. Did I miss something?" Audrey asked.

  "No. Look, this isn't about you. I shouldn't have involved you," Peter said. "Anyway, I should probably head in. Don't want to be late for my first day."

  "Oh, so that's why I've never seen you before," Audrey replied.

  "That's probably because I just got traded from Savannah," Peter said. "I'm Peter Short. I'll be playing third base for the team."

  "Ah, the hot corner," Audrey replied, referring to the nickname for third basemen. And Peter was sure hot, even if he did manage to put his foot in his mouth plenty throughout the conversation.

  "That's right," Peter said.

  "I'm Audrey Maxwell," Audrey replied.

  "It's nice to meet you. I hope I didn't get off on the wrong foot too much," Peter said.

  "To be fair, I did knock you off balance," Audrey replied.

  "Anyway, I have to go see the skipper now, but I'll see you around, alright?" Peter asked.

  Then just like that, Peter was gone. Audrey didn't know what to make of it all. The conversation had taken such a sharp and strange turn. Still, despite having a roller coaster of a conversation, Peter was the first ball player on the team to give Audrey the time of day.

  There was a sharp divide between the front office and the baseball players. The players were usually too caught up chasing one night stands and sleeping with gold diggers. Most the women in the front office were after real relationships. Those opposing attitudes rarely ever mixed.

  It was after an odd and awkward moment like she'd had with Peter that Audrey craved a simple romance novel all the more. In romance novels, there were no loose ends. No strangely frayed edges. Everything was resolved cleanly and happily. But in real life, that rarely ever happened.

  Chapter Nine

  Peter soon melted away from Audrey's mind as she dug into book two of her series after wor
k. Audrey gobbled up the second book in only a couple of sittings, filling her head with even more fantastical dreams. After finishing book two, Audrey's yearning for Hawaii returned with a vengeance. Her circumstances hadn't changed though. She still hadn't heard a peep after sending the e-mail to the hunky surfer in Hawaii. Hope had returned after reading the book though. And the promise of escaping was growing more alluring by the day.

  At the same time, Audrey's sister Elizabeth was busy making wedding preparations. And like most wedding planning, things got out of hand in a hurry. To be fair, Elizabeth had a lot on her plate. It became really a family effort though, and Audrey's mom Carla spent more than a few evenings dizzy with wedding preparations.

  While all this was going on, Audrey faded into the background. Then one day Carla came back from her book club with a surprise.

  "I have great news," Carla said, with a smile on her face that just wouldn't go away.

  At first Audrey thought her mom had come to the wrong person. Surely the news couldn't be about Audrey. But it was.

  "For me?" Audrey asked.

  "Don't act so surprised," Carla said.

  "Why would I be anything but surprised? I can't remember the last time you had good news for me," Audrey replied.

  "Well your luck is about to change," Carla insisted.

  "I'll be the judge of that. So, what's the news?" Audrey asked.

  "The book club came up with a guy for you," Carla revealed.

  "You're kidding," Audrey replied.

  "Oh, is that why I've already set you up on a date?" Carla said.

  "Mom, you set me up on a blind date?" Audrey replied.

  "Yes, a blind date honey," Carla insisted.

  Audrey remained critical though. "But how can you be so sure I'll like him?"

  "I'm your mom. Who knows what you like better than me?" Carla replied.

  "I do," Audrey replied. "I know myself better than anybody."

  "Audrey, happiness can't come back to your life if you don't let lit. So let it already," Carla insisted.

  ***

  It was hard to argue with her mom's logic. So Audrey ended up agreeing to the date, even if rather reluctantly. The details about this man were scarce to non-existent. All Audrey could get out of her mom was that he was back in town after a long time away. That he was supposedly very handsome and caring--according to Audrey's mom at least.

  Audrey's mom of course would share more info if she had it, but the recommendation was coming from a friend of a friend, which of course seemed like a silly way to make a potential love match. But who was Audrey to question the book club? It wasn't like she had many prospects of her own. Or any prospects for that matter.

  Still, Audrey liked to believe that she wouldn't play such a secondary role in finding the love of her life. It was the blind part of the date that was really throwing her off. There was enough of a concession in having to turn to her mom and her book club to find a date. But the man they picked was just shrouded in such mystery. The only kind of surprise Audrey liked was the pleasant kind. But there was only a 50/50 chance of that happening.

  Audrey thought that the book club would find a man that she already knew. That was in the same circumstance as her--fairly recently back on the market and ready for love again. Then they'd have some common ground, or at least a little familiarity. But it turned out that beggars really couldn't be choosers.

  As the date approached, Audrey grew more nervous than usual. Finally Audrey got herself all ready for the date. She got all dressed up, but it turned out it was for nothing. The waiting game was Audrey's least favorite. Audrey used to hear men complaining about how annoying it was when women made them wait. She always thought the men were blowing things out of proportion, but now she realized they weren't. Anxiety was a terrible thing. Audrey's nerves were already more jelly than steel to begin with. The true problem with waiting was the uncertainty of it all.

  Then again, Audrey was also the impatient type. But was it really impatience when her date was not on time? Maybe he was just running late. Or maybe he was right around the corner. Audrey just had to wait it out.

  Audrey called her mom to make sure the guy had been given all the right details--and more importantly--the correct address.

  "I'm sure he'll be here soon," Carla insisted.

  Audrey hoped her mom was right. "Yeah, he's probably just running late. Although I feel horrible now about every guy I've ever kept waiting in my life."

  "Don't worry. He'll be there soon," Carla said.

  As the minutes went by though, Audrey wasn't so sure. Maybe the guy had reconsidered. Maybe he hated the idea of blind dates. Maybe he wasn't going to show up at all. Letting Audrey's mind wander was a dangerous thing. But giving those thoughts legs and room to run was even worse.

  Still, Audrey tried to hope for the best. Her mind so often lingered on the worst though. Time was running out on optimism though. At that point, Audrey's date was over a half an hour late. It was becoming all too clear that Audrey had been stood up. She couldn't believe it. It was so humiliating. Carla tried to come up with something to say to her daughter on the phone that would make her feel better, but she struggled to find the words. Audrey meanwhile knew there was nothing to say. The embarrassment spoke volumes already.

  Audrey just wanted to eat a whole tub of ice cream. But just before she broke into tears, a car pulled into the driveway. A sweet sense of relief came over her. Maybe it would work out after all. But her date would sure have some explaining to do. He had better have a good explanation. For the moment though, Audrey was just relieved that there would be a date after all.

  Audrey's enthusiasm proved to be short lived though as she saw the man getting out of the car. It wasn't her date that had pulled up after all, but rather her sisters fiancé John. Audrey couldn't believe it. She'd gotten all excited for nothing. She was still stood up.

  As John made his way inside the living room, irony came with him. After all, John had come over to pick up Elizabeth for their date, but Elizabeth wasn't ready yet.

  "I'll be down in a minute," Elizabeth said, from the top of the stairs.

  John mumbled to himself. "I hate waiting."

  Audrey couldn't help but break out into awkward laughter. "Tell me about it."

  A few minutes later though, Elizabeth was ready and left with her fiancé. Audrey meanwhile was still out of luck. It was so embarrassing. Absolutely humiliating. Audrey couldn't believe it. She'd had been through a lot of heartbreak in her life, but she'd never been stood up before. This was a new unwanted milestone. And one that she wouldn't soon forget.

  Chapter Ten

  After spending the night crying, Audrey just wanted to put the whole experience behind her. It was not easily forgotten though. Suddenly her romance novel series seemed even more appealing. Things like that didn't happen in the Hawaiian Surfer Romance books. Now if only her life could live up to the books she read, Audrey would be set.

  Instead Audrey was confronted by another romantic misfire as she headed into the office the next day. Audrey hadn't seen Peter since he'd criticized her interest in romance novels--at least not in person. Audrey had found out plenty about Peter as a baseball player. Peter was a good player. His nickname was "Mr. Reliable" because he hit for an average instead of hitting for power. He did the little things, stealing bases, bunting runners over, executing sacrifice fly's to manufacture runs. But that kind of stuff didn't get much attention. The baseball world loved power hitters, guys that hit the long ball, and Peter wasn't that. Still, since arriving in Orlando, Peter had hit for a steady average. He was no closer to getting called up to the majors though, and that was the goal of every minor leaguer.

  Baseball aside, although Audrey thought Peter was hunky, after their roller coaster of a first talk, she didn't know what to expect on the second go round.

  As Peter ran into Audrey in the hall though at the ballpark, he had a smile on his face this time.

  "Funny running into you," Peter sai
d.

  "That's a good line. But it sounds a little familiar," Audrey replied.

  "Well, a beautiful woman used it with me once," Peter said.

  "Beautiful, huh?" Audrey asked.

  "There's no other word for her," Peter said.

  "And here I thought you were going to insult my taste in books again," Audrey replied.

  "Actually, just the opposite," Peter replied.

  "Oh, so you're going to compliment my taste in books then?" Audrey wondered.

  "No. You know what? That came out wrong," Peter said.

  "That seems like it would happen to you a lot," Audrey joked, flashing back to their previous conversation.

  "That never used to happen to me," Peter admitted.

  "So much for getting better with age," Audrey cracked.

  "So much for getting better at all. Do you ever feel like your life is spiraling wildly out of control?" Peter asked.

  "Some days I wake up dizzy," Audrey joked.

  "I think they have prescriptions for that," Peter cracked.

  "Yeah, but I don't know any doctor that can write a prescription for a new life," Audrey said.

  "Or a pharmacy that could fill that prescription," Peter joked.

  "Look at you cracking wise all of a sudden," Audrey said.

  "It's better than putting my foot in my mouth," Peter insisted.

  "True. Especially since feet don't taste very good," Audrey joked.

  "Wow, that joke was a stinker," Peter said.

  "Guilty as charged. I was cracking, but that joke wasn't very wise," Audrey admitted.

  "Don't worry about it. It happens to us all," Peter said.

  "Yeah, but it seems to be happening to me a lot more than I ever expected. Falling on my face seems to be my new pastime," Audrey replied.

  "It was just a bad joke. No big deal," Peter said.

  "Forget the joke. I was talking about life in general. I thought I'd be wiser by my age," Audrey replied.

  "Are you kidding? You're still young. We both are," Peter insisted.

  "My heart feels so old though," Audrey bemoaned.