Page 85 of Off Limits: The Firsts

Luckily Manny had let me know about the conversation he’d overheard between Cory and my dad, or I would’ve never known. To say it shocked the shit out of me is an understatement. The fact my dad hasn’t said a word about it to me even more so.

But knowing he tried without wanting glory for it makes it mean that much more.

“Thanks. Someone once taught me I can only do my job to prove them wrong.”

His smile is slow to spread from his lips to his eyes—the sadness not fading completely—as he nods his head when he hears his own words repeated back to him.

“You want to join us for a bit, Mr. Wylder?” Bruce, the Aces’ on-air sports announcer asks him, pulling me back to what I’m about to do. An on-air, pregame chat with the team’s broadcast network to update the fans on my progress, how I’m feeling, and when they can expect me to return. I wait for my dad’s answer, already scooting my seat over as I adjust my headset because he’s never been one to turn down talking about baseball.

“No, thank you. Easton, here, has the team covered. The fans want to hear about him, not me. I’m old news.” He winks with a soft smile before meeting my eyes and nodding to me.

“Maybe another time, then.”

“Maybe,” my dad says before turning and walking out of the press box, leaving me to look after him and worry why he seems so subdued.

“Okay, let’s get started, Easton. Here is the list of questions in case you want to prep for them ahead of time.”

“Nah, I’m good.” I don’t even glance at the sheet of paper he hands me. “There’s nothing you’re going to ask me that I can’t answer on the fly.”

“Even about Santiago?”

I look over to him, and his eyes tell me that he’s behind me and my displeasure with the team’s bullshit move.

“Let’s leave Santiago off the table,” I joke. “This is a PG show after all.”

He laughs, shakes his head, and pats my back. “You could always knock him out and leave him on the floor if it’s easier.”

“I like the way you think, Bruce.”

“Thought you might. You ready?” I nod. “We’re good to go in five, four, three, two, one.”

“Goddammit, Wylder!” The voice rings out and then a few more curse words, followed by a riot of laughter rumbling through the clubhouse.

I peek out of my training room, and once I see that all of the guys are covered and decent, I head out to see what’s going on.

“Where is that asshole?” I think it’s Tino’s voice, I’m not sure though because the players are all standing together and blocking my view of what’s going on.

“That’s one way to sparkle and shine on the field, Tino,” J.P. says through the laughter that doubles him over.

“Aw man, this shit is everywhere.” It’s Tino again and the guys around him slowly begin to back away as they laugh and shake their heads. “It’s like I’m fucking Tinker Bell.”

“You always said you were light on your feet, now you just have the fairy dust to prove it,” Drew says drawing another round of laughter from the guys.

This time when the crowd parts, I can see what they are all laughing at. Tino is standing at his locker in just his undershirt and sliders on with his baseball cap in his hand, and every inch of him is covered in sparkly blue glitter. From the amount that is concentrated in his hair and down his back, it appears to have been put in his hat so when he put it on his head it fell all over him.

“Tinker Bell Tino,” someone chimes in and when Tino looks up to glare at them, he sees me standing there.

I can’t help but laugh as he moves toward me, his whole body shimmering and shining under the locker room lights.

“You’re a girl,” he says.

“Way to state the obvious, Einstein,” Drew says earning him a death stare from Tino before he looks back to me.

“Yes, I am,” I say fighting the smile on my lips. Now that he’s closer, I can see the glitter is that very fine type of powder that’s basically impossible to get rid of.

“How do I get this shit off me? The more I wipe it off, the more it sticks.” His eyes plead with me, but it’s so hard to keep a straight face when I notice even his eyelashes are coated blue.

“Why would you want to wipe it off? I think blue’s your color.” I bat my eyelashes and feign innocence as the guys hoot and holler in response around me.