Page 19 of Rain Delay

Suddenly, rebranding my social media presence felt a hell of a lot easier than trying to rebuild whatever remained of me and Eliana.

Chapter 7

Eliana

WHETHER I LIKED IT OR NOT, this was my new normal. I knew things would smooth over eventually – It was just going to take some time. I had to remind myself that this was a job; regardless of who it was with.

I should be excited staring this new season. I should be feeling the adrenaline rush as I pull into the parking lot of the stadium. It seemed like it was everything but.

The initial encounter with Wyatt was something I’ve thought about for a long time. How things might be if we were to ever cross paths again.

Clearly, my daydreaming needed to stay that — a dream. Whatever this reality was? I’m not sure if I liked it.

I was a woman working in sports. That was something of itself that I had to navigate through. There was a little sense of comfort about being in the ballpark I grew up coming to; I also knew that even though it brought comfort, I had an image I had to uphold for this team.

I was used to the high-pressure, the tight deadlines, the late nights, the fast-paced lifestyle.

I knew how to work with professional athletes. What I didn’t know was how to work with the one that I had spent the last few years trying to forget about.

I looked at myself in the visor mirror of my car, making sure I looked presentable and at least somewhat put together before I walked into the stadium. I was sporting a pair of flare leggings and a Crafters quarter zip I picked up in the Team Store the day before.

I let out a slow breath, grabbed my bag, and slung it over my shoulder before I stepped out of the car.

The walk inside was one I wasn’t used to taking. I remember walking with my family over the bridge from the Yount parking lot to make our way into the stadium by right field. Now, I was walking in through the players’ and personnel entrance with special credentials that basically shouted, “Hey, everyone. She’s a big deal, make way.”

The air smelled like cut grass and a hint of dirt. It hit me instantly – This sense of this is where you belong. The nerves didn’t disappear, but rather, settled into something more manageable.

It made me smile walking in and seeing all of the signage around that let visiting fans know the Crafters were the reigning World Series champions.

The stadium wasn’t full yet; just staff members, a few players starting to arrive, and the low hum of preparation drifting through the ballpark.

Opening Weekend was always crazy no matter where you were. Everyone was running around, making sure things operated smoothly. The Crafters were already two games into their Opening Weekend; they were already finding their groove.

“You must be Eliana,” the voice pulls my attention from the field. I turned to face whoever was talking to me, seeing a man with brunette hair and a stock build. Arms were lean and muscular, and his thighs looked like they could crush someone.

I didn’t need to know baseball to know who Liam Engel was. He was always in the sports gossip, a different girl on his arm every night. He knew what his fame and name carried with him, and he definitely used that to his advantage.

I gave him a little wave. “That would be me,” I chuckle almost to myself. “And you’re Liam?”

He nods, flashing me a charming smile. “That would be me. You studied your roster, huh?” He winks at me. “My condolences on being assigned to Wyatt. He’s really fucking boring.”

“I guess you could say that,” I shrug, adjusting the strap on my shoulder.

His grin widens. “C’mon, I’ll show you to the field.”

I follow behind, looking around at this new view. Being on the field was vastly different from sitting in the seats.

“You’re from here, right?” Liam asks, wanting to make small talk.

I nodded, looking at him.

“From Kimberly,” I answered. “Not sure if you know where that is.”

“That’s where Wyatt’s from too,” he pointed out. “And now you’re working with him. Small world.”

Oh, if you only knew, bud.

There was no way he didn’t know who I was to Wyatt. If they were friends, I’m sure Wyatt’s mentioned me to him at some point. Maybe it wasn’t registering with him yet. I liked it that way, though. I wasn’t being interrogated on my first day, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.