“Oh, I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just that I know that scene. And there are a lot of girls waiting in the wings to get in on that action,” she said with a crooked smile.

“The groupies.” I nodded my understanding.

“Yeah.” She nodded back, frowning her disapproval.

“I know. I’ve already dealt with my fair share of them at school. They’re pretty brutal.” I winced at the memory.

“And those girls are nothing compared to the ones who chase after the professional ball players. Consider the girls in college amateurs and strap your big girl pants on, ’cause you ain’t seen nothing yet.” She gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze.

“How do you know all this?” I asked, my thoughts drifting.

“I used to photograph a minor league team in town. I saw a lot of things I wish I could un-see.” She laughed with a shudder. “I’m just saying be careful. I’m sure your boyfriend’s a stand-up guy and all, it’s just those girls definitely aren’t.”

“And you definitely haven’t met my boyfriend or you wouldn’t describe him as a stand-up guy,” I joked with a snicker, doing my best to change the subject.

“Well, you have the right attitude. I’m sure you two will be fine.”

“I’m not really worried about it,” I lied.

“We should head back in.” She stood before reaching out her hand to help me up.

*****

I headed down the escalator in the airport and saw Jack standing there holding a sign that read: Anyone seen my Kitten?

I laughed so loud when I read it, I scared the poor guy in front of me. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to the irritated stranger before quickly covering my mouth with my hand. I stepped off the moving stairs and ran into Jack’s waiting arms.

I knew that I missed him, but being in his arms reminded me just how much. He tilted my chin and leaned down to kiss me. “I’ve missed you,” he said with another kiss, his lips brushing against my ear.

“Me too.” I wrapped my arms around his body and squeezed, the sound of suitcases rolling past us.

“Do you like my sign?”

My body let out a loud, quick ha that could wake up an entire building. “It’s adorable. And hilarious,” I answered, trying not to laugh but failing miserably.

He reached down, grabbing my carry-on bag with one arm and swinging it behind his shoulder. “Do you have a suitcase?”

“Just this.” I smiled, pointing at the bag he carried.

“Really? You’re my dream girl.” He tossed his free arm around my shoulders and led me out of the airport.

I shivered when the cool morning air hit my body as we exited. “Holy shit, it’s cold up here.”

“Yeah. The weather’s a little different than back home.” He lifted an eyebrow as he led me across the street toward the first row of cars.

I scanned the area looking for the familiar white death trap when he clicked the unlock button on an unfamiliar black Acura. I stopped walking and tilted my head back. “Whose car?”

“My roommate, Tyler’s. He let me borrow it since I’d knew you’d freeze in mine.”

“Thanks,” I said, moving into the chilly leather seat.

Jack slid his muscular frame into the car and turned to look at me. His face twisted into a sexy smile, his dimples appearing. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

I felt my cheeks warm with his words. “Me too. Thank you so much for flying me.”

“Gotta see my girl!” he said with enthusiasm before the engine purred to life.

“So tell me about your new roommates and your place and stuff,” I asked, even though he’d told me a lot of those things before.

“Well, you know we have a house that we rented. We each have our own room. The guys are Tyler, Nick, and Spencer. Tyler’s girlfriend Amanda’s in town too. You’ll like her, she’s cool. And you girls can go to the games together and stuff, so that worked out.”

“What worked out?” I asked, wanting clarification.

He glanced at me before looking back at the road. “Well, I was sort of going crazy before I knew that Amanda would be here. I didn’t want you going to the field by yourself. I’m not sure if you know this or not, but I really fucking hate leaving you alone. Especially after what happened.” His tone tightened with irritation.

“Jack.” I sympathized as I flashed back to the night of the beating.

“I know I have issues. But I can’t let something happen to you again.” He exhaled through his nose. “So I was happy when Tyler told me that Amanda would be in town. Now you don’t have to be alone.”

I smiled and rested my hand on his thigh. “Sounds good.”

Jack pulled the car into the driveway of a gorgeous two-story house. “Jack, this house looks brand new!”

“I told you it’s only a few years old. The guy who owns it has like twelve properties or something. Wait ’til you see the backyard.” His eyebrows lifted as he smirked.

“I’ve seen the backyard.” I hinted at the many cell phone pictures he’d sent me.

“Well, wait ’til you see it in person.”

I walked on the cobblestone pathway to the oversized front door and headed inside, where music blared in an empty room. “Jesus. Sorry, Kitten, I’ll turn it down.” Jack ran to the stereo and flipped the switch off.

“Hey!” A rowdy voice yelled from a distance and I peered around the wall into the perfectly manicured backyard. Green trees, bushes, and plants surrounded the back side of the pool, making it appear lush and tropical. Earth-colored stones and matching boulders accented the area, bringing out the blue of the water.

One of Jack’s roommates sat floating on a neon pink raft as another tumbled down the built-in slide. “Wow, you were right. It’s much better in person.”

“And you can’t even see the hot tub from there,” he whispered before running up the stairs. “Come on, Kitten.”

I followed Jack up before colliding with a girl I assumed was Tyler’s girlfriend Amanda, knocking her twisted hair loose. I watched as the light brown strands fell from the once messy bun, into just…a mess. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?” I asked as I helped her up.

“Yeah. You must be Cassie? I’m Amanda,” she said, grabbing and twisting her hair back into place.

“Nice to meet you.” I smiled, my tone cordial.

“You too. Okay, I really have to go before I pee my pants.” She laughed, ran into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut.

*****

The thought of going to my first professional baseball game alone didn’t really appeal to me, so I was thankful Amanda was in town. We arrived at the field, parked, and headed toward the Will Call ticket booth. I gripped my camera tightly as we walked to our seats next to the visitors’ dugout.

The stadium was much larger than the one at Fullton State, but the crowd was similar. There were a lot of families with kids and a ton of girls. When our team was announced, the crowd went wild. And when they broadcasted Tyler’s name, groups of girls screamed and some stood up, showing their jerseys with his number on the back.

It was nothing I hadn’t seen or heard before. I glanced at Amanda, noting the discomfort on her face as she fidgeted in her seat.

“You okay?” I asked, nudging her arm.

Her hazel eyes glanced around the stadium before returning to mine. “There’s a lot of fan-girls here.” I nodded. “I’m not really used to this,” she admitted as she crossed her legs.

“Which part?” I asked, finding it hard to imagine that this scene was completely new to her.

“The girls, mostly. The crazy screaming like that for Tyler. The jerseys with his number. I hate it.”

“Really? It wasn’t like that for him in college?”

She shook her head. “Not even close. Was it like that for Jack?”

“Oh yeah.” I chuckled.

“Wow. You’re much braver than I am.” She swallowed.

“What do you mean?”

“I was just talking to Tyler about this last night. I think it takes a certain kind of person to date a professional athlete. I don’t think just any girl could do it.” She paused, glancing toward the field. “I’m not sure I’m cut out for it.”

“Don’t say that,” I reassured her as I put my arm around her shoulder. “You can do it. You love Tyler, right?”

“Of course, but it’s not about that.”

“Yes it is. It’s about exactly that.” I smiled at Amanda and she gave me an obviously forced smile in return. “He doesn’t want these other girls. He wants you. You have to remember that.”

She nodded, pressing her shoulder into mine. “You’re right. Thanks.”

The game wasn’t nearly as entertaining when Jack wasn’t pitching, but it did give me time to photograph other players and things. I took a lot of pictures of Jack’s roommates, knowing full well how much the guys tend to enjoy photos of themselves playing. I even snuck in a couple of Amanda on my way back from the bathroom. Her fingers were intertwined and twisted in a weird way as she pressed them against her lips, staring intently toward the field. I framed her fingers and her mouth in one shot, the focus of her eyes in another, and then her whole body language in a third. She looked so uncomfortable and unhappy.

When the game ended, Amanda and I walked down a ramp that led us underground toward the locker room. The walls were cement and kept the air chilled in the breezeway where we stood, waiting for our boyfriends to emerge. I glanced at the others waiting—some younger girls like myself and other folks a bit older that I assumed were parents—and resisted the urge to walk over and introduce myself. I wasn’t sure why, but instead of being friendly, I stood with my arms crossed over my body. The steel gray door flung open with a bang as Jack walked out grinning.

I smiled at the sight of him, his chocolate-brown eyes holding my gaze. He kissed my cheek and grabbed my hand. “Tyler’s almost done. We’ll see you at home, ’K?” he informed Amanda, leading me away from her.

We walked hand in hand down a long cement corridor before Jack pushed against the metal release bar of the outer door. Once outside, we found ourselves surrounded by squealing girls. They stared at Jack, then at me, then back to Jack. A few asked for his autograph, while others asked for something else entirely. This is exactly what Lesslie from work had warned me about.

“Hey, Jack, call me,” a blonde-haired floozy said, shoving a piece of paper into Jack’s free hand.

I snarled, offended at this girl’s incredible behavior. “Really?” I said to her bitterly.

“What?”

“I’m standing right here,” I bit back, my jaw clenching.

“Well, I’m sure you won’t always be standing right there.” She smirked and Jack gripped my hand, knowing I was about to lose it.

“You disrespectful little—” I started to shout, trying to wrench my hand free as Jack’s grip tightened and interrupted me.