Felix (The Ninth Inning #1) Read Online Free Page B

you’ll throw me a ball every time I’m there, so I don’t need any more of those. I have all my favorite books already signed. I guess that leaves,” she taps her finger on her chin and says, “You being my driver while you’re in town until the semester is over.”
    I think about it for only a moment. “Okay, I can do that. Do you want to catch a dinner and a movie sometime?”
    “Wait...are you asking me out?” Her lips part in shock and her eyes widen.
    “Don’t seem so surprised. Yes, I’m asking you out.”
    “Oh...well...um...sure, okay, we can do that, I guess,” she stammers over words, but she almost looks upset or disgusted I asked. What the hell?
    “If you don’t want to, it’s fine. Don’t say yes, if you really mean no.”
    “I’m sorry. No, no, I do. I’m just a little thrown off. Come on, you’re Felix Hernandez and I’m Abigail Harris. I see you with more of the supermodel-type girl and I’m nothing like that. I much better prefer to stay home on Saturday night and read then go off to some celebrity party.”
    I laugh. The only other people I know in Memphis are my teammates and now Abigail and LA. What celebrity party does she think I’ll be going to? Where are the supermodels I’m supposed to be dating instead of her? I haven’t seen any. “You know, I never took you as the type to make stereotypical assumptions. But I’ll forgive you this time. Does Saturday at six work for you?”
    “That’s fine, but you have to realize that you’re you and it’s not assumption. I know how to Google too and I’ve seen you on the arms of much prettier women than me.”
    I smirk, imagining her hunched over a laptop, searching my name. “You’ve Googled me? I feel very honored to have such a beautiful woman search me on the internet.”
    “I Googled you once and that’s it. I was actually trying to see if you were listed as the master of horrible pickup lines. Sad to say, I think I may have seen that listed in one of the high-end girly magazines.” Abigail shakes her head. “I guess my good luck only goes so far.”
    “Maybe I should add that to my official bio. So, Saturday at six?”
    “Fine. I’ll be ready.”
    “Great.” I add in my goodbye and walk back to my apartment with a grin on my face. Memphis is getting better and better by the minute.
     

     
    WITH EVERYONE BEING pretty new, we’ve done a lot of team-building type of exercises. It’s been helpful and fun. However, if there’s one guy I can never get a read on, it’s Blake Foster. As long as I can read him while we’re on the field, I guess it’s not a big deal. He’s a moody guy sometimes, though. Like today. He looks pissed.
    I take a seat next to him and ask, “Hey, you all right, Blake?”
    “Fucking peachy,” he answers without looking my way.
    I leave it at that because I’m not about to piss him off further. Hector turns around from his seat in front of us.
    “I think he prefers to be called Grumpy.”
    “Turn around and shut up,” Blake snaps, sending him a glare.
    Hector laughs and looks at me. “He’ll be better in a few hours. Right, Grumpy?” Blake flips him off, not fazing him in the least. “Hey, Felix. Who’s the girl at the game you keep throwing your balls at?” He grins and chuckles at his joke.
    “She’s the reason we keep winning.”
    “I thought it was because of my mad throwing skills?”
    “That’s helpful, but having her there was more helpful. She doesn’t believe in good luck charms, though.”
    This kind of conversation apparently engages Blake. “Seriously?” He turns to look at me. “Like not at all or she just doesn’t believe she is one?”
    “She doesn’t think she is one. Do y’all have one?”
    Hector pulls a silver necklace from under his shirt, a cross hanging from it. We glance at Blake.
    “I don’t have one,” he answers. “I can’t keep anything long enough to have a good luck charm,” he finishes, gazing back out the window.
    Hector