page19 (2/2)

“Hey, Luce!” a few ofdown a piña colada, flirting shamelessly with Leeland Huckabee Tom Malloy, our first baseman, looks half plastered already, which is par for the course…the et his keys Carly Espinosa, responsible for both our team’s runs with a homer in the ninth, is on her cell phone Roxanne, the surly waitress, growls at patrons to hurry up and order as she slaps down drinks

And Ethan is yucking it up with Doral-Anne

“What would you like to drink?” Fred asks

“Oh, u,” I say, uilty and relieved sigh when he turns his back

“So what happened today, Lucy?” Tommy Malloy calls

“Just having a bad day,” I answer “Don’t worry My mojo will be back e play Nubey’s” We’ve never lost to Nubey’s Hardware, after all

Ah-ha! Ethan is co my way “Hey, Luce”

“Hi Sorry I’ here,” I say

“Oh, were you late?” he asks, glancing at the bar

“I just had a little…trouble That’s all” I wait for hi steroids or soressive there on second today First tied me out…ever, now that I think of it” I offer a srins back

“It’s not steroids, Lucy Just treating you like et on base next tied now

“You don’t let ,” I object

“Sure, Luce”

“What are you saying?”

He laughs, not enuine aood?”

My reat at softball! I bat 513!”

He nods “Yes, you do Even higher than To” He winks

My shoulders sluood? People have been just being nice?”

“Yup”

“No, sir!” I’reat? “Why would they do that?”

“Because you’re Jionna strike out poor Lucy Mirabelli?”

My eyes narrow “Did you have so to do with this?”

He grins again “Well, I o easy on , anyway I guess it got to be a habit” He pats ne, such a co And jealousy,it Snap out of it, I tell myself harshly

I glance around the bar Fred, surrounded by taller patrons, waits patiently, unaware of the “shove your way to the front” lance over to where Doral-Anne sits in a booth along the back wall Where I usually sit Often with Ethan, whenever he was around for a game, that is Despite the fact that our more intimate relationship had always been a secret, Ethan was always quite protective of e points for being such a good guy where his brother’s as concerned He’d get ah!) and usually walkme

Dang it, dang it, dang it

Doral-Anne eyes reat white shark “You should probably get back to your date,” I say to Ethan, unable to completely hide the bitter note in my voice

“Who? Doral-Anne? Oh, we’re not on a date Just talking” He glances over to Doral-Anne, who jerks her glare off ofthe menu

“And what are you talking about?” I ask

He considers me carefully “She’s interested in what International Foods does Our new product line Stuff like that”

“Your product line?” I snort “Ethan, my dear boy, Doral-Anne’s interested in you”

“No, Lucy, she’s interested in my company We’re both in the food service industry, in case you didn’t notice There’s been talk about Starbucks closing the Mackerly store She ht send her résumé to International, that’s all”

“She’s not good enough for you” The statement falls out without my consent, but there it is The truth

Ethan’s htens “So now you’re an expert on who I should date, Lucy? Maybe you shouldn’t go around judging people you barely know”

I gulp Great, he’s defending her “Well, I just…whatever Sorry I said anything I’m sure she’s perfectly wonderful”

Luckily the door opens and Parker breezes in, s of J’Adore and not of sweat, like my own sticky self

“Hey, guys!” she says, giving us both a fond squeeze of the shoulder, and some of the tension leaves the moment

“How’s our boy?” Ethan asks, his face taking on that dopey, adoring look he gets whenever he thinks of his son