“I don’t care how I look. I’m noturncoat.”
“Come on, now, nobody’ll even notice,” he said, adjusting the cap as he settled it on my head. “Small price to pay to maintain such flawless skin.” He winked, then turned and met Justin four rows directly behindus.
“The nerve,” I growled, turning forward again. Cinnamon gum? Flawless skin? Did his sarcasm know no bounds? “Can youbelievehim?”
“You want my hat instead?” François asked. “You are a littlered. . .”
I sat back in my seat. I didn’t want François’s hat, because—I hated to admit—I liked wearing Sebastian’s. It was like being back in high school, and the quarterback had just draped his letterman jacket over myshoulders.
“It’s fine,” I said. “It’s just ahat.”
But it wasn’t just a hat—and the beer in my hand wasn’t just a beer. They were exactly what I needed in that moment. What did it say that my enemy was taking better care of me than mydate?
As the game rolled into the next inning, I began to cool down with the help of the beer and the baseball cap. Except now, I was faced with a different kind of heat—Sebastian’s eyes on the back of my head. Was he watching me or the game? Whywouldhe be watching me? Why did I care? Now that I’d wondered it, I couldn’t think of anythingelse.
Frank glanced at my beer. “How wasit?”
Too small, I thought since I only had a few sips left. Based on his earlier comments, though, I assumed he’d judge me for having a second one. “Satisfying.”
He smiled at me. “You’recute.”
“Really?”
“Don’t sound sosurprised.”
“Well, I just . . .” I hesitated. “I was worried you weren’t having a goodtime.”
“I’m having a great time.” He put an arm along the back of my seat. “This is my kind of date—Yankees and a sweet girl. Now, if only we werewinning.”
“Want me to go down there and have a chat withthem?”
He laughed. “How’s someone like you stillsingle?”
“I, um . . . just got out of arelationship.”
“Ah. Me too. I wasn’t planning to get back out there so soon, but here I am.” He angled toward me. “Honestly, I was shocked when you asked me out. My ex never would’ve done that—tooshy.”
If I’d been the type to set the record straight, I might’ve pointed out that I hadn’t really been the one asking—only pretending to. Because Iwashis ex. I never would’ve approached Frank if I hadn’t been forcedto.
“You even look good in a Sox cap,” he said, wetting his lips. “That’s something.” Nothing about the moment screamedfirst kiss, but Frank dropped his hand to my shoulder and brought me closer. I didn’t even have a chance to pull away before the bill of his cap knocked into mine. I laughed nervously and silently thanked Sebastian for saving me fromafar.
“Hey, Keller,” Justin called from behind me. “You on adate?”
I glanced back at a grinning Justin. Sebastian had his eyes on us, his knee bouncing a mile a minute. Without his hat, his hair was messy, and he was dressed as casually as I’d ever seen him in a hoodie, gray t-shirt, and jeans that definitely did not double aspajamas.
“What’s with those guys?” Frank asked. “You told me at the bar that guy was yourcoworker.”
“He is. They both are. They just like to mess withme.”
“They came all the way here to hassle you on aSaturday?”
“I don’t know how, in a stadium this size, they ended up right behind us, but whatever. Don’t pay any attention tothem.”
“All right,” he said, playing with my hair. “I’ll pay my attentionelsewhere.”
This time, I recognized the look in his eyes—and then he removed his hat. He hadn’t given up on thekiss.
As Frank reached to remove Sebastian’s cap from my head, Sebastian called down to us. “Georgina.”
