Hearing Leo had friends who were married with children surprised Morgan. Actually, knowing he had any friends was a shocker. He figured the moody asshole shunned people in general. Morgan loved children and had a difficult time imagining Leo around little kids.
“Nice of him to give you the tickets.”
“Yeah. That’s Peter.”
Leo said nothing further, and Morgan didn’t press it, hoping maybe they’d talk more during the game, but Leo, true to form, didn’t say much past a few grunts in response to his questions and sat staring at the field. Morgan could swear Leo wasn’t focused on the game or the hitters, but rather had something else running through his head. The silence grew between them until the seventh-inning stretch, when Morgan couldn’t stand it any longer. He had no idea what was wrong, but he needed to say something.
“They’re not going to the postseason, but they’re building a future with their pitchers.” Morgan slurped the last of his soda. “That kid they picked up in the trade deadline is going to be their closer, I’m betting.”
Apparently that did the trick, as Leo, finally out of his earlier funk, stretched his arm across the back of Morgan’s seat. “You think so? I’m not sure. He’s really young and needs a few more years of seasoning. He’s had it pretty easy. Let’s see if he’s tough enough to hold up under the fans and press here, never mind the game itself.”
“Maybe so, but he’s hungry. I watched him during press conferences, and he wants to be here badly. It’s been his dream.”
“Well, dreams have a way of crashing and burning.”
“Tell me about it,” Morgan muttered and jammed the last fry in his mouth. Even cold, he couldn’t leave fries uneaten. It was sacrilege.
“Is that why you got upset before? Because I mentioned divorce? I didn’t mean to make you think of your asshole ex.”
“How do you know my ex was an asshole? Maybe I was the one.”
In an incredibly shocking move, Leo tipped his fingers under Morgan’s chin and smiled. “Impossible. You’re annoying and a pain in my butt but not an asshole. You’re one of the nice guys, 5C.”
Whoa. This was not the conversation he’d expected to have during the seventh-inning stretch, but Leo’s intense gaze drew him in, and the floodgates opened.
“He hid who he was from me. When we met, all I saw was this good-looking, successful man who wanted me. Me, a guy from the sticks. I was so fucking stupid and naïve. A real dope.”
Morgan had gone against every first-date rule—talking about exes, bringing the conversation down from lighthearted fun—but Leo’s hand remained on his face, and he couldn’t pull away.
“You weren’t stupid or a dope. You were trusting. Too trusting. It happens to all of us.”
“Even you?”
Leo’s fingers brushed his cheek, and Morgan gazed at him, falling into the ocean-deep blue of his eyes. Leo leaned forward, his mouth so close, Morgan could almost taste the air between them. He dimly heard cheering around them and the chant of “Kiss, kiss!”
Leo froze, his eyes shifting to the jumbotron, and Morgan followed to see the two of them plastered on the big screen—Leo’s hand resting on his face, and him looking ready to jump Leo’s bones.
They sprang apart to laughter and some boos from the crowd.
“Oops,” Morgan said weakly as the camera moved on. “That was close.”
Leo gave a quick nod. “Yeah. Too close.” He sidled away and picked up his drink, not meeting Morgan’s eyes. “Let’s see if they can put some more runs on the board and win this thing.”
“Yeah. Totally.”
Leo’s phone went off, and whatever the text said turned his cheeks a fiery red. Without responding, he put the phone down. It continued to vibrate until, with a sigh, he picked it up to answer. Morgan couldn’t help but listen.
“Yeah.…No, I can’t.…No, I don’t have to.…You’re annoying me. What the fuck is wrong with you?…No, don’t…please don’t, ah shit.” Leo ran his hand through his hair and sent a glance up to the sky. Morgan had no idea what was happening, but it was a lot more interesting than the Mets bumbling a play on the field, and he pretended to concentrate on his straw.
“Hi, Marla.…No.…I’m telling you it’s not like that. How are the kids?…Oh, good.…No, really it isn’t what you…ah, Jesus. Okay, hold on.” Leo set the phone on his thigh and turned to him.
“So, my friend Peter—”
“The one who gave you the tickets?” Morgan could play this game.
“Yeah. Seems he and Marla, his wife, were watching the game and saw us on the screen.”
“You mean the Kiss Cam.”
