We were technically there supporting the visiting team, which was the Phillies. We cheered freely for them because we were in a group with other Philly friends and family. It seemed that about a quarter of the crowd was dressed in red and white, so we were among friends in the stadium in general. EJ had friends on both teams. It was just that Thad Mitchellhad gotten us the tickets. Thad, shortstop for the Phillies, was one of EJ's best friends, and he was having a great game, which made the whole experience so exciting. We (the Phillies) were winning the whole game, and the Pirates came back to tie it in the ninth inning and win it in the bottom of the tenth. The fans in the stadium were on their feet when the home team scored the last run, and I looked at EJ when they erupted.
"Does that mean they won just now?" I asked as fireworks began to go off.
"Yes," he answered, speaking loudly. The crowd had erupted, and there was so much chaos and literal fireworks that I thought he might throw caution to the wind and kiss me. I smiled at him, and he smiled at me, and I wished as hard as I could that he would lean in and kiss me.
"You wanna head downstairs?" he asked instead.
"Sure," I answered, even though I didn't know what he meant by that. I assumed he meant we were leaving. He motioned for me to follow him, and we exited the row along with thousands of others, heading into the aisle, leaving in a moving sea of people like fish in a stream. I followed behind him, and every so often, he would glance back to make sure I was still there.
Chapter 14
The following day
"Then we left our seats along with everyone else in the stadium," I said to Grace. "But they were all going to the exits, and we headed downstairs in an elevator. Hang on. Zoey, come hear this so I don't have to tell you again later." A lot of my friends went to the early service on Sunday morning. Grace and I had been together, volunteering in the children's department, and we were just catching up with Zoey on the way out. "I was just telling Grace about going to the baseball game with EJ last night. Vinny and Wyatt would have died."
"You guys hung out last night, too? You and EJ?" Zoey asked, making a face like that was a significant piece of information.
"No, we're just friends," I assured her. "But it was really cool what we got to do. He knows all those baseball players, and after the game, we got to go downstairs in the hallways with the locker rooms and everything. I didn't go inside the locker room, but it was all part of the players' and coaches' area. I shook hands with about five or six different players and coaches, and they were all really happy to see EJ. He's popular with baseball players, and we werejust chillin' down there. One of them told EJ he was looking good, and EJ ended up telling him about me doing the haircut. I gave him my card. I'm pretty sure he'll call."
"You're going to cut a professional baseball player's hair?" Grace asked.
"Well, she's already cut EJ's hair," Zoey said. "Did you kiss him?" Zoey added, unable to help herself.
"No," I said, wishing it weren't true.
"But if anybody would make you rethink your dating policy, it would be him, though, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, no. I'm not thinking about that right now."
"But you spent the last two nights together?"
"We hung out, yes."
"Didn't he try to kiss you?"
"No."
"Not even after the game last night?" Zoey asked. "That would have been a freebie after letting you meet a whole baseball team."
"Zoey!" Grace said.
"No, we're just spending time together this weekend as friends," I clarified, trying to seem happy about it even though I didn't want that anymore.
"That's a bummer because you look good together," Zoey said. Grace elbowed her. "What? They're actually a cute couple."
"You keep pushing her about this guy, and you know she's been through a lot," Grace said. "She said she doesn’t want a boyfriend, and that's okay."
"Yeah, I'm, we're just spending time together as friends."
"Does Gabe know?" Grace asked. They both knew Gabe because he went to our church. He was the one who had gotten me to go there. He volunteered as a greeter. He was around the church a lot and popular with everyone.
"That I'm friends with EJ? Yeah, why?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I know he's protective of you. I wondered if he said anything about it."
"No. He met EJ last time he was here, but he hasn't even seen him this time."
"Is he gone now? Back in Chicago?"
