Contrary to what these assholes seem to think—and are excited to broadcast to everyone within a fifty foot radius—I have in fact been turned down before. With Hollis, though, this is the first time someone’s burrowed so deep under my skin after just one meeting.
She wasn’t just gorgeous, she was my exact type, down to every last impossible detail. If someone asked me to describe my dream girl, it’d just be her.
She wasn’t exactly short, as I still had several inches on her, but I love a woman with a little height on em’, especially when paired with a perfectly curvy yet slightly toned frame. I’ve also always been a sucker for a gorgeous brunette, and the way herlong chestnut hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders? Yeah, let’s just say it took some effort not to spend the entire night picturing myself grabbing a fistful of it.
“I don’t know,” Hudson says, cutting into my daydream. “You got pretty lame last night. After she shot you down you didn’t hit on anyone else for the rest of the night. Not even those bachelorette chicks who invited you back to their Airbnb.”
Jaxon’s eyes grow even larger. “Wait, hold up. You got turned down and you went home alone? Are we sure you’re okay?” he asks, reaching out as though he’s checking the temperature of my forehead.
I slap his hand away.
Okay, so maybe I’ve garnered a reputation for enjoying a certain kind of company, and usually my bed is kept pretty warm at night, but they’re definitely blowing this way out of proportion.
“Seriously? Come on.” I hold my hands up. “This isn't a big deal. I just wasn’t in the mood for company. Plus, it’s obvious they were the type of women to completely deck out their place in dick memorabilia. Sorry, but that’s just not the vibe I was going for last night.”
Hudson scoffs. “A bunch of horny women throwing themselves at you after playing pin the dick on the fiancé?” he smirks. “I don’t know. I’m just not buying it. Something was definitely up.”
“No kidding. Plus, we know you. Mason Fletcher never strikes out. Not in baseball or with women,” Jaxon says, nudging me with his elbow.
“Aw, Jax, you know better than anyone there’s no such thing as a perfect batting average,” I joke, getting in a quick jab of my own.
“Ha-Ha,” he says with no trace of amusement in his tone as we walk onto the field to join the growing crowd.
Not only has the entire Houston Honky Tonks team gathered—the namesakes of our small entertainment-first baseball league—but our ‘rivals’, the Rowdy Rattlers, are here too, along with what looks to be the entire staff of the Honky Tonk Ball organization.
“So what’s this all about, anyway?” Jaxon asks as we settle in among the rest of the players, coaches, and staff.
“I heard that Jared finally hired a new social media manager for the league,” Hudson says, which checks out.
We’ve gone through a few already, none of them delivering the results needed to build a proper fanbase—something this franchise desperately needs if it’s going to survive past this season or the next.
For now, all we can do is trust that Jared Clemmins, a former Major League Baseball player and the owner of the Houston Honky Tonks, has finally landed someone worthy of the role.
We’ve managed to gain a small following, and even picked up some traction after our first season last year, but we all know the league has the potential to be so much more. Jared truly created something special here, and despite us busting our asses to get the word out about Honky Tonk Ball, it just hasn’t taken off the way we hoped.
The one thing working in our favor is the people who do find us instantly fall in love with us as players. Our silly, and oftentimes downright crazy antics on the field, along with our individual social media accounts have slowly started to gain traction across various platforms. While the league and team accounts are growing, it hasn't been as fast as we've hoped. And the engagement with those accounts? Abysmal at best.
It probably hasn’t helped that no one who’s taken on the role so far has truly understood what we stand for. We aren’t your typical baseball league, nor are we trying to be.
We’re known for our trick plays, our crazy rules, and our walk-up music that often involves cowboy hats, choreography, and, of course, our signature line dances. We’ve taken the classical game of baseball, bent a few rules, and turned it into a full-blown show the entire family can enjoy together. There’s never a dull moment at a Honky Tonks game, yet none of the previous hires have been able to fully capture the magic we bring to the field.
“Alright everyone, let’s calm down,” Bruce, the head coach of the Honky Tonks, hollers, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound across the small crowd.
The chatter dies down as Jared steps onto the field, followed closely by a woman wearing a form-fitting red, Honky Tonks T-shirt and jean shorts. Her chestnut-brown hair is pulled back into a slick ponytail as it swishes from side-to-side as she walks.
Time doesn’t just slow down, it freezes altogether. I’ve never felt this sort of out-of-body experience before. It’s like I’ve been dropped into the middle of one of those slow-motion movie montages. It’s not just my world that comes to a halt—so does my heart. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I’ve stopped breathing altogether, my breath getting caught in my throat.
“What the fuck?” I curse under my breath, but obviously not quietly enough as Jaxon’s curious gaze swivels my way, while Hudson nudges his shoulder into mine.
“Holy shit!” Hudson chuckles. “That’s her. It’s Fletch’s dream girl.”
Jaxon catches on and straightens up, as he does his best to get a better look.
The black dress and the fuck-me heels that had me drooling all over myself may be gone, but even in her Honky Tonk gear, she looks just as stunning. Hell, maybe even better.
At least now I can sleep better knowing it wasn’t just one too many beers making me glamorize her for no good reason. If anything, seeing her like this only makes me want her more. Imean, come on. Who doesn’t look good when they're dressed up and going out with their friends? She obviously made an effort to look good for her first day, but this feels different. More real.
“Hey everyone,” Jared greets us with his usual big, friendly grin. “As you all know, we’ve been looking for a new social media manager, and I was lucky enough to convince my daughter, Hollis, and the best social media manager out there to agree to it,” he explains, placing a proud hand on her shoulder.
