1
Sage
Music blares across the dimly lit penthouse and despite the crowd surrounding me, I’ve never felt lonelier. My friends are here somewhere, but they’re with their husbands. I didn’t bring a date to the party since I was supposed to meet a friend, but he canceled at the last minute.
Now I’m stuck, drinking beer from a long-stemmed glass, instead of a bottle, all by myself.
I remember a time not too long ago when we preferred our beer in red plastic cups, but that was before my best friend married a New York City professional baseball club owner.
Yet, the stemware’s been the smallest change since Charlotte met Caleb. The biggest change has been seeing her less. But that’s to be expected since we’re no longer roommates.
Jazz music and business types are not usually my vibe, but I would put up with it to spend more time with Charlotte.
I spot her across the room. Her brown hair falls down her back in loose curls and she’s wearing a slim-fitting black dress. She laughs at something her husband says to a couple of men dressed in designer suits. They’re older than Caleb, but he seems at ease in their presence. There isn’t much that riles Caleb up, unless you insult his wife or kids.
Charlotte catches my eye, and I smile, taking a sip of my beer. She excuses herself and walks across the spacious living room floor of their Manhattan penthouse.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good.”
“Where’s Teo?” she asks, looking around the room.
“He couldn’t make it. But it’s better this way. Now I can flirt with all the other baseball players in the room.”
She looks at me with a side glance, and I smile brightly, knowing if I do, she’ll believe me.
“Well, you may want to save some of that charm for a particular ball player I heard is on his way.”
“Oh, really? Who’s that?” I take another sip of my drink.
She raises her eyebrows so high they nearly touch her curls. “Casey Tucker.”
I spew the whole gulp of beer onto her new dress.
“Oh, Charlotte. I’m so sorry.”
Grabbing a napkin from one of the high-top tables beside me, I blot at her neckline. Fortunately, Charlotte is laughing despite my horrified expression.
She stops me, clutching my fingers into her hand. “It’s all right. Kitt spit up on this dress earlier. I’ll have to get it dry cleaned, anyway.”
As a third-grade teacher and the mother of two, Charlotte has the patience of a saint. Her reaction doesn’t surprise me, and it makes me feel an awful lot better.
As soon as my embarrassment fades, my head starts spinning again. “You did say Casey Tucker, right?”
She eyes my hand, ensuring the beer is far away from my mouth. “Yup.”
“The World Series Champion who pitched a no-hitter two years ago. That Casey Tucker?” I whisper.
She rolls her eyes, understandably. She grew up with Casey, and I’m the biggest baseball fan, so of course we both know who he is. I just can’t believe it.
“He’s on his way,here?To the penthouse? Tonight?”
She nods, pressing her lips together and clasping our hands. “You’re finally going to meet him!” She bounces on her tiptoes and her eyes dance with merriment. “Isn’t this great?”
Great?
I spent three summers in Charlotte’s small town, Cedar Brook Falls, before moving there after college. That was ten years ago, and despite the many opportunities that Casey and I could have met, it never happened.
