7
DRAKE
Sunny’s advice worked like a dream.
Drake sent flowers as a ‘thank you’ because things were definitely changing between him and Steffi. His sister-in-law had told him that sometimes you had to maneuver sideways in order to move forward, explaining how she got his brother to go to dinner with her for the first time. He was stunned to hear that Pete had turned down his now wife repeatedly, telling her to go away, and was marveling at some of the similarities that were more than striking to recognize.
Steffi was proud, but she was still a woman. He’d hired a shopper to go out and grab a few baseball things that would be perfect for any avid fan to wear to the game, got Steffi a jersey, and then packed the wallet full of cash for her. He knew she struggled financially to get by from the things she’d shared, but he played stupid when it came to the cost of attending a game. The ticket would be free because it was from him, a beer was like ten bucks, and nachos another eight bucks… but he wanted to help her, to lift some of the stress from her shoulders – so he packed the wallet with hundred-dollar bills and acted ignorant.
Her face when she knocked on his door had been priceless – and worth every penny. He had never seen her look so ravaged, so scared, so vulnerable in that moment… and then Steffi was Steffi, claiming she wouldn’t have quit before walking on his lawn.
Drake almost laughed – if it hadn’t been so telling. He was reaching her by being what she needed, someone she could lean on, a friend. There was something about the infernal woman that drove him nuts… in the best way.
He thought about her all the time, wondered what Steffi was doing, marveled at how clueless she could be sometimes, and even cross-examined how demented his own brain had to be to still be wasting time on a woman that vexed him unlike any other. She grated on his last nerve – and he wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled, before holding her in his arms.
“Dang it…” he muttered, rolling his eyes to the ceiling as he yanked his baseball cap on his head. “I’ve officially lost my marbles.”
“Well, get ‘em back, Romeo,” Jenkins teased. “We’re lining up, and it’s game time.”
“I’m good.”
“Dude – the idea is for you to be great…”
“That’s every day that ends in ‘Y’,” Drake sassed, making several others laugh around them as they patted each other on the shoulders, back, and of course the butt because it was part of the game, practically a good luck charm as they ran out onto the field.
And Drake?
He worked the crowds like usual – and searched for Steffi among them. His arms were in the air, holding up two fingers on each hand as he beamed, his smile turning toward the people who were there, almost as if to let them know the game could begin… he had arrived. That wasn’t how he thought, but that wasthe impression he gave, and they loved it. The cheers became a roar – and his heart skipped a beat.
There she was.
Her dark eyes were focused on him. Steffi looked glorious in his jersey, wearing the team’s baseball cap, and her baseball purse was across her shoulders. The little earrings bobbed as she started jumping up and down, clapping for him… and for a moment, he could almost believe this was real.
Drake made a heart with both of his hands over his chest, knowing the crowd would eat it up, and blew a kiss to her before winking. Steffi threw back her head, laughing, and winked back… before making a heart over her chest back at him. Her pursed lips told him that she knew the part that she was supposed to play – and would make an Oscar-worthy performance out of it just for him. He gave her a slow nod, beat on his chest, and then pointed at her, before taking up his position in the outfield… just like his brother’s call sign in the Air Force.
Truthfully, Drake was glad he wasn’t on a base, because being out here gave him room to act up for the crowds – and he did. As the other team lined up, the music was playing for them, and he began doing ‘The Sprinkler’ dance move out in the grass, all the while making sure Steffi was watching him.
And she was.
He beamed, posed a few times, pretended to kiss his bicep, or mockingly held his glove up to his head like someone was talking to him – the crowd roared in delight as flashes dotted the stands, but nothing shone as bright as the expression on Steffi’s face.
This was going just as planned. It also meant that Drake needed to start on Act Two of his sister-in-law’s plan.
And it was sheer genius.
It wasthe bottom of the ninth, and the bases were loaded. The Timberwolves were up to bat, and they were all getting pretty fed up with how close the game was. Every time he looked at Steffi, she was frowning or glaring at the other team – much like him. He’d been tagged out once during the fourth, stole a base during the fifth, catching them up finally, but this inning would be the ‘make-it-or-break-it’ point of the game. They would either win, tie it up, throwing them into extra innings, or lose it all… and that didn’t sit so well with him knowing Steffi was watching. He really didn’t want to give her another reason to modify his name into something else, some other form of D-or-W that was a jab at him.
“C’monnn…” Drake shouted sportingly as Jenkins took his spot at home base, lining up the bat, and waiting. “You got this, bro… slam it out of the park!”
And shot a glance to Steffi in the distance again – only to see her watching him. Drake straightened up, did a double-take, and let himself take this in as he smiled at her. She pointed at him – and swung her arms, indicating she expected him to hit a home run.
He rolled his eyes.
Everyone expected and hoped for that, but a part of his mind recognized that he wanted to because she’d asked for it. Her lips parted as she frowned and then jabbed her finger at him, made a swinging motion, and then pointed at him again. He liked that fire in her – and honestly, none of their relationship was normal… and he kinda liked that. He shrugged and looked away – only because he was laughing. Yeah, he was gonna hit the ball outta the park.
For her.
Jenkins walked, and now the score was almost tied. They were down by one, which is why this was so important, so critical now. If he knocked it out of the park, they’d score four runs, and he wanted to circle the bases for Steffi. He wanted to act out, make a scene, and see her smile again.
