We were awenow. Whatever word we wanted to slap on it. A trio. A triangle. A throuple. Our own tiny team. It didn’t matter. I had the two most important people in my life agreeing to be together officially. I didn’t need more than that.
“So…” Jase cleared his throat.
“Since we’re exclusive, does that mean no condoms?”
Faye snorted. “I have an IUD, so I’m okay with that.”
They turned to me.
“One hundred percent on board with that.”
Later,while Faye was in the shower, Jase and I cleaned up the kitchen. I rinsed the dishes, and he loaded the dishwasher.
Every time his arm brushed mine, a little jolt shot through me.
“So—” he started, but my phone rang, interrupting him.
Our agent’s name flashed on the screen. “It’s Marcos.”
His eyes widened. “Well answer it.”
I swiped to accept the call. “Hey, Marcos.”
“Hey, Dylan. You busy?”
“Not at the moment,” I replied, taking a seat on one of the barstools. “What’s up?”
“You and Jase together right now?” he asked.
I met Jase’s eyes. “Yeah, we are. Why?”
“Perfect. Put me on speaker.”
I did as he said. “Done.”
“Good,” he said. “I’ve got some news, and I wanted to tell you at the same time.”
Jase leaned on the island, arms folded as he listened intently. “What’s going on?”
“Dylan, I got a call from the Crushers this morning. They’re extending you a non-roster invite to spring training.”
For a second, the words didn’t quite compute. “You mean practice with them?” I blurted. “Not just with the minor league teams?”
He chuckled. “That’s what a non-roster invite means, kid.”
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
“Congratulations.” Jase clapped a hand on my shoulder. “That’s huge.”
“Oh, we’re not done,” Marcos continued. “Jase, the Red Sox are giving you the same opportunity.”
His mouth dropped open. “For real?”
“Yep.” Our agent’s tone turned serious. “This doesn’t guarantee you anything long-term. It’s going to take a lot to make the forty-man roster, but it’s a huge opportunity to show management what you’ve got. Don’t waste this chance.”
The forty-man roster. Every player in the minors strived to make that list. Being among the select few eligible for a call-up tothe big leagues didn’t mean I’d made it, but it did mean I was on the team’s radar.
“We won’t,” I promised.
