her that wasn’t the answer either. She went into the
living room and picked up a book, but sat with it unopened. Outside, the grass
was green, the sun warm. What was she doing in the house? This was
California--nobody stayed indoors here.
Was she afraid to see Tony again? Had he taken on some
mystical, mythical force within her psyche that made her see him as much more
than he was? He was just a man, an old boyfriend, nothing special. If she
couldn’t see that now, maybe she’d better get to that game and look at Tony
until she did realize it.
Placing him on some kind of pedestal was not a healthy
thing to do.
She pinned her hair up casually, changed into a natural
linen Jil Sanders pants suit, a rust-colored silk
shell, and ivory colored Ferragamo sandals.
Her spirit buoyed as she walked toward the ballpark. There
was a timelessness to baseball, even Little League,
that she loved. The games were interesting, and she honestly liked seeing how
very much the kids enjoyed themselves.
She searched for Tony as soon as she reached the baseball
field, and found him pitching batting practice to the boys. He wore jeans and a
loose gray sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off above the elbows. As she stepped
nearer the field, he turned. The brim of his baseball cap shaded his face, but
still she could see the quizzical look on his face. This time he lifted his arm
high and waved at her. She waved back, smiling.
What the hell are you doing here, Reynolds? Her
pulse began to beat a little too fast, and her smile spread a little too wide. It’s
not because it’s Tony, she told herself. It’s just that there's something about
a man in a baseball cap, a devilish, carefree mischievousness that, mixed with
athletic male sexiness, was disarmingly appealing.
She bought a diet Coke then settled in the stands to wait
for the game to begin. She noticed people eyeing her. Used to that, she ignored
them.
Game time came and went. The coaches and umpires were
huddled together for a long time, and all of them keep looking toward the
entrances to the park.
The players and their parents shifted restlessly.
Tony jogged over to the stands and looked up at her.
"Lisa, we need you."
Everyone's attention turned to her. Her gaze danced from
side to side, hoping against hope that he was addressing some other Lisa. No such
luck.
"Please." He held out his hand to her. There
wasn't much she could do but go to him.
He took her hand and walked with her to the other coach
and umpires as easily as if they had walked hand in hand only yesterday instead
of seventeen years ago. "Here she is," he said. "Lisa can do the
announcing, if she’s willing."
"What?" She gawked at him.
"Our announcer didn't show, and most of the parents
get really nervous in front of a mike. But you can handle it easily.
Okay?"
"Me?" So much for all her television-trained
smoothness and eloquence.
The coach from the other team was an older man, tall,
paunchy, with flyaway red hair and small eyes. He squinted as he grimaced at
her. "She might know how to use a mike, but does she know baseball?"
"I taught her myself," Tony said.
"Yeah, but do you know it, Santos?" he said with
a smirk.
Lee wasn't about to be discussed like some mannequin.
"I know baseball." Her firm voice invited no nonsense.
He put up his hands. "All right, I won't argue,
lady." He jabbed a thumb in Tony's direction. "We're gonna cream
Santos's team. I just want to make sure you get all our great plays
right."
"Stuff it, Snyder," Tony said. "The only
reason your team's gonna have a fighting chance is that you're too old to
play."
Snyder laughed, and so did Tony. Lee looked from one to
the other. She had thought they were on the verge of blows, and now they were
laughing. Men! "So give me your line up cards," she said, "and
let's play ball."
o0o
She had to admit, announcing the game was fun. Not easy,
though. She had to do some very creative thinking not to call almost every play
an error on someone. She
living room and picked up a book, but sat with it unopened. Outside, the grass
was green, the sun warm. What was she doing in the house? This was
California--nobody stayed indoors here.
Was she afraid to see Tony again? Had he taken on some
mystical, mythical force within her psyche that made her see him as much more
than he was? He was just a man, an old boyfriend, nothing special. If she
couldn’t see that now, maybe she’d better get to that game and look at Tony
until she did realize it.
Placing him on some kind of pedestal was not a healthy
thing to do.
She pinned her hair up casually, changed into a natural
linen Jil Sanders pants suit, a rust-colored silk
shell, and ivory colored Ferragamo sandals.
Her spirit buoyed as she walked toward the ballpark. There
was a timelessness to baseball, even Little League,
that she loved. The games were interesting, and she honestly liked seeing how
very much the kids enjoyed themselves.
She searched for Tony as soon as she reached the baseball
field, and found him pitching batting practice to the boys. He wore jeans and a
loose gray sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off above the elbows. As she stepped
nearer the field, he turned. The brim of his baseball cap shaded his face, but
still she could see the quizzical look on his face. This time he lifted his arm
high and waved at her. She waved back, smiling.
What the hell are you doing here, Reynolds? Her
pulse began to beat a little too fast, and her smile spread a little too wide. It’s
not because it’s Tony, she told herself. It’s just that there's something about
a man in a baseball cap, a devilish, carefree mischievousness that, mixed with
athletic male sexiness, was disarmingly appealing.
She bought a diet Coke then settled in the stands to wait
for the game to begin. She noticed people eyeing her. Used to that, she ignored
them.
Game time came and went. The coaches and umpires were
huddled together for a long time, and all of them keep looking toward the
entrances to the park.
The players and their parents shifted restlessly.
Tony jogged over to the stands and looked up at her.
"Lisa, we need you."
Everyone's attention turned to her. Her gaze danced from
side to side, hoping against hope that he was addressing some other Lisa. No such
luck.
"Please." He held out his hand to her. There
wasn't much she could do but go to him.
He took her hand and walked with her to the other coach
and umpires as easily as if they had walked hand in hand only yesterday instead
of seventeen years ago. "Here she is," he said. "Lisa can do the
announcing, if she’s willing."
"What?" She gawked at him.
"Our announcer didn't show, and most of the parents
get really nervous in front of a mike. But you can handle it easily.
Okay?"
"Me?" So much for all her television-trained
smoothness and eloquence.
The coach from the other team was an older man, tall,
paunchy, with flyaway red hair and small eyes. He squinted as he grimaced at
her. "She might know how to use a mike, but does she know baseball?"
"I taught her myself," Tony said.
"Yeah, but do you know it, Santos?" he said with
a smirk.
Lee wasn't about to be discussed like some mannequin.
"I know baseball." Her firm voice invited no nonsense.
He put up his hands. "All right, I won't argue,
lady." He jabbed a thumb in Tony's direction. "We're gonna cream
Santos's team. I just want to make sure you get all our great plays
right."
"Stuff it, Snyder," Tony said. "The only
reason your team's gonna have a fighting chance is that you're too old to
play."
Snyder laughed, and so did Tony. Lee looked from one to
the other. She had thought they were on the verge of blows, and now they were
laughing. Men! "So give me your line up cards," she said, "and
let's play ball."
o0o
She had to admit, announcing the game was fun. Not easy,
though. She had to do some very creative thinking not to call almost every play
an error on someone. She
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