"Ah," Amanda said. "That makes perfect sense. So, if Jared had tried that trick…"
"It wouldn’t have worked, I don’t think. And I like Jared. But I think I still would’ve been too tense. Well, yesterday, anyhow. After Ed opened the floodgates, all bets are off." Amanda cracked up laughing. "When the guys were feeling me up today-well, I almost enjoyed it. Not quite, but I wasn’t filled with revulsion like I had been. And this while I was preoccupied with my talk earlier with Ed."
Just then, the team came out on the field. Ed looked over, and waved at Jared and Amanda, and then spotted me. He came over to the stands. "Hey! I didn’t think you were coming."
"I changed my mind," I grinned at him. "You’re right, we need to talk."
"Yeah, I guess we do. Uhm, did you just ask me out?"
"Yeah, I think so," I laughed. "Did you just say yes?"
"I’m pretty sure I did," he grinned.
"Good," I laughed. "Go play baseball. We’ll talk after."
"Yes, ma’am," he grinned, and shuffled off to his position at third base.
I had watched them play Tuesday, but I think I paid more attention today. I knew little about baseball, but Jared and Amanda helped me keep up. One thing they told me was that Mike and Ed were the leaders of the team-in fact, they were the co-captains. Actually, I think I would’ve figured that out even if I hadn’t been told. Ed took charge. Mike did, too.
Of course, Ed’s never completely all business. He was yelling jokes at Frankie, who was pitching today, the whole time Frankie was trying to warm up.
Like I said, I didn’t know much about baseball, but even I could see, after watching Lily pitch on Tuesday, the difference between her and Frankie. Frankie threw much slower. He got them out, though.
Jared had told me that the coach had changed their batting order late last week. Lily had been batting 9th, and Ed 8th, but they were hitting so well the coach had moved them up. What was funny was that the five of them I knew, the five that hung around together, were all batting one after the other. The first hitter was the second baseman, who I didn’t know, but then it went Lily second (she was in center field today), Mike third, Ty fourth, Ed fifth, and Frankie sixth. And, in the first inning, they were a well oiled machine, even I could see that. The second baseman walked, then Lily hit a single, sending him to third. Mike hit a double, both the second baseman and Lily scored. Ty walked. And then Ed hit a home run. He even pointed to me as he rounded third! They had sent five batters up, and were winning five to nothing.
I was really enjoying myself, then I decided to do something. Ty had challenged me when we were talking in the shower on Tuesday. And I’d taken him up on the challenge, but hadn’t done anything about it. Now, getting some ideas, I reached into my bookbag and withdrew my sketchbook.
"What’s that?" Amanda asked.
"Sketchbook," I said simply.
"You draw?"
"Yeah."
"Cool!" she said with enthusiasm. Why was I scared to do this before? Man, the things I’ve learned about myself-and other people-this week continued to astound me.
Anyhow, I got my pencils out, and went to an open page. One good thing about my drawing is I’m fast. That would be a good thing when you’re trying to draw something non-stationery.
I focused on Frankie first. A pitcher going through his windup was an interesting visual item. So I watched him go through his windup a few times, then started sketching. I got a good one of him just uncoiling from his leg kick, his arm just stretching out behind him, his leg just starting towards the plate.
Next, I saw Ty at bat. He’s an imposing figure, so I thought he’d be interesting to draw. Plus, he faced me, unlike most of the other batters. (Ed told me later that he hits lefty, that’s why. Hey, what do I know?). I got him standing there, bat over his shoulder, waiting for the pitch, glaring out at the pitcher.
Then I went for Ed. Of course I did, right? I got him in his position at third base, half in a crouch, ready for a ball to be hit to him. I found out that drawing a baseball player nude, with nothing more than shoes and a jockstrap, was harder than sketching in the uniform!
After that, I noticed a couple of good non-action ones. Those were harder-Frankie went through his windup repeatedly, as did Ty with his batting stance or Ed with his fielding. If I saw a good "snapshot", I had to do a very basic sketch quickly-before they moved-and then fill it in. The first one was Mike and Lily standing next to one another in the on-deck circle. (Jared told me what it was called!) They had their backs to me. Lily was holding her bat over her shoulder, and Mike was leaning on his. They were looking at each other, grinning.
The next one also involved Mike. He was standing on the mound with Frankie. This I got from the side view-Frankie, hands on hips, looking down at Mike, who was grinning, his mask perched on his head.
Finally, I got one of Ed batting. Which was interesting, since he had his back to me and was naked. I made sure to draw the tush really well!
As the game was winding down, I closed my sketchbook.
"Can I see?" Amanda asked.
Can you see what? My soul? I didn’t show my stuff to anyone. "Sure," I said, somehow, and handed her the sketchbook. And then held my breath.
"These are great!" she enthused. "I can’t believe you did all these so quickly."
"I love this one," Jared said, looking over her shoulder, pointing to the one of Mike and Lily.
"And look, the bird’s-eye view of Ed’s naked batting tush," Amanda giggled. "Natalie, these are fantastic. You’ve got talent."
"Thanks," I said.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" It was Ed. He, and Lily, Mike, Frankie, and Ty were all at the stands. The game had just ended.
"Your new girlfriend’s talent, that’s what I’m looking at," Amanda grinned.
"Really? Can I see?" Ed asked. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. I handed the sketchbook to Ed. They all took turns looking at it.
"Wow! These are really good!" Lily enthused.
"Yeah, you made Frankie look like an actual pitcher," Ty teased.
"Yeah? Well look at you. She got that patented Christopher glare down pat. You look like you want to eat the opposing pitcher for lunch."
"I love this one of me and Lily. Very candid," Mike said.
"I like the one of Ed’s ass," Lily said impishly.
"Well, of course. Who can go wrong with Ed’s ass?" said Ed. "I like the fielding one myself. She got me in my crouch just right." He handed the sketchbook back to me. "You have talent."
I blushed, I know I did. "I just wish I had thought of this in the first inning. I would’ve gotten your home run trot," I teased.
"They’re fantastic," Lily said.
"Can we have them?" Ed asked.
"What?" I said, stunned.
"They’d look great on the locker room wall," he said.
"That’s a great idea," Lily said. "Though that might be too much to ask. My best friend in Boston was a painter, and she was loath to let her stuff out of her sight."
"Oh, I’m sorry, Nat," Ed said. "If it makes you uncomfortable, then it’s OK."
"No. No it doesn’t. Look, this is the first time anyone has ever seen my stuff. I’m flattered to the point of being stunned. You really want these to hang in the locker room?"
"Yeah," Mike said. "We really do."
"Then, here." I handed over the sketchbook. "Just tear them out carefully, there’s no perforation. And I need the sketchbook back, there’s plenty of empty space in there!"
"You got it," Ed said. Then he kissed me. "Be back in a while."
I just sat there and glowed. Until Lily came back out very quickly, still in uniform. "Natalie. Follow me." I looked at her, puzzled, and she just waved at me. I went down the stairs, and followed her into the dugout, and then through. We turned a corner, and suddenly, I was in the team locker room. Which was full of guys in various stages of undress! Lily took me to the coach.