Free One Last Night by Lynne Jaymes Page B

Carlos
Mendez?
    “What position do you play?” he
asks.
    “Center field,” I say. I hesitate, not
entirely sure where the line is between telling and bragging. “And
usually lead-off hitter.”
    “Nice,” Carlos says, sipping his beer. “Coach
Castro’s always on the lookout for a power hitter at Garvin. No
wonder he picked you up.”
    “I’m just glad to get a shot,” I
say.
    Carlos looks around the room. “I grew up in
Texas,” he says. “Not all that far from Garvin.” He looks back at
me, his face suddenly serious. “Texas is no San
Francisco.”
    I wait for more. “I know.”
    “It’s different there,” he finally continues.
“Just watch your ass, okay?”
    “Okay,” I agree, not totally understanding
what he’s talking about. A couple of his friends come back and
stand next to the table and I get the hint. “I’d better go and
mingle a little bit.”
    He tips his beer to me. “Look me up when you
get back in town and I’ll get you a couple of good
seats.”
    “Thanks. That would be great.”
    “But if I ever meet you on the mound, I won’t
take it easy.”
    I smile, thinking about the prospect and how
it would feel to face Carlos at the plate. “I wouldn’t expect you
to.” I slip out of the booth and wander toward the table towering
with food. I spend the next hour eating and talking to my friends,
realizing how much I’m going to miss everyone. As exciting as it’s
going to be to play baseball at a big school, it’s going to be
weird living someplace else.
    “ There you are!” Hailey throws one
arm around my neck, one hand clutching a full champagne flute. By
the slur in her words I’m guessing it’s not the same one that I saw
her with earlier. “I missed you.” She pulls me down toward her and
kisses me deeply, her tongue darting against my teeth, ignoring the
guys from my team as they stand around staring.
    “I missed you too,” I say, trying to untangle
myself from her grip. My heart sinks as I try to gauge just how
drunk she is. I really don’t want to deal with this
again.
    “No, I mean I really missed you,” she
says, pressing her hips against me and licking her lips.
    Damn. She knows what that does to me. I twist
away from her just a little bit. I need to get her sobered up
before everything goes to hell. “Hey, have you eaten anything? The
crab cakes they were passing around earlier were
amazing.”
    Hailey shakes her head, her long hair falling
into her eyes. “I don’t need anything to eat.” She drains the rest
of the champagne in the glass and waves it at me. “What I need is
another drink.” She grabs me by the hand and pulls me into the
crowd, noticeably unsteady in her heels. “Let’s find a
waiter.”
    Thankfully, all the waiters have vanished for
the moment.
    “Why don’t you sit here,” I say, steering her
into an empty chair. “And I’ll find you something.” She’s going to
be pissed when I come back with coffee, but I have to give it a
shot.
    Hailey looks around the room, frustration
etched on her face. Her hand darts toward a half-full champagne
glass that’s been left on the table. “No need,” she says, grabbing
it and downing the contents.
    “Seriously?”
    “It’s fine,” she says, slamming the empty
glass down on the table. “The alcohol sterilizes any of the germs.
Plus, that shit’s expensive—can’t have it go to waste.” A dark look
crosses her face. “I have to pee. Come with me.”
    I know where this is going. There have been
other bathrooms in other parties and just the thought of Hailey in
an empty stall makes me twitch. But as much as I’d like to follow
my dick on this one, she promised me that she wouldn’t get trashed
anymore and I have to stick to that. “You go ahead,” I say. “I’ll
be out here.”
    Her eyes flash and I can see she’s beyond
reason at this point. “I said come with me.”
    “Fine,” I say, knowing that if I don’t, it
could get ugly quick.
    She smiles like she does when