Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Did you pass?” I asked, even though I’d spent half the day telling myself not to ask that right away. Because what if one or more of them hadn’t?
“Hey, Mimi,” Justin said. His face gave away nothing, though he looked happy to see me.
“Looking good,” Tye said.
“Nice to see you,” Dominic added.
Oh. My. God. “Did you pass???” I practically shouted.
There were no hints on any of their faces. Then finally, Tye smiled. “I’m going to law school.”
“You passed! Congratulations!” But what about the other two?
Then Dominic grinned. “I’m going to law school!”
I congratulated him, too, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Justin. Surely they wouldn’t have announced it this way if they hadn’t all passed?
His normally cheerful face was completely somber as I watched him anxiously.
Then he smiled.
I burst into tears, missing his words entirely as I stared at these incredible men. They were doing it. They were making their dreams happen.
“Don’t cry, Mimi,” Justin said. “This is good news.”
“I’m just so happy for you,” I sobbed. The customers around me were giving me very strange looks. “You guys did great.”
Dominic was still grinning. “We had help. A combination personal massage therapist and study hall monitor.”
“And sandwich maker,” Justin added.
I wiped my eyes. “I’m so happy for you three.”
Tye grinned. “You can show us how happy you are for us in a just a few days.”
“I can’t wait,” I said eagerly. I’d used part of the pay from my week as a private massage therapist—and the generous tip Evelyn sent me—to purchase a plane ticket to fly down for the exhibition game.
“I can,” Dominic said, and my jaw dropped. He shook his head hastily, and his body jolted as if one of the other two had just elbowed him. “I mean, of course I’m looking forward to seeing you, but I’m not looking forward to the event itself.”
“None of us are,” Tye added.
“But the light at the end of the tunnel is we’ll get to spend the night with you afterwards.” It was clear that that was the most important thing in Justin’s eyes. Then again, he hadn’t had to put up with as much abuse from Smitty as the other two had.
“See you soon, sweetheart,” Dominic said. I couldn’t help smiling as we said our goodbyes. They’d passed their exam, and I’d see them soon. It didn’t get any better than that.
21
TYE
This fucking exhibition game was going to be the death of me. Or perhaps the death of someone else, because there was a very good chance I was going to kill Shitty tonight.
Somehow, I’d wronged a minor deity somewhere, and the organizers had put us on the same team. Yes really. Just what I wanted, for him and I to pitch and catch together.
Fucking hell.
Dominic had lucked out and was on the opposing team. He wasn’t any happier about this shitshow than I was, though. And out of the many things that had added insult to injury, since we were no longer active major league players, we weren’t allowed to wear our old uniforms as all the other guys were. Evelyn had had to find a tailor to make us some generic ones at the last minute.
So, like I said, it was a shitshow.
The only bright point on the horizon was Naomi. It had been incredible to see her again. If I had my way, ditch this joint, grab her, head back to the beach house, lock ourselves in a room somewhere and never leave it.
But at least we’d have tonight with her. Then she had to fly back for some massage gig she’d signed up for ages ago.
Unfortunately.
“How are the knees, Tyler?” an outfielder from Ohio asked as we warmed up.
“Not bad,” I lied, springing to my feet and firing the ball off to third base. Justin caught it easily and whipped it toward first. It was depressing to not see Dominic in the shortstop position, but I was glad he didn’t have to be around Shitty as much as I would tonight.
Justin jogged over. He looked perfectly at ease in his makeshift uniform and with this whole situation, and I was jealous. Now that he’d passed the LSAT, it was like he didn’t have a care in the world. Possibly because he’d already talked to Langley about getting accommodations for his dyslexia in the fall.
“You okay?”
To make me laugh, he’d put his glove over his mouth the way the infield did when they needed to talk about something they didn’t want the opposing team to know about.
“I’m fine.” My voice sounded about as stiff as my knees were. “Why?”
“You kind of look like you want to grab a flamethrower and take out every person in the stadium.”
“Not everyone,” I muttered. “There are a couple I’d save.”
“Thanks.”
“I meant Naomi and Evelyn. But yeah, you and Dom make the cut, too.”