Baseball Ch. 08: Here's the Pitch

1. All characters are 18+

2. No characters resemble real people

3. Enjoy the fiction

Baseball Ch 8 - Here's the Pitch

Casey and I had been together for a few months now. How many months depends on exactly when you start counting. We quibbled and teased each other about when we officially got together. Was it when we were finally able to go public? Or before that, when we started sleeping together? We finally decided to declare our first date as that first Sunday dinner at my place, when I made her my lasagna, which was May 2. Now it was early August, and we'd just celebrated our three month anniversary.

The locker room initially gave me crap about my relationship with Casey, but they were careful about crossing the line. They avoided saying lewd things about her; rather they called me a gold-digger and a boy-toy. I could handle that, and when I showed it didn't get under my skin, they mostly let it go.

Dirk and Jimmy continued being themselves. There was no changing Dirk, he was a lost cause. But Jimmy softened a bit when the pitchers stood up to his crap, just like Mike Karnes did. They told him to work with them, not command them, or else they'd promise to make his life difficult. I may or may not have provided a few psychologist-type things to say to him, to help him change his attitude.

The IronPigs were winning more than losing, but not really in the running for any championship trophies. However, the Phillies were within striking distance of taking the NL East division, and probably a wild card spot in the playoffs. That was much more interesting, and all the guys in our locker room cheered on our major league affiliate, while secretly hoping to get called up.

--

I spent a Friday lunch with Casey and Lani. "I have a favor to ask," Casey told her roommate.

"What kind of favor?"

"The kind of favor you'll do for me because you're my best friend forever?"

Lani groaned. "I don't like where this is going, princess." Lani always called Casey a princess in a loving sarcasm.

"I need you to go on a date with Landon."

Lani almost choked on her food. "Landon Carter? Your ex, before you hooked up with Slugger here?" She pointed at me.

"Yeah, so, I owe him a favor," Casey explained, "and he's asking to cash it in for a date with you."

"Please don't say 'date' and 'cash' in the same sentence," Lani told her, "it sounds like he's purchasing my services."

Casey looked at me for help. I raised my hands. "I told you she wouldn't do it, not even to go to the Gala."

"Gala? What Gala?" Lani's disinterest wavered slightly. Casey and I shared a smirk between us.

Casey said, "There's a big charity gala event coming up, in two weeks. Tuxedos and gowns, fancy dinner and a live band for dancing." She knew Lani loved that kind of thing, especially since Lani had finagled her way into being my date to the charity luncheon earlier this year. "Dad says he'll buy me a new dress, and I'll convince him to buy you one too." Then she took a drink, and waited.

Lani squinted her eyes, then asked, "Dress and shoes?"

Casey shook her head. "You've got too many shoes as it is. Dress, and we'll get pedicures beforehand."

"Deal," Lani agreed. "Damn you. I'll escort your boring ex. But no hanky-panky."

Then the conversation turned to later events. Casey was talking about what she wanted to do in the fall, after the IronPigs season was over. I was mostly listening to her ideas, and when she asked what I wanted to do, I just shrugged and said I honestly hadn't thought about it that much. "Probably go visit with my mom back in Ohio," I said.

A minute later, when Casey excused herself for the restroom, Lani kicked me. "She's giving you a hint, thickhead," she said.

"What? What do you mean?"

She motioned to where Casey had been sitting. "She brought up the off-season because she wants to spend more time with you. She's trying to see if you feel the same way."

"Of course I do."

"Listen," Lani said, "Casey's way into you. She's told me, but she didn't have to. She's never been like this with any other guy, ever. I know you two love each other now, but she's in it for the long haul. Are you?"

"Yes," I answered honestly. "I'm in. I'm committed."

"Then maybe you should consider showing it," Lani said quickly and quietly, as Casey was headed back to the table.

--

The downside to our current living arrangements was that we were often apart. If Casey and I spent the night together for two nights in a row, it was extremely rare. But that was going to the case anyway, when I spent a bunch of time on the road and Casey stayed in town, working from the office.

But I think the upside outweighed the downside. Casey's father didn't need to know how often we spent the night together. And Lani didn't care whether we were at their place or mine, as long as she was warned ahead of time. And, since we no longer needed to be a secret, we spent as many nights together as we deemed wise, while still catering to the demands of our careers.

That Saturday was one of those nights, and we were at my place. I wooed Casey over with the promise of breakfast in the morning. Though, upon further reflection, she'd have been wooed even without breakfast. As usual, she let herself in with my spare key, locked the door behind her, and plopped herself down on my lap as I sat on the couch. She blocked my view of the TV, but with her chest in my face, I found it was much too pleasant for me to mind that.

"I was thinking more about the off-season," she told me, restarting our earlier conversation. "How would you like to go somewhere warm with me?"

"Warm like Florida, or warm like the Caribbean?" I asked, then immediately added, "Either way, yes."

"Good answer," she said, nibbling my neck. "Caribbean. Somewhere secluded, where only you will care if I lay on the beach topless." She stripped off her shirt.

"Sounds like fun to me." I helped her get rid of her bra. "Ice cold drinks, skin kissed by the sun." I kissed her chest tenderly. "Are you the type that tans easily, or do you need regular rub-downs with lotion?"

"Mmm," Casey said, as I rubbed my hands over her breasts. "I do tan, but I certainly won't object to as many rub-downs as I can get." She continued making appreciative noises as I took a nipple in my mouth. "Maybe November?"

I took a small pause from my activities to answer. "I can't wait to see you in a bikini, and then watch you take it off."

"Watch?" Casey asked with a cute pout. "I was hoping you'd want to help."

That seemed like the best cue for me. I lifted my gorgeous lover and carried her into the bedroom. She giggled happily for the short trip and as I plopped her onto the bed. I helped her strip out of her tight jeans (how do girls get in those anyway?) and then pulled aside her tiny pink panties to feast at her juicy peach. I had found that what really drove Casey mad was when I licked her everywhere but her clit. As usual, after a minute or so of that, she begged me for it. I attacked it with my tongue, and entered her canal with my finger, and she went wild. It didn't take much of that to drive over the edge. I tried to continue when she came, but she closed her legs and rolled over onto her stomach, gasping, "Hold on, give me a minute."

I laid on the bed next to her, and she gazed at me. "You're wonderful," she said, then frowned as she looked down my body. "But you're wearing too many clothes."

"Easily fixable," I said, and stripped off my shirt and pants. "Better?"

"I still can't see little Johnny," Casey said, poking at the mound in my boxers."

"Little?"

She laughed. "Oops. I mean that baseball bat you keep in your pants." She yanked at the waistband. "Certainly big enough to get the job done."

I helped her pull the boxers down, and then removed her panties too. Then Casey got on all fours and wiggled her cute ass at me. I teased her by rubbing my dick on her back door, which made her yelp in surprise. "No! That's just... no."

"Only kidding," I reassured her, now rubbing up against the correct orifice.

"Maybe someday. Maybe. If you're a good boy. Now," she demanded, "put that in me."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, and pushed in. She fit me so well, and felt so warm and snug.

"Ahhh," she was her response. "That's it. That's where it goes. Now fuck me."

"Like this?" I gave her the slowest, gentlest thrust.

"No, really pound me. I really need it!"

I pulled almost all the way out, grabbed her hips, and really hammered my dick back into her. "OH!" she cried out. "Yes! Fuck me hard!" I gave it to her again, and again. Each time, a groan or other gutteral noise escaped her lips. As I continued ramming her, she eventually gave up on holding herself up by her arms, and sank face first into the bed, and her moans were now muffled by my mattress. With her words now gone, I could only tell by the slight increase in volume, and the spasms on my dick, when she came.

I pulled out and flipped her over. I wanted to fuck her more, but I wanted to look into her face this time. I drove back into her pussy, and this time I grabbed her thighs as I fucked her. I quickly returned to the same tempo and watched her eyes as she watched me. My skin slapped against hers with each push.

"Oh, oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, Fuck!" Casey was chanting beneath me. I tried to watch her and gauge when she was close so I could time my own. When she said, "John, Johnny, I'm, I'm," I knew she was climaxing, and I let myself go.

"Gah!" I grunted, and I released everything I had into her quivering pussy. Her eyes had closed, and her hands had gripped the bedsheets. I let myself fall onto the bed next to her, thinking about how damn lucky I was to have found this woman.

We laid there together for a minute and caught our breaths, then she crawled onto me and peppered my face with small kisses. "I think maybe you like the idea of a Caribbean getaway."

"I definitely do. I love you."

"I love you," she responded sweetly. "And I love it when you fill me up. But I think I'm leaking now." She hopped up from the bed and skipped away to the bathroom.

By the time she'd returned, still naked, I had grabbed her some water from the kitchen and was waiting for her in bed. She drank the water gratefully and slid in beside me.

"I'm so glad I found you," I told her as she cuddled into me.

"I'm glad you found me too. Some days, I felt like one of those fairy tale princesses, locked away in a tower, waiting for my prince."

"You'd have escaped the tower on your own," I said.

"Yes, but without my prince. Then where would I be?"

I teased her. "Married to a toad."

"Or plundered by the black knight," she mused. "Instead, I was patient, and found my true love." She kissed me, and settled down to sleep.

Casey slept rather quick after sex like that. I usually did too, except for tonight. I was kept just barely awake by my thoughts of the future, and by Lani's words of wisdom.

Casey and I had met each other's parents, we were having sex, and everything was great - I'm the here and now. But how about the future, how would that work? Before coming to Allentown, I'd assumed I'd be here for the season, then go back to Ohio for the winter, until spring training started the whole thing over again. Now I was in a committed relationship, and things were very different than what I'd planned.

I needed to show Casey how committed I was. But how? One early thought was to ask her to move in with me. But that was dumb; my apartment was tiny and hers was much nicer, even though she had a roommate. I also couldn't completely guarantee I'd always be on this team; I could get traded and end up living elsewhere.

My second thought was to avoid getting traded by quitting the team, ensuring I'd stay in town with Casey. That was even more ridiculous. Even if I was willing, which I wasn't, Casey would kill me for giving up my dream.

I could always buy some jewelry. Like maybe a promise ring. But that seemed too immature. We were adults, not stupid kids.

'What about an engagement ring?' part of my brain asked. The other parts rioted. That's ludicrous! We've only been dating three months! We're too young! We're still learning about each other! She'd never say yes!

But as I gazed over her sleeping body I realized Casey probably would say yes. She was just as committed as I was. What was stopping us from being engaged? The largest obstacle was the overwhelming uncertainty of my career, of course. Even if I managed to never get traded, I'd still be on the road half the summer. The long baseball season was tiring, as I was finding out. I was really looking forward to taking some time off in October, and of course I wanted to spend that time with Casey.

If I asked, and if she accepted, we could have a long engagement. Long enough to figure out what the hell we were going to do, how we were going to handle life together, even when we were apart.

Worst case scenario was if I asked and she said no. I was sure she'd frame it kindly, but a no is still a no. Could I handle that?

My head spun. There was a lot of uncertainty. A lot of little factors to weigh. But when it came down to it, I asked myself one question: was Casey 'the one'? There was only one answer for that. Yes. That much certainty was enough to finally settle my thoughts and help me sleep.

--

I talked to Lani on Monday, when I was sure Casey would be in the office. The team was on the road so I had to wait for a time when we were off the bus, stopped for lunch. I knew I could trust Lani to keep a secret.

"What would Casey say if I asked her to marry me?" I asked bluntly.

She was a bit taken aback, I could tell, even through the phone. "Well. Um. I guess you really took my commitment talk seriously."

"You could say that."

"I assume you're not asking what she'd say in, say, another year. I think we both know it would be a yes. I think you're asking what she'd say of you asked her, like, today."

"Maybe not today, but yes, near future."

"Um. Honestly, I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd think she would freak out, but then say yes. I mean, she loves you. But she'd freak about it because she's still only 22, and you haven't been together very long."

"That's about what I thought too."

"But, in the end, she'd realize that she's not going to find anyone better for her than you. So even if it scares her at first, she'll come to that conclusion and say yes." Then she flipped the tables on me. "Now let me ask you a question," she said, "How serious is this? Are you really considering it?"

"I am," I admitted. "I thought about a promise ring, but it seemed childish, and an engagement ring holds that same promise. Plus, like you said, she's perfect for me. I'm not going to find anyone better. Like, I know it sounds stupid, but at the same time it sounds stupid not to. Does that make sense?"

"I guess so. And I agree that a promise ring sounds dumb. But engagement? That's really big."

"Yeah. That's why I needed your opinion, Lani."

She sighed. "I guess I would say to do it. But if you're going to ask, you better talk to her father first."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

"And she's going to want a big rock. Can you afford it?"

I had already done the math in my head. "Yeah, I think so. I've got some money in savings, left to me by my dad. I've never bought a diamond before. Can you help me pick one out?"

"You're asking me to shop?" Lani laughed. "For expensive jewelry? Yes, I think I can find time for that."

--

The evening of the Gala was scheduled for a Saturday night. JJ Wentworth and the IronPigs organization were major benefactors, so the organizers were more than willing to schedule around us. But instead, the baseball game for that day was scheduled at 1:00, not the usual evening game, so JJ and others tied to the team could attend.

Bob the GM, Chuck, and a few other coaches were planning to go. Players were able to go as well, but the tickets were costly, so most of them didn't. I probably would also have skipped it, since my salary was fairly poor, but JJ and Casey were paying for me. Lani also would never be able to afford to go on her own, but she was attending as Landon's escort, and she'd be sitting at the very next table with the Carter family.

The Monday before the Gala was a big day for me. Thankfully, we'd arrived back in town the Sunday night, so I had all of Monday available for errands. I picked up my tuxedo that morning, and met Mr. Wentworth for lunch. "I'm a little surprised to be dining with you, without Casey," he admitted as we ate.

"Well, I wanted to get to know you better, sir."

"Don't call me sir, Johnny. My daughter likes you well enough, you can call me JJ."

"Thanks JJ. I'm glad your daughter does like me," I said with a smile. "And I really do love her."

He looked at me and sighed, "And?" When I didn't respond, he put down his fork. "I think I know why I'm here, Johnny. You're shaking, you're so nervous. Just say it."

"I love your daughter, and I want to be committed to her," I blurted out. "I respect you and wanted to get your blessing."

"My blessing for? You're going to have to say it, son."

He called me son, and it made me tear up. "I want to marry your daughter. She's the one and only one for me. Now that we're together, I can't imagine letting her slip away. And I promise you that I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy." It all came out kinda fast, like word vomit. But somehow it all made sense, and wasn't a mess of jibberish.

He smiled. "That's what I thought. I admit, this is coming on much sooner than I had anticipated. But you do make her happy. Anybody with eyes, and probably even without, can see that." He sighed. "Someday, maybe you'll know the feeling of watching your child grow up, and start to leave you behind. But if you feel that, I hope you also feel the joy of watching that child find love." He stuck out his hand. "I like you Johnny. You're good for my Casey. And if she says she wants to marry you, I approve."

I shook his hand. "Thank you, JJ. It really means a lot."

I spent Monday afternoon scouting the venue being used for the Gala. It had a garden next to it, where the bushes had lights hung on them. It would be a very memorable place to propose. I pictured the scene: Casey in her formal gown, me in my tuxedo, on one knee.

I called my family that night. Both Mom and Morgan were shocked at the timing of it, and both expressed their concerns. But Morgan had the best perspective. "I've seen her with you and without you. When you were around, it seemed like she was radiating waves of love at you, even when she was actively doing something else. And when you weren't around, she wished you were, though she didn't say it. She'll say yes, or I'm the Queen of England."

Tuesday morning, I was able to lure Lani to take a half-day from work and go ring shopping with me. She laughed at the first salesman who assumed she was my fiancee, then she explained that she was only there to help. Two stores and what seemed like hundreds of rings later, I'd found the perfect ring. The center stone was a full karat on its own, but it had smaller stones on its sides. It was classy, elegant, and brilliant, just like Casey.

--

I guess I should have seen it coming. Everything was going so well. Maybe too well. Something had to happen, and when it did, it wasn't even remotely expected.

"Mills!" Chuck called when I came past his office on Tuesday night. It was right after the game, and I had been headed home.

"What's up, skip?"

"Reynolds got hurt tonight. Sprained ankle," he said. Pete Reynolds was the starting catcher for the Phillies. "They need you up there for tomorrow. Congratulations, kid. You're going to the bigs."

"I am? Holy...holy shit." I stammered, suddenly needing to sit down. "I'm going to Philly."