Major League Advice

He played off the compliment with a smile and waited for someone to let him know what they'd be doing. In the meantime, he caught as many glances—some rather furtive—at Elise, as he now knew he wouldn't be spending the evening with his previously-imagined middle-aged housewife.

And that's when he remembered Sam telling him her husband had passed away. That, in turn, caused him to stop thinking what he'd been thinking and see her in an entirely different way; one that was built on a healthy dose of genuine sympathy for her loss.

"Hey, kid? You want a beer?" Sam said causing AJ to momentarily stop focusing on the older man's surprisingly attractive sister.

"Um...no thanks. I think I'll pass."

"Well, I'm gonna have one," he announced before opening the refrigerator and helping himself.

"Just one, though, okay, honey?" Laura said sweetly.

"Oh, right. Yeah, don't won't to take any chances, do we?" he replied. "If fact..."

Sam opened the door again and put the beer back inside causing his wife to smile even more. When he walked over beside her, AJ noticed how she put her hand in his, but there was no way he was mentioning that. At least right there and then.

AJ also noticed that Elise was as quiet as Sam was boisterous. He clearly wasn't a psychiatrist, but he did know the older sibling often tended to be quieter than the younger, at least in most cases. Then again, there were exceptions to every rule, and it could also be there were other siblings he didn't know about. Whatever the reason, he very much liked the fact that she wasn't loud or outspoken, a trait in women that turned him off in a big way.

One more thing he noticed was that something smelled very good. Like most athletes, AJ was continually hungry, and this was no exception.

"Well, dinner's almost ready," Elise said, "so could you maybe find out what everyone wants to drink, Sam?"

"I can handle that," he said in a voice AJ hadn't heard before.

It was his voice to be sure, but the tone was so upbeat, it just seemed strange hearing it come out of that mouth. It was so upbeat, it was almost...playful.

Everyone decided to have a glass of iced tea as Elise pulled a roast out of the oven. It had been cooked with all kinds of vegetables around it to let them soak in the juices of the meat, and AJ's mouth was watering just looking at it. That plus the smell was enough to cause what a former teammate had called a 'foodgasm'.

"Okay, everyone find a seat," Elise said politely.

"Let me you give you hand," Laura told her as the guys sat down at the table.

Once everyone had food on their plate the 'coach' took the first bite and said as he chewed, "Oh, my God! Can my little sister cook or what?"

AJ took a modest bite, too, although what he really wanted to do was take one about three times that size and inhale it. As the flavor hit his taste buds they exploded in ecstasy.

"Oh, wow! This is good!" he agreed.

"Thank you. Both of you," Elise said. "I'm glad you like it."

Sam was shoveling in another bite, and with a mouth full of food said, "Like? This is incredible!"

"It really is wonderful," Laura told her.

They ate quietly for a few seconds before Sam said, "Elise is renting this place for three months. You know, so she can find out if this is somewhere she'd like to live."

AJ glanced around then said, "It's really nice. Did it come furnished by any chance or are these your things?"

"Oh, no. It was furnished. My stuff is still in storage back home," she explained.

"Mom and Dad were..." Sam began.

He stopped, smiled, then said, "No...Dad...was driving her crazy."

"He can be a challenge," his sister said, obviously being polite.

"Our dad's old school and even worse, he's a damn know it all."

"Sam," Laura said as she looked at AJ with an 'I'm sorry because my husband is, too' look.

"Well, it's the truth, baby. We all know it."

"AJ doesn't need to hear that," she told her husband.

"Okay, but he's probably curious why Elise would just pack up and move all the way out here."

Not wanting to say anything, AJ took another bite and busied himself with chewing and savoring the delicious tastes exploding on his pallet.

"My baby sis lost her husband a while back, and like I said, she moved back in with the folks. I wouldn't have lasted a week, but she made it nearly two years. I say she deserves a medal."

"Daddy's just set in his ways," Elise said just as politely as Sam spoke bluntly.

AJ rightly assumed her comment was most likely in defense of her father even if her brother's accusations were accurate.

"So anyway, she's been out here nearly three weeks. Oh, and she already found a job."

"That's great," AJ said not sure what else to say.

She went to say something, but Sam cut her off.

"She went online before she even moved here and applied for several city jobs. Right after she moved in, she got called to interview with two of them and ended up taking a job in accounting. So she's been there a whole four days now."

Again, Elise went to speak, but Sam kept going.

"She's a smart girl. Got a degree in accounting, so it makes perfect sense."

Elise waited to make sure her brother was finished before saying, "I haven't used it in quite a while, though. When Jeff, my husband, and I got married six years ago, he had a pretty good job so I quit working and stayed home with hopes of maybe starting a family."

Laura reached over and put her hand on Elise's for support. Both women wanted children more than anything in the world, and it just hadn't happened for Jeff and Elise while Sam had kept postponing having them.

"And then there was the accident, and well, it...I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

"Well, you're still young and you're freakin' gorgeous, sis," Sam said in his typical 'I'm in charge' voice.

"At 38 it doesn't exactly feel like that," Elise said quietly before taking a small bite.

"Sam's right, honey. There's still time. And he's also right about you being beautiful."

"What do you think, kid? Isn't my sister a hottie?"

Laura shot visual daggers at her husband who noticed.

"What? I'm just making conversation here. And she is beautiful."

"I...I agree. She's a very attractive woman," AJ said trying to avoid stepping on a landmine by saying the wrong thing.

"Thank you, AJ. And thank you for not saying, 'For an older woman'."

"He wouldn't say something like that," Laura told her. "AJ is as polite as he is handsome."

Elise surprised him when she asked AJ, "I know you travel a lot, but is there anyone special in your life?"

"No. Not really. I am on the road quite a, and I spend the off season with um...my parents...back in the Seattle area."

The irony wasn't lost on anyone after all the 'Dad' comments.

"I've never been out there. I hear it's really beautiful," Elise replied.

"It's the only thing I ever knew until I got drafted and came out here. I suppose it's a little too dark and dreary for some people, and it does rain quite a bit. Not as much as people seem to think, but the gray skies can get a little depressing if you're not used to it."

"We're from a small town in rural Idaho, so was my only real experience other than that was going to college in Boise. I went back home after graduating and that's where I met Jeff when he moved to town after getting out of the Navy."

Still the outsider, AJ only acknowledged the comment but didn't ask for details.

"Can I get you anything else, AJ?" Elise asked a moment later.

"No, thank you. This really is delicious."

"There's chocolate cake for dessert," she told him with a smile.

"This one has a sweet tooth that won't quit," Laura informed AJ while giving her husband the eye.

"Hey! Hold on there. My stomach's still flat," he said proudly as he banged his gut.

It wasn't exactly flat, but for a man in his early 40's, Sam was still in decent shape.

"I wasn't complaining, sweetheart," Laura told him, that look in her eyes back again.

Elise cut her brother a huge piece of cake then asked AJ how much he'd like. He wanted at least that much but told her about half that amount would be fine. She and Laura each had a very thin slice on their plates as they waited for the coffee to finish brewing.

"So...the wife and I have a little announcement," Sam...announced.

Laura and Elise were both smiling which told AJ they knew.

"Oh?" he said as Elise got up to get the coffee pot.

"Yeah. As it turns out, your little...pep talk...inspired me—Doc."

AJ raised his eyebrows but didn't speak as Elise poured his first.

"Yes, indeed. I called Laura right after the game today and asked if we could talk."

He looked at his wife then kept going.

"Even though we spoke after I got back in town and agreed to come over here for dinner, Laura told me there wasn't really anything to talk about unless I'd changed my mind."

"Ah," AJ said, still waiting for the big news.

"So, anyway, we got together today and we talked."

He smiled at his wife then said, "I mean, we really talked."

He looked around the table then let the cat out of the bag.

"Yeah, we uh, we decided to um, you know..."

As the confirmation to what he expected to hear came, AJ was acutely aware of how much someone else sitting across from him had also wanted a baby, and as happy as he was for the newly-reunited couple, he felt terrible for her.

But before he could say anything—to anyone—Elise said, "I am just thrilled for you both!"

AJ didn't know her well enough to be sure she was okay, but she seemed genuinely happy for them.

"That's really great, boss," AJ told him.

"I'm very happy for you," he then said to Laura.

"Well, we have you to thank for that, AJ. I can't tell you how happy I was when Sam told me about your...chat."

"Chat? Honey, men don't...chat. They talk. They bullsh...BS. They...well, they don't...chat."

Laura laughed politely then continued talking.

"I've been after this man for years with no luck. Then you come along and in what? Ten minutes? Maybe less? You get him to change his mind just like that! That's what I call—major league advice!"

Sam reached over and slapped his centerfielder on the shoulder then said, "Stop being so modest, kid. Take a little credit."

"No. I...I didn't do anything. I think I may have just helped Mr. Beckett realize this is what he wanted all along."

Laura looked at Elise who started to smirk before she laughed then said, "Oh, no. My brother is the most stubborn, pig-headed man I know."

She paused then said, "Well, maybe the second most stubborn, pig-headed..."

Sam roared at the implication that he was more like their father the he was willing to admit, and Laura was also laughing and smiling, so AJ joined in because it was one of those things where you couldn't help yourself.

"So anyway, Laura's letting me move back in and we'll be uh, you know, working on..."

"Sam Beckett!" Laura said cutting him off at the knees. "Don't you dare say another word!"

The Cardinal's manager smiled a goofy smile then said, "Anyway, we're both um...very happy."

"And I'm happy for both of you!" Elise said before standing up and asking if she could take anyone's plate or get them some more cake.

She could tell AJ wanted another piece so before he could finish saying, "No, thank you," she smiled at him and said, "I'll cut you another slice, AJ."

Once they were finished with dessert, Sam suggested the 'men folk' go sit down while the ladies cleared the table.

"I uh, I should really give them a hand," AJ said knowing he was risking a tongue lashing for being a 'girl' or some such thing.

"How do we clone you?" Laura said. "And how do we transfer some of that into the big lunk standing next to you?"

"Hey! I help out around the house," Sam said defensively.

Elise made a snorting sound that made Laura laugh.

"See! I'm not the only one who knows the truth," his wife said.

"Yeah. Whatever," Sam said. "So...you comin' with me?"

Laura nodded to tell him to go with her husband and Elise said, "We're fine, AJ. Thank you for offering, though. That was very kind."

"I told you," AJ heard Laura say to Elise as he followed his manager to the living room. "Cute and sweet! If he was a little older he'd be perfect for you."

Elise didn't reply or if she did AJ didn't hear her, but that comment made him remember her saying she was 38. Intellectually, that made sense considering her brother was 43. But it didn't make sense at all when in he thought about it in terms of her utterly soft, clear, wrinkle-free skin and what appeared to be a very tight, very fit body underneath what she was wearing. And she was wearing a sleeveless pink blouse and a pair of white shorts thus showing enough of that body to indicate his assessment was correct.

The post-dinner conversation didn't last long, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. The lovebirds were more than ready to get home and start working on their latest 'project'.

There were hugs between family members then an awkward moment in which AJ wasn't sure what was appropriate so he only smiled and thanked Elise. She neither hugged him nor offered her hand, but she did tell him what a pleasure it was to meet him.

Sam and Laura were out the door and holding hands on the way to their car when Elise said, "I'm really glad you came to dinner, AJ. I've met a few people at work, but you're the first real guest I've had over—not counting my brother or sister in law, of course."

"It was my pleasure," he told her. "You're a very cook, by the way."

"I don't get much chance anymore but thank you."

She hesitated then added, "Being single and all."

Just as he was about to go AJ asked a question.

"What movie did you mention earlier? Something about my role as 'team shrink' evidently reminded you of it."

Elise laughed then said, "Right! Yes, well, about that. It's not only a chick flick, it's a movie for teen girls. I was in college when it came out and, considering how many times I've re-watched it, I guess you could say I kind of loved it."

She paused again, winced a little as though she was apologizing for something, then told him, "I kind of still do."

"What's it about?" he asked.

Elise was suddenly very animated.

"Well, the star, Emily, is this plucky preteen who sets a booth up in her yard every Wednesday where her even younger neighborhood kids line up for advice. She charges them a nominal fee of a quarter or fifty cents then promises to never tell anyone anything they tell her in confidence. But then she meets this really cute boy who keeps trying to wheedle some private information out of her. Eventually she caves then hates herself for betraying a secret. Anyway...she's kind of like the neighborhood psychiatrist."

"I'll have to Google it sometime and find out a little more," he said.

"I uh, I actually have it. Here. Inside," Elise told him. "Not that you'd want to watch it, of course. I mean, it's so not a guy movie."

"This isn't gonna come out right, but I'm not exactly thrilled to go hang out with my roommate so if you're serious about..."

"Wait. You'd actually sit and watch it with me?" Elise said, a smile on her face that revealed just how pretty she was.

"I uh, I wouldn't mind at least checking it out. I can't promise I'll stay and watch the whole thing, but if you're not tired of me yet, then, yeah. Sure."

"Come back in!" she said excitedly. "I can't tell you how much I hate sitting here alone every night. I've started going to bed at 10 o'clock just to shorten the nights. Normally, I never lay down before midnight."

"I'll watch it on one condition," AJ said.

"Name it!"

"You can't ever tell anyone, okay? Ever."

Elise laughed a happy laugh then crossed her heart and promised.

"But you will have to pay me a quarter to keep your secret," she said, referencing the 'psychiatrist' in the movie.

"A quarter's about all I can afford. You do know I'm a minor-league baseball player, right?"

Elise laughed again and stepped aside to let him back in.

"I can pop some popcorn if you'd like," she told him as she led him to the living room where the TV and DVD player were located.

"I never turn down free food," he told her with a smile.

She quickly found the disk, popped it in, then told him she'd be right back while the DVD player did its thing.

"Unless of course the first few seconds scare you away," she said with a laugh that trailed off as she moved further toward the kitchen.

"Oh, a horror movie, huh?" he called out to her.

"You might think that after you see how lame it is. But to me, that's a big part of its charm," Elise called back.

The screen came to life so AJ sat there and watched previews of other movies that had been released many years ago while Elise microwaved a bag of Orville Redenbacher's best.

Three minutes later, she came out holding a large, shiny silver bowl filled to the brim then sat it next to AJ's right leg before plopping down on the other side of it.

The next preview on the DVD caused them both to laugh.

"Oh, my gosh! I remember this movie so well," Elise said. "I was in high school when it came out."

"Hmmm," AJ mused.

"What?" she asked as she popped a first piece into her mouth.

"Oh, I guess I was just thinking about when I saw it, and I believe I was maybe..."

Elise looked over at him and was smiling as she waited.

"In...kindergarten of maybe first grade."

"Oh, my goodness! Seriously?" she said, her eyes open in disbelief in not shock.

"I believe that's pretty close," he told her.

As she turned away, Elise was playfully shaking her head.

"I'm almost afraid to ask what you're thinking," AJ said.

"No. It's not like that, AJ. I guess it just surprised me, you know? I've really enjoyed talking to you tonight, and I think maybe I still see myself—or at least it feels like internally—I'm still your age. I guess I was a little surprised when I realized I'm not."

"It's funny you mention that, because I specifically remember thinking you look a lot closer to my age than your brother's."

"Ha! That's so sweet. It's ridiculous but sweet," she told him, secretly loving the compliment.

"No, I'm serious. If you hadn't said your age, I'd have never guessed it. Not even close," he told her.

"Well, you just made my day!" Elise said before pointing at the screen.

"Oh! The movies's starting. Now that girl right there is Evan Rachel Wood—Emily in the movie. And she's the..."

Elise was the perfect narrator. She talked just enough and at the right time to help him understand who was who and what was going on, but not so much it was annoying.

Even so, this was quite possibly the worst movie AJ had ever sat through. And yet, whenever he managed to set aside his tough, masculine persona, he found himself smiling and even laughing a time or two. The best part of it, though, was looking over and watching Elise laugh. She was clearly beautiful, and although he didn't really know her, AJ was pretty sure she was a genuinely happy person who, in spite of her tragic loss, enjoyed life's little pleasures.

When the DVD ended, Elise turned to AJ and said, "Thank you for being such a good sport."

"It...wasn't terrible," he replied.

Elise laughed and once again, AJ was taken with her beauty. He wasn't consciously thinking of her as a potential mate or even a hook up. She was, after all, his manager's sister and, although he still found it hard to believe, thirteen years older than him. But that didn't change the fact that she was a very beautiful woman.

"Yeah, it's not the kind of movie many guys would ever watch let alone sit through entirely. But if I kept you out of your apartment for an hour or two, that's not all bad, is it?" Elise asked, the smile still there.

"No, it isn't," AJ said immediately. "Don't get me wrong. My roommate's a decent guy. It's just that he's...a guy. And a very funny guy, at that."