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Love Story #1552
Home Plate
by Keith
Home Plate
I.
“I know what you are talking about, but I can’t do it.”
“You can do it. Just listen to what I told you and trust me.”
“I do trust you, sometimes I don’t think you realize that.”
“Sweetheart, of course I know that. Just do your best, nobody said you needed to be Tiger Woods.”
“Good… I wasn’t planning on it. Plus I’m having too much fun anyway.”
“If you were Tiger… yeah, that would just be wrong.”
“Why? You wouldn’t love me anymore?”
Lauren was so cute when she tagged along with Jeff to hit some golf balls. She hit balls that reached only 20 feet… after skirting around on the ground - but she didn’t care. The only reason she was there was because of Jeff, and he ended up making it fun. They had been together for so long that Jeff could not recall being with anyone else that truly mattered, but in reality it was only a few years. It was one of those relationships that most people would be envious of. They knew it as well.
“Here” says Jeff, handing his keys to Lauren while putting his golf bag on his shoulder.
“I can drive?” asks Lauren. “Really?”
“No baby, I’m just letting you play caddy and put my clubs in the truck. Yes you can drive.”
“Dork” she said as she flashed her smile. “I love driving your Range Rover, I feel so small in it and it makes me feel safe.”
“I know babe, maybe that’s why I do it.”
The two put the clubs in the back of Jeff’s black Range Rover and headed to the café he normally takes Lauren to, if she comes along to play golf. Lauren looked so endearing in the driver’s seat, which of course she pulled so close to the steering wheel that he worried about her, but that was just one of the things he always joked around with her about. Little did she know that he enjoyed letting her drive his Range Rover just as much as she liked driving it. He had a way of being mysterious, letting her see what he wanted her to, and keeping inside the things he thought she would jokingly berate him for saying. He liked when she teased him though, she had a way of being so nice about it – just flash that smile and it was all over for him.
They entered the café after Lauren whined about not being able to park ‘this big thing’, and pulling into and out of the same spot about 6 times in order to get it straight. She ordered water, he ordered an ice tea – she passed him two Equals. The salad and burger they ordered came shortly and Jeff thought about how many meals the two of them had consumed over the years while he started eating his lunch.
“How about we go to the baseball game tonight? Would you like that?” he asked her as he stared into her inviting blue eyes. Those same eyes pierced him the second he was introduced to her by a mutual friend on a trip to New Orleans. It was the combination of those eyes and her smile that assured him he would be seeing more of her, and soon.
“Sure. That would be fun. Wait… could we get the whole box to ourselves again?” Lauren asked, as if she was asking her mother for candy when she was six-years-old.
Jeff had a company skybox from work, they used it to reward employees and show perspective clients a good night out.
“Of course gorgeous. I just need to call the office,” he said as he pulls his Nokia out of his khakis. “I’ll be right back, let me go outside and check.”
Lauren admired him through the glass window as he paced around a 6-foot imaginary box of sidewalk and kept rubbing the top of his head with his free hand. She thought he was cute when he was on the phone, ‘so business like’. He always went out of his way for her, no matter what, she liked being treated like a princess, she knew no other way. Jeff was gone frequently; it came with the territory of the job. He always had to go see some new prospect, talk out a contract in person, visit one of his clients… it was always something. He made sure she was taken care of; he called every night before bed when he was away and made sure Zoe took care of her. He loved his job, which is why Lauren loved it as well - he was happy, it was his dream. Being a Sports Agent had its perks, one of them was parked in their driveway - he made Lauren a promise that he would get her the dream car she wanted. One day he pulled into the driveway with an ivory Lexus SC430, she freaked thinking it was for her, but he told her the car belonged to a client who had gone on vacation and wanted Jeff to watch it for the week. He handed her the keys and asked if she would get his briefcase out of the trunk since his hands were full. She took the keys and popped open the trunk to find a piece of yellow paper taped to the floor reading, “I never forget a promise”. She flipped, ran over to him, and practically knocked him over in the garage – it was not so much the car, it was how he did not forget the promise he made nearly twelve years ago. It was the things like that which made her smile. In the ten years since college, Jeff had worked hard to get to where he was. He was one of five partners in Sports Management International’s Orlando office, SMI was where he had wanted to be, it seemed anything he set out to do he did – she admired that.
“Not a problem baby. Jennifer is sending Rick to drop off the tickets to our mailbox, game starts at 7:30, so I guess we should finish up here soon”, Jeff says as he walks in and interrupts Lauren’s daydream. “You okay?”
“Yes, of course. Just zoning out.”
“You look like it. Tired?”
“A little.”
“Well, let’s finish up here, you can get a nap and we can get our evening started.”
The two of them got back into Jeff’s Range Rover and headed to their condo in East Orlando. They figured the reason that both of their parents were okay with them living together, once Lauren got out of college, was due to how long they had been together. Even their parents could not remember either one of them being with someone other than each other. It was one of those comfortable relationships that everyone around them was even content with.
“Yeah, by the way, when do you plan on taking your lab coat out of the backseat?” he asks, as he looks into the rear-view mirror at a red light.
“Well, for one…”
“It’s not a lab coat, I know” he mimicked as he interrupts her.
“Yes, it isn’t” she says as she playfully hits his right arm. “And I’m sorry if it is bothering you, but I just forgot it was in here when I took your truck to work when you were in Sacramento last week. I’ll take it out when we get home. Promise.”
“Just checking.”
Lauren had initially set out to become a Cardiologist, but decided her connection to children was too much to ignore, so she went into Pediatrics and has never once looked back. She loves her job, she loves the kids, she just sometimes finds it lonely coming home to an empty condo when Jeff is out of town. She would either end up spending longer hours at the office, going out with her girlfriends, or curling up in front of the DVD player and spending the evening with Zoe, while waiting for him to call and tell her about his day. As long as he was happy, and kept assuring her that he would be based more out of Orlando in the next few years, it was enough to get her through the time away. He often reminded her of how they did the separation deal through college, and just advised her to go back to that mindset. It helped, sometimes, but she was ultimately looking forward to the time when he would be home more.
“I thought we’d take your baby tonight. Doesn’t look like it will rain, should be a nice night for the top down. Sound good?” he asks her, as he pulls the Range Rover next to her gleaming sports car.
“Sure. Sounds good to me. I’ll let you drive.”
“Oh, you’ll let me drive huh? Gee thanks” he jokingly snickers as he puts the key into the lock on the front door.
They enter the condo and a six-year-old Boxer jingles up to the front door to greet them.
“ZOE!!!” Lauren motherly says shrills, as she rubs the dog’s head and scratches her ears. “How are you baby? How’s my girl? Did you have a good afternoon?”
Jeff puts some fresh water out for Zoe and goes upstairs to take a shower, after he tells Lauren to take a quick nap and he will wake her after he is done. Lauren agrees and curls up on the couch, she instantly falls asleep after she finishes petting Zoe.
Twenty-five minutes later Jeff walks downstairs and kisses Lauren on her forehead.
“Time to get up Princess.”
“Is it really?” she asks, as she innocently rubs her face.
“Yes. That is if you want to go to the game.”
“Yes, I do. I am up” Lauren states as she somewhat triumphantly rises off of the couch. “I’ll be down soon,” she says after kissing Jeff, and heads upstairs.
Jeff turns on ESPN to catch the NY Rangers hockey game against Edmonton, with Zoe curled up at his feet. He reaches into the right pocket of his black pants and tries to equal the contents of his right and left pockets, he seems to have a little extra in his pockets tonight. After sufficiently getting comfortable he blankly stares at the television with other things on his mind, waiting for Lauren.
II.
The Lexus pulls out of the driveway hours later, and the two are on their way to see the Orlando Wildcats play the Memphis Bisons. The Wildcats are the AAA baseball affiliate for the Chicago White Sox.
“Seriously hun, why do you need to apply eye-liner four times within an hour?” he sarcastically asks her, as she has the passenger’s visor mirror down, meticulously applying her makeup. “You know you are gorgeous and you don’t need to do that every twenty minutes.”
“I don’t do it every twenty minutes.”
“Well, I’m just saying that you don’t need to, you’re beautiful to me, and that’s all that counts.”
“Yes, you are correct. I just want to look good.”
“And you do, but…”
“Well good.”
Jeff cannot do anything but smile at her, she has a way of always winning.
They pull into preferred parking and show the parking attendant their skybox pass. Lauren checks herself in the flip-down mirror, while Jeff pushes the button to slide the top back onto the Lexus. They walk, hand-in-hand, to the front entrance gates and get on the elevator to the third level. They enter Skybox Suite 6 and walk outside to the stadium seats to see the grounds crew put the finishing touches on the infield.
“I’m going to get something to eat. Would you like anything?” asks Jeff, as he starts to walk back into the suite.
“No, I’m fine. Maybe just a bottle of water, I’m sure I’ll get something a little later.” -- ‘He’s so cute, he eats like seven times a day’ Lauren thought to herself while smiling.
Jeff had gotten into working out seriously, in college, and tries to keep up as much as possible now. He has hit his target weight, and it is now about maintenance, a place he wanted to be for quite some time.
Jeff walks back outside with a heaping plate in one hand, and an ice tea in another; as the second pitch of the game is thrown. He gives the food to Lauren as he walks back into the suite to get a few napkins as well as Lauren’s bottled water.
“Thank you sweetie” Lauren says as she kisses him on his left cheek.
He eats quietly as he looks around the stadium as if something is going to happen that he would be missing.
“You okay?” asks Lauren.
“Yeah, why?”
“Oh, nothing, just making sure you are okay. I know you would tell me if something were up, I am just checking.”
Inning six starts - Jeff gets up and tells Lauren he is going to the bathroom. He leaves the suite and walks across the hall to the Men’s room.
“You can do this. This is what you want. Don’t turn back now,” said Jeff, as he looks at himself in the mirror above the sink. Jeff spends a few minutes in the bathroom and then heads back to the suite.
Jeff sits back down next to Lauren, who is now eating some carrot sticks with Ranch dressing, as the second batter of the sixth inning comes to the plate.
“You look warm. Are you sure nothing is wrong?” asks Lauren, after looking at Jeff.
“Yeah… maybe I just got too much sun today during golf. I feel fine though sweetie. Thanks for asking.”
The Bisons go through the top of the sixth in order and the Wildcats are coming to the plate. Jeff starts to fidget in his chair.
After a homerun by the fourth hitter, and the Wildcats leading 6-3, the sixth inning comes to an end. Jeff sits up; elbows on knees, looking intrigued. The announcer comes on to lead the crowd in the customary 7th inning stretch singing of ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’. Lauren pulls Jeff up next to her to sing and kisses him before wrapping her right arm around his waist. After the song is over, the announcer comes back on to announce the contestant for ‘The Million Dollar Pitch Contest’. ‘The Million Dollar Pitch Contest’ is a contest where a contestant is picked by ticket number to try to throw one out of two baseballs from the pitcher’s mound to home plate, through a hole in a stand-up wooden board looking no bigger than a normal size head. The contest was practically impossible, but for a million dollars you would try it too. The announcer announces the ticket number – “Suite 6, Row 2, Seat C”. Lauren looks puzzled.
“That’s our suite, but we don’t have those tickets hun” she says after hearing the announcement.
“I know, but it’s our suite for the night, so I guess one of us can go down” Jeff replies.
“Well, then you go, you have a much better chance to make it then me.”
“That may be true, but why don’t you go? This is something you don’t get to do everyday and who cares if you make it or not? Go have fun!!”
“Um… okay, I guess” Lauren says, after Jeff pulls her up and motivates her to go do it.
By now an usher has opened the suite’s front door and is looking for the contestant.
“She’s right here Miss,” says Jeff. “She’s the one.”
“Have fun baby” says Jeff. “Just have fun.”
Jeff walks out of the suite seconds after Lauren leaves with the usher, and walks down the opposite flight of stairs. Lauren is escorted to the field as Jeff walks to the first base line section, then walks down to the first row. An usher who works the field level meets him.
“Are you Jeff?” asks the usher.
“I am” replies Jeff with a smile.
“Okay, give them a second to set up.”
“You got it.”
Lauren is walked to the pitcher’s mound, blinded by the field’s lights and deaf to the crowd’s noise. She is handed two baseballs while the usher points to the roughly five-foot wooden board standing near home plate.
“The board isn’t on home plate,” says Lauren to the usher. “Can you put it on home plate? Or else I won’t be throwing straight.”
The usher acts as if she doesn’t hear Lauren and backs away. At this point the announcer comes back onto the microphone.
“Let’s welcome Lauren Phillips to the field, she is tonight’s ‘Million Dollar Pitch Contest’ contestant” bellows the announcer over the microphone. “Good Luck Lauren.”
Lauren looks at the wooden board, off center from the pitcher’s mound and remembers Jeff just telling her to ‘have fun’. That calms her, he always knows how to do just that. The usher that brought Lauren to the field is now at home plate and motions for Lauren to come to her. She tells Lauren that the cameraman just has to come onto the field so they can tape the contest, and to give him a second or two. Lauren nods and tries to calm herself.
Just then Jeff walks onto the field from the first base line. Lauren looks confused. As he walks from first base to home plate he starts talking on a microphone.
“Lauren, I brought you here because you mean the world to me, and I love you so very much. I am so thankful for you being in my life, and I thank God for sending me his best angel every single day.”
By now, Jeff is standing next to Lauren, and he continues to talk.
“I cannot think of anyone making me anywhere near as happy as you have made me. I want to experience so much more, and make so many more memories, with you… together. I need you in my life - I want you at my side forever. I never want to think about experiencing life without you in mine.”
Jeff reaches into his right pants pocket and pulls out a small jewelry box. He then kneels down on his left knee in front of Lauren on home plate…
Notes From The Author:
You may e-mail me with any comments about my story.
Michelle - I love you. Since the day I met you, I loved you. Every single day that goes by I fall more and more in love with you. I cannot think of a time that I wasn't in love with you. You are my soulmate, and I want nothing more than you at my side. I love you gorgeous.
-Keith
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