Chapter 15
The following Monday was disappointing. The packages I ordered hadn't arrived so at school I was just the same old wallflower again. Jason seemed disappointed too. I was totally relieved when Jason dropped me off after school—the packages were on the porch.
I grabbed them as soon as Jason headed off to the batting cages. Next stop, my room. Excited would be an understatement and to make it even better, Jason hadn't noticed the packages. On the television show they'd done a big reveal—a party, and I couldn't think of a better place than the batting cages with Jason and his friends to debut the new Izzy Faulkner, Jason's girlfriend.
The white silk top didn't leave much to the imagination, so I had to put on a bra. Even then, you could see the embroidery though the fabric. As Jason had suggested with my last attempt, I left the top two buttons undone. The crimson skirt was even shorter than it looked in the catalog, but the black pantyhose covered the essentials and would keep me from having to paint my legs in the daytime. Since I was going to the batting cages, I avoided the high heels. I did a double take in the mirror. Whoa, who was that staring back at me? If Jason didn't like this look, I was going to pound him. I put on my coat and headed for the car.
"Will you be back for dinner?" Mrs. Whitaker said as I entered the kitchen.
"I'm just going down to the bating cages to surprise Jason."
She glanced down at my legs. "You sure you won't be too cold?"
"I'll be fine. See ya."
It was a short ride to the batting cages. How was I going to do this? On the show they'd done a big, pull the drapes away—runway thing, but that obviously wasn't possible. I'd done the open the coat thing the last time, so I needed something better, but what?
Jason had described the batting cages and if I remembered correctly, there was a side door that entered in through the video arcade. Sure, the video arcade filled with boys—that might just be the ticket—my own personal runway. I left my coat in the car and headed for the door. I wasn't going to have to wait long for a reaction; there were three guys on the steps smoking.
"Dude," one of the guys said, motioning toward my approach.
"Sweet. Something we could do for you?" he said to me when I reached them.
"No thanks," I said, marching up the stairs and then squeezing past them. "Maybe some other time," I added before going inside.
The two guys at the pinball machines closest to the door did a double take.
"Crap! There goes high score." The one to the left slammed the machine as the pinball trickled down the center hole.
The walk down the aisle of arcade games was everything I'd hoped for—wolf whistles and all. By the time I reached the batting cages all the guys waiting their turn were watching me—to put it mildly. I didn't see Jason, so I started a slow stroll behind the row of cages. This was better than I expected. One-by-one the boys stopped hitting leaving only the muted thud of the rubber balls against the mats behind them.
"Hey!" I waved as I saw Matt standing at the top of the stairs waiting his turn. All the guys around me looked.
Matt looked surprised and pointed to himself—obviously he didn't recognize me.
"Is Jason still here?" I ran down to their cage.
"What the—dang girl, you look—check that—you are hot."
Jason walked out of the cage. "What's all the commotion?"
Yeah, I liked the sound of that—I was all the commotion.
"Izzy?" He blinked. "Izzy!" He rushed down the stairs and wrapped me in his arms. He leaned in for a kiss, but hesitated, his eyes momentarily checking the boys around us.
"Hey, remember me?" I teased. The kiss was incredible.
"Who the heck is she?" the boy in the cage next to us said.
"Must be new, no way I'd miss that?"
"Who's the lucky guy?"
"That's the guy who filled in at quarterback when Derrick went down, Jason something."
"I'll tell you who I'd like to go down with."
The boys laughed and went back to what they were doing.
My smile broke the kiss.
"What?" Jason said.
"I take it you approve?"
"There's just one thing."
Ah oh, what did I do wrong this time? Sure, the boys were drooling all over themselves—and sure, the attention was kind of flattering, but I felt almost half naked—exposed and that was a little unnerving. I wasn't Lisa, the head cheerleader, or one of those slutty girls that hung out with the druggy guys. This was for Jason and now he was going to criticize—seriously?
"So, no way am I going to be able to keep my hands off you." He flashed his pearly whites.
"Who said you have to?" I nuzzled up under his ear.
"Oh pa...lease," one of the boys in line whined.
Yep, I'd say this went just about perfect.
"Come on." Jason pulled me up the stairs toward the batting cage. "Mind if I go again?"
"Nah, it's cool," Alex said." Hey Izzy, looking good."
"Thanks."
"Stand right here." Jason eased me back against the railing. "Tell me what you think." He stepped inside the cage, dropped a token in the machine and positioned himself in the batter's box.
Thud! The first pitch hit the backdrop.
He fouled off the next two, and then drove the fourth ball almost back down the hole it came out of. He chopped the next one and then bunted the last.
"What's the matter, Whitaker, distracted?" The boy from the batting cage next to us taunted. I think it was Andy, one of Derrick's cronies.
"Let me go again." Jason dropped another token in the machine.
Alex shrugged. "Sure—why not—knock your socks off—I'll just stand out here with your totally, hot girlfriend." He winked at me.
"Sweet." A low whisper came from behind, and below me.
I turned. "Mathew!" I pressed the back of my skirt against my legs and stepped away from the railing.
"Hey, can't blame a guy for peeking in the window if you're going to leave the drapes open."
"Mathew!" One of the boys teased followed by a sharp yelp as Matt slugged him in the shoulder. "Sorry, man, I was just playin'," came the insincere apology.
"Did you even see any of that round?" Jason said, opening the gate.
"You hit three," I said. "I'm sorry, Matt was being rude."
Jason glanced down at Matt and then at my hand, tucked behind my skirt and surmised what had happened. He smiled.
"You think it's funny?"
"He's just a guy."
"Oh, and that's supposed to make it okay?"
Jason shrugged. "Just sayin'."
Now I was angry. "So I'm just a girl, right? A pretty little bobble. Give me that thing." I snatched the bat out of Jason's hand and then stepped into the cage. "Go ahead," I said to Alex. "Put the token thing in."
"You know this is the fast cage?" Alex whispered as he stepped into the cage.
"Fast? Maybe faster than the others, but fast? I don't think so." I leered at Jason as Alex dropped the token in the machine and then slipped back out of the cage.
Jason leered back, silently, but there was something more, something beyond his anger—disappointment—hurt? I ignored it.
"Five bucks says Izzy hits three," Alex said.
"I'll have a piece of that," Matt replied.
I heard the thump of the pitching machine launching the ball. I turned, located the ball in the air, and then as it got within range swung the bat at the precise moment. The crack was much louder than the others around me and drew immediate attention. I glanced back at Jason as the hard lines in his face wilted. I'd done it again—let my anger get the better of me and I was showing him up just like on the football field—but wait—this time there was still time to fix it.
I clumsily swung and missed the next four pitches and on the sixth—I let the ball hit my helmet. I staggered and fell to my knees. There was a collective gasp from the guys around us.
Jason was on his knees next to me in
a flash. "You alright?" he said so the others could hear." He knew I wouldn't be hurt, but here he was.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"Nah, I'm the one who's sorry. I acted like a jerk."
"No, you acted like a guy—a proud guy—and that's what I wanted." I looked past him to the crowd that had gathered.
"Pay up," Matt said.
"What? Izzy could be hurt," Alex replied.
"Nah, it only crazed her. If it hit her, she'd be squealing like a stuck pig—pay up."
"Izzy?" The boy from the next cage said. "Like in Izzy Faulkner from Art class?" It was definitely Andy.
"What, you know her?" The guy next to him said.
"She's the freakin' Emo from school."
"No freakin' way."
I slipped my arm around Jason's neck. "I think I'm going to need some help."
Jason pulled me to my feet. "You okay now?"
I slumped down, and he caught me. "I think you're going to have to carry me."
Jason smiled—that beautiful make me forget everything smile of his. "Sure, whatever you need."
We sat on the bench behind the cages while things around us went back to normal. Jason even went so far as to get an ice pack for me. Unfortunately, the close confines with so many sweaty guys began to get to me. Jason grabbed his bat and gym bag, but I insisted I was alright—he knew I was—and told him to stay. Even so, he walked me out to my car.
"I really am sorry about being such a jerk."
"I know you are, I just think Matt went a little too far."
"Oh he did—I'll have it out with him when I get back inside. No way is anybody going to treat my girl like some piece of meat."
"Your girl. I like the sound of that."
He kissed me. "It's always going to be that way. You and me—we're forever."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He shivered. "You're all sweaty, you should go back inside."
"If they make you uncomfortable, you can send the clothes back."
"You don't mean that," I said, slipping in behind the wheel.
"Sure I do. I don't know what I was thinking—there's a lot of pressure—"
"I know. I'll think about it. Thanks for offering."
"Sure. Maybe I'll grow up a little."
"I think you're perfect just the way you are."
"Perfect enough for you to want to keep me this way—say forever?" He patted the roof, closed the door and turned back toward the entrance.
"Love you!" I called after him.
He turned, winked and pointed at me.
I changed when I got home. I figured if my clothes got that kind of reaction from the guys, they would get a similar—in a negative way—reaction from Jason's mom.