“Our situation is complicated.”
“Bullshit. You’re just scared.”
She laughed. “That, too. But I’ll think about it. It might just take a little time.”
She focused her attention on the game, and that got Shawnelle and Haley off her back about Gavin. She checked his stats, and his batting average had plummeted to the basement during the few days she’d been out of town. As soon as she’d gotten back, though, he’d been hitting at almost every at bat.
Interesting.
She seriously doubted there was any correlation, though.
Elizabeth didn’t believe in luck. The players she managed had success in their respective fields because they were good at what they did. Luck played no part in it. If Gavin sucked, it was because there was a glitch in his swing. If he started to play better when she came back from Saint Louis, it was purely coincidental, because she was no one’s lucky charm.
“We’re going for manis and pedis after the game. You interested?” Shawnelle asked.
Girl stuff? With girls? So not Elizabeth’s thing. Then again, she liked these women, and that was a first for her. She had no girlfriends, could never relate to women at all. But there was just something about Shawnelle and Haley that made her feel comfortable.
“Sure. I’ll buy lunch.”
“You are so on, honey. We’ll leave the men in the dust and have ourselves a ladies’ afternoon out.” Shawnelle whipped out her cell phone. “I’ll text Dedrick, and he can pass the word on to Tommy and Gavin.”
“I know this great spa,” Haley said. “I’ll call and make us appointments.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Sounds absolutely perfect.”
She did text Gavin and let him know what she’d be doing, even though Shawnelle told her Dedrick would pass the word along. She just felt better about telling him herself. By the time they arrived at the day spa, he’d texted her back and told her to have a good time.
She intended to.
The spa was heavenly, private, and deliciously decorated in creams and beiges. They were whisked away and pampered by their own personal attendants. They were seated next to each other for their pedicures and manicures, and Haley had them laughing hysterically with stories of her backwoods life back home and the girls she’d gone to school with, who thought the hottest thing to do was to get pregnant before you graduated high school.
“I’m telling’ ya, it was like a contest with these girls to see who could get knocked up first. Those poor guys didn’t know what hit’em. The smart ones dumped the girls as soon as possible and offered up child support. The dumb guys married the hos.”
Elizabeth was appalled. “That was their long-term plan? Babies and marriage?”
Haley nodded. “Yup. And they were mad when I said that’s not what I wanted. I was dating Tommy by then, and he was older than me. They thought I should get pregnant so he’d marry me. He loved me and wanted to marry me anyway, but we didn’t want to get pregnant. I went to Planned Parenthood and got me some birth control. No babies for me for a long damn time. I want a degree first, and want to be self-supporting. No way do I want kids for a while.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you, Haley,” Shawnelle said. “You have a brain. That’s how I did it. I went to college, fell in love, got married, had a career, then had my babies. And I still have a career.”
“I don’t know how you manage it all,” Elizabeth said to Shawnelle. “You’re an attorney. Your husband plays Major League Baseball, and here you are supporting him, plus you have two children under the age of six.”
Shawnelle smiled. “I have a wonderful, supporting family. We both do. His mother is watching the kids right now, so I can be here for a couple weeks and enjoy a little vacation. When I head back to Saint Louis, it’s back to work for me. And when Dedrick travels and I have to work, my mom and his mom and my aunt pitch in to help with the kids. I couldn’t do it without them. We’re very lucky he got drafted in the city where our families are from.”
“You’re very lucky to have such a great family.”
“Believe me, I know. They’ve allowed me to have it all. The man, the kids, and the career.”
“Tommy’s family is great,” Haley said. “My family sucks. Not sure what we’ll do when we have kids. I know Tommy’s mother will move heaven and earth to be wherever we are so she can be near our kids, so I know she’ll be there to help. But that’s a long time in the future, so I’m not even thinkin’ about it.”
“What about you, Elizabeth?” Shawnelle asked. “Any thoughts about marriage and kids?”
Elizabeth turned her gaze to her toenails, which were being painted a beautiful shade of pink. “Wow, look at our toes. Aren’t they pretty?”
“Avoider.”
She grinned at Shawnelle. “Expert at it, as a matter of fact.”
After the spa, Elizabeth took them to a trendy bar and restaurant. It had gotten late, and they were all thirsty and starving. They ordered food and margaritas, though the margaritas turned out to be way more fun than the food. By the time their lunch—though it was closer to dinner—arrived, they were on their second pitcher of margaritas, and Elizabeth was feeling every one of them. Her skin tingled, her lips were numb, and she was laughing at everything the women said.
But her burrito tasted heavenly, and she managed at least a few bites of it, even if she’d lost her appetite since she was now drinking her lunch. Or dinner.
The waitress brought another pitcher of margaritas, and Elizabeth turned to Haley.
“Okay, tell us about the sex, Haley.”
Haley’s eyes widened, and she grinned. “It is so awesome now that we’re talkin’ about it. Who knew all we had to do was communicate what we both liked and wanted? Tommy thought I was shy, and I thought he was sexually ignorant. Once we broke the ice, it turned out he’s a sexual animal in bed, and I sure as hell have no problem telling him how I want it. And he has no problem giving me exactly what I ask for.”
“Woo-hoo!” Shawnelle said, lifting her glass. “A toast to great sex and a man who knows what to do with his cock.”
Elizabeth giggled and raised her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
“So tell us about your sex life, Elizabeth. You’re typically closed up about Gavin.”