71AN: Remember, I own nothing except for any original characters. I do mention a famous drag queen in this chapter; special points if you can figure out who it is!
Chapter 3
Game Day/Date Night
BPOV
April 20, 2013
I was now less than one month away from graduating from college. I couldn't believe it. There were rumors about who would be speaking, but I didn't dare get too excited. I didn't want to be disappointed if they didn't show up. Besides, I was also excited about Edward's season. So far, it was going well! He was on a six-game winning streak!
The last three games have been away games, which has made it difficult for us to talk, but I have also been busy with rehearsal, so it hasn't been too terrible. Yes, I miss him terribly, but I have learned that this is the life of a baseball player's girlfriend. I have to keep my mind occupied, or I will go crazy. Not all of Edward's games are televised, so I can't watch him all the time. I also can't listen to the games, as I sometimes have rehearsal or class (some are afternoon games).
I was so happy that he was finally going to not only be back in Boston, but also because it's a Saturday, so I don't have to worry about missing anything to go to the game. I had just seen him the night before, but not for too long. I thought it was because he wanted to be fully rested for the game this afternoon. I had no idea how to react to that, but I also hadn't been involved with a baseball player before, either, so I didn't dwell on it too much. I just ordered myself some dinner and had a nice night in.
So, when I woke up to a text from Edward, I was squealing like a little girl.
Babe,
I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with you last night. I was selfish and wanted just to be in my own bed again. Being on the road sucks. I want you to know that it wasn't because I didn't want to spend time with you. This is new to me; my last relationship (if you could call it that) was the worst. Bella, I want to make it up to you. Can we have a "date" tonight after the game? I'll order something and we'll spend time at my place.
Yours,
Edward
He may have been the most considerate guy in the world. I had no idea how to even respond. I mean, I wanted to spend time with him. I NEEDED to see him again, in person (FaceTime is not the same). But, at the same time, I knew that sometimes, games left him exhausted because they lasted so long, even if he didn't pitch the whole game. Since I was too excited to see him, and because I wanted to show him off to one of my best friends, I texted him back.
Edward,
Thank you for your apology; I completely understand now that I know the reasoning behind it. You had me worried! Anyway, I would love nothing more than to spend time with you after the game. By the way, I am bringing my friend, Brian, to the game this afternoon. Don't worry; he's a fabulous gay man, who also happens to be a drag queen. Brian will find his own way home afterward; he has a show tonight. I cannot wait for our date!
Bella
I'm sure you're curious how a girl like me became friends with a drag queen. Well, it's not as surprising as one would think. No, we didn't meet at the club. It was just one of those chance meetings and we became fast friends. I have seen him perform at least 10 times now and I think he needs to audition for RuPaul's Drag Race. He's hilarious and has a quick wit. His drag persona is even Russian, for crying out loud!
Back to Edward. I wanted to show him off to my friends, but, at the same time, I wanted him to be my own and I wasn't good at "sharing". I knew most of my friends would be jealous…and they would want details that either I didn't know or didn't want to share. They had good intentions, but they were such gossips. While Brian was a gossip, too, he had the decency to not share everything we discussed, at least not as far as I could tell.
So, I called Brian and confirmed we were still good to go for the game. He didn't answer but called back about an hour later because he had worked last night. We were still good to go and he was excited to meet my "man" as he called Edward. While Brian was not a sports fan in the slightest, he was a fan of baseball pants and how men filled them out.
Thankfully, Brian didn't live far from both me and Fenway Park. We met up and then walked to Fenway. Once we grabbed our seats, Brian was already drooling over the players, who were warming up. I hadn't spotted Edward yet, but it was hard to find him with his cap on as well as the fact that Red Sox players don't have their last names on their home uniforms. I hoped I would see him before they announced the line-up.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox." Cheers from the crowd pulled me from my thoughts.
"First up, we would like to announce the starting line-up for our visitors, the Kansas City Royals." I decided to tune this part out. Instead, I asked Brian about his show the night before; I also promised to see him perform within the next 2 weeks, as graduation was fast approaching and I needed a break from studying/performing.
Then, I heard it,
"And now, for your team, the Boston Red Sox!" Even louder cheers started and I joined them. My heart started to flutter and my stomach flopped. I was so eager to see Edward.
I almost didn't hear his name called until I felt Brian's arm hitting mine. "It's him, Bella, it's him!" Then, I saw him. He took off his cap so that his bronze hair shone brightly in the sun. I could have also sworn that his teeth were blindingly white. But, maybe that was just me.
The National Anthem was sung and the game began. When nothing happened in the first four innings, I got a little nervous. Take that back; I was happy that Edward had pitched a great game thus far, but when the Red Sox couldn't score, it made me nervous.
Then, in the fifth inning, the Royals scored. Now, it was a "real ball game" as Daddy would say. So, I started sitting closer to the edge of my seat with each pitch. Then, in the sixth inning, "we" scored one. As it was all tied up, I started to get even more worried. Then, the Royals scored another. But, in the bottom of the eighth, the Red Sox scored 3, which meant, we were now ahead, 4-2. While Edward didn't pitch in the last inning, I knew how nervous he must have been going into the 9th.
When the Royals scored another run, bringing the score to 4-3, I knew that I couldn't watch it fully. I put my hands over my eyes and opened my fingers, as though I was 4 years old again. When I heard the cheers of the crowd, I knew the Red Sox had won! I also heard that familiar song "Love That Dirty Water", which made it very clear that we had won. I jumped up and hugged Brian and jumped up and down with glee. I saw Wally the Green Monster wave the W flag on the field. It was an amazing start to what I hoped would be an even better evening.
All too soon, Brian and I were saying goodbye in front of Fenway Park. Edward had told me to meet him on Lansdowne Street about 30 minutes after the game was over. When I saw him, my heart skipped a beat. Once he was close enough for my hands to be on him, they were. Without thinking, I pulled his neck so that he was closer to me and I kissed him. He was definitely surprised; he was normally the dominant one in our relationship, but I couldn't help myself. But, soon, he was taking charge of the kiss, slipping me his tongue. I moaned and pushed my hands into his newly washed hair. It was the sexiest kiss of my life.
Sadly, we both had to breathe, so we broke apart. When we did, we were both breathing heavily. I almost immediately noticed our surroundings. Thankfully, no one else did. Some of the people passing us had small children.
Once we caught our breaths, Edward spoke,
"Well, that's a hell of a 'congratulations'."
I laughed.
"I had to make sure you knew how proud I am of you; at least in a way that was acceptable in public."
His smile grew,
"Message received loud and clear." It was then that my stomach decided to make its presence known.
"Let's get you fed, baby." Then, he reached down and laced our fingers together and started to walk. I followed him, not knowing where he was going to take me. Frankly, I didn't care.
Once I got my bearings, I knew where we were and where he was taking me. I was excited. In my 4 years of living in Boston, there were, of course, many restaurants I had wanted to go to but hadn't had the chance. Citizen Public House & Oyster House was one of those restaurants. I'd heard many good things, seen the menu, and even tried to get my parents to go one or two times. Each time I was ready to go, something better always came up. So, I was excited.
We walked in, still hand in hand. Edward explained that he had called ahead for a table and the host nodded and ushered us to our table. It was slightly secluded, which made me grateful. While most people hadn't bothered us the few times we actually were able to go out, it was still nice to be able to enjoy a meal without the possibility of being recognized.
Edward even pulled out my chair for me. I blushed like a little schoolgirl. I actually didn't mind Edward doing small things like this for me. It was sweet and made me feel cared for. Edward and I then ordered our drinks (water) and then looked at the menu. There was so much to choose from; I told Edward,
"This is next to impossible to choose from; everything looks so good."
He smiled again,
"The steak frites are always a good idea. But, I think that I'm going to stick with the Pork Tenderloin. I don't like something very heavy after a game."
I nodded,
"Then, I'll have the steak frites. I always do love a big piece of meat." I tried to look sexy, but I wasn't sure if I had made my point or not. That was until I saw Edward look down, reach down, and shift uncomfortably. While we hadn't had sex yet, I wanted Edward to know that it was something I had thought about, more than once. I hoped we could celebrate my graduation and our first time all in the same weekend. I couldn't wait.
