The Boyfriend League Read online

  Was he serious? Did he really think I’d say no to the opportunity to watch the Texas Rangers?

  But more importantly, it was an invitation for an official date. Not an appreciation outing. I mean, usually you have the date before you have the kiss, but then I wasn’t a real stickler when it came to traditions. I could go with the flow.

  “I’d love to go.”

  “Great.”

  “Yeah,” I said, smiling. “Great.”

  Chapter 21

  “Omigod! I need help!”

  I’d just pulled my Ragland Rattlers T-shirt on above my denim shorts when Tiffany burst into the room in a full-scale panic the next morning.

  My heart started to thunder. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know what to wear.”

  I stared at her as my heart resumed its normal beat.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Mac invited me to go to this ball game with him today…and it’s, like, what do I wear?”

  I grinned and pointed to my hat rack. “Pick a cap, any cap.”

  “You’re not serious?”

  “Tiff, it’s a ball game in an open stadium. And we’re riding a bus to get there. You want cool and comfortable.”

  She held up her hand and closed her eyes like the thought frightened her. “Just tell me exactly what to wear.”

  She did the whole makeup thing, of course. I fixed her hair. Pulled it back into a ponytail.

  “One elastic fits all,” I said, grinning at her in the mirror.

  She was wearing a pair of designer jeans and one of my older Ragland Rattler T-shirts. I settled a cap on her head, pulled her strands of hair through the opening in the back.

  “There, you’re all ready to go,” I said.

  She peered in the mirror, and I could see the doubts crossing her face. “I guess it doesn’t look too bad.”

  “You look great.”

  She swiveled around. “Are you okay with me going with Mac?”

  “I’m fine with it. He and I…we never really connected.”

  “He’s so funny.”

  “He is?”

  She nodded. “He says I make him feel like an Internet search engine with all my questions, but he’s okay with it.”

  “He thinks you’re hot.”

  “Really?”

  How could she doubt that any guy would find her hot?

  “Yeah, he mentioned it yesterday.”

  “I just don’t want to embarrass him at the game.”

  “You won’t.”

  “And don’t take offense, but we’re not going to hang out near you, because that would be too weird, since you were dating him.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “You and Jason…it’s a date, isn’t it?”

  “Um…yeah.”

  “Probably shouldn’t tell Mom and Dad.”

  “Probably not. At least not yet. I mean, it might not work out.”

  “Puh-lease! Have a little faith in yourself.”

  Miss Teen Ragland had just delivered encouragement.

  Jason and I were holding hands in the parking lot of the Ragland ballpark, waiting for the bus to arrive. He was wearing jeans and a Ragland Rattlers baseball jersey.

  As a matter of fact, all the guys were wearing the same thing. I figured they had to go as representatives of the team.

  “Tiffany and Mac?” Bird whispered, when she and Brandon joined us.

  Tiffany and Mac were standing a short distance away, talking. Actually talking. Imagine that.

  I shrugged. “What can I say?”

  Then we heard the bus rattling up the street. It was an old school bus.

  “Ah, man,” Jason said. “For this event, I thought they’d use something other than our usual transport to the games. I thought it would be…you know…one of those air-conditioned fancy buses.”

  “We’re not in the majors yet,” Brandon said.

  “I’m really sorry,” Jason said.

  “Hey, no big deal.”

  “Let’s at least get on first, so we can sit in the back,” Bird suggested.

  Everyone seemed to have the same idea. By the time Jason and I got on, the only seat I saw was the one right behind the bus driver. And two of the coaches were sitting across the aisle. I so didn’t want to sit there. Then I heard someone calling my name—near the back of the bus.

  And there was Bird, jumping up and down, waving her arm. Not quite at the back, but close enough. She was on one seat and Brandon was in the seat behind her. I don’t know how she managed to get on the bus so far ahead of us, but I wasn’t going to complain.

  Jason and I made our way back there, and Bird hopped out of the seat and sat beside Brandon. I slid in so I was beside the window. The window was down. I thought about putting it back up, but it was almost a hundred degrees outside. And the bus wasn’t air-conditioned. I was sorta wishing I’d worn skimpier clothes.

  “All right!” one of the coaches yelled. “I’m going to call out the roster and make sure everyone is here.”

  After Jason answered to his name being called, he looked at me and grinned. “So have you ever watched the Rangers play in person?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  The coach finished calling the roster. Everyone was there, so we took off. With the wind blowing through the windows, we all had to remove our caps. My hair was whipping around my face. I heard a screech from the front of the bus. Tiffany, learning to deal with flying hair.

  There was too much wind noise to talk. Bird tried to start a conversation, but it just didn’t work when we had to yell in each other’s ears. The ride was really bumpy. Not exactly the perfect atmosphere for an official first date.

  Of course, we weren’t the only busload of people to arrive at the ballpark. We had quite a little hike across the parking lot, but I didn’t mind because Jason was holding my hand again.

  “First stop, concession stand,” Brandon said. “I’m starving.”

  “I don’t know if I can ever eat concession-stand food again,” Bird said. “Now that I know how hard they work.”

  “But these people are paid, Bird,” I reminded her.

  “Oh, that’s different then, isn’t it?”

  “Most definitely.”

  Jason handed me my ticket. “If the bus ride is any indication of what we can expect, I suspect the seats aren’t anything to write home about.”

  “Do you write home?” I asked.

  “I e-mail my mom and brothers,” he said. “Now and then.”

  “Will they ever come watch you play?”

  “Probably not. They come to the university games, but they’re busy with their own lives, and I don’t think they’re that interested in the collegiate league.”

  I couldn’t imagine that.

  “I love the collegiate league,” Bird said, snuggling up against Brandon.

  We went through the gate and headed for the concession stand. The guys got in line. We obviously weren’t the only ones with food on our minds.

  Bird and I headed for the ladies’ room. Tiffany was there, brushing out her tangles.

  “So what do you think so far, Tiff?” I asked as I started combing my hair.

  “I’m thinking next year we need to have some sort of fund-raiser. These guys deserve better than old school buses.”

  “If anyone can make it happen, it’s Miss Teen Ragland.”

  “Next year, I’ll just be Tiffany.”

  She put on her cap, and I tugged on the brim. “I think Tiffany can make it happen, too.”

  “Especially since you and Bird will be on my committee.”

  She walked out before we could respond.

  “Did she just volunteer us?” Bird asked.

  “Yep.” I dropped my comb into my tote. I put my cap and sunglasses back on. Next year’s fund-raising committee was the last thing I wanted to think about. For the next couple of hours, I planned to focus on this year’s team, this year’s pitcher.

  Tonight’s date.

&n