said, “Hey, the next round was supposed to be on me.”
She startled a little at the contact, but once she saw it was him, relaxed. “Oh, hey … well, I just needed to get up and walk for a few.”
“I get it. I really don’t know why they make us wait ‘til the seventh inning to stretch. It should really happen around the fourth,” he said.
Smiling at him, she let out a small laugh and said, “I know, right? Or at least make it based on time passed, not innings. Some of those innings are downright long.”
Mike couldn’t help but smile back at her. This type of easygoing conversation wasn’t the norm for them. He liked it, and was afraid to scare it away, but wanted it to continue, “At least they have screens everywhere for you to see the game when not in your seat.”
They scooted forward to move with the line as she said, “Yes, that’s true, but you know those are there so people won’t mind standing in line paying for overpriced food. It’s genius really, if you think about it. You stand in line for too long, order something for everyone, then they tell you the cost. Of course you’re going to pay for it—you’ve waited for that long and you want to get back to the game.”
She painted an interesting picture for the consumer being taken advantage of. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. Now I feel like a chump,” he said humorously.
Allie quickly turned and placed her hand on his upper arm. “Oh no! I wasn’t trying to say it like I thought that of you. Hell, I’m standing in line, too.”
Mike’s attention was fully focused on her—of her own free will—touching his arm. There was no panic attack, no falling off balance in her seat, no need for assistance in or out of his truck. She had reached her hand out and touched him, and it was … fantastic. Once again, he feared scaring her away, but knew he couldn’t just stand there and be quiet. Re-engaging in the conversation he said, “I was only joking with you. Of course they take advantage of us. I remember when I used to bring Zane here when he was little. Talk about spending a fortune. Ice cream in a cap, foam finger, hot dog, peanuts, nachos … and that was all for me!”
Allie laughed as she shifted her hand away and moved up in line. “Wow, poor Zane had to watch you eat all of that? You didn’t make him hold your nachos while you ate the ice cream, did you?”
“Of course not! What kind of man do you think I am? I made him hold the foam finger and the hot dog first; I prefer to eat the nachos with the ice cream.” He gave her a big toothy smile as she laughed and gave him a playful shove. Of course it didn’t go unnoticed that she touched him again.
“ Eeeewww. Oh my God, Lawson. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.”
“It isn’t a day at the ballpark if you don’t feel like throwing up, so clearly my job is done here.”
“Oh! One time we came with Jonathan. He was like eight or nine, I can’t remember for sure. But he had to have everything! Started with the hot dogs, then there was cotton candy and some soda on top of it. I know the kid ate some of my nachos, too, so when he asked Marc for an ice cream cone … oh boy. I tried to tell Marc it was a bad idea, but no, he said it would be fine. He had to get his nephew the ice cream.” She was shaking her head, lost in thought with a smile on her face. After a few seconds, she looked at him with an even bigger smile on her face. “On the car ride home, Jonathan complained he didn’t feel so good. And before Marc or I could turn back and check on him, he threw up all over the backseat of Marc’s Camaro.”
“Oh no, not the Camaro. Say it isn’t so.”
She nodded at him, still smiling. He thought he might have died and gone to heaven—he was certain since he’d dealt with hell a few minutes before. “It gets worse. You know what the upholstery in a 1968 Camaro looked like?”
Mike nodded. “I’m familiar.”
“Well, Marc had to turn
She startled a little at the contact, but once she saw it was him, relaxed. “Oh, hey … well, I just needed to get up and walk for a few.”
“I get it. I really don’t know why they make us wait ‘til the seventh inning to stretch. It should really happen around the fourth,” he said.
Smiling at him, she let out a small laugh and said, “I know, right? Or at least make it based on time passed, not innings. Some of those innings are downright long.”
Mike couldn’t help but smile back at her. This type of easygoing conversation wasn’t the norm for them. He liked it, and was afraid to scare it away, but wanted it to continue, “At least they have screens everywhere for you to see the game when not in your seat.”
They scooted forward to move with the line as she said, “Yes, that’s true, but you know those are there so people won’t mind standing in line paying for overpriced food. It’s genius really, if you think about it. You stand in line for too long, order something for everyone, then they tell you the cost. Of course you’re going to pay for it—you’ve waited for that long and you want to get back to the game.”
She painted an interesting picture for the consumer being taken advantage of. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. Now I feel like a chump,” he said humorously.
Allie quickly turned and placed her hand on his upper arm. “Oh no! I wasn’t trying to say it like I thought that of you. Hell, I’m standing in line, too.”
Mike’s attention was fully focused on her—of her own free will—touching his arm. There was no panic attack, no falling off balance in her seat, no need for assistance in or out of his truck. She had reached her hand out and touched him, and it was … fantastic. Once again, he feared scaring her away, but knew he couldn’t just stand there and be quiet. Re-engaging in the conversation he said, “I was only joking with you. Of course they take advantage of us. I remember when I used to bring Zane here when he was little. Talk about spending a fortune. Ice cream in a cap, foam finger, hot dog, peanuts, nachos … and that was all for me!”
Allie laughed as she shifted her hand away and moved up in line. “Wow, poor Zane had to watch you eat all of that? You didn’t make him hold your nachos while you ate the ice cream, did you?”
“Of course not! What kind of man do you think I am? I made him hold the foam finger and the hot dog first; I prefer to eat the nachos with the ice cream.” He gave her a big toothy smile as she laughed and gave him a playful shove. Of course it didn’t go unnoticed that she touched him again.
“ Eeeewww. Oh my God, Lawson. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.”
“It isn’t a day at the ballpark if you don’t feel like throwing up, so clearly my job is done here.”
“Oh! One time we came with Jonathan. He was like eight or nine, I can’t remember for sure. But he had to have everything! Started with the hot dogs, then there was cotton candy and some soda on top of it. I know the kid ate some of my nachos, too, so when he asked Marc for an ice cream cone … oh boy. I tried to tell Marc it was a bad idea, but no, he said it would be fine. He had to get his nephew the ice cream.” She was shaking her head, lost in thought with a smile on her face. After a few seconds, she looked at him with an even bigger smile on her face. “On the car ride home, Jonathan complained he didn’t feel so good. And before Marc or I could turn back and check on him, he threw up all over the backseat of Marc’s Camaro.”
“Oh no, not the Camaro. Say it isn’t so.”
She nodded at him, still smiling. He thought he might have died and gone to heaven—he was certain since he’d dealt with hell a few minutes before. “It gets worse. You know what the upholstery in a 1968 Camaro looked like?”
Mike nodded. “I’m familiar.”
“Well, Marc had to turn
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