Panic at the Disco
This week was amazing. I know I wasn't the only who was falling all over themselves. The ideas are buzzing! I liked the episode but this is wish fulfillment. How I wish it could have gone down. I'm probably cheating by doing this, I combined two of this weeks' prompts.
Prompt 1: Mike is Ginny's date to the Nike party Prompt 2: Ginny called Mike instead of Amelia
Heat raced up her spine and settled heavily in her chest. Her vision blurred and her head swam. It would be okay if she could just get to her phone. All she had to do was make 1 phone call and it would be fine. The tablet slipped from her fingers as she set it down. Ginny pressed a hand to her chest, her breath came in short gasps. It was so difficult to breathe, it felt as though her chest was in a vice. She struggled to her feet and lurched toward the bed. Her phone was tucked away in the bedside table.
All she had to do was get to it.
With stumbling footsteps, she fell heavily onto the bed. Her body like lead. Ginny shakily reached for her phone. A few taps and a swipe, the phone then began to ring. One ring became two, then three. Just as she was about to toss the phone and give up, a rough sleep ridden voice graveled over the line.
"Mike," she gasped.
"Baker – Ginny, are you alright?"
At the sound of Mike's voice, the vice tightened around Ginny's chest. What was she doing calling him? They weren't friends like that, he'd proven that by taking up with Amelia. Her head swam again as Ginny's breath continued to come in quick and short gasps.
Mike struggled to sit up. He could hear his rookie's distressed breaths come through over the line and a quick look at the time told him it was the middle of the damn night, 3:30 in the morning. While he wasn't happy there was something wrong with Ginny, he was glad she had called. Despite her brave face, and act as though there was nothing wrong with him and Amelia seeing each other. He wasn't stupid – he noticed how many more of his calls went unanswered recently. It also registered that she just called him 'Mike' – something she had never done before.
He didn't bother to spare a glance at the woman behind him. Mike could hear her ask what was going on and if Ginny was alright, but it didn't matter. Ginny had called him. Ginny wanted his help. There was no way he was going to let Amelia touch this one. She had already done enough damage in his opinion. With barely a goodbye, he struggled to get his old Padres sweatshirt on before he was shoving his feet into a pair of shoes and he was on the move.
Quick footsteps moved down the corridor toward the small bank of elevators. He was never as glad as he was in that moment that Amelia had convinced him to stay at her serviced apartment, just 2 floors below Ginny's than he was in that moment.
It was the sob that rang over the line that caused him to pause.
"Gin, where are you? You're at your place, right?" He questioned.
The gasps for air and sobs seemed to come quicker and in tandem.
"Baker, I need to you to try to breathe normally for me. I'm coming for you but I need you to let me get there, let me get to you." His voice soft but infused with steel.
It was that tone that caused the sobs to start to quiet, though the quick breaths were still coming. Ginny took comfort in the authoritative tone. It was the same sound Mike used out on the ball field. No matter the situation, it was that one that caused the troops to rally, the mist to clear and for clarity to return. Ginny's breath continued to be uneven but she was much calmer than she had been. When the heavy bangs came, Ginny managed to get her body to cooperate and open the door.
She then fell into his arms.
Mike immediately wrapped himself around her, his large frame engulfing her tiny one. He quickly maneuvered them out of the doorway and toward the sofa. Ginny curled up tightly against his side. Her hands clutched desperately at his midsection, head tucked into the curve of his throat.
"What happened?" He asked quietly.
She licked her lips in uncertainty before she inhaled deeply.
"I'm not that, I'm just me,"
"Baker,"
Again, she tried to tuck her body closer to his.
"The campaign, they compared me to all these great firsts. I don't belong in that company and the ads – the ads, I'm not those things. That's not me. I don't recognize the person in those photos." She whispered brokenly.
Mike allowed himself a small smile before he pulled away and slipped a finger under her chin, which forced her to look up at him.
"Baker… you don't see what the rest of the world sees,"
Mike shook his head in frustration.
"No, those photos aren't you. Not the real you but you do belong in that amazing group of people. You Ginny Baker are amazing – I said it before and I'll say it again. What you're doing, you blow me away."
Ginny's eyes began to fill with tears as she tried to pull away but Mike tightened his grip and wouldn't let her move from the circle of his arms.
"I don't say that to lay more on you rookie. You just don't realize how many people you have that are in total awe of you – I'm one of 'em."
He reached up to run a gentle hand down the side of her face.
"I get it – I do. This is all a lot. The attention and the celebrity but – Baker, you are worthy of it. You are. I'd be more worried if you didn't doubt yourself, if you didn't wonder. Every day I see you push yourself harder, faster, father than before. It's exhausting to watch you sometimes but also incredibly inspiring. I can only begin to imagine how much it weighs on you but – but I'm here. I know I fucked up but I'm here Ginny. I'm here for you to talk to, to scream at, to rail at, to cry on," he teased.
He was rewarded with a watery chuckle for his attempts at humor.
"In all seriousness, I am here for you Ginny Baker and, and if it turns out you need to talk to someone who isn't me – I'll get that person for you. I'm here for you Gin," he finished softly.
Ginny smiled and tucked herself back into his side. She played with his hands and fingers idly before there was another deep inhale.
"I could deal with the attention but… it's the cameras. I don't like the cameras everywhere,"
"Cameras," a soft question.
"They flash. The lights. They remind me," as she trailed off, her body began to shake.
Mike had a sudden and startling realization. Everyone knew that Bill Baker had died in a car accident, what hadn't been clear was that Ginny was in the damn car with him. They were looking at some major PTSD – he then resolved to get Ginny to talk to someone who wasn't him. She was going to need the help. Mike did the best thing he could do for her; right then, it was to let her ride out her emotions in the safety of his arms. When she quieted, Mike moved their bodies so that he was reclined back against the arm of the sofa, while his rookie lay sprawled out on top of him, his arms still wrapped around her.
"They want me to use this custom glove – I hate it,"
He kept his silence as he continued to gently run his hands up and down her back.
"The glove I use… my dad gave it to me. It's stupid – "
"Not stupid,"
"I don't want to use it,"
"So don't,"
She pulled back at that, Ginny then rest her chin on his chest so she could look up at him.
"I can't do that,"
"Baker, was it in the contract or was it a 'gift'?"
"Gift," she answered hesitantly.
"Then you don't have to use the glove, not really. Yes, they would very much like you too but you don't have to. Amelia might be a good agent at getting you deals but she's not doing her job at keeping you up on the finer points of these things."
Ginny then began to squirm uncomfortably. The only reason she wasn't out of his arms and on the other side of the sofa was because of Mike's vice like grip.
"Rookie,"
"We probably shouldn't talk about her, you guys are – "
"Finished,"
Ginny froze then shot him an inquiring look.
"I said it before – I fucked up Gin, real bad. I never should have looked at Amelia. You've been real good about it but I know you've been ducking some of my calls and you used to never do that. Things haven't been the same in the clubhouse either and all of that – all of it is on me. Do you remember the night of your first win? We were at that hotel's stupid excuse for a club and you invited me to dance with you – I wanted to, I did but – "
"But," she intoned softly.
"There you were, looking painfully young and stupidly gorgeous – "he said with a grin.
She grinned right back.
"And then there was me, 36-year-old catcher with 2 knees that are shot and an ex-wife who is going to marry the damn guy she cheated on me with. I was in a bad head space that night and what was supposed to be a one and done. I got stupid, I got comfortable – I couldn't have you so I went you-adjacent." He finished bitterly.
"Me-adjacent," she asked incredulously.
Mike shook his head in response.
"It's something that Blip said – basically my idiot ass was settling. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal. I wanted to tell you right away but Amelia told me not to, I went against my gut with that one. The longer it went on, the more complicated it got. I need you to know that I messed up, I know I did and I am so sorry. I'm done with Amelia. It shouldn't have happened in the first place and it's not going to happen anymore. I'm not a dope, Gin. I know there's something here – "
"We can't," she said sadly.
Mike smiled down at her sadly, he then brushed some hair away from her face. His hand settling on her cheek.
"Right, but that's okay. It's okay – but what isn't okay is us not being good. Screw all the other complicated bull. I loved being your friend, I loved that we're friends. I loved the relationship we had. That I could call you anytime and you'd pick up – no matter what. I'm hoping that's still the case."
Ginny smiled in response and snuggled back down into his chest. Mike smiled to himself and inhaled deeply. He then began to gently run his fingertips up and down the back of Ginny's spine.
"We good, Baker,"
"Better, old man,"
Mike's smile grew.
"Nervous Rook," he teased.
Ginny let out a huff as she smoothed her hands down her body for the umpteenth time.
"I've never done anything like this before," she moaned.
He pulled her into a corner, they were about to head outside to walk the red carpet and his rookie was in a shambles, despite how gorgeous she looked. His hands settled on her shoulders before they moved up to the curve of her neck.
"You got this, all you have to do is go out there and smile. Don't worry about the flashes. I'll be right behind you. They'll want some photos of you but then c'mon – once they see me," he teased with a rakish grin.
Mike was very pleased with himself when he saw the tension drain from Ginny's shoulders and she giggled and shook her head at his antics. It was then Amelia appeared, the question if they were ready on her lips.
With a brief nod, and then they were off.
He watched with a smile as Ginny was led out onto the carpet, while she smiled and was beautiful, it wasn't genuine. When she finally looked his way, he flexed a little and shot her a quick wink. That did it. Ginny began to laugh and the smile that lit up her face caused the flashing lights to become brighter and come that much faster. She then reached out a hand to him, inviting him to join her. No way was he going to turn down the invitation. With his normal bravado, he swaggered over to her and slipped an arm around her waist.
The camera flashes began to go off even faster than before.
Mike smiled, and just soaked it all in. The pride he felt for his rookie swelled in his chest. Ginny turned her body away from the cameras and leaned toward his ear to whisper something along the lines of 'Can you believe all this?' though some of it was lost to the roar of the crowd. He smiled in response and then leaned down to press a kiss to the apple of her cheek. The lights became blinding and while he'd worry about Amelia's angry stare later, all that matter was Ginny's happy laugh and bright smile that he got response.
For the rest of the line down the carpet, Ginny never once let go of his hand. While they had separated, and were no longer attached at the hip – she wouldn't let him go. The rest of the photos were variations of the two, close to each other but not too close, hands or at the very least pinkies linked. He knew there would be talk because of it but he couldn't bring himself to care.
He knew the lights upset Ginny, he wasn't going to leave her to them.
Mike's eyes tracked her as she was shuffled about the room. God, she was gorgeous and everyone wanted a piece of her. He couldn't blame them but as the evening wore on, he saw her smile become less and less genuine. The sparkle in her eyes began to dim.
It was time to step in.
With his usual bravado and the most charming smile he could muster, he hit up one of the Nike grunts and gained access to one of the Official Nike Swag Bags. Filled to the brim with exclusive gear from the label. After a quick check to make sure what he needed was inside, he went in search of his rookie. Mike found her trapped in a conversation she clearly didn't want to be in with some executive-types. Armed with a charming grin and a few quick words, he extracted her from the group and moved her toward the outskirts of the gathering.
He then threaded his fingers through hers and kept a firm grip on her hand. Mike kept them on a path away from the ballroom and toward a utility closet in a lesser used hallway.
"Mike, what are you doing?" Ginny asked urgently.
"Looked rough out there,"
A heavy sigh.
"Yeah, you're not kidding,"
Finally, he stopped and turned to see an exhausted looking Ginny.
"You need a break,"
Her brow furrowed as she looked at him.
"A break… Mike I'm stuck here. This party is for me – literally."
Mike pursed his lips into a thoughtful moue.
"Mhm, mhm… I hear you. I understand you but – we're bustin' outta here,"
"Mike!"
"Baker, we talked about this earlier. This… image isn't you. It's not real, not really. It's just a part of you. It's honestly a poor facsimile of who you are. Also, like you said – it's your party, you can ditch if you want to!" He said with a cheeky grin.
"That is not how that saying goes," she said with a reluctant grin.
Mike's cheeky grin became a full-blown smile. He then reached into the closet they had stopped in front of and pulled out the swag bag.
"Take your hair down,"
"What,"
"Take it down,"
Ginny shrugged her shoulders, took her hair down and gave it a quick fluff. Mike then tossed Ginny a large black and gray Nike sweatshirt.
"Put that on,"
With an eye roll she pulled on the sweatshirt and shot him a look when she saw the damn thing practically hit her knees. He then reached into the bag one more time and pulled out a matching baseball cap. He then plopped it on her head.
"Pull the brim down low," he said.
"This isn't going to work," she muttered.
"Hey, trust me,"
Mike then put on a cap of his own, he too pulled the brim down low. He hooked an arm around his rookie's shoulders, the duffle bag full of swag went on the other arm and he quickly led her out of the building. Mike left Ginny tucked into a corner and retrieved his car from the valet, it was another 5 minutes and thousand-dollar bribe later, they were safely ensconced in his car. Ginny kept the sweatshirt on but had shed the cap, while Mike's had migrated to sit backward.
"So… now what?" Ginny asked.
He looked at her quietly for a moment.
"What would you want to be doing if you didn't have the world on your shoulders? If you could just let loose and have some fun, what would you want to do? Fuck the repercussions, that's a problem for tomorrow."
A slow, sly grin curled on Ginny's lips.
"Should that look worry me?" Mike asked, with a wry laugh.
She then pulled out her phone, tapped the screen a few times and started recording. Ginny held up her phone and started to record Mike, who was sitting in the driver's seat looking at her incredulously. She moved to get in the shot with him.
"What up Instagram!"
"Baker, what the hell!?"
"Say Hi to Instagram, Lawson,"
Mike was in shock as he watched Ginny record an Instagram story! He did however manage a little grin and wave for the camera.
"Hey L.A. Nike threw this amazing party for me with all this amazing swag,"
Ginny disappeared as she reached into the back of the car to pull out the oversized duffle. Mike, took the phone from her while she struggled to get the bag in her lap. He held the phone up to keep recording her. Ginny smiled once she had the bag settled in her lap.
"So – as I was saying. Nike plied me with all this amazing swag and I wanted to share it with you guys. So, here's the deal. Lawson and I will be wandering L.A. tonight. All you got to do is be the first one to find us at whatever location we're at and say the phrase 'The Ginny Baker and Mike Lawson Experience, - "
"Wait, wait… what do you mean Ginny Baker and Mike Lawson, should be Mike Lawson and Ginny Baker. Why do you get to come first rookie?" Mike teased.
"You know why!" She shot back with a grin of her own.
Mike then moved the camera so he was back in the shot.
"Ya'll see this mess,"
"Calm yourself, old man."
He swung the phone back around to focus on Ginny again.
"Show some respect, rookie!"
She looked past the camera and gave him a wink.
"Alright, kids! Here's how it's going to work. The lumberjack posing as a ballplayer and I got to be together; you be the first ones to find us and you get a piece of Nike gear signed by the both of us. Simple, right?" Ginny said with a smirk.
"Rookie," Mike murmured in disbelief.
"Happy Hunting," she intoned ominously before reaching forward to cut off the camera.
"Rook, what are you doing!? You're not seriously going to post that, are you?"
Ginny looked down at the phone and then back up at Mike.
"You asked me what I wanted to do. I want to do this. I want to be in control for once. I'm sick and tired of being told where to look, how to look, how to smile. If we do this, we're in control. I'm in control. We get to run around L.A. all night giving out cool stuff to people who are excited to just see us play. I've always wanted to see L.A. and what a way to do it!"
He looked around the car, up toward the heavens and then back at his rookie.
"At least tell me you turned geo-tracking off on your phone,"
She shot him an exasperated look.
"Okay – I can't believe we're doing this, but okay,"
Ginny grinned happily, she reached forward to turn on the stereo, a heavy beat began to reverberate through the speakers, then throughout the car.
'6 inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody's business. Goddamn, she murdered everybody and I was her witness,'
Mike rolled his eyes heavenward, threw the car into drive and peeled out of the parking lot in a squeal of tires, Ginny's happy laughter mingling with the thumping music – all the while praying they'd make it through the night.