Chapter One
Chapter Song: Chasing Rubies- Hudson Taylor
Click. Punch. Slide.
I sign out from the office, having had more than enough stressful phone calls and unresolved problems for one day, and make my way to the apartment on 5th avenue where I can change for baseball. I take liberty to grab a cold soda on the way, the summer air proving too much in the suit I'm required to wear to work. Reaching my destination, I open the apartment that I saved up for when I finished college.
At 23, I'm very fortunate to have the high-end management position that I have in Cullens', a company owned by my adopted father Carlisle. He insisted that I must be treated like a regular applicant, hence all of the training I had to undertake prior to my placement. However once an employee, I have received more promotions than the average worker. I put that down to family connections but Carlisle puts that down to my "hardworking attitude and innate ability at leading a team".
My job has allowed me to purchase this charming, large flat in central manhattan in which I spend most of my non-work time with friends and colleagues.
I unlock the front door and am greeted by the smell of mint and dewy grass that constitutes home. Flicking on the light switch, I meet the spacious, luxury entranceway that leads on to the hallway, covered in wood panelling and decorated with a stylish finish. I pad across to my kitchen and pour the soda into a clear glass, adding some ice to combat the stuffy city air. I make my way through the lounge, stubbing my toe on the coffee table on the way to my bedroom. I pick up all the stray clothes strewn across the floor, placing them in the laundry basket, and find my baseball clothes.
Putting on my tatty Yankees tee, I pick up the soda and pull on my sneakers. As I lace up my bright red chucks, I feel a bead of sweat roll down my cheek. I really need to get my air con fixed.
I pass the fridge and grab an apple, such a vibrant scarlet that it's nearly luminous, and make my way across the street and through central park to the pitches. We're only amateurs so we opt for the smaller ball pitches in the southwest corner, near the rocks.
I'm greeted by Emmett, for all intents and purposes my brother, although we're not actually related. He is muscular in the extreme, but with a baby face and dimples that show when his baby blue eyes light up as he smiles. He's hilarious, my adopted brother and best friend in the world.
"Batter up," he calls, indicating for Jazz to step to the plate. He takes his place, joking about his "broken bat" and adopts batting stance. Our bowler, Sam, throws a curveball at whirlwind speed to where Jazz is standing. The ball sails straight into the safe hands of Jake, the tank-of-a-teen who is very competitive and quite confrontational. He is easily 6ft, tall and tanned and he is always wearing leather jewellery.
"Nice catch," I call, thinking it is best to get on his good side at the start of the season. The game carries on and we find ourselves with 7 points to beat.
I'm up first, as the fastest sprinter and longest batter on the team.
I breathe in. I breath out. Emmett bowls and I swing the bat in an arc around my chest. It sails by, impossibly fast and into the opposing team's backstop, Mike's, glove.
Damn, I think to myself. I take a few seconds to collect myself, looking around the park to calm my racing blood.
I see her.
On the rocks, she sits elegantly, beautifully. I can't do anything but stare hopelessly, the deer in the headlights. Her mahogany hair frames her face, appearing alive in the small breeze. She wears sunglasses, but I can just make out the pattern of her face. The beauty that I find there is unique and stunning. I can't think, I have lost all consciousness of the baseball game surrounding me. I am too lost in this beautiful girl, the girl in the red dress who sits on the rocks, apparently sketching or reading, from my viewpoint.
I suddenly have an urge to go closer, the warmth that is leaking into my being so pleasant that I need more.
"Dude, snap out of it," Emmett's voice low and rough and close, brings me back to reality.
"Sorry, daydreaming," I mumble, hoping that the guys won't have seen what, or rather who, I was looking at.
I decide to find her after the game even though I am yet to learn her name. I am overwhelmed again by the urge to go closer, to know all that I can about her. But this is a baseball game so I declutter the tangled jumble in my brain and breathe in and out. This time, when the ball comes impossibly quick, I am impossibly quicker. I meet the oncoming ball with such force that it soars through the air. I want to see if it will reach her but decide instead to aim or a home run. I take off, running as fast as I can. I'm at third base when I hear a glove meet the ball. Without thinking, I speed up, making the home run with little time to spare. I'm grinning from ear to ear as I try to find the girl again. Ice cold panic fills my lungs when I realise she's gone.
I hope she comes back tomorrow.
All characters belong to SM, I just write cause it's a fun thing to do! Thanks for all of the nice reviews so far, they made my day. *Hugs* Laura xx :)