Chapter 21
Will looked up from where he was sitting on a recliner in the family room and saw Gabi coming down the stairs.
"She's all ready for her story and goodnight kiss."
Paul thought about how just a few months ago he thought Sonny and Will were crazy to already be settled down with a family. Now he was enjoying the perks that came with those responsibilities. He admired Will for his strength at keeping it together when Sonny left and his pure, unconditional love for his daughter. Sure, he struggled emotionally after already being insecure about Sonny's intentions. But he was making it work. He was surviving. And Arianna, the cutest little two-years old ever, she was happy and healthy.
When Will returned, he found the San Francisco Giants game on TV and Gabi questioning Paul about his baseball career. "I thought you didn't like baseball."
"It turns out that there are things duller than watching baseball and that is sitting in a cell."
"I'm guessing that was on TV and not a game in the prison yard," Will assumed correctly.
"Yeah, I don't think inmates with baseball bats are a good combination," said Paul.
"Neither are pitchers and baseball bats." Will laughed at his own joke, but Gabi was clueless.
"I more than made up for it on the pitcher's mound."
"That's an understatement." Will was impressed with Paul's success; he knew it wasn't just wasn't for the Sonix article.
"Did you know Will was the star of Salem High's baseball team?" asked Gabi.
"You didn't tell me that," Paul accused.
"I was interviewing you. Not the other way around."
"So you told me over and over. What position did you play?"
"Second base. And I wasn't the star player. Gabi just brags about me."
"Second base," Paul repeated. "Did you stare at the pitcher's ass?"
Will shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you just asked me that."
"Oh my god. That's my cue to leave," Gabi announced. "I'm exhausted anyway. Thank you guys for everything." She hugged both guys before going upstairs.
An inning went by before Will got up the courage to ask. "We only gave lips service in the new article about how you feel about the first season away from the pitcher's mound, but how are you really doing?" Will had actually wanted to ask Paul for a while now and worried about him more than he wanted to admit to himself.
For a few moments, Will wondered if Paul was going to talk about it.
"Can I ask you something after I talk about it?"
"You're always trying to negotiate," he answered with a smirk and laugh. Paul amused him and kept him alert, always wondering what he was thinking. Complicated, not simple as he figured out months ago.
"I guess it's become ingrained in me. Contracts are always on the table no matter how great a player a person is."
"I'm not a thing to be manipulated."
"What? How did you get from negotiations to manipulations? We're not going down this road again about you, me and Sonny?"
"That's not what I was thinking. Can we forget I said that? I'm tired… and maybe a little bit…
"Paranoid?"
"Cautious."
"Why would you say that?"
Will contemplated about if he should be truthful or find something else less embarrassing. Did he really want to continue on the path of deceit?
"It's stupid. Really." Paul waited. He wasn't letting it go. Will sighed and spilled. "When we were playing cards tonight, it seemed like something you said had a double meaning." And Paul kept waiting. He was relentless. Maybe he should be the journalist. "It was how you looked at me when you said it."
Finally, he spoke. "How did I look at you?"
"Predatory. And you said, "The bigger the challenge, the more fun it is.""
"So you think I'm after you, and not only that, but I'm after you just for the sport of it? I couldn't possibly feel anything towards you except as a conquest?"
"I know you and Sonny think I'm some inexperienced vulnerable gay guy. But I know what seduction looks like," Will admitted.
"So you were inexperienced with Sonny sexually, but you were turning men away before you were with him?"
"And since then."
"I actually believe that. So you know Kyle was hot for you the other night."
"And I know you were jealous." Not really, but he was making the leap now.
"What? Why do you think I'm jealous?"
"It's actually my turn to ask a question. Your rules."
"Fine," Paul said with a big sigh. "You want to know if I'm okay watching this season go by without me. Not just any season, but one that could see the Giants in the World Series."
"So in other words, you're not okay."
"It depends on the day. And it's not like I'm not used to just watching the game. As you know, professional pitchers are on rotation rather than playing in every game like infielders and outfielders."
"Have you thought about going out to San Francisco to watch a live game?"
"Thought about it? Yes. Actually done it? No. Isn't it my turn to ask you a question?"
"Right. What do you want to know?"
"You sound so enthused!" Paul chuckled. "If the Giants play in the play-offs, would you go to a game with me? I can easily get great seats. Maybe you can meet the team. Sit in the dugout?"
"How can I say no to all of that?"
For the rest of the evening, they spent just relaxing and watching the Giants win. No more serious talk, so when they parted ways to go to their separate bedrooms, Paul surprised Will.
"Will? Do you remember last winter after I found out you were attached and before I knew about Sonny? Sometime after you turned me down?"
"Yeah." Will wondered where he was going with his thoughts.
"I pretty much admitted that I was disappointed because I thought you could be the person who got me past losing Sonny."
"I forgot about that. We were in my office."
"Yeah, you were worried I'd try something with you."
Will only nodded as his curiosity increased.
"You're not a conquest. And I won't ever do anything you didn't want to do."
Will suddenly realized he was about to have a sleepless night.