Chapter 6
*Since Morgan's age is 10 in the movie (just found out!), his age in this story is 8 and a half, instead of 6. ;)*
Alicia led Merrill into the garage house and then sat on the bed with him.
"What are you doing?" asked Merrill.
"This."
Alicia closed her eyes and began kissing Merrill. Their tongues made swirling movements together as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He slid his hands underneath her shirt and then under her bra. They lowered themselves onto the bed and Alicia's body writhed in pleasure as Merrill continued touching her. Then Merrill stopped and just looked at her.
"What is it?" asked Alicia.
"I don't want to do this right now."
She sat up and said, "I think I'm supposed to say that."
"It's just that..back when I was in college and in the beginning days of my career, I would have sex with a girl and consider it just that- sex. But you're different, Ali. Sex isn't an appropriate way of putting it. You're someone I want to make love to, not have sex with."
"That was so cheesy..but so, so , so sweet."
"Your birthday is soon, right?"
"In 5 days! On Wednesday."
"Give me 5 days. I'll make sure you'll have a birthday night to remember."
"Oh really?"
"How did you plan on celebrating?"
"I was gonna take the train up to Manhattan and spend the weekend with my best friend Ellen. I still plan on doing that. Hey- you should come!"
"Nah. I'd be in the way."
"No! Ellen would love to meet you. She saw you on TV the one time that ESPN2 did the minor league player special- she thought you were so hot." "Did you think I was hot?"
"ANYWAY, you should come! We could have a fun weekend in New York together. She has a really big apartment that she shares with her brother. It'd be so much fun, Merrill."
"I'll think about it."
"Do think about it- you, me, spending time together in Manhattan.."
Merrill kissed her lips and then ran his fingers across them.
"I'm sure," he whsipered, "that I'll be able to fit it into my schedule. I start training again in a month and a half, so I guess I should have fun as much as I can. Especially now.."
He paused a moment before finishing his sentence.
"Especially now that you and I are.."
"We're what?"
"I guess you could say that we're..seeing each other."
"I agree. Not quite dating, but not just friends."
Merrill and Alicia stretched out together on the bed, legs entwined and arms around each other.
He said, "When I used to go out on the road with the team, I always had these feeling of emptiness. I had my friends and family, but my teammates would talk about their wives and fiancees and girlfriends- and I didn't really have anyone. I never met girls who I wanted to date. But this last time, when we talked on the phone every day and night for that whole two weeks, I began to feel complete. Hearing your voice and your laugh made me so content- and I'm sure my game made a turn for the better. What I'm trying to say is that I'm glad we have each other."
"Me too. Now I think the reason why I was so confused about everything between us. It's because I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you. Do you want to hear something cheesy?"
"I don't think I have a choice."
"Well, my little fantasy is to come to see you at one of your games. I'll come down to the bottom of the fence right as you step up to the plate, and you meet me there. I tell you that you're the best and we kiss through the chain-link fence- and all the girls are jealous because my boyfriend is Merrill Hess."
"I think that fantasy categorizes you as a Class A dork."
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I promise, I will fulfill your fantasy at our next home game."
Merrill's cell phone rang and he reached over Alicia for it. He looked at the caller ID and sighed.
"It's Kylie."
Alicia took the phone from him and answered it in a breathless tone.
"Hello?"
"Where's Merrill.?"
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Let me speak to him, please."
Alicia handed Merrill the phone.
"Kylie, listen. You and I never had anything close to a relationship. I know. I know, but this has got to stop. It's preventing me from being with Alicia. Yes, we are dating. You know what? I'm not having this conversation with you. Goodbye."
Merrill hung up the phone and turned it off.
"Why do you girls get all dramatic when you can't have what you want?"
"I don't. Kylie's just immature."
"You're right. Come here."
Alicia buried herself in Merrill's arms and their faces were barely an inch apart.
He softly kissed her lips and said, "It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than Kylie to ever get my mind off of you."
"I hope so," Alicia thought to herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The following Wednesday, Alicia had an unexpected method of waking up.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUNT ALI!! WAKE UP!!"
Startled, she jolted out of a deep sleep and tried to catch her breath.
"Morgan, Bo, what are you doing?"
"It's your birthday today, remember?" Morgan said.
"Now I do. Whatcha got there?"
"We made you cards."
Bo handed Alicia a colored paper plate with waffles on it.
"And Eggos, too."
"Thanks, you guys."
Alicia pulled the covers off of her and said, "Let's go to the house and I'll eat my waffles in the kitchen."
They made their way to the house and when they arrived in the kitchen, Alicia was met with balloons and streamers.
"Happy birthday!" yelled Colleen.
Graham blew a party horn and said, "Happy 22!"
"You guys are too much," Alicia said, laughing.
"Merrill's on his way," sang Colleen.
"And what's that supposed to mean, Coll?"
"I didn't intend for it to mean anything."
"Eat your waffles," Bo said.
Alicia picked one off of the plate. It was covered in a thick layer of vanilla frosting and sprinkles. She reluctantly took a bite and was met with an icy middle that hadn't been thoroughly toasted yet.
"It's, uh, delicious," she said with a stuffed mouth.
"Then you should eat it all," Graham said.
"Actually, I bet you'd love it, Graham. Try some."
"Yeah, Daddy! Try it!" squealed Bo.
Alicia handed the plate to Graham, who met her with an evil look. He put the waffle to his mouth, right as a horn honked in the driveway.
"Look, Merrill's here. Guess I'll have to eat this another morning."
Alicia's heart raced as she saw Merrill get out of his car. He was wearing sunglasses, a weathered Old Navy shirt, and jeans. He came in through the front door and took off his sunglasses.
"Happy birthday, cutie," he said with a smirk.
"Thanks," she replied.
He kissed her as Graham and Colleen looked on.
"My little brother and your little sister," Graham said to Colleen, "who would've ever imagined?"
"Yeah, look at them. They're smitten with each other and it's only been what..three weeks they've really known each other."
"Seems to me like history is repeating itself- it's kinda like how you and I started out."
Merrill said, "I'm starving. Anything good for breakfast?"
Graham replied, "We made birthday waffles. They're really good- you should try one."
"I'm all for it."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Merrill, where are we going?"
"Just hold on and you'll see."
"I'm taking off this blindfold now."
"No! Hold on..I promise it'll be worth it."
A blindfolded Alicia was piggybacking on Merrill as he carried her to the garage house. It was all a part of his elaborate surprise birthday gift to her. Colleen had taken her shopping in Philadelphia earlier that day so that Merrill could successfully set up the surprise. Finally, they got up the stairs and Alicia slid off of Merrill's back.
"Don't take off the blindfold just yet."
He opened the door and the fragrance of roses filled the air.
"OK..open them."
Alicia took off the blindfold and gasped.
"Merrill! Oh my God..it's beautiful. How'd you.."
He silenced her by putting a finger upon her lips.
"I have my ways.."
*Since Morgan's age is 10 in the movie (just found out!), his age in this story is 8 and a half, instead of 6. ;)*
Alicia led Merrill into the garage house and then sat on the bed with him.
"What are you doing?" asked Merrill.
"This."
Alicia closed her eyes and began kissing Merrill. Their tongues made swirling movements together as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He slid his hands underneath her shirt and then under her bra. They lowered themselves onto the bed and Alicia's body writhed in pleasure as Merrill continued touching her. Then Merrill stopped and just looked at her.
"What is it?" asked Alicia.
"I don't want to do this right now."
She sat up and said, "I think I'm supposed to say that."
"It's just that..back when I was in college and in the beginning days of my career, I would have sex with a girl and consider it just that- sex. But you're different, Ali. Sex isn't an appropriate way of putting it. You're someone I want to make love to, not have sex with."
"That was so cheesy..but so, so , so sweet."
"Your birthday is soon, right?"
"In 5 days! On Wednesday."
"Give me 5 days. I'll make sure you'll have a birthday night to remember."
"Oh really?"
"How did you plan on celebrating?"
"I was gonna take the train up to Manhattan and spend the weekend with my best friend Ellen. I still plan on doing that. Hey- you should come!"
"Nah. I'd be in the way."
"No! Ellen would love to meet you. She saw you on TV the one time that ESPN2 did the minor league player special- she thought you were so hot." "Did you think I was hot?"
"ANYWAY, you should come! We could have a fun weekend in New York together. She has a really big apartment that she shares with her brother. It'd be so much fun, Merrill."
"I'll think about it."
"Do think about it- you, me, spending time together in Manhattan.."
Merrill kissed her lips and then ran his fingers across them.
"I'm sure," he whsipered, "that I'll be able to fit it into my schedule. I start training again in a month and a half, so I guess I should have fun as much as I can. Especially now.."
He paused a moment before finishing his sentence.
"Especially now that you and I are.."
"We're what?"
"I guess you could say that we're..seeing each other."
"I agree. Not quite dating, but not just friends."
Merrill and Alicia stretched out together on the bed, legs entwined and arms around each other.
He said, "When I used to go out on the road with the team, I always had these feeling of emptiness. I had my friends and family, but my teammates would talk about their wives and fiancees and girlfriends- and I didn't really have anyone. I never met girls who I wanted to date. But this last time, when we talked on the phone every day and night for that whole two weeks, I began to feel complete. Hearing your voice and your laugh made me so content- and I'm sure my game made a turn for the better. What I'm trying to say is that I'm glad we have each other."
"Me too. Now I think the reason why I was so confused about everything between us. It's because I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you. Do you want to hear something cheesy?"
"I don't think I have a choice."
"Well, my little fantasy is to come to see you at one of your games. I'll come down to the bottom of the fence right as you step up to the plate, and you meet me there. I tell you that you're the best and we kiss through the chain-link fence- and all the girls are jealous because my boyfriend is Merrill Hess."
"I think that fantasy categorizes you as a Class A dork."
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I promise, I will fulfill your fantasy at our next home game."
Merrill's cell phone rang and he reached over Alicia for it. He looked at the caller ID and sighed.
"It's Kylie."
Alicia took the phone from him and answered it in a breathless tone.
"Hello?"
"Where's Merrill.?"
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Let me speak to him, please."
Alicia handed Merrill the phone.
"Kylie, listen. You and I never had anything close to a relationship. I know. I know, but this has got to stop. It's preventing me from being with Alicia. Yes, we are dating. You know what? I'm not having this conversation with you. Goodbye."
Merrill hung up the phone and turned it off.
"Why do you girls get all dramatic when you can't have what you want?"
"I don't. Kylie's just immature."
"You're right. Come here."
Alicia buried herself in Merrill's arms and their faces were barely an inch apart.
He softly kissed her lips and said, "It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than Kylie to ever get my mind off of you."
"I hope so," Alicia thought to herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The following Wednesday, Alicia had an unexpected method of waking up.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUNT ALI!! WAKE UP!!"
Startled, she jolted out of a deep sleep and tried to catch her breath.
"Morgan, Bo, what are you doing?"
"It's your birthday today, remember?" Morgan said.
"Now I do. Whatcha got there?"
"We made you cards."
Bo handed Alicia a colored paper plate with waffles on it.
"And Eggos, too."
"Thanks, you guys."
Alicia pulled the covers off of her and said, "Let's go to the house and I'll eat my waffles in the kitchen."
They made their way to the house and when they arrived in the kitchen, Alicia was met with balloons and streamers.
"Happy birthday!" yelled Colleen.
Graham blew a party horn and said, "Happy 22!"
"You guys are too much," Alicia said, laughing.
"Merrill's on his way," sang Colleen.
"And what's that supposed to mean, Coll?"
"I didn't intend for it to mean anything."
"Eat your waffles," Bo said.
Alicia picked one off of the plate. It was covered in a thick layer of vanilla frosting and sprinkles. She reluctantly took a bite and was met with an icy middle that hadn't been thoroughly toasted yet.
"It's, uh, delicious," she said with a stuffed mouth.
"Then you should eat it all," Graham said.
"Actually, I bet you'd love it, Graham. Try some."
"Yeah, Daddy! Try it!" squealed Bo.
Alicia handed the plate to Graham, who met her with an evil look. He put the waffle to his mouth, right as a horn honked in the driveway.
"Look, Merrill's here. Guess I'll have to eat this another morning."
Alicia's heart raced as she saw Merrill get out of his car. He was wearing sunglasses, a weathered Old Navy shirt, and jeans. He came in through the front door and took off his sunglasses.
"Happy birthday, cutie," he said with a smirk.
"Thanks," she replied.
He kissed her as Graham and Colleen looked on.
"My little brother and your little sister," Graham said to Colleen, "who would've ever imagined?"
"Yeah, look at them. They're smitten with each other and it's only been what..three weeks they've really known each other."
"Seems to me like history is repeating itself- it's kinda like how you and I started out."
Merrill said, "I'm starving. Anything good for breakfast?"
Graham replied, "We made birthday waffles. They're really good- you should try one."
"I'm all for it."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Merrill, where are we going?"
"Just hold on and you'll see."
"I'm taking off this blindfold now."
"No! Hold on..I promise it'll be worth it."
A blindfolded Alicia was piggybacking on Merrill as he carried her to the garage house. It was all a part of his elaborate surprise birthday gift to her. Colleen had taken her shopping in Philadelphia earlier that day so that Merrill could successfully set up the surprise. Finally, they got up the stairs and Alicia slid off of Merrill's back.
"Don't take off the blindfold just yet."
He opened the door and the fragrance of roses filled the air.
"OK..open them."
Alicia took off the blindfold and gasped.
"Merrill! Oh my God..it's beautiful. How'd you.."
He silenced her by putting a finger upon her lips.
"I have my ways.."