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Following the same process, I watched Aaron tap his bat on the ground and raise it confidently. Adding more gusto, I pitched the ball a bit harder than I normally would, and Aaron avoided it, dropping his bat from the position it was in.
Naomi clapped her hands and shouted, “Good eye, Aaron!” Was she here to support her boyfriend?
“Ooooh,” the other players mocked as they stood still in their positions; Aaron blushed and stared at the ground, possibly wishing it could open up and swallow him whole. I wish it could do the same for me. I’m embarrassed for you. Naomi caught wind of what she had just said, and I saw the way her eyes widened in shock as she stared at me.
Why? I didn’t say anything.
“For fuck’s sake, Alexander!” Coach Anderson screamed, and I picked my ear, pretending not to hear him. “I said pitch with more enthusiasm, not try to kill the kid!”
“Sorry!” I shouted as I raised my arm apologetically. I saw Naomi giggle as she talked to the coach. Whatever they were talking about, I didn’t like it.
Why was she laughing so hard? Coach Anderson pointed around the field, and she slowly nodded. Was he explaining the game to her? I had thought she understood it already. I saw her lips move as she responded, and he nodded animatedly.
They looked like they were having fun, while the rest of us were being scorched in this heat.
The umpire-in-chief shouted, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Play ball!” I looked at Aaron and smiled apologetically.
Pitching the ball, I watched as it flew past Aaron and the umpire-in-chief, including the catcher, who struggled to do his job. After all, the aim wasn’t for the ball to be caught. It hit the fence, where Coach and Naomi were behind, bringing them out of their intense conversation; they looked at me, shocked.
Coach raised his hands; he must be tired of me. How funny. I rolled my shoulder as I rubbed it. I made sure I gave him an apologetic smile as I pointed to my shoulder. His features softened as he nodded in understanding.
My shoulder was long healed, but for the fun of it, sometimes—when I didn’t feel like joining practice—I rubbed it and made sure I gave a pained, sorry face.
Naomi snarled as she stared at me, not convinced in the slightest bit. She brought her hand up to her face and discreetly used her middle finger to scratch her cheek. I shouldn’t have been impressed by that, but I could feel my cheeks lift, amused.
Who would’ve thought the performance consultant princess would be so entertainingly crude? I think I’m going to enjoy this.
Chapter 7
Naomi
I stared at Alexander with a straight smile. He raised his eyebrow as he sat down before me, spreading his legs as if he owned the couch.
“What’s wrong?” How was he able to sound genuinely concerned? “You aren’t mad that my hand mistakenly threw the ball in your direction, right?”
Look at that smirk, he’s enjoying this.
“No.” I shook my head as I crossed my leg over the other, closing my notebook. I clicked my pen and watched the ballpoint disappear back into the shell. Placing the items on the coffee table, I put my hands over my knees and tilted my head to the side. “I feel like that was the permission I’ve been waiting for.”
“What permission?” he asked, confused; again with that tone. As if I had insulted him, and all I really was doing was indulging him.
“For us to speak honestly about our feelings—especially me.” I pointed between us, and his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.
“What fucking feelings?”
“You’re horrible, Alexander, and I hate you with everything in me,” I said, still smiling. Alexander scoffed, giving me his signature smirk. He found so much excitement in this—it was evident in his eyes. “Ever since the day we first met, you’ve been nothing but a rude ass. For no reason at all. You are the bane of my existence in this place! Every day, I have to dread coming to work because I never know which Alexander I’m going to deal with. Will it be the sarcastic Alex? The asshole Alex? Or both, and more added to it?”
I was grateful at this moment that he was allowing me to vent my heart out and did not say anything. I needed to get this off my chest if I wanted to make progress—not only with him, but with my career as well.
“Out of all the others I consult with, you’re the only one I’ve made negative notes on!” I grabbed my notebook and opened up to all the notes I’d made about him ever since we had begun our sessions. “Session one with Alexander Seth Harris—He’s a brat. He cannot hold a conversation without insulting me or what I do.” What is so wrong with being a performance consultant? Everyone else seemed to be getting better with these sessions besides him.
For starters, he wasn’t giving me much to work with! He was impossible to work with.
“Session two with ASH—” As I said that, his eyebrows shot up, and I ignored his surprised gaze. “It’s unbearable being in the same space as him. I believe insultation is the only way he can communicate, which is very confusing to me because he regards everyone else with respect and seems to be on friendly terms with them.”
He smirked, and I clenched my jaw as I moved onto the next page, I fucking hate that smirk.
I wasn’t looking to be friends with him, but I did deserve some fucking respect from him, just I had always respected him, regardless of him getting my car towed or how he talked down to me.
