[For Liebgott]

While I still know I'm never bound to be a great baseball star, I still enjoy the hobby of playing on the Island, even if Buck insists on us having practice twice a week. In this climate, that's nothing short of brutal (and I don't even know how Joe can manage wearing the amount of clothes he does). By the time we're through, my hair has gone all-curls thanks to the humidity and I'm using my white t-shirt to dry off my forehead. My chest is still mostly bare and I don't mind flashing it around.

Short navy blue shorts help keep the heat at bay and I lean over to grasp at a bottle of water, watching Joe for a moment before wiping at my mouth with the back of a hand, trying to phrase what I want to ask him in my head.

It's going to be awkward, no matter what.

"Joe?" I call over, getting his attention. "Do you have plans for right now?"