Hitting a home run with the rookie (Charliesweb7 & Crusade)

Evan nodded and with it, his outward demeanor instantly changed. The ordinarily upbeat pitcher turned solemn. He looked into Tara's eyes, seeking some form of comfort in them. "I do play because of him. He was the biggest baseball fan I've ever known. The kid had more posters and baseball cards than he knew what to do with. When he was twelve, he was out riding his bike with some friends. Crossed the street and got hit by a drunk in a pickup truck. Jesus, I can still see the mangled bike on the side of the road when we visited the crash site. It's all still so fresh in my mind. I told him in the hospital while he was still clinging to life that I'd play to honor him. He's been my motivation ever since. I keep his picture in my pocket during every game. In fact, I have it right now." He pulled out a wallet sized photo and handed it to her.

"I guess if there can be one plus to come out of the whole thing, it's that his heart went to a good place. Literally. He helped save some girl's life. It wasn't really well-documented or anything, but supposedly it saved her. It gives us some peace of mind. You know?" He shrugged and took a deep breath, realizing his eyes had welled up a bit. He did everything in his power to keep the tears from streaking down his face. "I'm alright. Sorry."

It was like a switch was turned off. Tara felt the emotion as he stared into her eyes...seeking some comfort. Someone to tell him it was alright. She had of course read the story. Many times. She saw the mangled bike picture in the news paper and the online article. Tara couldn't help but have a small frown on her face. Hearing the story from him...was something she wasn't prepared for honestly. It tugged at her heart way too much. His heart. And she never felt more guilty in her life for anything. This man sitting in front of her was missing his brother. And she was alive due to it. Even if she didn't cause the death...she still felt somehow responsible in a way. It was completely indescribable. As he gave her the picture, her hand lightly grabbed the picture of the young boy. Oh god. She felt like she was going to cry. She blinked furiously, not wanting to cry in front of him. He was so young... God, she couldn't help but feel like she had robbed this boy of everything. The guilt washing over her was almost too much to handle.

Tara looked up when he mentioned his brother, watching his reaction. Oh how awkward. He was talking to the exact girl who he was talking about. Fate was strange wasn't it? She shut the phone off for the moment, extending her hand to lightly rest on his. "I am terribly sorry for your loss." She whispered to him. There was not much else she could tell him really. She watched him, then letting out a breath. "Have you ever tried to find this girl?" She asked him. "I mean..if that is important to you." She added. Did he want to know it was her?

Evan glanced down at Tara's hand on top of his. He looked up and gave her a weak smile as she asked the question. "We've looked into it, but nothing more than that. I guess I just want to know that she's doing alright and that his heart is still helping her. It'd be a comfort to me and my family. Now with the season starting up and all the travel, I can't see it happening unless my parents pursue it, but where do you even start? I'm not even sure they have her name."

Evan sighed and rested back in the booth, his plate almost completely cleared. He didn't envision the interview taking such a dramatic turn, but he didn't blame her for it. As painful of a story as it was, he understood her angle in asking. He didn't blame her for that.

So they wanted to know about her? That was great. So hopefully if she ever got to talk to him about who she was, he would not think of her in a bad light. Well she hoped. But that would be no time soon. She did wondered if his parents cared to find her. After all, she had been publicized. People got hearts all the time. Honestly, it was easier for her to find them. "Maybe she will turn up at some time." She explained. It was so strange to talk about herself, as if she wasn't supposed to be there. It felt so strange. She pulled her hand back, then looking to him. "I am sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you upset." She explained. That was not the point. It is not like he messed up and she was all over his ass for cocaine or something. Something bad. This was not his fault. She moved her hand over, starting up the recording once again. "Was Boca Raton one of your top teams to play for or did you hope for any team?" She asked him.

"It's fine," he said, shaking his head at her apology. It wasn't necessary. It was an interview and that was fair game. It wasn't like she asked intentionally just to upset him. She'd been professional and deserved a straight answer. He had no problem giving it to her. He was definitely relieved when she changed the subject back to baseball related questions.

"Honestly, I don't think I had any top teams in mind. I would've been happy playing anywhere, but being here in Boca Raton is definitely a plus. Not only is playing close to home convenient, but it's a lot easier to get family to the games and I think I'm just more comfortable here. It's nice. I lucked out for sure," he added, taking a sip of his drink.

She really didn't ask the questions to be a jackass and upset him. After all, what would she benefit from that? Nothing. She just hoped that she got a good enough story for him. She would be meeting with her boss later on today. Well, tonight actually. He wanted an update since she was new and she had been given a rather big assignment. So hopefully she would be in good graces with her boss.

"So I assume your family is looking forward to seeing you start and come to your games huh?" She asked him. The waiter now came, taking their plates away. "Is there anything else I can get you? Perhaps some dessert or coffee?" He asked. Tara looked over to Evan. "I am good but if you would like something more, then be my guest." Tara replied to Evan with a smile.

"My parents are ecstatic about it. I mean, regardless of where I played, I'm sure they'd make it to a lot of games. Hell, even at USC they came to about 10 games. But, being close to home, they could get season tickets and go to every game. It's nice to know they'll be there for me."

When the waiter came, he gave a polite smile and shook his head. "I'm fine. We'll just take the check. Thank you, though," he said and then looked across the booth at Tara. He really enjoyed his time with her, even if it did mostly just revolve around him answering her questions. He wondered what her deal was. Single? Interested? Would she date a guy who was going to be away from Boca Raton 81 games a year?

Tara smiled to the waiter before turning her attention back to Evan. She turned her phone off this time, not recording anymore. No real need at the moment. "Well, it will be nice to have family there for you. I know when I was competing, I liked seeing my family in the stands." She explained to him with a smile. The waiter soon returned with the check, Tara grabbing it and opening it up. Her eyes scanned over the check before pulling out her wallet and putting a credit card into the holder and closing it. She sat it down on the edge and then looked to him. "Thank you again for giving me an interview. It was great to get to talk to you." She told him. Tara hafted to admit this, but Evan was handsome. Really attractive. She would love to date him but she had a feeling he wasn't interested.

It really pained him to see her pay for the bill, but he figured he shouldn't complain since it was probably standard procedure considering he gave her the interview. He looked down at the card and then back up at her. The thought that everything was coming to an end brought the stark realization that unless Tara was part of the team and traveled to do stories, he wouldn't see much more of her, if any. He didn't want to think that was the case and did the only rational thing he could think of.

"No, thank you. And Tara, I'm not sure what protocol is or if you're even allowed to date players, but I'd love to take you out some time. I want to get the chance to pay for one of your meals," he said, patting his hand on the check. "It's really hard seeing you pay for me," he added, smirking. "What do you say? One little date?"

She would be reimbursed for the meal anyways. It was all standard. She was allowed to do this. She just needed to submit her receipt. As long as she didn't take someone out to a meal every day or spend like $500 or something. Tara looked up to him when he spoke. Dating players? Oh wow. Did he just really ask her out? She couldn't believe it. Then again, he only seemed to want to because she was paying for him. Was that really the only reason or did he somehow want to get to know her more? Tara brushed some blonde locks behind her ear, her looking up to him. "I am not sure if I am really allowed to accept that..." She added to him, looking up to him. But her heart got the better of her. "Sure...why not? As long as no one knows...I am sure it will be fine. If anything, I can just say it is another interview." She added with a laugh. She hoped her boss just wouldn't find out. If it was against the rules.

After dinner, Evan gave Tara a lift back to the stadium. They exchanged information and a couple of days later, Evan called her to set up their first proper date. He planned it all out. He hired a chef to cook up a personal meal for them. It was an impromptu picnic on the outfield grass of the stadium. He figured it'd be a way to incorporate his love of the game and her job all into one.

When she arrived, Evan gave her a hug. He wore a button down shirt, a pair of black slacks and shoes. He wasn't one to really dress up, but he felt the need to look good for her. "It's so good seeing you again," he said as they embraced. He wanted to see things progress with her.

On the outfield grass was a large blanket spread out with a candle sat in the middle of it. He had a basket full of the food. Standard picnic fare. Salads, sandwiches and decadent desserts. The sun was starting to set and there was a certain romance about the scene. At least, he thought there was.

"Please...come sit down," he said, taking her hand in his to lead her into the outfield.

He gave her a lift back to the stadium where they exchanged their information. He called just a few days later, then setting up a date. He said something at the stadium. She just figured they might be meeting there perhaps. She had good news to tell him. Well, it depends on what he figured to be good news. She was looking forward to this. Of course though, she was still really nervous.

The day soon came up, that Friday night. She wondered what to expect from this date. She headed to the stadium, getting out of her car and heading inside. She decided to dress nice, just to make a good impression. She wore a tight red satin dress that looked like it was wrapped around her body. It went to her mid thigh, just enough to show off her long legs that were accentuated in the black heels. The top of the dress had some straps, showing off some of her back and dipped to show some cleavage. It showed a fair amount of her lightly tanned skin, her blonde hair in perfect waves. As she approached him, he hugged her. Tara was not expecting a hug but hugged him back as he spoke. "Nice to see you again as well." Tara replied, following him to the blanket. Tara held onto his hand as he lead her to the spread in the outfield. She smiled, looking at the spread before sitting down. "This looks so nice." She added, crossing her legs a bit.

Tara looked incredible. Evan knew she was attractive, but he really hadn't gotten an impression of her body until he saw her in that dress for the first time. He did everything in his power not to stare, but he knew she probably caught him sneaking glances. Once they were seated on the blanket, Even grinned and began taking the food from the basket to set in front of them. His eyes peered down at her legs. He took a deep breath and then found her eyes.

"You look incredible, Tara," he said before setting up the salads in bowls for them. "I hope you like all of this. Some of my teammates said it was corny, but I thought it'd be nice." He shrugged and laughed, digging in to his salad as he shifted his legs beneath him. "They're calling for rain later on tonight. I just hope it holds off," he added. "They didn't give me a key to work that retractable roof."

Oh yes, she saw that he has been stealing glances. But hey, she didn't care. He seemed liked he liked her so that was the big thing. Tara blushed a little bit, moving some hair behind her ear. "Thank you. You look great as well." She mentioned. When he spoke about his teammates, she looked to him. "You told your teammates?" She asked. Oh crap. She hoped that this didn't get out. She didn't want to lose her job already! She really needed to talk to her boss about this. After all, was there a rule about not dating the players? She looked up to the sky, hoping the rain held off for the moment. "A little rain wouldn't kill us though." She explained to him. She didn't care if she got a little wet.

"So I have some news for you." She told him. "I was talking to my boss yesterday and he gave me a unique opportunity. ESPN is pairing up with MLB Network and they are wanting to try out something. They want to have a traveling reporter for every MLB team intense of trying to send just a few reporters to cover all the teams. They would like to try it out and see if it works and what kinks would need to be worked out. But they are willing to allow me to travel with your team for this season, covering each game." She told him. How would he react?

When she asked about him telling his teammates, he could tell she was nervous. "None of them know who you are. I was vague. I just talked about a date in general." It did kind of suck to think that he'd have to hide the fact that he was dating her, but in the end, he knew it was probably best for her. Especially when she mentioned to him the job opportunity she was given. It was great, not only because it would make them seeing each other way easier, but because she was making a name for herself very quickly.

"Yeah? That's amazing. I just hope you can stand being around me that often," he said, smirking. "So, I was thinking...when does the story about me run? I've heard this Tara chick is a great reporter and since she worked on my story, I wanna see it." He ate some more of his salad and looked into her eyes, completely captivated by her.

She was afraid. And it did suck because if they really did develop feelings...she would have to hide it. But if she reported fairly...did it really matter? She had no idea really. Tara seemed to relax when he said that he was vague. "Oh alright. Thank you." She mentioned. As he spoke, she smiled. "Yes, I am really excited. It is a huge opportunity." She added. Perhaps they gave it to her because if she screwed up, they could fire her easily. But she liked to think that she was good. Tara laughed gently as she ate the salad. "I grew up with four brothers, I think your teammates might be an interesting handful." She explained. When he spoke about her again, she smiled and laughed a bit. "Soon I promise. I am almost done with the article. Just need to proofread one more time before I send it to my editor tonight and hopefully it will be posted soon." She added, looking into his blue eyes.

"Perfect," he said, nodding as he thought about little quips she might add in that hadn't been in the actual interview. Would she mention how breathtakingly handsome he was or how she undressed him with her eyes? He doubted it, but it was fun to think about. "I can't wait to read it."

Evan pulled out a couple of bottles of water and took a sip from one before smiling at his date. "So, I feel like you know a lot more about me than I know about you. Tell me about yourself. Were you into sports growing up? What made you decide on this career? I guess I'm not used to seeing a woman in the business. It's so male dominated. Especially baseball," he told her, not meaning to seem rude. It really was true. Men dominated MLB.

"I hope you enjoy it. I'll be honest, it is going to be a bit weird knowing that I will see you and you have read it you know?" She asked him. Tara would make sure it was a good article. She did feel relaxed on this date. It was strange to first meet him and act so professional and now. She was still tempted to act professional and not let him get to know her. But he seemed curious about her. That seemed rather obvious with his questions. With a nod of her head at his first question, she then spoke. "Yes, I was. I was a competitive swimmer and I played softball and soccer for a long time." She explained. She had tried other sports previously but softball and swimming were her favorites. And soccer was fun as well but not her favorite. "I have loved sports and I guess that stems from my father. My father and my brothers would spend time around the TV, watching games. I wanted to spend time with them so I would join them. Also, playing sports was so much fun. I guess I figured... it would be amazing to be able to interview and report about players in a sport I loved so much. But yes, not many women in baseball. More chose football." She explained.

"Well, I'm glad you chose baseball, considering I rode the bench hard in football. I was a running back, but I'm not particularly fast or shifty. It was a disaster. I think I played in one game in high school and ended up fumbling my only carry. I always knew if one sport would get me to the big time, it'd be baseball. Plus I thought about the prospect of having a really attractive woman interview me and at that moment, I knew baseball was the right sport for me."

He laughed and then reached out to place his hand on top of her own. He wanted to get closer to her. It was about time they showed some sort of affection towards one another. He couldn't envision a more attractive or down to earth woman to be out with. Tara really had him fixated. He couldn't wait to see where things would lead. "So, I'm usually not this romantic, but you really made a lasting impression on me the other day," he admitted to her.

Tara laughed gently when he spoke. "Hey, it happens. When I tried volleyball, I hit the ball into the net more times than I hit it anywhere else. And i ended up serving it into some girl. She was pissed off a me." She added. As he called her attractive again, she blushed. He seemed to be just complimenting her so much! He really liked her. And as flattering as it was, she felt oddly guilty. It was still due to the fact of the secret she held now. When should she even tell him?

Her green eyes looked down, seeing his hand on top of hers. He really seemed to be progressing things rather far. For some reason, it kind of made her nervous. Because she wondered when she should be telling him. Now? Or once they have fallen for each other? She swallowed, giving a smile to him when he added. "Wow, I am kind of surprised that you are so taken with me. I am just a regular woman." She told him. It was true, just normal. She certainly wasn't going to tell him about any medical issues now.

He laughed at her volleyball story, figuring it was something akin to the pool scene in Meet The Parents. He saw her blush at his compliment and smirked. He couldn't help be attracted to her and complimenting people was just in his nature. He hoped she didn't find it off-putting or weird or anything.

"That's exactly what I like about you. You're able to be yourself around me and you don't put me on a pedestal like a lot of others have already. You don't know how much I appreciate that. It means a lot," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. He wasn't trying to take things too far too soon. He just wanted to make sure she understood how he felt about her.

"I can't believe you're going to be hitting the road with us. Are you a fan of traveling? Think you can handle it?" he asked.

She was actually trying really hard to be herself and not blurt out something. Oddly, this all just felt like she was scared. Even though he said he wanted to know the real girl who got his brother's heart...all she could think of was him looking at her never the same. And she didn't want that to happen. It was almost hindering her being happy a super attractive guy was enamored with her. "Well maybe it is because I can't seem to be start struck in my job." She added. "I like to travel but I am not sure about this much traveling. It will be a lot. I hope I can handle it. I am just glad I didn't actually get that puppy I was looking at!" She added, laughing a bit.

"Just think of me as your cuter, easier to maintain puppy," he said, taking a sip of his water. "But seriously, if things are a little tough on you, don't hesitate to come find me. You know where I'll be. This is my first year doing this, too. Sure, we traveled a little in college, but nothing to this extent. It's all going to be a new experience for me. It's kind of nice knowing we'll be in it together. I like the thought of that," he admitted to her. He took his hand off of her own and rested back on his elbows, getting a little more comfortable.

"The sun's going to down. Soon, we can look at the stars if the clouds and rain hold off. Not exactly the most exciting date, but you can't say I didn't try," he added, looking up at the sky and then back at her.

Tara laughed at his comment about a puppy. "You are furry like one? Will you pee all over my room?" She joked, smiling brightly at him. It was comforting that he was doing it as well with her. But she would come to him from time to time most likely. As he relaxed, she looked up to the sky. "I don't mind. Honestly, it is nice. I don't need something huge. Just something simple like this is really nice you know?" She added, looking up at the sky above head. "So did you ask out any woman that interviewed you in college?" She teased, smirking at him. Tara had only had a few boyfriends. She had "dated" probably about 7 or 8 guys. But she was only in a relationship with about 4 of them.

"Every one. Men or women. I didn't care," he said sarcastically before shaking his head. "I was never actually interviewed in college. They don't make a huge deal about you in college baseball unless you make it to the World Series and unfortunately, we didn't. It's nice not being recognized, though. I mean, I got attention around campus, but that was about the extent of it all." Evan shrugged.

"Not every woman gets turned on by a 98 mile per hour fastball," he added with a smirk. "Hopefully you're one of them." He stretched himself out a bit on the blanket and placed his hands under his head to make as a makeshift pillow as he stared up at the sky. "Lay next to me. Stars are coming. I promise."