Rookie Mistake: A Sports Romance Novel (The Beasts of Baseball Book 1) by Alice Ward Page A

filled with fatherly concern.
    “Thank you, Coach, I’ll be fine,” I assured him.
    After an awkward silence, I smiled and turned to walk away. His hand was on my arm again. I turned and waited for him to finish what he had to say.
    “By ‘it all,’ I mean drinking, partying, women. After the scrimmage today, the paparazzi will be all over you. It can become overwhelming and can even go to your head. And the company you keep has an influence on you, even if you think you’re smart enough not to let it… it always does,” he warned.
    Shit. What has he heard?
    “You’re right, Coach. I’ll do my best,” I promised, not liking the feeling of being lectured. I’d had enough of that from my dad over the years.
    “This season is about to start, and I need you fresh, so keep your nose clean, boy,” he said and then smiled, his eyes lightening from the seriousness they held during his speech.
    I agreed and made my way into the locker room. I knew exactly who he meant by the company you keep. How did he know who I’d been hanging with?
    “What was that all about?” Ace asked, nodding towards the coach.
    “He just wanted to make sure I could handle all this,” I replied, leaving out all of Coach’s warnings.
    “Well, you thought you were famous before, kid. If you throw well today, it’s all about to change,” Ace said as he slapped me hard on the back.
    I had noticed the cameras outside the locker room and heard some of the guys talking about this scrimmage being televised. Everyone was eager to see the new team in action, so this was it… my first step to stardom.
    “Man, I hope I can make it through today,” Ace said. “That Holly chick is a wild cat, kept me up all night long,”
    I really wasn’t interested in hearing any details. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
    “No, you don’t understand. She had me holding her against the wall, upside down, and no matter how hard I fucked her, she couldn’t get enough,” he continued attacking my ears without my consent.
    It certainly didn’t sound like he had been a gentleman, but it wasn’t my place to judge. They both seemed happy, even if their stories didn’t quite match.
    “You must have enjoyed it. After all, you let her sleep over.”
    He laughed. “Oh no, there was no sleeping.” He was still laughing to himself by the time I’d dressed and was tying my cleats.
    The next two hours were a dream come true. Everything that could go right, did. I threw the hell out of the three innings I pitched, allowing no runs, striking out one player after another. I even held my own at the plate, cracking one over the wall and landing a single from a perfectly placed bunt. I was proud of them both and still couldn’t believe I was able to even hit the damn ball. That thing came at me like a freaking freight train.
    Following the scrimmage, microphones were stuck in my face, and I frantically attempted to remember the lines the PR team of the Beasts had coached me to remember.
    Proud to be part of this club, just want to give them everything I have.
    It’s a team effort.
    Got lucky at the plate.
    Glad I could help the team.
    Bullshit like that.
    What I wanted to do was whoop and holler, high five every person in the room. I did it! I fucking rocked my first real experience in the majors! No, it wasn’t an official game, but to me, it might as well have been the final game of the World Series.
    Coach wasn’t lying about the paparazzi. After portions of that scrimmage game was televised, and the papers plastered my face all over the front page — the pitcher with the golden arm — it was impossible to go anywhere without cameras shoved in my face, balls pushed towards me with pens for autographs, and of course, women falling all over me.
    I had to admit, there was something about it that appealed to me, but Whitney hated all the attention and kept saying she couldn’t wait until things settled down, and we could get our lives back.
    I hated to tell her