actually. Burning spheres sure seemed like cheating to Sully, even if MLB owners and players had agreed that since there was no way to detect who was burning, it had to be accepted.
Dom dropped the Rose this time.
“Come on, cut it out.”
“It’s not like I’m gonna break them. I couldn’t break them with an atomic bomb.” Dom bent to pick up the dropped sphere. “Just call her. She could be home doing nothing.”
“Why don’t
you
call her?”
“Because I like her. When I like a girl I get nervous calling. My voice shakes and my mind goes blank. I sound like a moron.” The Copper hit the floor again.
From the other room, Sully’s mom called, “Whatever you’re doing in there, stop it. You promised you were going to do homework. You’re not going anywhere until you finish yours, David.”
“Sorry, Mom. I will.” Sully swept his phone off the night table. “Fine, I’ll call her. But if I do, she’s going to think I’m the one who likes her.”
Dom hesitated, studied Sully. “You don’t like her, do you?”
“We’ve gone over this already.” Sully did think Mandy was interesting, but he couldn’t say he felt that spark. Since he and Laurie had broken up, Sully hadn’t met anyone who lit that spark in him.
Hunter’s face appeared in his mind. Maybe that wasn’t completely accurate. How could he not be drawn to a girl who climbed into abandoned mine shafts? She was Catwoman. His feelings were complicated, though. He liked her, but he doubted he would like going out with her, assuming she even liked him. He believed what she said: she was all business. It wasn’t that she was out of Sully’s league, she was playing a whole different game.
Still, he had to admit he couldn’t wait to see her on Christmas Eve. He’d always found Christmas carols cloying, but this year they filled him with warmth. The days left between Sully and Christmas felt like impositions, like annoying relatives parked on the couch yammering when it was clearly time for them to go.
“Great. Give her a call,” Dom said.
For a second Sully thought Dom meant Hunter, then he remembered they were talking about Mandy. He hit Mandy’s number and put the phone to his ear. She answered on the first ring.
“It’s Sully. From the brawl.”
Mandy sounded sniffly as she laughed. “I remember you. The knee-kicker.”
“Hey, anything goes in a street fight. He was a big guy. You okay?” It was pretty obvious she’d been crying.
“I always cry before Christmas. Kind of a tradition with me.”
Dom was watching him, eyebrows raised.
“You interested in being cheered up? Dom and I are going Christmas shopping. We’re taking the train into Manhattan.”
“No,” she said immediately. “I appreciate you thinking of me, but I’m not going to be good company tonight.”
“Come out with us. You’ll feel better.”
“Some other time I’d love to.”
Sully looked at Dom, shook his head. “You sure? We’re not particularly skilled fighters, but we’re good at cheering people up.”
Dom surged forward, hand out. “Let me talk to her.”
“Dom wants to talk to you.” He handed Dom the phone.
“Mandy. What’s going on? You having a bad day?” Dom stuck a finger in his ear, turned toward the window. “Come out with us.” Pause. “Well, look at it from our side. We can’t leave you alone and miserable four days before Christmas. What kind of people would we be if we did?” Dom waved his free hand. “So bring us down. We don’t care.” Another pause. Dom pumped his fist. “Half an hour. Where do you live?”
Dom jotted down her address, said goodbye, handed the phone to Sully. “Piece of cake.”
“I thought you got too nervous to talk.”
Dom shrugged. “I didn’t have time to get nervous.”
—
“She broke up with her boyfriend. That’s got to be it,” Dom said as they climbed down the steps to the ground floor of Sully’s building. A bitter wind hit Sully as he pushed open the door.
Dom dropped the Rose this time.
“Come on, cut it out.”
“It’s not like I’m gonna break them. I couldn’t break them with an atomic bomb.” Dom bent to pick up the dropped sphere. “Just call her. She could be home doing nothing.”
“Why don’t
you
call her?”
“Because I like her. When I like a girl I get nervous calling. My voice shakes and my mind goes blank. I sound like a moron.” The Copper hit the floor again.
From the other room, Sully’s mom called, “Whatever you’re doing in there, stop it. You promised you were going to do homework. You’re not going anywhere until you finish yours, David.”
“Sorry, Mom. I will.” Sully swept his phone off the night table. “Fine, I’ll call her. But if I do, she’s going to think I’m the one who likes her.”
Dom hesitated, studied Sully. “You don’t like her, do you?”
“We’ve gone over this already.” Sully did think Mandy was interesting, but he couldn’t say he felt that spark. Since he and Laurie had broken up, Sully hadn’t met anyone who lit that spark in him.
Hunter’s face appeared in his mind. Maybe that wasn’t completely accurate. How could he not be drawn to a girl who climbed into abandoned mine shafts? She was Catwoman. His feelings were complicated, though. He liked her, but he doubted he would like going out with her, assuming she even liked him. He believed what she said: she was all business. It wasn’t that she was out of Sully’s league, she was playing a whole different game.
Still, he had to admit he couldn’t wait to see her on Christmas Eve. He’d always found Christmas carols cloying, but this year they filled him with warmth. The days left between Sully and Christmas felt like impositions, like annoying relatives parked on the couch yammering when it was clearly time for them to go.
“Great. Give her a call,” Dom said.
For a second Sully thought Dom meant Hunter, then he remembered they were talking about Mandy. He hit Mandy’s number and put the phone to his ear. She answered on the first ring.
“It’s Sully. From the brawl.”
Mandy sounded sniffly as she laughed. “I remember you. The knee-kicker.”
“Hey, anything goes in a street fight. He was a big guy. You okay?” It was pretty obvious she’d been crying.
“I always cry before Christmas. Kind of a tradition with me.”
Dom was watching him, eyebrows raised.
“You interested in being cheered up? Dom and I are going Christmas shopping. We’re taking the train into Manhattan.”
“No,” she said immediately. “I appreciate you thinking of me, but I’m not going to be good company tonight.”
“Come out with us. You’ll feel better.”
“Some other time I’d love to.”
Sully looked at Dom, shook his head. “You sure? We’re not particularly skilled fighters, but we’re good at cheering people up.”
Dom surged forward, hand out. “Let me talk to her.”
“Dom wants to talk to you.” He handed Dom the phone.
“Mandy. What’s going on? You having a bad day?” Dom stuck a finger in his ear, turned toward the window. “Come out with us.” Pause. “Well, look at it from our side. We can’t leave you alone and miserable four days before Christmas. What kind of people would we be if we did?” Dom waved his free hand. “So bring us down. We don’t care.” Another pause. Dom pumped his fist. “Half an hour. Where do you live?”
Dom jotted down her address, said goodbye, handed the phone to Sully. “Piece of cake.”
“I thought you got too nervous to talk.”
Dom shrugged. “I didn’t have time to get nervous.”
—
“She broke up with her boyfriend. That’s got to be it,” Dom said as they climbed down the steps to the ground floor of Sully’s building. A bitter wind hit Sully as he pushed open the door.
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