Nick leaned against the wall of the lobby and stared out through the floor length windows at the bicyclists and other bohemian “free sprits” heading up and down the sidewalk. Anyone who bicycled up and down the steep hills of Seattle was officially nuts in his book. There must be reported cases of bicyclists clad in black spandex flying down the hill and into Elliot Bay.

The door back into the “working” part of the building opened again. It was controlled by magnetic security ID cards worn by the staff and every time it opened or closed, it sounded as if the building was preparing for a nuclear shutdown. Pharmaceutical research was a very serious business. They weren’t about to let just anyone come in off the street and get into the building.

This time the door opened to let out a tall technician, still wearing his white lab coat. He disappeared out the glass front doors, unlocked his bike from where it was chained to the lamppost outside, and rode off down the street, his coat flapping in the breeze.

The door unlocked again and all thoughts of bicyclists, whether they be in spandex or lab coats, fled from Nick’s mind. Stacy always moved like she knew exactly where she was going, she just wasn’t quite sure why she was going there. As in the typical intellectual stereotype, part of her mind always seemed to be preoccupied with some larger problem. Her hair was starting to slip out of the clip holding it in a knot on the back of her head, and her shirttail was hanging out from beneath her gray sweater.

“Hey.” Nick stepped away from the wall and into her path.

Stacy looked up from the canvas bag she was pawing through, then jumped a good two inches off the tiled floor. “Oh my God! What are you doing here?” Then again, sometimes, all her mind was preoccupied.

Nick shrugged. “Nothin’. You’re on lunch, right?” What he really felt like doing was kissing her, but he had a sneaking suspicion that would be moving a little too quick. Their relationship hadn’t quite reached that stage yet.

“Yes.” Stacy gave up on searching. “How did you know that?”

Nick tapped the side of his head. “Good memory.” That and he could easily pull up pretty much any detail of any conversation the two of them had ever had in the last two weeks without even having to think about it. He reached in front of Stacy and shoved the door open. “Where’re we going?”

“This way.” She grabbed him by the hand and started down the street at three times the speed Nick was moving at.

“I discovered something this last week.” Stacy said in all seriousness when Nick regained his balance and caught up to her.

“Did you?” Nick wasn’t completely focused on the conversation. More than half his brain was occupied with the fact that she still hadn’t let go of his hand.

“Yep.” The light turned green and they started across the crosswalk. “If you listen to the game on the radio while you’re watching it on TV, you can actually follow along fairly well.”

Nick still couldn’t imagine not being aware of every little detail occurring on the field during a game, but he was kind of happy she had actually watched the road trip. It had been a good trip for Nick. He had officially snapped out of his hitting slump while in Anaheim. He had been 3 for 4 in the first game with a double, and by the time the trip had ended in Arlington, Texas, Nick’s home run tally had gone up by two and his batting average was heading back up to the .200’s.

“And I have one question.” Stacy stopped walking and turned around until she was facing Nick. “Who’s Bob Carter? Because he comes up in the conversation quite often when they’re discussing you.”

Nick sighed. It never failed. “He’s my dad.”

Stacy let the subject drop while she studied the menu and ordered at the little sidewalk cafe/deli. “Right, then...” She said after they ordered. “ That would make sense. So he played baseball? Let’s sit outside.”

“Yeah, he played.” Nick followed her out to the metal tables and chairs set up along the sidewalk. To just say ‘he played’ was a bit of an understatement. Bob Carter was in the Hall of Fame, which right there was enough to tell you he did more than just ‘play’. However, Nick wasn’t going to go into that if he didn’t have to. “It’s cold out here.”

“It is not.” Stacy shook her head. “The sun’s out.”

The sun might have been out, but it was still cold, unless you were sitting directly in the sunlight. It always seemed as if the wind was blowing in directly off the waterfront. Nick had survived so far by living in sweatshirts and layers. He wasn’t about to argue with Stacy, however. It would do no good. She was always right, and even if she wasn’t, she presented her argument in such logical fashion that Nick ended up believing she was right anyway.

“Oh... I know what else.” Stacy said around her sandwich. “The game tonight? Felicia called me earlier today, and she’s not feeling well, so I’m going to her place and watching it with her there.” Her gray eyes regarded Nick for a long moment, before she smiled. “You should see yourself. Don’t let it completely ruin your day.”

Nick drew in a deep breath. “No, it’s okay. Um, it’s just that... we’re not even in town a week, ya know? I was just kind of hoping I’d get to spend more time with you. Who’s Felicia?” He added, the rest of the conversation finally sinking in.

“Oh, what’s the one pitcher’s name?” Stacy waited expectantly for Nick to give it to her.

Nick turned his palms upward. “Gonna have to give me a little more info than that.”

“The strange one... turns cartwheels in the outfield before the game?” Nick laughed. “Well, that’s either Brian or AJ, and since Brian’s not a pitcher...”

“AJ McLean - that’s him.” Stacy nodded in affirmation.

“AJ’s got a girl?” Nick was surprised to hear that one. When the subject of girlfriends came up in the clubhouse, as if often did when Howie and Brian were around, AJ had never been one in the middle of it. Nick had never realized that before, but when he thought about it, AJ didn’t discuss his personal life at all.

“Well, they’re together.” Stacy shrugged. “I’m not sure about details or anything.” She stared down at the wrought metal table, then looked up again, smiling. “Nick?”

“What?” Nick responded cautiously. She was smiling, which meant she was probably about to poke fun at him for something. Nick had fallen in love with her smile the first time he had seen it. It made her look like a little girl.

“I’ll beat you home, by the time you get out of the clubhouse. Why don’t you come over to my place afterwards, okay?”