Maiden with a Sparkling Eye

Josh Beckett was finding himself intrigued by the item before him.

He was currently sitting on his classy Baltimore hotel room bed gazing at the item between his hands while his roommate and close friend, pitcher John Lackey, sat on the opposite bed with his phone next to his ear talking to his wife.

He wished he had something like most of the guys did. It was either their wife, or their girlfriend, or just a 'friend' who they may or may not have a little something more with.

Josh didn't have that.

Josh had found the folded square on the field after the game, at the spot where batters would await their turn at bat.

He had gotten done high-fiving his teammates on a good game when he spotted the light blue wallet folded up and in a heap on the wet grass.

He wasn't sure if he should open it and look for an ID, or if that was some how considered invasion of privacy.

John noticed his friend was stressed and decided some other type of insight on the situation might help the younger man.

"Josh really, just open it. You're only looking for some sort of identification. It's not like you're going to take all their money or something." He crossed the small space between the two beds and settled himself at the edge of Josh's bed.

Josh looked at his friend, not too sure if he should open it, but in the end decided it might be a good idea.

"Fine," he said, unfolding the wet wallet to find that the contents inside of it were only slightly damp.

The ID of it's owner was located in a clear pocket right at the front, not giving him a reason to look through the rest of it.

John crept closer to Josh to peer inside, only to let out a low whistle.

"Whoever said license pictures we're un-attractive definitely hasn't met this chick."

Josh held the wallet between his hands, taking his eyes away from her face to look at John with his eyebrows raised.

"Dude, you're married."

"What's your point?" He asked, ripping the wallet from Josh's hands and earning a child-like whimper in response.

"Shit, calm down Joshie," he muttered, "Haley M. Johnson, Birthday June 1st 1984. Hey, she lives in Boston!" John was standing up now, beginning to flip through the contents of the wallet, but got nowhere before Josh was in front of him, taking it out of his hands.

"Okay, now that's invasion of privacy," Josh said, looking at Haley's picture once more, "She's really pretty."

Josh then noticed a small piece of paper on the other side with writing on it.

"Hey, she's going to the next two games. We can give this back to her tomorrow."

"Awesome," John said as he lay on his hotel bed, "you can ask her out then."

Josh set the wallet beside him on the bedside table.

"I don't even know her," he fluffed his pillow, picking at the lace covering the side, "I can't just ask out someone I've never fucking met."

"Sure, 'ya can. Isn't that why Paps married? Because he wasn't a puss and asked out a girl he didn't know? Because we all know no sane girl would actually know him and still say yes."

Josh laughed and threw his pillow at John's head, making him sit up.

"Seriously though, doesn't she kind of owe you for saving her life?"

"I didn't save her life."

"Identity, whatever. Either way she owes you."

John pulled back the covers of his bed just as Jason Varitek barged in, Dustin Pedroia hot on his tail.

"What's goin' on boys?" Jason asked, sitting at the end of Josh's bed as Dustin sat on John's, clearly making himself comfy by sprawling out on it.

"Josh found a pretty girls wallet in a puddle by the on deck circle." John said, resting his elbows on his knees.

Jason raised his eyebrows at Josh, "Really now? Lemme see." He held his hand out to Josh, waiting for the wallet to be placed into it.

With a sigh, Josh reached behind him and grabbed the wallet, placing it into his catchers hand with a thud.
He watched Jason as he opened the light blue wallet and noticed his eyes widen in shock at the girls license.

Dustin gazes over his teammates shoulder, whistling just as John had only moments ago.

"She's beautiful. You gonna ask her out?" Jason asks, handing the wallet back to Josh, who in turn rolls his eyes at Jason, "Or can I have her?"

"I don't fucking know. John thinks she owes me or some shit because I could have just saved her life. And no, you can't have her. Finders keepers."

"Why the fuck are you being so unsure all of a sudden?", Dustin throws his arms up in the air to make a point, "You're Josh Beckett for God sakes!" Walking over to Josh, he grabs him by the shoulders and looks him directly in the eyes.

"You'll ask her out. She'll say yes, and when we get back to Beantown, you're going to wow the God forsaken pants off that girl!"

And with that, he left.

Jason followed after him, mutter something incoherent, and gave Josh a wink before shutting the door behind him.

John shrugged at Josh and shut off the light, snuggling into the covers of his bed.

Josh supposed he could ask Haley Johnson out. What could it hurt, right?

Feeling slightly more cocky then he normally did, he just knew she'd agree.