Maiden with a Sparkling Eye

When the game ended Sunday evening, Haley and Regina drove back to the hotel in Towson to retrieve their things and hit the road.

The Sox had swept the Oriels in 3 games, winning 10-2 Saturday night, the night Josh asked Haley to join him on a date.

That day they had won 8-4 in the tenth, thanks to a grand slam Big Papi.

It was now midnight and they left their bags and things in the hallway and proceeded to their rooms for some sleep.

~~~~~

It was now 9 am on Monday morning and Haley was sitting at her work desk with a coffee in front of her.

She had texted Josh when she got to work, letting him know that it was her.

She was still impatiently awaiting a replay.

"Hey Haley," Haley looked up and saw one of her co-workers, Andy, standing outside her office.

"Oh, hey Andy." she welcomed him in with a smile.

"How was your weekend?" he asked, sitting on the chair in the corner.

"Pretty eventful. Yours?" She loved how she could talk to Andy. He knew of her situation, and like her he didn't usually talk much.

"Pretty good thanks. Regina told me what happened at the game Saturday." He smirked at her, knowing Haley wouldn't have told him herself.

"Oh that. Yeah." She laughed nervously.

"I'm happy for you. Is the date tonight?"

"I don't know. He hasn't told me yet." She frowned, glancing at her phone for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour.

And as if Josh could read Haley's mind, her phone buzzed on her desk.

She smiled and picked it up excitedly.

Josh: Morning! I'm picking you up at 6. Can't wait ;)

She looked at Andy who was laughing at her in the chair.

"What?" She asked.

"Your smile is insanely large?"

He got up and left, leaving Haley to text Josh the address to her apartment.

Josh: Awesome. I'll see you later. You're at work aren't you?

Haley wondered why he was asking.

Haley: Yeah I am, why?

Her phone buzzed a few moments later.

Josh: Darn. I was gonna take you out for coffee before I had to be at the park.

She smiled again, something she noticed Josh had been making her do often.

Haley: That's sweet of you. I wish I could. But I have to get an article typed up for 2morrows globe.

Josh: I'll let you get to work then. See you later :)

~~~~~

Josh would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed.

He was hoping she would tell him she could have a break and meet him somewhere, but that of course didn't happen.

Now he found himself holding a mug of coffee (alone) and looking at his limited choices of formal wear.

He wanted to impress Haley and take her to a classy restaurant that Jon Lester told him about the other night.

By now everyone at least half important to him knew about Josh's infatuation with this girl, even his mother, who had called him Sunday morning saying she 'got a weird feeling that her son had met a girl who could be a future wife' and refused to leave him alone until she knew everything he was willing to tell her.

She told him not to try too hard to impress Haley, because girls always seemed to notice when a guy was trying too hard.

Now Josh was worried that if he picked the wrong thing to wear, Haley would judge him instantly and their relationship would be over before it even started.

He wasn't quite sure why he was suddenly over thinking everything.

He'd been doing it ever since he'd found the wallet and he didn't know whether or not he liked it.

He felt like a shy high school freshmen again.
Haley made him feel like a teenager, and he was having trouble deciding whether it was a good thing.

He took his buzzing phone out of his pocket, dropping his coffee in the process.

"What?" He answered, noticing how paranoid his voice sounded.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" It was Lackey again.

Josh sighed into the receiver, picking up his coffee mug and bringing down the hall and into the kitchen.
"Nothing, I just can't find anything in my closet." He heard John chuckle.

"You sound like a girl. Get your ass to Fenway though, Tito's freaking out."

Josh glanced at the LED clock on the stove and noticed it was noon.

"Shit, okay. Be there in 10."

Running up the stairs to get dressed, Josh still didn't know what he wanted to wear tonight.

~~~~~

It was 5 o'clock and Haley had an hour until Josh picked her up.
Her phone buzzed on her bed next to Regina, signaling she had a text.

"Ooohhh, it's your man candy." Regina sang.

"He's not my man candy." Haley Rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, not yet. Stop smiling too, you'll break your face." Regina tossed the phone to Haley.

"You're face will be broken in a minute if you don't shut-up."

She opened the text and her smile dropped instantly.

Josh: Wear something semi-formal :)

"Semi-formal?!" Haley screamed, throwing her phone on to the bed.
She looked down at her outfit; Denim skinnies and a purple v-neck.

"Where the hell is he taking you?" Regina jumped off the bed to look in Haley's closet and turned around with a red cocktail dress in her hands.

"What?" Haley didn't like the mischievous look her friend was giving her.

"Take this, I'll go see if I have anything in my closet." She rushed out of the room, leaving Haley alone with the dress.

Closing the door she stripped down to her bra and underwear and slipped the dress on.
It hugged what little curves she had and stopped just above her knees.

Regina opened the door and smiled, "I love it. Josh will faint when he sees you."

Haley smiled and twirled around.
"You think so?" She asked looking at her reflection in her full length mirror.

"Oh I know so. And your hair is already prefect. You're all set to go."

Haley ran to hug Regina, who in turn wrapped her arms around Haley.

"Thanks Reg."

Regina smiled, although Haley couldn't see it, and pulled out her friends grip.

Brushing Haley's hair out of her face, she said "You're welcome."

She walked out of the room, leaving a confused Haley standing there watching after her.

She returned with a silver necklace in her hands.

"I want you to wear this. It was my moms, and it has this pretty great tendency to bring me good luck."

Haley took the necklace and put it on.

"Thanks Regina. It means a lot."

"I know," Regina chuckled.

"Holy fuck. He'll be here in 5 fucking minutes."

Haley looked at her alarm clock, her eyes as wide as an owls, and ran downstairs.

"Uhm, shoes?" Regina yelled after grabbing a pair of black flats off Haley's floor knowing full well she'd break her ankles in heels.

As Haley slipped on the shoes Regina had brought her, a knock sounded at the front door.

Haley turned to Regina wide eyed.

"Don't stand there idiot! Go have fun!" Regina shoved Haley toward the door, throwing Haley her handbag in the process.

"Just remember," Regina said, Haley's hand on the door knob, "safe sex is happy sex."