"You're playing matchmaker?" Ariel asked.
Jeff came up behind her, snaking his arms around her and squeezing lightly.
Ariel giggled. Throwing her head back into his chest.
"Yeah, I'm playing match maker. Otherwise Clay's not gonna get off his ass."
Ariel tightened her arms around Jeff's baseball bat.
Everyone was already off the field now that their practice was done.
Ariel had shown up to watch Jeff practice like she always did sometimes when she had the time.
Jeff snaked his hands over Ariel's, which made a chill run down her spine. He stopped, placing his bigger hands over hers and clutched the bat.
"You think it's a bad idea?"
It took some time for Ariel to regain her voice.
She turned to face Jeff. They were close. Really close.
She could feel Jeff pressing up against her.
"I think... you shouldn't pressure him. It might not seem this way but Clay doesn't do well with orders. Tell him what to do and he'll give you a million reasons not to do that exact thing."
Jeff stepped away from Ariel, taking the bat from behind her walking over to put it away. As the last person on the field it was his duty to clear all the equipment away. "You do see the way he looks at her, right?"
Ariel folded her arms. "Yeah, I've seen it from day one."
She felt exposed. Kind of hoping Jeff would be close to her the way he had been before again.
She felt a sense of shame in hoping for that. Especially after she had been the one to say she wanted to wait. And that they should avoid such situations.
Such... temptations.
"So? What's wrong with me playing a little matchmaking game?" Jeff asked, taking off his hat and spinning it. He grinned at Ariel in that adorable way that made his eyes light up.
"Jeff the matchmaker?"
Jeff nodded seriously. "Jeff the matchmaker."
He walked up to her and placed an arm around her waist pulling her closer. "It worked with us." He reminded her.
He spun, pulling Ariel along, making her giggle.
She clutched his shirt. "Oh so you finally getting the guts to talk to me was 'Jeff the matchmaker'?"
"Oh yeah."
"So asking Clay to be your middleman... that was..."
"You are never gonna let that go, are you, Okay, I had a little help. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's why I don't see anything wrong with me offering my help to Clay." Jeff spoke.
Ariel bit her lower lip.
"Okay. I guess interfering a little wouldn't hurt anyone."
Ariel had indeed seen how Clay looked at Hannah. And it was clear to her that her friend was over the moon. But she honestly didn't see Clay asking her out.
Maybe a little push really wouldn't hurt.
"What do you have in mind?" Ariel asked.
Jeff placed a kiss on Ariel's lips. "You don't worry your pretty little head about it."
