A Diamond for the Perfect Girl: A Matt Carpenter Love Story

Chapter Twenty-Eight

  (James Smith ----> and skip to July 17 game against the Mets.)
Matt's P.O.V.-
I walked into the locker room on Friday, just expecting it to be a regular day, but how wrong was I. As I walked into the locker room, I say a new player standing close to my area. He was just standing there. I was confused, but went over and set my bag down. He was talking to another player, Grichuk to be exact. I didn't say anything. I mean, what was there to say. Soon after I set my bag down, Mike came into the room.
"Carpenter, my office." He said.
"Got it." I left my bag where it was and went to Mike's office. "What?" I asked as I sat down in front of him.
"You saw that new kid in the locker room, right?" I nodded. "Well, he was drafted and we're giving him a test run today at third base. You won't be playing, unless we don't like what we see."
"What do you mean by 'test run'?" I asked getting out of my seat.
"He hasn't been tested on how good he is, yet. That's why were going to use him today."
"Shouldn't you have done that 'test run' in Memphis? I mean that would make the most sense." I was getting really angry by this point.
"He was drafted and he's good." Mike defended.
"Oh, so we are just going to bring up everybody who's good now? Mike, I understand that he might be good, but he has to earn this. He was only just drafted!"
"Matt, we're going to use him whether or not you like it."
"Mike, he needs to earn it! He shouldn't just have everything handed to him! Everyone on this team earned the right to be here and you're just going to give it to him! Why?!" I had started to shout by that point.
"Matt, he's playing. End of subject. Go put your uniform on and don't say another word about it."
I left his office and slammed the door on the way out. This was pathetic. I went over to my bag and started to take my uniform out, when the new kid decided to bother me.
"So, you're the one I'm going to be stealing the position from. My day just keeps getting better and better." He said with a smirk on his face.
I stood up and faced him. "And who exactly are you?" I asked.
"The name is James Smith. I'm taking your position."
Ashton walked into the locker room. "Hey guys." She said.
"Hey Ashton." A few of the guys replied.
She walked past me and smiled. "Hey Matt."
"Hey Ash. How was your day off?" I asked her.
"It was fine. Katie wanted to go shopping, so we went shopping. And yours?"
"Normal. How's the arm?"
She glanced down at her sling. "Still hurts, but getting better." That's when she noticed the new guy and he was staring at her, not in a normal taking in appearance way, but a creepy way. "I'll see you up in the dugout." She then headed off.
James faced me and smiled. "I'm taking your position and your girl."
That's when I lost it. I got really close to his face and whispered, "Touch Ash and you're dead."
"Is that a promise?" He asked.
"Yes it is. She is not my girl, but if you dare get near her, we'll both be out of the league."
"Ashton is mine and I will do what it takes to get her." And that's when I completely lost it. I punched him as hard as I could in the face.

Ashton's P.O.V.-
I was standing in the dugout, when Waino came up in a hurry. He ran over to me and I knew something was terribly wrong. "What?"
"Matt just punched the new kid and lets just say we're having to hold him back right now." After he said that, I ran down stairs.
The new kid was standing by a bench holding his nose and Matt was being held back by Holliday and Molina. He looked so annoyed and ticked off. I walked over to Matt and he looked like he was calming down a bit.
"What happened?" I whispered to him after Holliday and Molina walked a few steps away. They still had their guard up, not knowing if he was going to go off again or not.
"He said something's that he shouldn't have and I lost it." He responded.
"What happened?!" My dad slightly shouted as he came down to find out what was going on.
Matt went slightly pale and I knew this wasn't going to be good. "That guy punched me for no reason!" The kid said.
That made me angry. Matt started to walk forward, but I stopped him. "Matt, go cool off. I'll handle this." I whispered.
He nodded and headed out of the locker room. My dad turned to me and I knew he was angry. "What happened?" He asked me.
"That new kid over there said stuff he shouldn't have said and Matt punched him. I can't entirely blame him. I want to punch him right now too." I told him loud enough for the kid to hear.
"Hey!" He took a step forward, but Reynolds blocked him and pushed him down onto the bench.
"Stay sitting down." He said.
"Ashton, my office. Now." My dad said. I followed him into his office and he shut the door. "Explain."
"I don't know everything that happened. I only know that the kid, whoever he is, said a few things that he shouldn't have and Matt decked him for it. And like I said earlier, I don't blame him. If it were up to me, I would deck him too. He's not exactly a nice person." I defended. Dad pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Maybe if you explained to me as to why that kid is here, who he is and why Matt was so ticked, I could help." I said.
"That kid is named James Smith and he's a new third baseman that we are doing a test run with."
"Why isn't the test run in Memphis, which it should be." I demanded.
"Because he's suppose to be one of the best ever."
"I don't care how good he is! You should be doing the test run in Memphis! End of subject! That kid needs to earn his spot on this roster!" I shouted.
"Ashton, it's not up to you." Dad said.
"That's where you're wrong. Every player on this team can be removed when I say. So, that means that I do control what happens. If they aren't feeling well, they don't play on the team until they are better. They have a broken bone, they don't play. I do control what happens." I turned and opened the door. "I'm not going to let this kid ruin Matt's time here in the Majors. He's going to Memphis for that test run, where it should be happening anyways."
"No he's not. Want to know why?" I raised my eyebrow. "Matt's not playing."
"When did you start playing favorites? Last time I checked, you never did stuff like this to your players." I walked out of the room and slammed the door. I walked right past James and went to find Matt. This was ridiculous, but I couldn't do much about it. I found Matt sitting in the dugout just starring off into space. "Hey." I mumbled as I sat down next to him.
He looked over at me and sat up right. "Hey."
"Why?" I asked facing him. "Why would you do something like that?"
"Ash, he said something he shouldn't have. I know what I did wasn't right, but you can't entirely blame me."
"You're right, I can't. But now my dad isn't going to let you play."
"So you're the boss's daughter." I heard James say behind me. I didn't know his voice to well, but the way Matt tensed up let me know. "And you're the boss's daughter's pet." He said to Matt. I stood up and faced him.
"Listen here. Matt is not my boyfriend or how you put it, 'pet'. Just because we're friends doesn't mean that we're together." I hissed at him.
"Well, if you not with him, then you can be with me." He reached out for me and I grabbed his wrist and twisted it.
"How about no?" I let go of it and he looked at it.
"You could have broken it. I wouldn't be able to hit my home runs when I bat if you had." He glared at me and I smiled.
"Oh honey, pull your ego back down to earth. You'll be lucky to even get walked." I faced Matt again. "Go get changed. You're still expected to be in uniform tonight." He stood up and walked passed me, but pushed by James. I went over to my bag and grabbed my bottle of water.
"So, now that he's gone, we can talk about that date." James said.
I faced him again. "Let's get something straight here. You and I are never going to happen. Just accept that now because I will NEVER go out with a complete jerk like you. Get over yourself and become a team player. You mess with my guys and trust me, you will be out of MLB so quickly, you won't be smiling."
His face dropped. "You can't do that."
I got close to him. "Watch me." I shoved my way passed him and went to go do what I wanted.
*During the game*
I was not in the mood to be any where near my dad at the moment. He was playing favorites and that was making me angry, but I chose to sit by Matt and talk with him instead of standing near my dad. It was only the fourth inning and James has already over thrown three time to both second and first base and let them score a run in the first inning. He had struck out already on both of his bats and yet dad still chose to leave him in.
When it hit the top of the fourth, Wong made a diving catch, but he hit his head on the ground pretty hard. I, of course, went out to meet him and see if he was okay.
"Kolten, you alright?" I asked him. He shook his head no and I walked with him slowly back to the dugout and passed him off to one of the other medics so I could speak with my father. "I think it might be mild concussion. He's out for the rest of the game."
"Great." Dad sighed and looked into the dugout thinking.
"Just do it. Put Carpenter in. He's the only one who can play second base as good as Kolten." I whispered to him.
"I am not putting him in unless I have to and I don't think I have to." Dad whisper yelled at me.
"Dad, they already have one run. Do you really want them to score another one?"
"Any day now Matheny!" The ump shouted at us.
"Dad, just put Matt in. He is the only one who can play because you need everyone else for pinch hitting."
He stood there and thought about it. "Go check on Kolten and see if he's fine. I'm the manager, not you." He turned his back to me and faced one of the other coaches. I turned and headed down to the locker room to see if Kolten was doing okay.
*Fifth inning*
I had walked back up to the dugout during the bottom of the fifth inning and saw Matt standing with his helmet in hand and his bat under his arm. He smiled at me before going up onto the field. James came up behind me without me knowing it.
"Thought you two weren't together?" He asked and I jumped.
"We aren't." I went over to my bag and started rummaging through it.
"Then why is he so over protecting of you? He punched me because of you."
"What are you talking about?" I asked him getting confused.
"He punched me because I said I was going to steal you from him and I will find a way to do that."
"He never told me that. And trust me when I tell you, I won't ever fall for a guy like you. You have to much ego." I smiled at him and his mouth sort of dropped in a way.
"I don't have an ego." He whined.
"Yeah you do." I walked past him and sat down next to Waino.
*Seventh inning*
Matt was up to bat with one out. He struck out and was walking back to the dugout and James was up after him. While Matt was walking back to the dugout, he passed James and James mumbled something making Matt turn and face him. Matt got close to him and James got up in Matt's face. The next thing I knew there was shouting between the two of them and then Matt decked him again.
Holliday, my father, Reynolds, Molina and Waino ran out on to the field. Matt didn't even need to be pulled off of James because he was already walking back to the dugout. My father went over to James to make sure he was alright before going to deal with Matt.
"This is twice today. What is up with you?" Dad yelled at him.
I walked up behind my dad and Matt didn't seem as angry. "First of all, he is the one who is starting it all, not me. Second of all, he is saying things he shouldn't be saying."
"That doesn't mean you punch him!" Dad shouted dragging Matt down to the locker room with him. "Why is it that when a new guy comes up you always have to feel like you have to get in a fight with them?"
"That is not the case. He was the one causing trouble and I was simply reacting wrong!" Matt shouted back.
"That's all fine and dandy when you're not here at work, but now you have put me in a horrible position with the owner." I was still standing behind my dad waiting to hear the result of all of this. "Matt, you're suspended until further notice."
"What?!" Matt shouted. Matt was getting kind of close to my dad and I had to do something, so I stepped between the two of them.
"Dad, think about what you're doing here." I said looking up at my father.
"I know what I am doing and Matt, you're suspended until this goes up for review." Dad turned and went back up to the dugout.
I faced Matt and he looked like he was going to blow up. "Matt..."
"Don't. Just don't." He went over to his stuff and sat down.
I walked over and stood behind him. "Matt?" I whispered after a few minutes of silence.
He stood up and faced me. "What?!" He shouted at me. I jumped slightly and he immediately looked upset. "Ash, I didn't mean..."
"Yes you did. " I knew he was angry with me just by the way he was acting. I turned and headed towards the dugout.
"Ash, please." He said.
"No." I stopped and faced him. "You're angry and I'm not going to be your punching bag."
"Ash, you will never be my punching bag."
"Matt, if you want to talk to me, we'll talk after the game." With that I turned and headed back to the dugout.
*After the game*
I was walking towards my truck, when I noticed Matt leaning up against my truck. Yeah, I ended up getting a truck instead of a car. I don't know why, but I wanted one. I finished walking over to my vehicle and threw my bag in the back seat before going and standing next to Matt. After a few minutes of silence, I proceeded to put the bed down before sitting down with Matt and we just sat there in silence.
"I'm sorry about how I was acting." He finally said to me. "You were right. I was angry and I was using you as a punching bag without even noticing."
"Why were you so mean towards the new guy?" I asked looking over at him.
"Ash..."
"Matt, I want to know why you kept punching him. I get that he's not a likeable guy, but why were you the only one beating on him."
Matt jumped off of the bed and faced me. "I told you why earlier."
"Yeah you told me he was saying things that he shouldn't have been saying, but what exactly was he saying?"
"The first time, he said that he was going to steal my position from me and then when you walked into the room and started talking to me, he said that he was going to take you from me. I told him we weren't together, but he didn't listen and kept going on about how he was going to take you and I punched him."
"And the second time?"
"He said I was a terrible batter and that he didn't understand why you would even want to date me and I told him we weren't together, but he doesn't get the hint."
"So you were angry with me because he wants to date me? That makes sense."
"Ash, I am angry with him because he's right!" He shouted slightly. He rubbed his face and started pacing. "Ashton, he's right about me liking you and I'm being overprotective because I don't want to see you get hurt because I've fallen in love with you!"
I couldn't say anything. I was shocked, but happy. He admitted it to me and I didn't know what to do next. He was just standing there staring at me waiting for me to say something.
"Matt..." I motioned for him to come closer to me. He hesitantly did so and was standing within arms length of me.
"Ash, I don't want you to feel like you have to say you like me back just because I said I was in love with you."
I pulled him closer. "If I told you I didn't love you, I would be lying."
His hands cupped my face and I had my arms wrapped around his neck. I looked up into his eyes, while he was staring down into mine. Next thing I knew our lips were touching and I felt like there were hundreds of fireworks going off all at once. He pulled me closer and I didn't stop him. I felt like I was on cloud nine.
He pulled away from me. "I've been wanting to do that since I met you." I smiled at him and he smiled back at me.
"Me too." I whispered.