A dozen people sat around a table together in a crowded bar. The games for the night were done and they were tallying up wins and losses.
"So that's 10 points for Greg, eight for Chelsea and," there was a pause, "a whopping two for Ben."
The whole table erupted in laughing and cheering. A tall man in a black hoodie half stood up at one end of the table and gave a little bow while laughing. He had short dark hair and a close-cropped beard.
The woman to his left leaned in as he sat down. "I beat you AGAIN Ben. This is what, the third time in a row?"
"Yeah, that's just because I let you win," he said back with a wink.
"Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that." She winked back then leaned back into her seat, pulling her long blonde hair up over shoulder so she didn't sit on it.
The woman, Lily, turned back to the group and conversation, but Ben kept looking at her out of the corner of his eye - the lines of her cheekbones, the way the light glinted off her full lips, and the promise of her deep neckline as it disappeared into her sweater.
He'd made a point of choosing this seat right next to her, in fact, had made a point of getting as close to her as possible - taking care not to be creepy though - since the start of the season.
Soon people were saying their goodbyes, and it was only Ben, Greg, and Lily left.
"Well, it's probably time to call it a night," said Greg as he put some cash down on the table.
All three stood up pushed in their chairs.
"Actually, I heard there's a Geminid meteor shower tonight. It's supposed to peak in about twenty minutes," said Lily.
"I was going to head out of the city a little ways to check it out. You guys want to come?" She looked first at Ben, then at Greg.
Ben said "sure" immediately, then from behind Lily's back he shook his head at Greg. Greg looked from Lily to Ben, then back at Lily and said "naw I've got to get back to the wife. You guys go ahead though."
Lily and Ben said a last goodbye to Greg, then turned to each other.
"So where should we go?" she asked him.
"I know a great spot." He said. "There's an old baseball park about fifteen minutes from here that would be perfect."
"Cool, then you can drive."
She followed him out of the bar and to the parking lot. He led her to a white SUV and they both got in.
He tried to make small talk on the way there but was too nervous. His hands were jittering on the steering and wheel and his mind was racing. He was concentrating so hard on figuring out how he was going to finally kiss her that he almost missed the turn from the highway.
Ben had to thump on the brakes to make the left - the SUV swerved a little bit and Lily had to brace herself against the door.
Ben grinned sheepishly, "sorry."
"How many drinks did you have back there?" she joked.
He made a show of rolling his eyes, "Enough for you to beat me I guess."
Ben pulled the truck into the field furthest from the highway and parked.
She got out right away and went around to the front of the truck. Ben paused for a minute to try to catch his breath, then he followed her.
She was leaning up against the grill, looking up. "Wow," she said when he joined her.
She watched the lights flitting across the sky but Ben watched her, trying to think of something to say. He'd just opened his mouth when she shifted a bit and said: "I didn't realize how cold it was out here."
Ben said, "I have a blanket in the car, just a second."
He went to the trunk and grabbed a blanket then brought it back to the front. Ben held it up.
"Well that's not very big," she said.
