Pinch Hit Read Free Page B

I’ll be working on my own project here in the very near future.”
    Sam secretly rolled his eyes because he’d heard his father talk big so many times before, even though nothing ever came from it.
    â€œYou got a green light?” Fuller’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s wonderful.”
    Sam’s father cleared his throat. “Not quite a green light, but very close. They’re talking about the terms of an option right now.”
    Sam looked at the floor and shook his head, but not so anyone would notice.
    â€œAh,” Fuller said, seeming to know quite well what that meant.
    â€œSo,” Sam’s dad said, putting a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “A stand-in? Not bad. He does look like Trevor Goldman. I should have thought of that.”
    Sam could almost see the wheels turning in his father’s head. They could pick up some extra money and do the studio a favor.
    â€œLook? I swear, without the hair, they could be twins,” Fuller said.
    â€œThey say everyone has a look-alike,” Sam’s father said. “How long is the shoot?”
    â€œJune and July.”
    â€œDay rate?” Sam’s dad licked his lips.
    â€œBetter. Background performer. Time and a half. That’s two hundred a day, a thousand a week, guaranteed.”
    â€œMake it double time.” Sam’s dad scowled. “You said ‘twins.’ Think of what it’ll save you on lighting and makeup.”
    Fuller ground his teeth and picked up his phone.

5
TREVOR
    The entire LA Dodgers team stood in a group near the pitcher’s mound. They broke into polite applause when they saw Trevor. One of the cameramen circled him, getting his reaction in a kind of three-sixty scene. The other took a wide shot that included his mom. Trevor’s mom slipped the phone into her purse and clapped her hands like a child as she bounced up and down with excitement.
    Trevor regained his wits and squeezed out the best smile he could muster.
    â€œYou want baseball?” His mom grinned so hard her sunglasses shifted on her face. “We give you baseball, angel.”
    â€œIt’s great, wow, meeting the Dodgers.” Trevor tried hard not to sound disappointed in front of the cameras; it wouldn’t be polite.
    â€œYou’re not going to just meet them!” His mom’s voice continued to rise with enthusiasm and volume as she expertly turned her face toward the cameras. “You’re going to play with them!”
    â€œGreat.” Trevor kept the smile burning. “Wow. Okay. Great. Ready?”
    His mom waved a finger in the air and like magic, half the Dodgers went to their places in the field while the rest of the team headed for the dugout.
    â€œThe Dodgers versus the Dodgers with Trevor Goldman!” Trevor’s mom shouted, holding up a single finger.
    Chad Billingsley, the Dodgers’ top pitcher, called out from the mound. “You’re up, Trevor. Let’s see what you got.”
    Trevor’s mom and the rest of the adults, including the camera crews, chuckled and hooted like everyone was in for some real fun. Trevor choked out a laugh and picked up the nearest bat against the fence. Don Mattingly, the Dodgers’ manager, emerged from the dugout, handing Trevor a different bat.
    â€œYou’re leading us off, so use this. It’s from the ’06 series, a little gift from me and the team. Go get ’em, kid.”
    The Dodgers in the dugout gave Trevor thumbs-ups from their seats. Trevor swung the bat, loosening his shoulders as he approached the plate. Rod Barajas, the catcher, smacked his glove like the real thing. “Get ’em, Trevor.”
    Trevor had to admit that when he stepped into the box and Billingsley went into his windup, he felt a real thrill. Even that fizzled, though, when the pitch came on a slow lob right down the middle. Trevor swung instinctively, connected, and took off like a shot. He had good speed, but