***
Michael and Rachel arrived in Houston a few hours later and departed the airport, heading towards their hotel that they’d be staying at for the next week.
Thanks to Michael’s NIL deal, he was no longer lacking money like he used to. The whole trip including the tickets and accommodation were paid for by him, something he never would have imagined all those years ago.
As the two walked into the fancy hotel, Rachel’s eyes were wide open, taking in the sight. She had never stayed at such an expensive place before.
“This room is huge!” She said as they walked into their room.
She threw her bags aside and slipped off her shoes, diving onto the king sized bed in the middle of the room. Letting out a deep sigh of contentment, she quickly crawled under the blankets.
“It’s so soft… I want this bed.” She added.
Michael stifled a laugh and placed his own things down before checking out the room. He opened up the blinds, seeing a nice view of the city below.
“How much did this hotel cost for the week?” Rachel asked from her cocoon on the bed.
“I was able to get a bit of a discount, but it was pretty expensive.” Michael admitted.
“Why did you spend so much? I would have been fine with a motel.” She explained.
At this, Michael let out a laugh, “There’s still time, how about I book a motel now?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Hahaha!”
Rachel soon realized that she was being teased and enthusiastically threw a pillow at Michael, using all her strength. The two then playfully fought for a while before things calmed down.
“You should start getting ready soon, dinner is in a couple of hours.” Michael stated.
“How long do you think I need to get ready? It’s not like I use a lot of makeup.” She huffed.
Michael shrugged, “It’s up to you.”
Eventually, she got out from under the covers and began to get ready. Sure enough, they only managed to get out the door just in time before catching a taxi to the restaurant.
Rachel was dressed in a sleek black dress, her hair tied up into a high ponytail, exposing her long and slender neck. On her ears were the earrings that Michael had bought, the first gift he gave her after signing his NIL deal.
Michael was dressed in a smart suit, though he did not wear a tie, just in case he was too formal. Yet as he stepped out of the taxi and saw the restaurant, he suddenly felt trepidation.
“Didn’t you tell me to dress up?” Rachel said, staring blankly at him.
“I—I…” Michael stammered.
He didn’t know what to say. When Ken had mentioned dinner, he expected the place to be fancy, hence why he wanted to dress the part. Yet upon arriving, it was more of a tavern than a restaurant.
Even standing out the front of the establishment, Michael could tell he was overdressed.
He looked at his watch, realizing that they were already late by a few minutes. There was no time to go back and get changed.
After few moments of doom and gloom, Michael decided he would just have to roll with it. He grabbed Rachel’s arm, gently looping it with his own and walked into the tavern.
Almost everybody present turned in that moment, eyeing Michael and Rachel who were dressed for a formal event. Gazes lingered upon Rachel for even longer, making her uncomfortable.
“Over here.”
A voice called out, one that Michael would recognize anywhere. He turned, only to see Ken standing and waving from a place in the back of the tavern. What was surprising is that he too was also dressed up in something similar to a suit.
Michael pushed down his excitement and led Rachel forward.
“Michael! It’s good to see you again man.” Ken called out, wearing a brilliant smile. He moved forward and brought the young man into a hug, dazing him for a moment.
“Y—You too Ken.”
“Who is this lovely lady accompanying you?” Ken asked politely.
“This is Rachel, my girlfriend.” Michael said lamely.
“I’m Ken, nice to meet you.” Ken said, holding out his hand in greeting.
“I know who you are… The ultimate rookie, the next Babe Ruth… The unicorn, Ken Takagi.” She said, her eyes dazed.
Ken cringed upon being called a unicorn, though he did well to hide his discomfort. “Well for now, I’m none of those things. Right now, I’m Michael’s good friend.” He said with a smile.
Hearing this, Michael’s expression faltered before a dumb smile crept onto his face.
“Anyway, where are my manners? This is my brother Daichi. This is Rohan and this is Steve, and this handsome man is my uncle, Santiago.” Ken said, introducing the others at the table.
Each of the men were dressed well enough to be in a fancy restaurant, yet they were all here with a beer in front of them.
“Guys, this is Michael and his girlfriend Rachel.”
Michael’s eyes moved over the people present and realized that he knew every single one of them.
“N—Nice to meet you.” Michael bowed slightly. For some reason, it was a reflexive action.
“Oh my god, you’re all Major Leaguers…” Rachel said, her jaw drooped slightly.
“No no, Steve is still in the minor league.” Ken quipped, sending Steve a wink.
“Hey now… I’ll be joining the team during this spring training, so don’t get too cocky.” Steve replied, his expression filled with annoyance.
Rachel turned to Michael, only now fully understanding his relationship with Ken.
“Why are you all dressed like this for the tavern?” Michael asked, his confusion evident.
“We’re heading to another restaurant after this, Santiago wanted a drink first.”
The man with olive skin and an athletic build smiled warmly at Michael, “I remember you from the U18 World Cup. It’s good to see you again.”
At the mention of the U18 World Cup, Michael’s eyes lit up, “Wait, you were on the US National Team! Wait… Didn’t Ken introduce you as his uncle??”
“Eh?”
Rachel tilted her head in confusion.
“It’s a long story.” Ken replied, letting out a chuckle. “Let’s head to the restaurant now, I’m feeling a little overdressed for this place.”
“Good, I’m starving.” Steve quipped.