Playing for Keeps [Book 2]

by Gina Drayer

  After twenty phone interviews and six in-person interviews, I finally found someone to take over most of my work while I was on maternity leave. Chelsea was everything I could have asked for in an administrator. She had plenty of experience working with non-profits, but more importantly, she was dedicated and passionate about her work.

  Now, I had a little less than four months to teach her to be me.

  With that major task finally taken care of, I started tackling my other to-do’s, starting with the real estate agent. By the time I was ready to leave that night, I’d signed a listing agreement, hired cleaners, and found a storage unit for the things I wasn’t willing to part with. The rest could be moved to the basement of the center.

  Knowing Cooper would already be at the stadium with his team, I decided to stop by my house to pack up a few things I didn’t want to get lost. With boxes in hand, I started the process of dismantling my old life. I spent a good two hours taking down photos, wrapping mementos, and reminiscing. It was bittersweet, and there may have been a few tears.

  I was just about ready to call it a night when there was a knock at the door. I opened it, expecting to see Tony or maybe even one of my neighbors, but there was a stranger standing there.

  “Can I help you?” I asked, wedging my foot behind the door—just in case.

  “I saw your house was listed today. I was—”

  “You’ll need to talk to the real estate agent,” I said, interrupting him. “We’re not ready to show the place yet, but I’m sure she’ll be happy to give you more details.”

  “That’s not why I’m here. My name is Harvey. I work for the Post.”

  He handed me a card with his name on it and the title sports reporter. I wrinkled my nose and almost shut the door in his face, but his next words stopped me.

  “Can you confirm the trade rumors? Is Cooper Reynolds leaving New York? When I saw your house went on the market this afternoon, I assumed they must be true.”

  “Where did you hear that?” I asked, looking down at his card again. Dread welled up from deep inside my chest, and I crossed my arms protectively around my middle.

  “I have a source in the owner Charles Cannon’s office. I was told the trade was official. That he’d be starting with Philly tomorrow. How does he feel about leaving New York after all these years? Was the trade due to his injury? Is he fully recovered? Does this have anything to do with his stalled contract negotiations this fall?”

  I shook my head as the reporter continued asking questions I had no answers for. I blinked, trying to connect the dots.

  Even after all these months, I still didn’t know a lot about baseball. I didn’t understand how this could happen. Cooper couldn’t be leaving. He would have told me. I wouldn’t be hearing it from some reporter. What about our plans? I just put my house on the market. And the baby.

  I put a hand over the swell of my stomach and found my voice. “I don’t have any comment. You need to leave.”

  The man shook his head and backed away. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I think he’s getting railroaded. I know this can’t be easy given your situation. Are you planning on going to Philadelphia with him?”

  “This is private property. If you don’t leave now, I’m going to call the police.” I was practically shouting at him.

  I slammed the door. I knew the tears were just a heartbeat away. Anger and fear flooded my system, paralyzing me. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do.

  My instincts told me to protect myself—to call the real estate agent and cancel the listing, unpack my boxes, and wish Cooper a nice life. This trade was just the latest example of how unpredictable life with him was going to be. I wasn’t sure I could live like that.

  My heart, on the other hand, was breaking. I was building something, something good with Cooper. I couldn’t give that up. But I also had responsibilities and other people that depended on me.

  It felt like a no-win situation.

  I found my phone and pulled Cooper’s name up. But I was too emotional to have a rational conversation. I would have said or done something we both would have regretted. So I called Tony instead. He’d been more like a father to me over the years, and right now I could use some fatherly advice.

  “What am I supposed to do?” I asked after unloading every heartbreaking detail.

  He sighed, and I imagined him rubbing his chin as he thought of the right words to say. “You know I love you like one of my own daughters. You’re an amazing woman and deserve to be happy. Even though I’ve had my doubts, I think Cooper makes you happy.”

  “He does, but the center—”

  “The center will be fine,” he said, cutting me off. “You don’t have to be here seven days a week. Chelsea is going to be an amazing administrator. She can sit behind that desk and run the day-to-day operations. Your most important job is to be the public face of the shelter. You do a damn fine job of raising money and awareness. And you can do that no matter where you are.”

  “Are you telling me to move to Philadelphia?”

  “I’m telling you to follow your heart. If that means moving to Philly, then I promise you, we’ll manage. It’s only a couple hours away. You can telecommute and come into the city when you’re really needed.”

  I knew I didn’t need his approval but having it made all the difference. It felt like a weight had been lifted and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

  “I love you, Tony.”

  “I love you back. Just promise me that you’ll bring that baby around so I can spoil him. He’s my first grandchild after all.”

  I hung up and went back to packing. I was still angry at Cooper for not telling me about the trade, and he was going to get an ear full when he got home tonight. But for the first time in our rocky relationship, I felt like this problem—while not ideal—wasn’t going to break us. We’d figure something out. Together.

  I’d finished up the last bit of packing I could handle by myself and was resting my aching feet when the front door opened.

  Cooper stood there, with Snowball in his arms, looking lost.

  “Manny called and told me the story had leaked. He said a reporter was harassing you. I’m sorry you had to find out like that,” he said, putting the puppy down. “They’re waiting until tomorrow to make the official announcement to the press. I thought I had time. I was going to tell you tonight when you got home, but you never showed up.”

  “How’d you know I would be here?”

  “When you didn’t come home, I called Tony, and he told me where to find you.” He came over and sat down next to me, taking my hand. “I was worried about you.”

  “When?” I asked, at last, very quietly. I could hear my voice shaking. “When do you have to leave?”

  “In the morning.” Cooper looked utterly defeated. “My first game with Philly will be tomorrow.”

  “I don’t understand. You just signed a two-year deal. That’s two years. How can they trade you?”

  “All the contract means is I’m guaranteed a job for two years, but not necessarily with New York. Evidently, not everyone in management was happy about the deal. When I got injured, they used that as leverage to push me out.”

  I couldn’t believe how calm he was while I felt like the walls were crashing in on me. “How long have you known?” It was the one question I still had. I needed to know that he hadn’t kept this from me. That he wasn’t keeping secrets.

  “I found out this morning, right before my therapy appointment.”

  “But how long have you known?” I asked, feeling some of my earlier desperation return. “You’ve been talking with Manny every other day for the last month. You knew something. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  He winced. Good. I needed to know that he understood how important this was. He needed to be honest and lay it all out on the table if I was going to be able to trust him again.

  “I didn’t know before today. I promise. At least, not for sure. Manny had suspec
ted. He’s been pitching the trade to Philadelphia. It’s only an hour and a half away.”

  I pulled back my hand and glared at him. “How long?”

  “For about a month. But it wasn’t—”

  “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry. Especially over a rumor. You shouldn’t have to worry every time there’s a rumor or speculation in the press.” He tucked a curl behind my ear. “Philly isn’t that far away.”

  “It’s still a different city. Everything in my life is here in New York. Do you know how hard it is going to be to leave New York?”

  “I’m not asking you to leave. I promise. We’ll figure something out. We’ll keep the apartment here, and I’ll commute if that’s what it takes. Just give me a chance to—” He stopped mid-sentence and cocked his head. “What do you mean by leave?”

  “I hired an administrator today and put the house on the market.” I leaned back and rested my head against his shoulder. “We’ll figure the rest out together.”

  "God, I love you," he murmured and kissed me, gently at first. His lips were warm and soft, but demanding. When he pulled back, I was breathless. “We’ll get someplace bigger. With a yard, like you wanted.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Anywhere you are is home for me,” I said, kissing him again. “You know, since we’re selling this place, I think we should give the bedroom an encore performance. For old times’ sake.”

  “I love the way you think,” he said, scooping me up in his arms and carrying me upstairs.

  Sports Time Weekly

  New York sends Cooper Reynolds to Philly

  Third baseman Reynolds is packing his bags after New York traded him to Philly on Monday, The Post first reported.

  Philly sent left fielder Bryan Stratton, minor league pitcher Jose Alvarez, and $500,000 in international bonus pool space to New York.

  26

  The last two months had been a whirlwind of activity. We were now juggling three houses, twice a week doctor’s appointments, a puppy, and the long hours of my baseball schedule. Emily took it all in stride. We finally got facetime to work on her phone, and besides our nightly chats that were becoming a staple of our relationship while I was on the road, she also used it to show me houses she was touring in Trenton, New Jersey.

  Trenton was a nice compromise. I could easily drive there after a game, and it was only an hour outside of New York City. Although deep down, she’d always be a New York girl, Philadelphia was growing on her. She had started connecting with several of the local charities and was considering opening another center.

  The transition wasn’t only rocky for her. It was taking me awhile to find my footing. A new player coming on mid-season was always hard. And it was especially hard for me. New York was the only team I’ve ever played for. But my new teammates were welcoming, and it didn’t take long before I felt like one of the guys.

  Everything seemed to be falling into place. However, there was still one thing that was left unresolved. And tonight, I was going to fix that.

  The stadium was packed. We were well on our way to sweeping Boston after a six-game series. And despite being new to the team, I played a major role in those wins.

  But tonight, the team was going to have to close out the game without me. Up in the stand, Emily and Ben were watching, and I had something special planned.

  At the seventh inning split, the head coach replaced me. There was a bat boy waiting off field with a bag, and I made my way through the back halls until I made my way to the stand.

  A few rows down, Emily sat next to my best friend listening to a local choir sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game. As I made my way down the steep stairs, the crowd started to take notice. I held up the black velvet box in my hand, pointed to Emily, and then pressed a finger to my lips.

  After the song was over, the announcers came on and updated everyone to the change in the roster. When she heard my name, Emily looked up and scanned the field. I could tell by the set of her shoulder, she was concerned, but I wasn’t going to make her wait in suspense much longer.

  The jumbotron flashed with a big heart and started scanning the crowd. The tinny chords of a love song began playing over the stadium's speakers.

  Couple after couple were captured and prompted to kiss by the crowd. And then the camera fell on Emily and Ben. She shook her head emphatically and tried to wave the cameras off. The crowd around them went wild.

  “Kiss him!”

  “Go on, kiss him!”

  Ben leaned over, and she leaned away almost falling out of her seat. He started laughing and said something I couldn’t hear. While the crowd continued to egg her on, I made my way down the row directly behind them and waited.

  “It doesn’t look like Emily Oliver is interested in kissing her companion,” the announcer said over the speakers.

  The sound of her name stopped her and she looked up, scanning the field again.

  “Turn around,” Someone in the crowd yelled.

  “I think you’re right, John,” the other announcer said. “Maybe she’d be more interested in the fellow behind her. What does the crowd think?”

  Almost everyone around her was now yelling for her to turn around. She stood up and turned, coming face-to-face with me.

  “Cooper? Why aren’t you on the field? Did you know about this?” she asked, shooting Ben the stink eye over her shoulder.

  “I plead the fifth,” he said, laughing.

  “I don’t understand. What are you—” She sucked in a breath as I got down on one knee.

  “Emily, will you make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me?”

  In a typical Emily response, she started to cry and almost looked like she was going to faint from the shock. The sappy love song continued to play in the background, and everyone held their collective breaths, waiting for her to answer.

  “Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you.”

  She leaned over the back of the seat and threw her arms around me. A collective “awww” went up around the stadium as I slipped the ring on her finger. Then I kissed her with everything I had. And this kiss was the best one yet. It was a beginning. We’d made it through a lot of ups and downs, but always came back to each other. And this time, I wasn’t ever going to let her go.

  Musings

  After writing Friends With Benefits, I got the idea for a series loosely tied together by Naomi Dhawan’s PR firm. I wanted to explore different settings and public figures’ relationships with the media.

  Celebrities have a love/hate relationship with the press. A lot of times, the media is very invasive, but the nature of celebrity is to live in the public eye. Some do this much better than others.

  And we, as fans, often get wrapped up in the lives of those celebrities. Honestly, I know more about the personal life of Tom Hiddleston than I do my own nephew. Whether we have the right to know these things are not is certainly up for debate, but that’s the culture we live in. Celebrities invite their fans into their private lives and we happily devour every detail.

  Cooper’s story is the first of several duets I have planned over the next couple of years. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you.

  This book was hard to write and got delayed several times due to… well, life. My family sold their company. The transition was stressful and took up a lot of my brain space.

  I want to take a moment to thank a few people. First, my BETA team. Y’all are truly amazing. I want to give a special thanks to Megan and Jennifer who went above and beyond, helping me fix some major problems. I couldn’t have finished this book without you guys!

  I’d also like to give a shout out to my assistant Adriel. Adriel is a long time friend that fell into being my assistant and I thank God every day that I let a stranger read my very first book—even though I was convinced she’d hate it. Thank you for listening to my weird ramblings and never questioning those two A.M. text. I guess I should probably thank your husband for putting up with me. />
  But now that that’s all over, I’m focusing my books. I

  -Gina

  Before You Go

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  Also by Gina Drayer

  I hope you enjoyed Playing the Game. Please check out my other titles

  Modern Girl’s Guide Series:

  Vacation Flings (Beth and Matt’s story)

  One-Night Stands (Julia and Simon’s Story)

  Friends with Benefits (Megan and Peter’s story)

  Kink (Kim and Cash’s Story)

  Office Romance (Kira and Jason’s story)

  Modern Girl Quickies

  Hostile Takeover (Holly’s story)

  Networking (Jesse’s story)

  Spin-off Series

  Martinis After Dark (Dylon and Lee’s Story)

  Spindoctor Series

  Playing the Game Duet:

  Book 1: Playing the Game

  Book 2: Playing for Keeps

  Modern Girl’s Guide to Vacation Flings

  Make Your Move Fast

  Remember, you're on vacation; your time is limited. Move quickly, make your mark, and be noticed.

  The phone rang for the third time since Beth arrived at the airport. She dug the noisy device out of her purse and glanced at the screen—not that she needed to look—and slid her finger to ignore, again.

  Her sister, Sophia, was in full-out meltdown. They'd talked several times this week, but this was her fourth call since six this morning. Beth was going to have to explain why she'd missed her fitting.