Enamored

by Susan Scott Shelley

  Claire pulled her mask into place. The costume designer had done a great job. Exaggerated blue eyes framed by thick lashes and a friendly expression made Fiona the perfect counterpart to Fin. Claire's expression was hidden behind the dark screen but he thought she was smiling.

  "I've watched Fin for years, but I'd never really thought about the person inside the costume. I guess that's true for most people when it comes to the mascots."

  "I actually like it that way. When I go out, no one recognizes me. Slade, Dom, and Adam get recognized all the time. It's hard for them to live a normal life. I get a taste of it when we go places together and I really like being the anonymous friend."

  "When I think of players and mascots, I don't think of them hanging out together. It's nice you can do that and they aren't some macho athletes who look down on the mascot as some kind of clown."

  "I don't know how it is in every ball club or how even half of the guys in the Riptide's clubhouse feel, but those three are my best friends. Dom and I became friends a few seasons ago because one of the terminally ill kids in the charity wanted to meet us both. We spent a lot of time with him that season before losing him to cancer right before the season ended. That experience bonded Dom and me, and through him, I got to know Adam and Slade. Adam's our voice of reason, always looking out for us. And Slade, well, he and I clicked instantly. He's the brother I never had. They're all the brothers I never had."

  Claire backed up to give him room as he made his way to the door. "You're an only child?"

  He nodded and reached for his keys. "You? No, wait, you have a sister."

  "I have five sisters. I'm the eldest. And sometimes I wish I were an only." She pulled the door closed at her back. "Are we taking the golf cart to the training room? Can I drive?"

  “Sure. Thanks.” He could still manage to drive but didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with her, so he tossed her the keys, climbed into the passenger side, and then set the crutches behind him. “You know, the costumes didn’t always have gloves. For years, they were a solid piece where the fins covered the hands completely. But when I started, I lobbied hard for the gloves because I needed more control over the stunts. Plus, I didn’t need someone to drive me around the stadium, and it would be easier to throw balls and shirts to the fans. I never even thought about how I’d need my hands free to deal with crutches. Added bonus, I guess.”

  The ride through the hallways and down the elevator took only a few minutes, but having Claire so close, with her arm brushing his, was enough to scramble his concentration.

  The film crew set up the first shot in the hallway and had Fiona march ahead of Fin and dramatically point to the training room. Fin maneuvered into the space and looked at Fiona, waiting for further instruction. She patted the small couch along the wall and motioned for him to sit. He complied with his leg extended over the rest of the cushions. She slid a pillow under his ankle, then shook her fin at him. He hung his head and did his best to appear chastised.

  Fiona nodded and turned away, busying herself with some of the equipment on the opposite side of the room. Fin picked up his crutches and kept twisting toward her, checking to see if she noticed him moving. Then he stood and hobbled into the hall. He hopped to the golf cart and started it up, continuing to glance over his shoulder. The cameraman backed up to capture both Fin's escape and Fiona exaggerated surprise as she watched him drive away and then ran after him.

  Laughing hard, Liam reversed his movement and came to a stop by her side. "Nice job in there. I think our first video was a success. That one will play in well with Fin sneaking on the field."

  "True." She climbed into the cart for the short ride back to the training room. "Fiona needs to pull out some tricks to keep Fin where she wants him."

  He nudged her shoulder. "And where do you want me?"

  "I... I mean Fiona probably wants to chain Fin to the training table."

  The scene unfolded in his mind—only the table became a bed where he and Claire wrestled for control. "I would fight the chains. Unless you stayed with me."

  Her breath hitched and then she cleared her throat. "You mean Fiona. Fin would fight unless Fiona stayed with him."

  "Right." He eased back and climbed off the cart, remembering at the last second to grab his crutches. The last thing he needed would be to take another tumble. He blamed the blood flowing south for his momentary lapse in judgment.

  The next scene called for Fin to sit on the trainer's table, leg extended. Claire stood by his side while the crew readied themselves. "I don't want to hurt you. It is really okay if I touch your leg?"

  "As long as you don't smash a mallet over it, I think it'll be okay."

  She rested her covered hand on his shin, light enough to barely register, but he could easily imagine the touch without the layers of fabric separating their skin. "You joke around a lot."

  He shrugged. "Not always. But it's hard to be serious when we're both wearing giant shark costumes."

  "You have a point." She stepped back. "And I have an idea. Would you be okay with Fiona tying Fin to the table with a few exercise bands? We could have two of the players come in and distract Fiona while another helped Fin escape."

  "I'm all for it. Adam can distract you while Slade and Dom help me escape. I'll need them both if I want to move fast." He loved getting his friends in on the action and with them there, he'd have more of a distraction from Claire.

  They recorded a few more videos until his friends arrived dressed in uniforms amid loud footsteps and laughing banter. From his place on the table, Liam instructed someone to lock the door so he and Claire could remove their masks for a moment, and then made the introductions, first pointing to his oldest friend. "This is Dom Torres, center fielder. Next to him is Adam Hudson, today's starting pitcher. And you know Slade."

  Slade waved at Claire as she slipped her mask in place and then surveyed them with a wide grin. "You two look adorable."

  Liam threw a towel at him and missed by a mile. "Shut up. But yeah, that's the idea."

  Dom came to the center of the room. "Where do you need us?"

  Claire pointed with her soft fins, looking far too charming in her costume for her own good. "Adam comes in first with an injury and while I'm checking him, you and Slade sneak in and untie Fin and carry him out."

  Adam's laughter rang through the room. "That's great. Maybe the cameras can follow the guys and they carry him into the clubhouse."

  "Easy for you to suggest when you're not the one carrying him." Slade lobbed the towel at Liam. "I like it."

  Dom dramatically wobbled his knees and staggered forward. "We'll try not to drop you."

  Liam shook his head and fixed his mask in place. He was surrounded by comedians. "Maybe we should stick with the golf cart. Let's get started."

  The guys left and Liam adjusted his position on the table. Once the camera was rolling, Claire again came to his side and shook her fin at him. Liam lifted his arms into a shrug with fins upturned. Then she held up the exercise bands she'd tied together. The sound engineer would add in suspenseful music during editing. Liam forcefully shook his head in exaggerated movements, with the camera closing in on his face to give Claire time to slip the band over his torso and grab the other end from the floor.

  The camera backed away, panning out as Fiona tied the ends, and then Liam did his best impression of a flailing fish flopping around a boat.

  Adam walked in, holding his side and grimacing in pain. Fiona rushed to his side and led him to the table on the other side of the room.

  Dom and Slade poked their heads into the room, glancing from side to side like they were in a really bad suspense movie. They crept into the room, hamming up their expressions for the camera, and worked fast to free Fin.

  Dom grunted as they lifted Liam from the table. "What the hell do you sharks eat?"

  "Shh. No talking." Liam elbowed him and then wrapped his arms around their shoulders. As soon as they'd cleared the room and were moving down
the hall, he allowed himself to laugh. "Adam's a genius. But we didn't plan this part, so I hope Dusty doesn't get pissed that I'm in the clubhouse again."

  "Dusty can go to hell." Dom's love for the grouchy team manager was non-existent. "Most of the team should be warming up on the field about now. We need to head out there after dropping you off."

  "Yeah, but we'd better circle back and grab Adam. Dusty made a big deal about all of us being out there to show our team commitment. I don't want him getting chewed out for being a minute late." Slade nodded to the employee who saw them coming and opened the door to the thankfully empty locker room. They set Liam down on the bench in front of Slade's locker.

  "Go on. I don't want Dusty benching you guys to prove a point. Thanks for helping out." Liam waved them away and as the cameraman came closer, he picked up a sports magazine that someone had left on the bench and began leafing through it.

  The door banged open and Fiona stood in the threshold, arms crossed and tapping her foot. Liam tossed the magazine aside and looked around for his crutches. But they were back in the training room. Fin was trapped. This would make for a great video. He hung his head and then looked at Fiona and shrugged with his fins upturned again.

  Shaking her head, she reached for something outside the room, then brought his crutches into view.

  Liam grinned. Hopping back to the training room on one foot wasn't something he'd wanted to do. Fiona handed over his crutches. Liam stood, then made sure the camera was close. He leaned down and kissed Fiona's cheek. Or as close to a kiss as he could manage, touching Fin's open mouth rimmed with rows of teeth to the side of Fiona's face. It was the best he could do.

  Fiona pointed to the door, and then again in the hall, she pointed toward the training room. Fin nodded and moved in that direction. He paused at a light touch on his back and glanced to his side. Fiona's fin rested there as they walked. She had good instincts. The camera following behind them caught every moment.

  When they reached the training room, he relaxed against the table. The cameraman gave him a thumbs-up and ended the recording, then left the room.

  Claire hopped up on the table in one graceful move. "Was that kiss on the cheek the start of Fin and Fiona's romance?"

  "I think so." It hadn't been scripted that way, but had felt right in the moment. "That okay with you?"

  "Fiona is ready for whatever Fin does next." She was close enough for him to see her eyes through the mesh opening. As blue as the sky and reflecting the same want coursing through his blood.

  Maybe Fiona was ready for Fin, but Liam sure as hell wasn't ready for Claire.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CLAIRE

  CLAIRE STOOD IN THE ballpark's tunnel, seconds away from her grand entry. Her heart beat hard as nerves needled her stomach. The size of the crowd easily quadrupled the number that had attended her college football games. And the national broadcast meant that potentially millions of people would witness her debut. Amazing and scary as hell.

  Deep breathing before her gymnastics competitions had always helped. So had visualizing her routine. She did the same now. Blocking out Liam in the golf cart, the chatting security and staff surrounding them, and the noise of the crowd, she ran through everything from start to finish. She could do this.

  Liam's hand touched her forearm. "You'll do great. The crowd is going to love you. And I'll be right there with you. We can talk via the headsets."

  "I'm ready. Let's do it."

  He started the engine. "Don't forget to take a moment when you get out there. Soak it up. There's nothing like stepping onto the field for the first time."

  Music poured from the stadium speakers. Liam nodded. "That's my cue."

  And he was off, zooming in a lap around the field. Cheers from the crowd rose to deafening levels. They obviously loved Fin.

  "It feels good to be back." Liam's voice rasped in her ear. She kept her gaze trained on the giant screen over left field which gave the crowd a close-up view of Fin's antics.

  He hopped out of the golf cart at home plate and waved one crutch in the air. The camera zoomed in on the white cast covering Fin's left ankle. The crowd's collective aww made Claire smile. They really cared about him.

  Fin made his way a few feet up the third base line and stopped at the warning track. Crutches in place and standing on one foot, Fin wiggled his body in a shark's version of The Twist. He pointed his crutch toward the crowd in front of him and the little kids in the stands copied his dance. Then he pointed the crutch out to the left side and did the dance moves again. After lowering the left crutch, he lifted the right one and danced again.

  Liam's voice crackled once again in Claire's ear. "I'm almost ready for Fiona to join the party."

  He lifted both crutches into the air and waved them around, getting the crowd to respond with a roar. Then he froze.

  The music stopped.

  He looked down at his feet, as though he was just realizing that he was on one foot and rapidly losing his balance. The crutches flapped in the air in a frantic attempt for him to regain it. He fell backward, the crutches flew out of his hands, and he landed on his back in the grass. Claire's breath caught. Half the crowd gasped. The other half laughed as Fin wiggled from side to side in exaggerated and silly attempts to get back to standing. He failed every time.

  A siren sounded and an ambulance graphic lit up the giant screen. The lights around the stadium flashed red and white.

  Claire took a deep breath. Her moment had arrived.

  She ran onto the field.

  The PA announcer's voice rang out around her. "And here we have Fiona the Nurse Shark. She doesn't look too happy with Fin's dancing antics."

  The crowd cheered. Claire blinked at the wave of sounds, slowing for a moment to do as Liam had suggested, taking it all in. Clear sky, thick carpet of grass under her feet, thirty thousand fans in the stands, the players on the field, and the cameramen capturing her every move. Never in her dreams had she imagined having an experience like this.

  The sirens switched to a pulsing instrumental with a heavy drum beat. She launched into a series of handsprings and somersaults straight across the outfield. Cheers grew louder and everywhere she looked, fans were applauding. She jogged down the third base line, waving at them with both hands.

  Reaching Fin, she shook her fin at him, then gathered the crutches and helped him stand. With a dramatic sweep of her arm, she pointed at the golf cart, then used her other fin to motion him over to it.

  Fin hung his head, but hobbled over and climbed inside the passenger seat. Claire waved to the crowd again, then joined him.

  "Fiona will be here at the park, making sure Fin follows his recovery. Let's all give her a big welcome." The PA announcement was followed by an increased cheer.

  Liam twisted toward her. "Nice moves out there."

  "Thanks." Excitement and happiness filled her to bursting. She drove carefully off the field amid the roar of the crowd.

  "Head back to our office. We don't have to be back on the field for another few innings."

  She navigated the hallways at a slow speed. Everyone they passed gave them high-fives or asked to pose for a picture.

  Fifteen minutes after her on-field debut, they reached the quiet privacy of the office.

  Liam locked the door behind them, then pulled off his mask. With the flick of a remote, the Riptide game lit up the small TV on the wall. He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and lobbed one in her direction. Leaning on his crutches, he twisted the top off and lifted the open bottle in toast. "Here's to an awesome debut. To put it in baseball terms, you knocked it out of the park."

  Claire's smile couldn't get any wider. She removed her mask and raised her water. "Thanks. And here's to us being a successful team."

  "I'll drink to that." His throat worked as he downed the contents of the bottle. Her gaze fixed on his tanned neck and the drop of water that ran down and disappeared beneath his costume.

  Heat overwhelmed her. He
really was an attractive man. Reminding herself that she was twenty-six and not some hormone-ruled teenager, she drank her water and focused on their schedule for the rest of the game. "We're supposed to be at the kids' zone in the third inning, then the fan shop in the fifth. Then we're back on the field during the seventh inning stretch where I'll challenge some little kids to a cartwheel competition. Winner gets a Fin the Shark baseball cap."

  "Be prepared for lots of kids petting your costume and asking if it's really a costume or if we're real sharks." He laughed and grabbed another water. "I love that one. The adult fans are great but the kids are the best part. You'll see. They get so excited."

  "I didn't realize exactly how much Fin is loved until I was down there in the middle of everything." Countless photos of Fin with little kids covered an entire wall. Confidence drooping, she paced the room. What if the youngest fans didn't end up liking her? "I know I did pretty well today, but I'm worried a lot of those kids are going to resent Fiona for sending Fin off the field. Having you out there will help them accept me."

  "Hey," Liam's hand on her shoulder halted her movement. "Introducing a new character is tough, but you've done it before and you're talented as hell. Not only with the moves; your sense of timing is perfect. Besides, who can resist a cute shark like you? Fin's going to be spewing hearts out of his gills over Fiona. The kids will see that and fall for her too."

  They shared a smile and Claire stilled as Liam's gaze roamed over her face. Sweat glistened on his skin and darkened his hair. She battled back the strong urge to sweep the damp strands off his forehead. Three days wasn't much time to learn about someone but she liked what she'd discovered so far. He watched her like he was interested, like he was memorizing every inch and wanted to learn more.

  She shifted a step closer, enjoying the weight of the hand still resting on her shoulder, and his fingers lifted to brush through the ends of her hair. She'd never dated a co-worker. Never dated much, period. Past dates and boyfriends hadn't liked taking a backseat to the responsibilities to her family. Those responsibilities weren't quite as demanding anymore. She deserved to have some fun and her interactions with Liam proved he'd be a lot of fun.