by Raine Thomas
“What’s up?” Alima asked. She had stopped abruptly to avoid stepping into her.
“Sorry. That lady startled me.” She paused and looked more closely at the woman. “Wait…that’s Ginnie. I met her at a pool party not too long ago. She’s looking for a dance studio for her granddaughter.”
“Well don’t keep her waiting,” Alima said, giving her a nudge toward the doors.
Jasmine put on her best professional face and strode over to the door, disarming the lock and pushing it open. Ginnie jumped and took a step back. Her expression brightened when she saw who had opened the door.
“Why, it’s you,” the woman said in a voice that hinted at southern roots. “Imagine that. One of my neighbors mentioned they heard this was going to be a new dance studio. I just had to come and check it out. This is such an excellent location.”
“Isn’t it?” Jasmine agreed, putting all humility aside. “I’d bet you could practically walk here from your complex.”
Ginnie laughed. “When it’s not a hundred degrees outside, I sure could.”
The mention of the late-July heat had Jasmine considering inviting the woman into the A/C, but she really didn’t want potential clients seeing the empty shell of her beloved studio.
“We’re not quite ready for tours yet,” she said, inflecting apology in her tone.
“That’s all right, honey,” Ginnie said in the way older southern women often did. “When’s the big opening?”
Jasmine opened her mouth to reply. She then realized she didn’t have an answer ready.
“Our Open House will be the Tuesday after Labor Day,” Alima said from over Jasmine’s shoulder. “We’ll have information out to the local schools and neighborhood families in a couple weeks.”
Jasmine turned and gave her a wide-eyed look. Sure, Frank said they could knock out the punch list in a couple weeks because most of the big tasks had been completed, but Labor Day was only a little more than six weeks away. She had never dreamed of opening so soon.
Alima’s big smile never wavered. Plastering a similar smile on her face, Jasmine turned back around and nodded at Ginnie to confirm what her friend had said.
“How exciting,” Ginnie said, clapping her hands together. “And what will the studio be called?”
That was another detail Jasmine hadn’t yet nailed down, but the name was suddenly right on the tip of her tongue. She felt as though she was spinning at full speed, so why not run with it?
“Pirouette,” she said.
“Pirouette,” Ginnie repeated. “I love it. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I’ll be sure to share the details with my daughter.”
After waving the woman off, Jasmine re-secured the doors and turned to Alima. “Are you nuts? Labor Day?”
“Yep. Our best bet to get Pirouette rolling,” she said, emphasizing the name, “is connecting with families who need after-school activity options, and school starts in August. This place just needs a few finishing touches.” She stepped forward and gripped Jasmine’s shoulders. “We can do this.”
Her friend’s confidence was enough to overcome the anxiety that had started taking root over how quickly everything was happening.
Jasmine smiled. “Six weeks, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Then we’d better get our asses in gear and make this happen.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“That slider you threw against Howell in the seventh was a fucking work of art, Haviland,” Tony said, lifting his pilsner glass in a form of toast to the starting pitcher.
Along with the rest of his teammates currently taking over half the D.C. hotel’s bar, Will also lifted his beer and took a drink. They had just wrapped up a big series against Washington, sweeping all three games. It gave them a nice bump in the standings. Even though they were still about a month away from the post-season, things were looking good for them to secure their division and earn a playoff berth.
“Thanks,” Randy said with a nod at Tony. “And thanks for pulling my ass out of the fire in the eighth.”
There were some snorts of humor and more drinks over that. Randy had gotten into a tight spot when he walked two batters in the bottom of the eighth. Since they had only been leading by a run, they couldn’t afford to give one up. Tony had relieved him and got the final two outs to end the inning. Will then wrapped it up in the bottom of the ninth, striking out three straight batters.
A buzz in his pocket had him pulling out his cell phone. It was a text from Jasmine.
Hope you’re having fun. Call later if you’re not too tired. Love you.
“Uh-oh,” Eddie said from beside him. “Campbell’s gonna want to go have phone sex again. His girlfriend’s texting.”
Will didn’t care about his teammates’ good-natured laughter over the catcher’s typically tactless remark. He still swiped the text screen away, not wanting to invite any more unwanted razzing.
He instinctively smiled as his home screen photo appeared. It was one of him and Jasmine after the soft opening she held for Pirouette the day before he’d left on this road trip. She had been so excited after it went off without a hitch that she’d dragged him out into the rain and started dancing with him. Sierra’s camera captured a moment where he spun Jasmine out and then back in for a kiss. She texted him the priceless image of that kiss the next day.
The past month was a blur on his memory. Between things heating up in the pennant race, working with Jasmine to get Pirouette up and running in time for her Labor Day goal, getting Katie enrolled in school, working with his dad on a couple more property projects, and handling the legal matters on his plate, there were days he could barely remember his own name.
He wouldn’t change a thing about it, though.
“You do have that whipped look about you these days, Campbell,” Kyle Kintzler observed.
“Hey, sign me up to get whipped by his sexy-hot ballerina any day,” Javy volunteered.
Will just drank his beer, knowing that a response would invite more smartass commentary. Cole stepped in and asked what everyone planned to do when they got home from their road trip, effectively turning the topic.
Just as Will was about to head back to his room so he could call Jasmine, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Ted, a member of the team’s security detail, standing behind him.
“Excuse me, Mr. Campbell,” the brawny guy said. “The woman we’ve been alerted to watch for—Ms. Wilkins—just entered the premises.”
Will straightened and looked across the bar. He spotted Carol Ann near the entrance. She was talking to the woman at the hostess stand, likely pleading her case to get to the back where the players were gathered. She didn’t know that wouldn’t work. The hotel would never earn the business of the team again if they didn’t respect the players’ privacy.
He scanned her attire, taking in the crotch-length skirt, low-cut top, and mile-high stilettoes, and asked himself two questions: one, how had he ever lacked the sense enough to get involved with her?
And two, was he going to end up in the tabloids looking like he was propositioning a hooker just by getting within a few feet of her?
“Thanks, Ted,” he said. “I’ll go talk to her.”
“Should I notify Ms. Sanderson?”
Will had discussed the situation with the team’s owner back when Carol Ann first filed her petition to revise Katie’s custody agreement a few weeks ago. He hadn’t known if the team’s legal or PR teams needed a heads up. Caroline assured him she would take care of things on that end but asked to be kept apprised of any new developments.
“Sure,” he said. Turning to his teammates, he placed some cash on the table to cover his tab and tip and told them, “I’ve got to go take care of something, guys. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
Receiving their round of farewells, he headed through the bar to meet Carol Ann. She stopped harassing the hostess when she saw him coming. Her face transitioned into a smug smile.
“See?�
� she said to the harried hostess who looked near tears. “I told you he’d want to see me.”
Before the hostess could apologize, Will reached into his wallet and fished out a couple of twenties. “For having to deal with her,” he said by way of explanation.
Carol Ann’s smile fell from her face.
The hostess took the twenties and brightened considerably. “Thank you, sir.”
“Come on,” he said to Carol Ann.
Not waiting for her reply, he walked out of the bar and headed to the concierge. The hotel was the type to prep for VIP guests, so the woman behind the desk gave him a cheerful greeting when he approached.
“What can I do for you this evening, Mr. Campbell?”
“You got a business office or someplace quiet I can have a conversation?”
“Of course, sir. Right this way.”
She led them down a quiet hallway on the other side of the registration office to a small meeting room. He thanked her as she let them into the room and closed the door behind them. He took the closest seat at the six-person conference table. Carol Ann strolled leisurely to the other side of the table and eased into the chair across from him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, uninterested in small talk.
“I came to see the game,” she replied. “I drive out to see Washington play at least twice a season. It’s only seven hours from Ashville.”
“Don’t waste my time. You could’ve attended the game without hunting me down.”
She lifted her right arm to brace her elbow on the chair’s back in a negligent pose. “Fine. I want to talk about Katherine.”
He started to snap that her name was Katie before realizing she was baiting him. “You know damn well that you’re supposed to go through my attorney to have these conversations,” he said instead.
“Attorneys gum up the works. We’re two mature adults. I thought I’d simplify things.”
He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “How much do you want?”
“What do you mean?”
He just stared at her and waited for her to get to the point. He had known this day was coming. Jasmine had called it weeks ago too.
Carol Ann shifted and folded her arms in front of her on the table, now all business. “Five million.”
Despite being prepared for this, Will’s temper was running hot. He had to make a concentrated effort not to tear into her.
“Five million,” he repeated. “You’re asking for five million dollars to drop your suit?”
She lifted a hand as though the sum was paltry. “It’s nothin’ to you,” she said in a reasonable tone. “That’s the equivalent of your signing bonus for the year. It’s not like you don’t get another fourteen-mil on top of it, never mind your bonus if y’all win the World Series. And that little property company of yours is already averagin’ over a mil annual.” She leaned forward, her gaze steady on his. “I’ve done my research.”
“Your attorneys have done that research,” he countered. “And how much did that cost you?”
She gave a jerky shrug. “Doesn’t matter. When I win my suit, you’ll be payin’ my attorney’s fees plus more than I make in a year in monthly child support payments.” She gave him another smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “But neither of us really wants to put Katie through all that, do we?”
His neck hurt from the strain of controlling his anger. “So you want the five million for Katie’s sake,” he said slowly.
“Well, it would spare her havin’ to go back and forth between us, wouldn’t it? I can be reasonable about all this, Will.”
Unable to listen to her another minute, he mirrored her posture by folding his arms on top of the table and leaning closer to her. “How about this, Carol Ann,” he said in the same reasonable tone she had used. “I don’t give you a fucking dime and instead let you go into complete financial ruin pursuing a custody case you’re never going to win.”
Her mouth fell open.
“Your entire petition is based on an event that happened almost two months ago,” he went on. “The paparazzi lost interest weeks ago, and Katie’s security was never an issue even when they were around. She’s in school now. She has friends and a normal social life. She’s happy and well cared for. You have no case. In fact, my attorneys expect this to be settled in the next week or so, which is why I figured you’d show up any day now.”
“I do so have a case,” she argued. “Just because you can care for her doesn’t mean I can’t. I’m healthy now and I’m prepared to at least share custody.”
“And what do you think the courts will say when Katie’s medical records are entered into evidence?” Seeing her reaction, he nodded. “My attorney did her research too. I know Katie received medical treatment while she was in your care. Treatment consistent with abuse.”
Her nostrils flared. “Don’t you even,” she said, her tone filled with indignation. “I never laid a hand on that little girl. Maybe I didn’t have the money for fancy childcare and settled for the wrong help on occasion, but that’s nothin’ money won’t fix now.”
“My money.”
“So what? You’re her father. You should be helpin’ to pay for her care.”
“I’m paying for it in its entirety, as I intend to keep doing. Whether or not you hurt Katie—and God help you if I find out you did—the courts are going to learn that she suffered more than just abandonment while she was with you. You can throw every excuse you want to in there, it won’t matter. And let’s face it. If anyone asks Katie what she wants, we both know what she’s going to say.”
Her face flushed with color as she tried and failed to come up with an argument. When it fully registered how deeply in trouble she was, her lips trembled. Her eyes filled.
“But Katie needs her mama,” she said.
“She has one.”
She issued a dark laugh as a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. “Please. You think that dancer of yours actually cares about Katie? She’s the one who got our daughter onto YouTube by teachin’ her those routines. Then she went and got herself all over YouTube too. Convenient, don’t you think?”
She was referencing the viral video he and Jasmine dealt with not long after the pool party. Someone from one of the condos overlooking the pool had posted a video of Jasmine teaching the kids the dance routine. Coming on the heels of Katie’s video with Archer, it generated a lot of interest. Enterprising viewers had pieced together that Jasmine’s was the profile in the original video and that she had taught Katie. Fortunately, the paparazzi hadn’t been interested since there wasn’t a rock star involved. They had also learned their lesson from the fruitless weeks of stalking Will’s house.
But Jasmine had been just as upset about the videos and the paparazzi’s interest in Katie as he was, he reminded himself.
Seeing his expression, Carol Ann rolled her eyes. “Lord, men are such idiots. You really think everything happenin’ with that dancer hasn’t been exactly according to her plans? She’s just your type, Will. A pretty brunette with her own agenda…a woman who knows what she wants and what she has to do to get it.”
His back teeth clamped together. “You don’t know anything about her.”
“Oh, really? Let me guess. She played hard to get and you did all the pursuin’. She made it seem like she had better things to do than get involved with you. Then she finally got you in the sack, but even that was meant to seem like your idea. I’ll bet she’s even convinced you to have unprotected sex.”
He tensed more and more with every word.
“It’s like I wrote her playbook myself,” she said, pulling out a small mirror to check her appearance. “You’re just too blind to see it. Think about it, though. Any woman can pretend to care about a kid who made her famous just in time to get her career started.”
“And yet you can’t even pretend to care about your own child,” he said stiffly as he got to his feet. “You’re a truly disgusting human being, Carol Ann. Seeing as I’ll be filin
g a restraining order against you the minute I leave this office, I imagine this is the last time we’ll ever see each other. Thank God.”
He turned and reached for the door handle. “Good luck with those legal fees,” he said as he walked out the door.
His hands opened and closed into fists as he headed back to his room to start making the calls he needed to make. He had known this confrontation was coming. He’d mentally prepared for it. That didn’t stop some of her comments from hitting their mark.
He still hadn’t directly asked Jasmine how she felt about Katie. Her feelings seemed so apparent to him that it hadn’t seemed necessary.
Were there other people who thought what Carol Ann did? That Jasmine was using him and Katie to achieve the success she couldn’t on her own?
He hated that the timing of the progression of their relationship overlapped with the two videos going viral.
And he hated even more that he wondered, however briefly, if Carol Ann was right.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Two days before Pirouette’s Open House, Jasmine stood with Katie in the girl’s dressing room helping her with her bun before their lesson. They had started having their lessons at the studio a couple weeks ago. Jasmine considered them dry-runs in anticipation of the real-deals to come. They used a different instruction room each time so she could try out the sound systems and get a sense of the acoustics in each one. It would be different once there were actual classes in them, but it was still reassuring to know everything worked as it should.
She and Alima had held their soft opening the week before as another way to iron out any kinks before the Open House. They invited their families and their friends from their dancing group, some of whom had already been officially brought on to teach a few classes. They also invited Will’s teammates who had kids, as well as the people they’d met at the Family Fun Day event who expressed an interest in lessons.
