Play Hard

by V. K. Sykes

  Ordinarily, she’d be waiting for his arrival wearing only a sexy nightgown, or one of his tee shirts with nothing else on underneath but a pair of silky panties. Not tonight. She quickly pulled off her work clothes and reached into her closet to rummage for a pair of sweat pants and one of her stretchy yoga tops. Jake would be arriving soon, so she pulled them on as fast as she could and hurried into the kitchen.

  God, she needed a drink. She grabbed a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator and wasted no time in yanking the cork and filling a glass. She spilled a little as her hand trembled—not in fear of the coming confrontation, but from fear of what this looming disaster could do to Jake.

  And, by extension, to them as a couple.

  All the personal and professional challenges that remained between them suddenly took on mammoth, almost insurmountable proportions. If Jake didn’t back down from this idiocy, Maddie didn’t know what she would do. As she paced from one end of her kitchen to the other like a caged bear, she tried to convince herself that she’d misunderstood the conversation between the two men, replaying the snippets of argument she’d overheard. But the more she went over it, the more convinced she was that the situation truly was as bad as it appeared.

  In ten minutes, she finished off her glass of wine and was tempted to pour another. What the hell was keeping Jake? The waiting was ratcheting up her anxiety to pulse-pounding levels.

  Maddie had just decided to pour a second glass when a tap sounded on the door. Though she had given Jake a key, he always knocked before he let himself in, a gesture that normally pleased her. This time, though, she stalked into the hall and faced the door. As he entered, he froze with his hand still on the door knob, the warm smile on his handsome features evaporating as he took in her aggressive stance.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Then his gaze flicked over her body, taking in her workout attire, and a scowl gathered on his brow. Obviously, she looked like she was ready to throw something at him.

  “We need to talk,” she replied in a tightly-controlled voice.

  “Sure, but how about a hug first?” He reached out to pull her into an embrace, but she dodged him and headed into the living room.

  She plunked down into the easy chair, folding her legs beneath her, and motioned for Jake to sit on the love seat across from her. Yes, she was furious, but she felt sick, too. Almost nauseous from anxiety. She knew this conversation was going to be wrenching.

  Jake sat warily on the edge of the love seat. “Jesus, Maddie, what the hell’s going on? You’ve got me worried.” He looked completely at sea, as of course he would, since he had no idea she’d overheard the damning conversation with Robbie Benton.

  “If you give me a chance, I’ll tell you,” she snapped.

  He blinked, but then his mouth thinned into a hard, angry line. Still, it was obvious Jake was keeping his anger under control. “I’m listening,” he said.

  She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. This discussion was too important to screw up, and she had to keep it together. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

  He gave a cautious nod but remained silent. That was another thing about Jake—he was a fast learner.

  “Anyway, I thought I’d surprise you by meeting you in the parking lot after the game, and taking you to Antonini’s,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest in a classic defensive posture.

  “Great. So, why didn’t you?”

  “I thought maybe we could have something like a real date,” she blurted out. “Instead of what we’ve been doing every night, which is basically hiding out here.”

  Oh, crap. Just what she didn’t need. All her stupid insecurities complicating an already messy situation. Jake looked confused as hell, too. He opened his mouth to say something, but she plowed ahead, ignoring what she’d inadvertently revealed.

  “I was waiting for you in my car, but it was getting late and nobody was around, so I thought I’d go back into the stadium and meet you there. And, frankly, I was starting to worry a bit. I could tell during the game that something was bothering you, and I wondered if you were so late because of that.”

  The oh, shit look on his face, followed by a flare of anger in his eyes, brought her stumbling to a halt. Clearly, Jake knew what was coming.

  “Go on,” he said.

  She sucked in a determined breath. “When I was at the end of the corridor, I heard voices arguing and I decided to go back to the parking lot because I didn’t want to walk into the middle of a scene. But then I could tell it was you and Robbie Benton. So, I decided to wait.”

  “You mean you decided to eavesdrop,” he said in a voice hard enough to make her flinch.

  Yep, there was no doubt he was well and truly pissed off. He’d barely moved a muscle, but it was like a cold, implacable force had settled between them. And Maddie did feel kind of guilty for eavesdropping, which only got her back up even more. Why the hell should she feel defensive, when he was the one who was screwing up? “I was nervous for you. Robbie sounded really angry—”

  “Oh, right,” he interjected. “You didn’t think I could handle Robbie Benton?” He shoved a frustrated hand through his hair. “Christ, Maddie, why the hell couldn’t you mind your own damn business?”

  The impact of his words, what it said about their relationship, slammed into her chest. It almost felt hard to breathe. “What was I supposed to do, just swan into the middle of a shouting match between two guys talking about the worst thing any ballplayer can do?” she forced out.

  Jake sucked in a long, heavy breath and remained silent for a good fifteen seconds. They were about the longest fifteen seconds of Maddie’s life.

  “Well, I guess you heard everything then, didn’t you?” he finally said. “Again, not that it was any of your business.”

  Now anger started to override the hurt she felt at his abruptly dismissive manner. She glared at him, but it didn’t put him off one bit.

  “I can understand you’d be pissed at Robbie,” he said, making it sound like a grudging admission. “And, yes, what he did was incredibly stupid and pretty much unforgivable. But why are you so bent out of shape at me? I barely had one foot in the door before you let loose with your guns.”

  His aggrieved look conveyed that she was somehow at fault. Maddie stared at him, dumbfounded. “Really, Jake? You really don’t get how bad this is? You said you were going to help him cover it up. Make sure it gets swept under the rug so no one ever finds out.”

  He grimaced. “That’s not exactly what—”

  “It sure sounded like it to me,” she flared. “You’re going to pay off the stupid bastard’s debts and then pray he won’t turn around and get himself in the same mess all over again? Well, it’s wrong, Jake. You know it, too, just like you know it’ll totally blow up in your face.”

  He leaned forward in his chair, the level of his frustration and anger evident in his rigid posture. “Look, I can’t let this situation get out of hand. You know what it could mean to the whole team, not just Robbie. It could ruin the entire year for us, and Robbie could even end up in jail.”

  “Which is why you need to let the professionals handle this,” she said, forcing the words past the tightness in her throat. She didn’t know whether she wanted to shake him or burst into tears. Probably both. “This isn’t some little screw-up you can just paper over. This is big, Jake. And if you do try to cover it up, that makes you almost as guilty as Robbie. Do you have any idea what this could do to your career? To us? Are you really willing to throw that all away over something you know is wrong?”

  * * *

  Jake figured he’d somehow entered the Twilight Zone. From the moment he crossed the threshold into Maddie’s apartment, he’d felt like he was dealing with a person he didn’t recognize. Sure, Maddie could be tough when she had to be, but she had the sweetest nature he’d ever encountered. For her to adopt such a rigid and self-righteous attitude completely threw him. She’d obviously thought it necessary to appo
int herself judge and jury—and maybe even executioner—before she even had all the facts. Yes, what Robbie did was big-time wrong, but it wasn’t some kind of capital crime. The guy had made a huge mistake, one that could ruin his life if his friends didn’t lend him a helping hand.

  He stared into her tight face, tracking how tensely she held her slender body. Scrunched up in her chair like that, shoulders up around her ears and arms crossed over her chest, she couldn’t help but send an unmistakable signal that she was shutting him out. It hurt that she would do that before giving him a chance to lay out his version of events, and it pissed him off that she’d listened in on his conversation with Robbie. Nothing gave her that right, not even the closeness between them.

  But despite his justified anger, he felt a whisper of apprehension, maybe even fear, drift through him. What was happening here was bad, and he needed to ratchet down the heat of this conversation before they both said things they’d regret for a long time.

  He blew out a breath, resting his forearms on his thighs as he worked to relax his rigid muscles. “Look, Maddie—honey—I understand what you must be feeling. You and I both love the game so much that it feels like a betrayal when a player does something this wrong. You know I’m totally with you on that. And you know I’ve always supported the league in coming down hard on the juicers and the drug users, right? I’m not some dickhead who wants to let people corrupt the game.”

  He deliberately paused, giving her the opportunity to re-engage with him. She nodded slowly, still wary, but looking like she might be ready to listen.

  “Good,” he said. “That’s good. But you’ve also got to realize I’ve never had to face anything like this before. Robbie’s been a good friend for a dozen years. He’s been there for me in some tough times, and I’ve always tried to be there for him.”

  “I get that,” she butted in impatiently, “I totally get that you’re a good guy. But look where he’s ended up, despite your help. Maybe if you or some of his other friends had come down hard on him a long time ago he wouldn’t be in this mess now. Robbie’s always been a screw-up, and everybody lets him get away with it.” She held up a hand, anticipating his objection. “Of course we know about the crap he pulls on management and the other players. The media office may be able to minimize some of the gossip, but reporters aren’t stupid, Jake.”

  He shook his head, trying to control his rising frustration at her hard-assed attitude. “Yes, I realize you’re not stupid, but hindsight’s always twenty-twenty. What I know for sure is that Robbie is a decent guy, even though he’s made some big mistakes in the past. Now he’s made a monumental cock-up, no question about that, and he’s got himself in some serious trouble, possibly even risking his life. If somebody doesn’t help him get out of it, he’ll be drummed right out of baseball. But that’s nothing compared to what Nazarian will do to him. Christ, Maddie, the guy could even end up at the bottom of the Delaware.”

  She actually rolled her eyes at him. “Nazarian’s a low-life bookie, not a mobster. There are dozens more just like him preying on idiots like Robbie all the time, which is why Robbie needs help from professionals. Not a well-meaning friend who’s likely to cause as much harm as good.”

  “Oh, really?” he snapped, pushing himself to his feet. “Do you think I’m that stupid?”

  She sighed, extending a hand out to him. When he stepped out of reach, her eyes betrayed how much the gesture wounded her, and she quickly put her hand in her lap. “No Jake,” she answered in a low voice. “Of course I don’t think you’re stupid.”

  “Then trust me to do the right thing.” He raised his hands, palms up, asking for understanding. “I have to help my friend, Maddie. Call it a cover-up if that makes you happy, but I’d rather call it a rescue mission. It’s not going to do anybody any good if Robbie gets kicked out of baseball. In fact, it could do a whole lot of damage to people who don’t deserve it—like all the other players on the team, and their families. And I’m not going to have Robbie’s fate on my conscience, either, if Nazarian decides to hurt him. Or worse.”

  She scoffed at him, which really pissed him off.

  “Come on, Jake. How likely is that? Nazarian might rough Robbie up a bit—”

  Again she held up a hand, anticipating his objection. “Look, I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but Robbie’s the one putting himself in harm’s way, not you. And as for getting kicked out of baseball, yes, that’s probably what’ll happen. And it should happen. Any player or coach betting on baseball should be run out of the game forever. No exceptions.”

  Jake couldn’t believe her lack of empathy. Did the rules really matter that much to her? Then again, given her reluctance to break team rules by getting involved with him, he guessed he should have seen this coming. Maddie liked the straight and narrow, and she wouldn’t have much sympathy for someone who wandered off into the weeds. He supposed he could understand it, but it sure didn’t sit that well with him.

  “Then you don’t care that the man will end up nearly destitute if he’s found out, even in the best case scenario?” he said, giving it one last-ditch effort. “He’s got a family, Maddie. He’s divorced, but he’s got an ex and two kids to support. Do you really want to trash their lives, too?”

  He didn’t think she could hunch her shoulders up any higher around her ears, but apparently she could.

  “That’s not fair, Jake,” she said defensively. “Robbie will still get a pretty good baseball pension because he’s been in the league long enough. He could probably live on that, even if he never found a real job. And, yeah, it’ll suck for him if he’s banished from the game, but he’s getting near the end of his career anyway, and he was sure never going to get into the Hall of Fame.” She shook her head. “There are bigger issues at stake. This is about a lot more than your friendship with Robbie, and you need to realize that.”

  He wanted to pound his head against the wall. Christ, he was tired of fighting with the people he cared for. “Maddie, I’m done arguing. You’ve got a right to see it your way. But I’m telling you one more time, I’m going to help my friend out of his mess. I’m going to make sure he pays off his debts to Nazarian, and I’m going to make damn sure he stops betting once and for all by getting into a serious addiction program. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no downside to that.”

  Now Maddie was up out of her chair, waving her hands in his face in obvious exasperation. “And how exactly are you going to do that? Did he even agree to go into a rehab program?”

  Jake gave a little shrug. “Not yet, but he will.”

  “Don’t hold your breath,” she said. “No, Robbie needs to own up to what he did and come clean with the team. The Patriots would make sure he got treatment. They’re not just going to throw him in the dumpster, Jake. They have way more resources to handle this than you do.”

  She was probably right about that. He’d have to lean really hard on Robbie to get him to agree to treatment. But going to the team would ruin what was left of Robbie’s career, and would jeopardize his future. “I won’t say you’re completely wrong, Maddie, but I still can’t walk away. I promised Robbie I’d help him, and I will. Later, if what I’m trying to do doesn’t work, then maybe I’ll have to take it higher up the food chain.”

  The anger drained from her face, replaced by something that looked close to desperation. She raised her hand to touch his chest before letting it drop to her side. It killed him that she felt she couldn’t really touch him.

  “Jake, I know you think you’re doing the right thing. But Robbie needs to take responsibility for what he’s done. Yes, he’s your friend, but if you cover this situation up now, it’s going to come back on you. I know it as sure as I’m standing here.”

  Man, she was not giving up, and that was making him crazy, too. Why couldn’t she trust him? “You can’t possibly know that,” he said in a hard voice.

  She shook her head hard. “Don’t you get it? Crap like this always gets out. And then what? What hap
pens when it comes out that Jake Miller knew the score and tried to hush it up? That you were the one who loaned him the money to pay off the bookie? How do you think that will look on your plaque in the Hall of Fame? Oh, wait a second,” she said sarcastically. “I guess you won’t need to worry about that, since the only way you’ll get to Cooperstown after this is as a tourist.”

  He wasn’t stupid, and he knew the risks he was taking. If he stayed healthy for two or three years, he’d have the numbers that would get him into the Hall of Fame and baseball immortality. Along with winning a World Series, it was the ultimate goal every player strived to reach. But he’d made a promise to a friend, and that had to trump personal considerations. Especially since Robbie’s life might well be in danger.

  “Okay, I hear you,” he said. “But we’re obviously not going to agree on this, so there’s not much point in me staying over tonight. We’ll just keep arguing and I’m too damn tired for that.”

  She flinched, and then sank down onto the loveseat. Obviously, she hadn’t been expecting that.

  “Before I go, I have to say one more thing,” he said. He had to try and make her understand. “The way I was raised, friendship meant something. It meant being willing to take some heat to help a friend in trouble. It meant having compassion, even when that friend really fucked up. I don’t know any other way to be, Maddie.”

  Her features pulled tight with shock at the implication he left hanging in the air. Feeling like a total bastard, Jake turned away. But before he reached the door, she finally found her voice. “Jake, hold on for one more minute, will you? I haven’t finished yet, either.”

  Jake turned. She was now on her feet again. How a woman could look so small and delicate but still so full of fight was beyond him. And even in her workout clothes, she looked so beautiful it made his chest ache. “Go ahead,” he said. Part of him wished she would ask him to stay, but from the set of her jaw, that looked highly doubtful.