“…and I’m the past.” Devon completed his sentence. He turned to stare back out the window.
“That’s not what they said,” Reed emphasized emphatically.
“No, but that’s what they meant. They want me to lay the groundwork,” Devon said.
“Exactly, teach him the ropes.”
“Then?” Devon questioned.
“Then they want you in the front office. Management, coaching, you name it, your ticket, whatever you want.”
“Yeah, right. For what? Two seasons tops?” Devon said, knowing the games team owners played in order to appease franchise players and fans. There was no way he could just disappear off the roster. Devon filled the stadium. His speed and agility on the field excited the fans, and they loved him. They couldn’t just trade him or let him go. The media and fans would eat them up. No, they needed him around a little while longer anyway.
“I’m headed back to the table next week. What do you want to do?”
“Give me a few days to think about it. I’ll call you,” he said then looked down at the monopoly game board again. “It’s a long way down, isn’t it?” Devon said, thinking about his grandfather’s words again.
“I wouldn’t worry about that. You’re gonna be riding the clouds for a long time to come. And actually, there was an interesting side comment made after the meeting broke. So, tell me about you and Jazelle Richardson.”
Devon turned to him, questioning. It always amazed him how Reed, once an obscure agent in a small sports agency, seemed to know everything about everyone. “I’m not even going to ask you how you know that.”
Reed smiled and chuckled. “A celebrity having a personal life isn’t what it used to be. Especially now since half the population is blogging or twittering or whatever the next new social gimmick is going to be. You’d be surprised how quickly word gets around in this business about any and everything.”
“I probably would be,” Devon said. “How did you know?”
“My assistant brought it to my attention. She reads the entertainment blogs. There was something about Jazelle Richardson and a football player, Devon Hayes, at a matchmaker party in Sag Harbor.”
Devon instantly thought about the kiss he and Jazz shared out at the gazebo. “What did it say?”
“It was more of a teaser, so there was nothing really substantial. It alluded to more, but stopped short of saying much. But what it basically said was that the two of you looked pretty cozy having an intimate conversation. It also alluded to the possibility the two of you were a lot closer.”
Devon smiled and shook his head. “Jazz and I hung out a little bit while I was in Sag Harbor. I enjoyed her company. That’s all there is. No big secret.”
Reed nodded. “I’m not the only one interested. As I said, a couple of the owners have expressed interest.”
Devon was surprised by the comment. “Let me guess—they want me to distance myself?”
“You got it. They see another publicity disaster coming.”
“What if I don’t?” Devon asked. Reed didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. “My contract’s on the line, right?”
“Think about it. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do.”
Devon shook his head and walked to the door. He needed this contract, but he wanted Jazz. They were giving him a choice. “I’ll talk to you in a few days.”
He got in the elevator and pressed the button to the ground floor. He looked up at the digital display. The floors clicked by, and it seemed that his confusion clarified as they did. He looked at his reflection in the mirrored siding. His eyes told the story. He was in love. He made his choice.
On the way to his car, his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID. It was his grandfather. “Hi, Granddad, what’s up?”
“Guess who your grandmother and I just met?” Clayton said.
Devon didn’t have to guess; he knew exactly who it was. “I have a quick stop to make, then I’m on my way back now.”
Chapter 15
EXTERIOR—MELANIE’S HOME
As soon as Jazz returned to Melanie’s home that day, she’d made her decision. The notion had rambled in her thoughts for the last few days. There was nothing and nobody keeping her here any longer. Melanie had been a godsend when she needed her. But now it was time to leave. She needed to get back to her life and put the pieces back together. Her mother and Brian were gone, and nothing she could do would change that. So now she needed to do exactly what those who hid beneath the old church pews did. She needed to make a new life for herself and put the past behind her. There was no need to delay any longer; the sooner, the better.
Melanie was the first person she told about her plans. She would be leaving to head back to New York the following day. Soon after that, she intended to go back home to L.A.
“You know you don’t have to leave. Having you here has been a delight. You’re more than welcome to stay as long as you need.”
“Melanie, you are so good to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you. But I need to get back. I’ve been hiding under the church pews long enough.”
“Hiding under the pews?” Melanie asked. Jazz explained the reference to Clayton and Pearl’s tour of the old church. Melanie nodded her understanding. “As long as you’re sure,” she added.
“I am,” Jazz said.
Jazz spent the rest of the afternoon packing, making phone calls, first to Savannah, then to her attorney, her agent and her manager. They were all delighted to hear she was ready to come back to work. Savannah was, of course, the most delighted. Since she was returning to the States shortly as well, they had planned on getting together in New York as soon as she arrived.
By early evening, Jazz had finished packing and sent most of her belongings to her apartment. She contacted her assistant and told her that she was coming back. Her record producer was the last to hear the news. He called just as she changed into her bathing suit and headed to the pool. “I hope this phone call means that your self-imposed hiatus from the music world is over and you’re ready to record.”
Jazz chuckled. DJ Moss was the best when it came to music careers. He’d been her record producer since the beginning. He was pompous, temperamental and truthful to the point of being rude, but he was also the best in the business. “Let’s just say that I’m turning a corner. I want to do a CD.”
“Man, I thought I’d never hear you say those words again. That’s like music to my ears.”
“Wait, but first I want to do an EP to test the waters.”
“An extended play, six to ten songs. Okay, that sounds good. When can we get together? I can tell you right now that I have about three dozen songs with your name on them. I can contact the label. They’d gnaw their right arm off to get you back into the studio.”
“Whoa, not so fast. I have a project I’d like to do first. I was thinking something more specialized.”
“Whatever it is, fine. We’ll work it out. Why don’t we set up a meet and talk about it?”
“Okay, that sounds good. I’ll be heading back to New York tomorrow. I’ll get out to the Coast by the end of the week. Where are you now?” she asked him.
“Atlanta, headed to L.A. the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay. Why don’t I call you when I get to L.A.?”
“Jazz, it’s good to have you back.”
“Thanks, Moss. It’s good to be back.”
Jazz closed her cell phone and smiled. It felt good to have a purpose again, to see a future again. She looked over at the sealed envelope sitting on the table beside her. She knew what she had to do. She took a deep breath and picked it up. She opened the seal and pulled out the script. Turning to the first page, she started reading. She didn’t stop until she’d read the entire manuscript. She laughed, she cried, but most of all she was deliriously happy. She held the papers close to her heart as she picked up her cell. This was one call she’d never thought she’d make. Frank picked up on the second ring. “Jazelle?”
“Yes, it’s me,” she said evenly.
“Is everything all right? Are you okay?” The strained worry and concern in his voice was evident.
“I’m fine,” she said, putting his fears at ease.
“I assume you read it?” he asked cautiously.
“Yes.”
“And?” he asked.
“You were right. It’s perfect. I want to be part of it.”
Frank openly sighed on the other end. It sounded as if he’d been holding his breath for years. “Thank you,” he said quietly, seemingly more to himself than to her. “When can we get together and talk?”
“I’ll be back in New York tomorrow. I don’t expect to be heading back to the Coast until the end of the week.”
“Fine. I’ll meet you either in L.A. or New York, whenever, wherever you say. Just call me when you’re ready. I’ll be there.”
She nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
“No—thank you. I’ll see you then, and, Jazelle, thank you for calling me.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in a few days.” She closed her cell and smiled. Conversations with her father didn’t come easy. They were usually aggressive, argumentative or downright hostile. This was a first. They were actually civil. There was no guarantee that any of this would work. The studio might hate the idea of them working together. It was a well-known fact that she and her father didn’t get along. But for Brian, she would do anything.
“Jazz, I’m headed out,” Melanie called from the patio doorway.
Jazz got up, wrapped the sari around her hips and headed into the house. She smiled as soon as she saw Melanie standing in the foyer. “Wow, Mel, you look sensational,” Jazz said admiringly.
“Thanks.”
Jazz walked Melanie to the front door. They talked about the evening’s festivities and Melanie’s sponsorship of several of the charity events that evening. “Have a great time.”
Melanie flashed a bright white smile. “I always do. Now, are you sure you don’t want to come along? It’s one of those events that starts early and ends whenever, and it’s always a lot of fun. I’ll be happy to wait while you change or have the car come back and pick you up.”
“No, I’m fine. I have some last-minute details to take care of, and then I’m going to take a nice long swim and relax the rest of the evening. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long time before I’ll be able to just chill and veg-out again.”
“I’m certainly going to miss having you here.”
“I’m going to miss being here,” Jazz said as they hugged. “Okay, have a great time for me, too.” Melanie nodded and walked to her waiting car. Jazz waved as the car drove off. She closed the door and turned back to the empty house. She headed back out to the pool area. The blue water sparkled fresh and crystal clear. She walked around to the deepest end of the pool, removed her wrap and dove into the sparkling water. She swam a half-dozen laps then lay on her back, breathless, floating in sheer exhaustion.
It felt good to push herself. She raised her arm slowly and stroked backward to the far edge of the pool, then rested a moment, letting the late afternoon sun warm her face. She heard her cell ringing. She pulled herself out of the water and hurried over to the lounge chair. Just as she opened her cell, it stopped ringing. She checked caller ID, finding that it was an unknown caller. She grabbed a towel and dried her face then walked back over to the pool and dove in.
She swam several more laps before realizing that someone was watching her. She stopped and grabbed hold of the pool’s edge at the far end and looked behind her. She recognized the silhouette immediately. It was Devon. He stood, staring at her just inside the patio’s open doorway. Her heart soared at seeing him there. Breathless, she wiped her face with her hand and smoothed her wet hair back. She smiled inwardly. He was back.
Devon didn’t expect the welcome sight he received.
His mouth went dry instantly. Seeing Jazz in the pool was one thing; seeing her wet, walking around so freely in her scant bikini, was his undoing. Every seething impulse in his body wanted to grab her up and make love to her right then and there. By the pool, on the lounge, on the grass; it didn’t matter—he just wanted her. But he held tight to his desire. He closed his eyes and took a deep long breath, exhaling slowly. The forced tightening in his jeans made standing uncomfortable. Walking, he surmised, would be nearly impossible.
He told himself that it was solely his grandfather’s phone call that brought him back, but he knew better. It was Jazz. Not seeing her or being with her the last few days had left him empty. Sure, he’d done everything he needed to do; he completed his business transactions, did the interviews, posed for photos, sponsored events, but the luster and enjoyment that was usually always there was missing. It seemed crazy to want and need someone so much, so quickly, but the fact was, he did want and need her.
In reality they’d only just met, but in the short time they shared, something inside of him had changed. It was as if they’d known each other forever. Now he stood in the shadows, watching her. There was nothing more perfect than seeing her again. He knew right then that his life would never be the same without her. She was the one, the real one, the only one.
Still unnoticed, he watched as she dove into the water. It didn’t matter about form or style or the amount of splash she made. She was undoubtedly a perfect ten in every respect. She swam a few laps before stopping. She grabbed hold of the pool’s edge and turned to him. He licked his lips and, as casually as humanly possible, strolled over. Midway, Jazz released the edge and swam over to meet him at the ladder near where he waited. He stood looking down at her with his back to the setting sun, allowing her to look up at him without being blinded.
“Hi,” she said, still breathless from swimming laps.
“Hi,” he said, barely smiling as he looked down at her beauty. Seeing her again confirmed what he already knew: he was completely in love with her. He also saw that she was her old self again and not the cold, disheartened person from the café.
“You’re back,” she said. “I didn’t know if you were ever—”
“Coming back?” he asked, finishing her thought.
She nodded. “When did you get in?”
“Just now. A few minutes ago,” he said.
“Wait, how did you get in here?” she added, looking back at the house. The front door was locked; she was sure of it.
“I got home and found this sitting on my desk. I was on my way over when I passed Melanie on the road. She had her driver turn the car around. She let me in.” Jazz recognized the gift immediately. She glanced behind him, expecting to see Melanie. “Melanie continued on to the party.”
“Would you hand me a towel, please?” she said then heaved herself out of the pool. He reached down to help her stand. She pulled up and bumped against him. “Sorry. I got you wet.”
“Believe me, I don’t mind.” He grabbed the towel from the lounge chair and handed it to her. She dried off quickly, then wrapped the sari around her hips.
“So, you’re back. I guess you’re going to that party at the country club? I hear just about everybody else in Sag Harbor’s going.”
“No, actually I thought I might stay at home tonight. I’m not particularly feeling in a party mood. By the way, thank you for this. It’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you got it,” she said, glancing down at the folded paper in his hand.
“My mother told me that a mysterious fan dropped something off to me at the house. I had no idea she meant you. Why didn’t you tell her who you were?”
“She was your mother? I had no idea. She looks so young.”
He smiled. “She loves hearing people say that.”
They paused a moment. “Anyway, it’s beautiful, amazing.” He held the origami black stallion up gingerly. “Thank you.”
“It was supposed to be a peace offering for the other day. But you’d already left. I wanted to apologize for what I said. I was wrong. I attacked without thinking and ac
cused you of something vile and ugly. I overheard some things, and I jumped to conclusions. I shouldn’t have repeated it when I didn’t know the whole truth.”
“Do you think you know the whole truth now?” he asked.
“Probably not all of it,” she said.
“She wanted marriage. She threatened to go to the team owners and pressure them with bad publicity if they didn’t force the issue.”
“Did she?”
“Yes.”
“Threats, blackmail, extortion—it seems like an interesting way to start a new life together. How did she think it was going to end, the two of you blissfully happily ever after?”
“I don’t know. But it didn’t turn out like she wanted. Now everybody knows her for what she is.”
“I’m glad about that.”
“Me, too. But still, it was a distraction last season. The team didn’t do as well as expected. I’m not saying that the team’s losses were all on me, but as one of the team captains and a franchise player, I can’t let anything like that happen again. I can’t let a personal situation distract me like that.” His cell phone rang.
“No, of course not.” Jazz glanced away. His last comment felt as if it had cut right through her. She knew what he was saying. Her defenses went up instantly. “That would be selfish.”
“I have a contract in negotiation. The team owners are pressing me to keep focused. My personal life and my business life have been conflicted for a while now. I need a balance. That’s why I went to Melanie. She found the perfect woman for me.”
“Sure, I understand.” His phone rang twice again.
Devon saw the change in her eyes when she looked back at him. She was putting on the façade she used to keep people away from her. “Jazz.” His cell rang again.
“Devon, you don’t have to say anything. I understand. Your career is paramount, as it should be. You need to get this contract. And I need to go. I have some work to do and phone calls to the West Coast to make. It’s good to see you again. Welcome back.”
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