Mr. Fox got up to let her out of the row. Cathy dialed Alexander as she walked the steps to the corridor. She silently prayed again, only for a different reason. ‘Please let them be okay, please don’t let it be an accident. Please God.’ “Hello?”
“Alexander, it’s Mom. What’s the matter?” Cathy was freaked.
“Hi, Mom.” He seemed relaxed.
“Alex, you just text messaged me about an emergency. Are you and your brother all right?”
“We’re fine, Mom. We were calling about you.”
“About me? Why?”
“We were watching the game and then the cameras panned over to Marcus Fox’s parents and you’re sitting next to them.”
“Yes, I’m sitting next to them and that was enough to make you call me like it was an emergency?”
“Sorry, Mom, we were just excited. How did you get that seat?”
Cathy was relieved and pissed at the same time. Dear God, these kids are going to wind up paying for my next visit with Miss Clairol. “The game is still in progress. I’ll give you a call later on and I’ll fill the both of you in. Okay?”
“Okay, Mom.” He seemed suspicious.
“I promise. I’ll talk to you afterwards.”
“Okay, Mom. We’ll talk to you later then.”
Cathy took a deep breath to see if she could somehow get back the ten years he’d just taken off her life. She returned to her seat.
“Is everything all right, Cathy?” Mr. Fox asked as she scooted past him.
“Thankfully yes. They called me because they saw me sitting next to you on camera.”
Both Mr. and Mrs. Fox chuckled.
“I told them I would talk to them later.” She laughed. “What did I miss?”
“It’s the top of the fourth and it’s still 4-2.”
“Thanks, Mr. Fox.”
Cathy went back to concentrating on the game for the Cathy went back to concentrating on the game for the 3. Marcus had a good night; he was 3 for 4. She sighed, knowing she hadn’t derailed him.
After the game she waited with Marcus’ parents outside the clubhouse while the reporters and photographers jockeyed for post game positions. Ben Bradford walked out to greet them.
“Ben.”
“Joe.” The two men hugged.
“Evelyn. You’re just as lovely as ever.”
Mrs. Fox smiled. “Good to see you, Ben.” They hugged.
Ben turned to Cathy. “Hi, Cathy. I’m Ben Bradford, Marcus’s agent.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled and shook his hand.
He looked at her. “I can see why Marcus is so taken with you.”
Cathy turned red as a beet. “I’ve blushed so much this week I think I have a condition.”
They laughed.
“It was a good game, Joe. Your boy is doing his thing.”
“I see that. He knows what he has to do and he does it.”
A few more reporters and cameras joined the melee.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Mr. Fox asked
“It’s fascinating to see the attention up close.”
Mr. Fox leaned against the wall. “New Yorkers take their sports seriously.”
“Truer words have never been spoken,” Cathy said.
“If you will excuse me for a little bit, I think I just might have to rescue your son,” Ben said.
v
Ben braved the crowd to get through. Seeing that Marcus was being interviewed by two local metro channels, Ben hung back and waited until it looked like a wrap. He waved to get Marcus’s attention.
“Hey, man. Are my parents out there with Cathy?” “Yes.”
“How’s it going?”
“They seem to be enjoying their conversation. I didn’t
have a chance to poll them or anything.” Ben’s sarcastic wit surfaced.
“Very funny. I guess I’d better get out there.”
Ben held his shoulder. “You might want to wait. I have something to tell you.”
Marcus felt dread. “Now what?”
“I just got a heads up from one of my buddies at the paper. They’re running an item and photo in tomorrow’s paper about you and Cathy.”
Marcus looked disgusted. “When did they get another picture of the two of us? It’s not like we’ve been all over town together.”
“They took a picture of you kissing and one of you and her entering your building.”
“Maybe it won’t be too bad. She’s still a mystery woman,” Marcus rationalized.
Ben looked away.
“Don’t tell me they have her name.”
“Her name and what she does.” Ben took his glasses off.
Marcus tried to downplay it. “I’ll tell her about it myself.”
“I could talk to her if you’d like.”
“No. It’s better if she hears it from me.”
Ben patted his back. “I know you can handle it.”
“I just hope she can.”
v
Cathy and the Foxes were still chatting away. “So how are your kids doing in school?” Mrs. Fox asked.
“Not bad. They’ve adjusted to college life, which was my biggest worry.”
“Marcus says you raised your boys as a single parent.”
“I did. But I had a lot of help from my parents and my younger sister.”
“Are they your parents’ only grandchildren?” Mrs. Fox asked.
“As a matter of fact they are. My sister’s engaged but she doesn’t have children yet.”
“So your family focused on your sons.”
“They say it takes a village to raise a child.”
“I can tell you this, Mr. Fox. If it takes a village to raise one child, it’s takes a county to raise twins.”
Marcus watched his parents and Cathy for a few moments before joining them. He could see her bubbly personality charmed them as it did him.
They were laughing when he joined them.
“So what did I miss?” Marcus asked as he hugged his mother.
“We were just talking about kids.” Marcus and his father hugged.
Cathy enjoyed seeing Marcus’s bond with his parents. She was a little taken aback when he kissed her in front of them.
“So you’ve met the parents.” He put his arm around her.
“Yes, and they are wonderful.”
“Good game, Son.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
His mom walked over and brushed her hands through his hair. “You look well. Have you finally been getting enough sleep?”
“Yes, Mom. I’m getting my rest.”
“Good.” She kissed his cheek.
“Well, Son, your mom and I have to get back to the hotel. It’s back to the grind for us.”
“Okay, Dad. I’ll give you a call later.”
Cathy was surprised. “You’re not staying for the series?”
“As much as we’d love to, I have to get back to my practice and Evelyn has inventory at her store.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry, they’ll be back.” Marcus rubbed her shoulder.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Fox.” She went to shake his hand and he hugged her instead.
“You take care, dear, and hopefully we’ll see you again soon,” Mrs. Fox said as she hugged her, too.
“I will.”
As Mr. and Mrs. Fox walked toward the exit, Cathy turned to Marcus.
“By the way, if I didn’t tell you before, great game.”
He put his arm around her waist. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“Your parents are terrific.”
“Thanks. I think the feeling is mutual.”
“They just met me…Hell, you just met me.”
“You know, it doesn’t always take an eternity to figure out how you feel about someone.”
Cathy didn’t know how to respond to that statement so she just smiled as they walked to the players’ lot and she changed the subject. “Did you drive your car here?”
“No. I came by car earlier. Louis should be outside waiting for us.”
As soon as the door opened Cathy was nearly blinded by flashbulbs. Questions were hurled at them from every direction. She tried to see where Louis was parked. Marcus took her hand. “The car is over here.”
The flashbulbs popped so rapidly Cathy could barely see where she was going for the spots in her eyes, but finally she could see the outline of Louis holding the car door open. Marcus quickly helped her into the car. Louis closed the door and both men entered on the driver’s side.
“Are you okay?” Marcus rubbed her hand.
“I’m fine.” She kept her eyes closed until the spots disappeared.
“Are you sure?” Marcus was concerned.
“I don’t need a doctor, Marcus. I promise I’m fine.” She opened her eyes.
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I am.” She rubbed her eyes one last time. “Now I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“Why didn’t you tell me your parents were going to be at tonight’s game?”
“I thought I would surprise you.”
“You succeeded. I was surprised, all right. It scared me to death.”
“You were scared? Why?”
“I wasn’t expecting to meet them. I like a little notice. I almost passed out when I saw them.”
“I’m sorry. You recovered nicely.”
“That’s not the point.” She shook her head.
“Next time I’ll be sure to let you know ahead of time.”
Next time? Cathy thought to herself.
“Thank you. That’s all I ask.”
“Done.”
“Now I have another question.”
“Go ahead.”
“What was all of that with the photographers about? This didn’t happen yesterday. I mean, they’ve taken pictures and we made the paper but tonight they’re frenzied. What’s got them worked up?”
“You were sitting with my parents in the stands.”
“I’m sure other people have sat next to your parents during games. What’s the big deal?”
Cathy caught Louis’s glance in the rearview mirror. He was pretending not to know anything.
“Wait a minute. I have the distinct feeling there’s a ‘but’ coming down the pike.”
“No, there’s no but. I do have to tell you something.”
“Should I brace myself?”
“No. It’s not that kind of thing.”
“Just spit it out. The suspense is making me nervous.” Cathy’s heart was in her throat.
“My agent gave me a heads up on a news item a couple of papers are running tomorrow.”
Her heart was in the pit of her stomach. “A news item? What’s being reported in this news item?”
“It’s just a little blurb with a couple of pictures.”
“A blurb with a couple of pictures,” Cathy repeated. “Pictures of what?”
“Pictures of us kissing the other night and a photo of us going into my apartment building.”
Cathy almost stopped breathing. “Good Lord, I don’t remember seeing any photographers.”
“Some of these guys missed their calling. They should have joined the CIA.”
Suddenly a lightning bolt hit Cathy. “Is it in the gossip section of The Journal?”
“Yes.”
Of all the papers, The Journal ranked as the premiere source for learning who was doing what with whom.
“I definitely have to call my sons before they read about it. Does it mention me by name? Or am I still the mystery woman?”
“They mention you by name.”
“Great. Just great.” She took a deep breath “You know, so what? All that really matters to me is that my sons not find out about us in the paper. Even way up there at Geneseo they get all the papers.”
“You don’t think they saw the item in today’s paper?”
“No. If they had they would have called me right away, like they did tonight.”
“They called you tonight?” he asked.
“Yes.” She laughed. “They saw me sitting next to your parents on television.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I told them I would fill them in later.”
“You can give them a call from the apartment.”
She looked at her watch “It’s a little late, but they’re college students, and college students are always up late.”
“Are you upset with me for causing all this upheaval in your life?”
“Why would I get upset with you? It’s not as if I didn’t know you live your life in the spotlight.”
He came closer to her. “I’m so happy you’re not freaked out.”
“I am a little freaked out, but as long as you’re around it’s okay with me.”
He kissed her forehead. “You are something special.”
Cathy truly hoped he meant that. She knew small town gossip was just that, small. This stuff was the big time, not the kind of thing she wanted her sons to read about in People magazine
Once they were back at Marcus’s place she didn’t waste time. She made the call.
“Hello?” Andrew sounded groggy.
Cathy could not believe her ears. As the technical oldest by two minutes, Alexander had always been her night owl since he was in utero, a fact Cathy determined after many late nights on the floor with him as a baby.
“Andrew?”
“Yeah, Mom.”
“Wonder of wonders. Were you actually sleeping?”
“Yeah, Mom. I fell asleep after the game.”
“Oh. Sorry, but I need you to wake up for a few minutes. First, I’m going to patch your brother in.”
“Okay.”
She flashed over to the other line and dialed Alex.
“Hello.” Alex sounded sleepy too.
“Alex, it’s Mom. You were sleeping, too?
“Yeah, Mom.”
“Why couldn’t you have done this when you were babies?”
“I know.”
“Hold on a second. I have to patch your brother back in.”
She pressed the flash button.
“Alex? Andrew?”
“Yes, Mom,” they chorused.
“Good. Now that I have both of you on the line I have to tell you something important before you see it in the paper.”
“What’s the matter, Mom?” Andrew asked.
“Nothing, nothing bad.” She took a deep breath. “You know how you saw me sitting with Marcus Fox’s parents tonight and I told you I would fill you in later?”
“Right,” Alex said.
“There is a little more to it.”
“A little more to it?’ Andrew asked.
Cathy decided there was no beating around the bush. She had to come right out and say it. “I just started seeing Marcus Fox, as in dating him.” She blurted it out so she wouldn’t lose her nerve.
There was dead silence.
“Are you two still there?”
“You’re seeing Marcus Fox?” Andrew was stunned.
“Yes. I have to give you a heads up about tomorrow’s paper. There’s going to be a picture of the two of us out on a date in a few of the gossip columns. I just didn’t want the two of you to find out that way.”
“So it wasn’t a coincidence that you were sitting next to Mr. and Mrs. Fox tonight?” Alex surmised.
“So Marcus Fox got you into the Hall of Fame Suite at Yankee Stadium,” Andrew added.
“Right.”
“This is mad hot!” Alex was excited.
Cathy wasn’t up to date on the latest sayings. “Is mad hot a good thing?”
“Yeah.” Andrew, Alex and Marcus chorused.
Cathy flashed a look at Marcus, who covered his mouth after the fact.
“Sorry,” he mouthed.
“Too late,” she mouthed.
“Mom? Is someone there with you?”
“Yes, Marcus is here.”
“Oh my G
od!” Alex yelled.
“Alex! Stop yelling. You are going to wake up your entire dorm.”
“Wow, Mom!” Andrew was much more low key with his excitement.
She abhorred lying so she crossed her fingers. “We’re on our way back to the island.”
“How did you meet him, Mom?” Alex asked.
“It’s kind of a long story. Suffice it to say we met and we liked each other.”
“This is something else.” Alex was still in shock.
“Are you sure you two are okay with this?”
Marcus’s interest picked up on Cathy’s end of the conversation.
“Whatever makes you happy, Mom,” Andrew said.
“You’re both sure?”
“Yes,” they chorused.
“Besides, Mom, it’s not like you’ve dated much in the last two years. So it’s time for you to meet a nice guy and Marcus Fox seems like a nice guy.”
“You’re right, Alex. He is a nice guy.”
Marcus smiled.
“So we’re cool,” Andrew added.
“That’s a load off my mind.” She yawned. “Now that I’ve talked to you two, you should get some rest.”
“How can anybody sleep after this kind of news, Mom?”
“You just go back to bed, Alex. You have classes.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, Mom.”
“Go to bed anyway.”
“Okay, Mom.” Another tandem answer.
“I’ll talk to you two later. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
She turned her cell phone off. Marcus cuddled up to her on the sofa.
“Sorry about before. It just slipped out,” he said.
“That’s okay, it happens.”
“It’s cute the way you are with your sons.”
Cathy laughed, knowing they must sound strange.
“Were they okay with you dating me?” Marcus asked.
“What do you think? You’re only their favorite player. Alex got excited and nearly woke up the dorm, while Andrew was also excited but quiet.” She chuckled. “If I hadn’t been the one on the delivery table I would never guess they were twins.”
Marcus smiled. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
The words nearly bowled her over.
“Why the look?”
“No reason. I’m just surprised.”
“You’re surprised I would want to meet your children?”
“Some men aren’t crazy about meeting your kids, regardless of their age. I know for a fact my sons would love to meet you.”
Not His Type Page 16
