Abby took his hand and he led her to the bedroom. When they entered, she saw the red Cartier box in the center of the bed.
“What’s this?”
“Open it and see.”
Abby hurriedly grabbed the box. When she opened it a smile washed over her face.
“It’s the—” he started to explain.
“It’s the Cartier Diablo pen in Bordeaux,” she interrupted.
“You know what kind of pen it is with one glance?”
“Gunslingers know their guns, and we editors know our writing instruments. Every warrior is familiar with his or her weapon of choice.”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.” She said enthusiastically as she kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Now I feel bad because I don’t have anything for you.”
“Don’t worry.” He said as he pulled her to him. “I’m sure we can think of something.”
“You’re ready for a fourth quarter?”
“I’m a quarterback. I’m always ready for all four quarters.” He playfully pulled Abby onto the bed.
Chapter 19
Dressed for her meeting at Choate, Abby whisked the Hollandaise sauce for the Eggs Benedict into submission. Her phone rang. She continued to whisk with one hand while she picked up the phone with the other. “Hello?”
“Are you still speaking to me?” Shana asked.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Come on, it’s Valentine’s Day. It’s a day for love and forgiveness.”
“I buy the love part, but I’m not so sure about the forgiveness part. I thought that’s what Christmas, Easter and Yom Kippur was for.”
“Well I’m making a case for Valentine’s Day.”
“I see.”
“You sound like you’re in a good mood. I take it the early weekend is going well, right?”
“Yes.”
Shana giggled. “He’s there, isn’t he?”
“You already know he’s here. You’re the one who told him where to find me.”
“You can thank me later.”
“Is Raymond there yet?”
“No. We’re meeting for dinner later.”
“Don’t forget your toothbrush.”
“I won’t.” She paused. “Did you see Justin?”
“Yes. I had dinner with him last night. I had to tell him that J.J. got engaged.”
“What?”
“You heard me. He’s engaged. It will probably be in the news today.”
“I can’t believe he’s marrying that child. I have shoes older than this girl. What did Justin say?”
“He said he was fine. It didn’t bother him.”
“Wait a second. Why were you the one telling him? You’re not the engaged one. Unless you have something else you want to tell me.”
“Bite your tongue. I’m sure you’ve seen the news about Sam.” Abby checked the sauces consistency.
“I couldn’t believe it. The woman is playing hardball.”
“I know.” She put the whisk down and checked on the poached eggs and Canadian bacon.
“Good morning.” Sam smiled as he walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning.”
He came over and planted a big kiss on Abby. “Now it’s a really good morning.”
“Ahem.” Shana cleared her throat. “Tell Sam I said good morning, too. It sounds like he had an awfully good night.”
Abby turned to Sam. “Shana says good morning.”
“Good morning, Shana,” he said as he sat down at the table.
“I’m sure you heard that.”
“Yes. But you didn’t tell him what else I said.”
“I don’t plan to. Listen, I’ll call you later. I have that appointment this morning.”
“Is that what they’re calling it now?”
“Goodbye Shana. Have a happy Valentine’s Day.”
“You, too.” Shana giggled.
Abby hung up. “Are you ready for classic eggs Benedict?”
“Yes.”
Once the English muffins popped up in the toaster, Abby assembled the plate. She layered the Canadian bacon on the muffins, followed by two poached eggs and a generous portion of sauce.
She placed the plate in front of Sam. “Here you go.”
“Oh, my God, this looks so good.”
“Dig in,” she said as she made her plate. “Don’t wait for me.”
Sam started eating. A few moments later, Abby joined him at the table.
“This is one of the most incredible breakfasts I’ve ever had.”
“Thanks. Are you sure the sauce isn’t too thick?”
“It’s perfect.”
She smiled then looked at her watch. “I have to get ready to leave soon.”
“You have an appointment this morning. Sorry, but I overheard you talking to Shana. Does parents’ weekend start today?”
“No. I’m going to meet with the headmaster and then I’m going to watch Justin’s lacrosse practice.”
“That part sounds like fun.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” She paused to wipe her mouth. “What about you? Are you going to call Reggie?”
“What makes you think I haven’t called him?”
“Your phone vibrated off the night table this morning. I’d say that was a clue.”
“I’m going to call him this morning. It’s just that everything has been so nice and I don’t want to ruin it.”
“Eventually both of us are going to have to face the real world.” She said as she stood up and picked her plate up.
“I know.”
Abby put her dishes in the sink. Sam grabbed her as she began to walk by the table. “How about I buy this bed and breakfast? Then you can retire from your firm. I’ll leave all my endorsements and everything behind and we can live here for the rest of our lives. No one will bother us.” He planted a big kiss on her.
“That’s a nice dream. If only it were that simple.” She stroked his cheek for a moment before she stood up. “I’ve really got to get going. Call Reggie now. Once you find out what’s happening, then we can talk about our re-entry plan.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.”
“You can bet on it.”
***
In ten minutes, Abby pulled onto Choate’s grounds. Founded by Mary Atwater Choate and Judge William Choate, the school began as a school for girls named Rosemary Hall in 1896 followed by a second school for boys in 1896. Choate’s Rosemary hall sits on 400 acres with buildings that combined three architectural styles, from Colonial, Georgian and Modern.
Once she parked, Abby got out of the car, looked around and took a deep breath. It’s so beautiful here, she thought. Five minutes later she sat in the reception area of the headmaster’s office.
“I’m sure he’ll be with you in a few minutes.” The secretary reassured her.
“That’s no problem. I’m early. I can wait.” She sat back and opened the newspaper to the people section. There were dueling stories about Sam’s breakup and J.J.’s engagement and divorce. You just can’t get away from it, can you? She thought as she turned the page.
Just then Lloyd Baines, a tall, slim, elegant man with silver hair and a beard to match, entered the reception area. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Ms. Carey.” He held out his hand for a handshake.
“No trouble at all.” She shook his hand.
“Please come in.” He motioned to his office.
Abby walked in and took a seat in front of his desk. Mr. Baines sat down as well.
“Thanks for making time in your schedule to see me.”
“That’s not a problem. My door is always open for students and parents.”
“Great.” She leaned forward. “I’m here to get an idea of how Justin’s doing. I know he’s a good student. His last progress report was stellar. However, there has been quite a bit of upheaval around him lately and I’m a little more concerned about
his social interaction.”
“I understand your concerns.” He took out a folder. “I checked with his teachers and the residential life advisors and they all say that Justin’s been a model student.”
Abby was relieved but she felt a transition coming.
“However, there have been a couple of incidents where Justin has been a bit more aggressive during intramural sports and lacrosse practice.”
“There have been incidents?”
“Yes. A few weeks ago Justin got a little rough with another student during wrestling when he pinned him.”
“Was the other student hurt?”
“No. He was just a little bruised. Justin apologized, but we felt it best that he didn’t participate in intramural wrestling and switched him to racquetball.”
“He didn’t say a word to me. What were the other incidents?”
“They were minor things. It was pretty much boys roughhousing. Justin is a big boy, and it could very well be that he doesn’t realize his own strength. ”
“Maybe.” Abby nodded.
“Perhaps since his father was a professional athlete, he can talk to Justin and help him get a handle on it.”
“That’s a good idea.” If he would do it, she thought as she smiled through clenched teeth.
“Overall Ms. Carey, I’d say your son is a fine young man.” He stood up.
Abby rose and shook his hand. “Thank you again for your time.”
He smiled as he escorted her to the door. “I guess I’ll be seeing you from time to time over the weekend.”
“You can bet on it. Have a good day, Mr. Baines.”
“You, too.” He smiled.
Abby waved to the receptionist as she left. “Thank you.” Then as quickly as her feet would take her she dashed out of the building, took out her cell phone and dialed.
“Hello?”
“J.J. It’s Abby.”
“Hi, Abby. Why do you sound so strange?”
“Perhaps it’s because I’m trying not to look like a stark raving lunatic while I walk over to the school’s practice arena.”
“Hold up. What’s going on?”
“The headmaster just told me that Justin has been a bit more aggressive lately. He even had an incident during wrestling.”
“What happened?”
“Apparently he pinned another kid down so hard he left bruises.”
“Well, they were wrestling.”
“What kind of insane answer is that? You’re supposed to pin your opponent down not pretend like it’s the WWE.”
“Naturally this is my fault, right?”
“I’m not saying that it’s your fault but the timing of this increased aggression should be examined. You really need to have a one-to-one talk with Justin.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“I have a bunch of club openings coming up and then I’m going to Chicago to meet Lindy’s parents.”
“I can’t believe this. You’re penciling your son in.”
“He’s coming home for a break in less than two weeks anyway. I’ll talk to him them. I promise. Everything will be fine.”
“Sure it will. Forget it, J.J. Just forget I said anything.”
“Oh, no, I’m not going to let you play the martyr role. Just because you put your social life on the shelf doesn’t mean I have to.”
“What are you talking about? What martyr role?”
“Nothing,” he said sheepishly. “Forget I said anything.”
“I’m sorry, but the horse has left the stable. Get it off your chest.”
“You always do the right thing when it comes to Justin. How can I live up to that?”
“This isn’t a competition and I am hardly a perfect mother. This is about you taking an active role in our son’s life. I’m his mother, and as much as I want to understand everything he goes through, I’ve never been a teenage boy, you have.”
“Maybe you’ve set the bar so high that I don’t even bother to try to measure up.”
“That is such a cop out. All I want you to do is take more of an active role in Justin’s life. I didn’t ask you to split the atom.”
“I’m doing the best I can.”
“I don’t know why I even try,” she muttered as she got closer to the building.
“What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything. I’ll talk to you later, J.J. I’m heading into lacrosse practice.” She angrily pressed the end call button. Abby stopped and took a couple of deep breaths. I’ve got to pull it together.
***
After a long, hot shower and a shave, Sam emerged from the bathroom.
“Let’s see what’s happening with Sports Center,” he said as he turned on the television.
“And that’s the latest from the spring training news as pitchers and catchers report to begin the drive toward the new season.
“Two-time Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP and pitchman, former New York Giant quarterback Sam Best has had many titles. Now he can add another title: defendant. They say that breaking up is hard to do, but in this case it’s also expensive. According to sources close to the case, Sam’s former fiancée Maria Carrangelo is seeking a sum of $1.5 million and ownership of the apartment they shared in Trump Tower.”
“What?” Sam quickly turned the television off and picked up his phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Reggie. It’s Sam”
“Sam,” he exclaimed. “Where the hell have you been?”
“I’ll get to that in a minute. I just saw a report on ESPN that said Maria is suing me for over a million dollars and she wants the apartment. I paid for that apartment and only my name is on the deed.”
“That’s why I’ve been trying to reach you around the clock. I know someone in Redstone’s office and they gave me a heads-up so I could warn you, but you didn’t call me.”
“It’s my fault. I know you called. I just needed a little time to clear my head.”
“And you wanted a head start before I could talk you out of it,” he added. “That was a clever little ruse you and Bo pulled off the other day.”
“It had to be done if I wanted to get any peace.”
“I understand that you wanted to get away, but you chose a bad time to bolt. We’re behind the story now. Maria and Toni Redstone are setting the narrative for this story and you’re the big bad wolf to her Little Red Riding Hood. Where are you, anyway? Your father seemed to think you’d gone fishing.”
Sam stifled a chuckle. “I’m in the country.”
“When are you planning to come back to the city?”
”I’ll be back by Sunday evening.”
“Is it that you can’t or you don’t want to come back sooner?”
“What do you think?”
“Okay. Take the time you need to decompress, but you have to be ready to hit the ground running come Monday morning. A lot of companies have paid you a lot of money to endorse their products and they want to make sure your good image stays intact.”
“I’ll be a good soldier.”
“Terrific. Are you at least getting some work done on your book?”
An image of he and Abby in bed popped into his head. “Yes.”
“Good. That will make Abby happy.”
“I bet it will.” He looked in the mirror with a sly grin.
“Do me a favor though, don’t ignore my calls. I don’t call just for the sake of hearing my own voice.”
“You call for the sake of hearing my voice.” Sam joked.
“You’ve got jokes. The country air must do wonders.”
“Yes, it does. In fact, I’m going to go for a walk. I’ll talk to you soon, and I promise to answer my phone.”
“Okay. Talk to you later.”
Sam hung up and finished getting dressed. Once he was done he sat down with his iPhone to see if he could find a floral shop that still had flowers on Valentine’s Day. He called the first shop listed.
“Hello, Barne
s House of Flowers.”
“Hi. I know this is a long shot, but I was hoping I could get a delivery of flowers today.”
“This is our busiest day of the year, sir. We have a full day of scheduled deliveries.”
“I understand. Do you have any flowers available for purchase in the store?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Great. Would it be crazy to ask if you have roses?”
“We do have roses.”
“Good.” He sighed with relief. “What’s your address?”
“We’re at 866 North Colony Road.”
Sam jotted it down. “I’d like an arrangement of two dozen red roses. What’s your name?”
“Debbie.”
“Thank you, Debbie. I’ll be right down.”
“Not a problem.”
Sam hung up, threw his coat on and dashed out to the car. After he turned the ignition, he programmed the floral shop’s address into his GPS. “This isn’t far from here at all. I’ll make it there in no time.” He put his baseball cap and dark sunglasses on and then pulled away.
When he walked into Barnes House of Flowers ten minutes later the store had an arrangements lined up for delivery. A young blonde woman walked up to him.
“May I help you?”
“Yes. Are you Debbie?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Sam. We spoke on the phone about fifteen or twenty minutes ago.”
“Yes. They are just putting the finishing touches on your arrangement. It should be out here any minute. If you’d follow me over there,” she pointed to the cash register. “I’ll ring you up.”
“Okay.”
Sam followed Debbie to the register and looked around while she rang him up.
“With tax it comes to $151.33.”
Sam reached for his wallet and pulled out $300. “Here you go, along with a little something extra for your help. You can keep the change.”
“Thanks.” Debbie stared at Sam for a moment. “I’m sorry, but you look so familiar. Do you have family here?”
“No. This is my first visit to your lovely town.”
Just then a brunette walked out with a gorgeous vase of flowers topped off by a big red bow. “Are you Sam?”
“Yes.”
“Here you go.” She handed it to him.
Sam stared at the arrangement for a second. “This is perfect. Thanks again ladies. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day.”
I Take This Woman Page 19
