by Alice Ward
“Good.” I was somewhat intimidated by his presence. He was a handsome man, one with distinguished looks, and he oozed confidence, a characteristic I lacked at the moment, more so than usual.
I took the seat he offered and got a whiff of his cologne as he returned to the seat beside me. I wished I was bold enough to ask the brand so I could buy it for Calvin. It was panty-dropping good.
“Are you excited about the celebration ball next week?” he asked.
Since I had just found out about it, no, excited wasn’t the word I felt. “Certainly,” I lied.
“It’s such an honor that the city is welcoming the team so graciously.” He spoke with elegance, a smoothness that I could only relate to Bond, James Bond. I could listen to him talk all day, about anything really.
“Why wouldn’t they?” I asked.
He leaned close to me, and I got another whiff of that delicious scent. “Well, this city wasn’t exactly thrilled to see another team hit the fields. Yankee fans are tough, as are fans of the Mets.”
I felt stupid for asking the question; of course, I knew the turmoil behind the new team. I had listened to Calvin go on about it for hours, but his presence was so intimidating, my brain just shut off.
“Who do you plan to wear?” he asked, his eyes flicking down to my lips.
“W-who?” I stammered in confusion, looking away and twisting my fingers together.
“Designer,” he explained with a slight smile. Amusement at my ignorance no doubt!
“Oh, I have no idea,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks heat.
The thought of the tabloid pictures plastered in my mind, and I wondered if he was feeling me out just to make sure I didn’t show up in those embarrassing green yoga pants.
“A beauty like you should be a thrill for any designer to dress for the night.” His eyes sparkled as he spoke, I swear they did! “There will be plenty of publicity, so why don’t I hook you up with my stylist.”
“That’s not necessary, I promise not to wear the green yoga pants,” I blurted out. His lips tightened, and his eyebrows rose high on his forehead, then he finally let out a refreshing laugh. Once he started, I joined in. He held his belly to calm his amusement.
“I saw the tabloids, but I assure you that wasn’t my motive for hooking you up with my stylist,” he said. “You’re a very beautiful woman, and in my opinion, those yoga pants were exactly what I would prefer to come home to over any Versace gown.”
I couldn’t tell if he was flirting or not, he was just so damn charming. “Thank you.” God, it felt wonderful to be complimented rather than criticized.
“It’s too pretty a day to be stuffed in this box. Shall we take seats outside and enjoy the game?”
Not that I would ever cheat on Calvin, but I was pretty certain I would follow that man anywhere.
Something about the way he locked eyes on you when he spoke was almost trance-inducing. He oozed charm from his pores, and his rugged yet refined good looks were impossible to ignore.
He stood and held out his hand to help me up. His skin was smooth, as if he had never done a hard day’s work in his life. Not like Calvin’s, which were rough and calloused from the hard work that got him where he is today. I admired him for his perseverance and strength. I wondered what exactly this man had done to get where he was today, maybe inherited daddy’s money?
Calvin noticed me right away as we stepped out of the sky box and into the stands. I waved, and he smiled, then wound up his pitch as we took our seat behind home plate.
I was worried about sitting in the stands and having people recognize me as the girl with green yoga pants. The small town Plain Jane who wasn’t good enough for Calvin Malone, star pitcher for the NY Beasts. That’s why I’d gone into the skybox in the first place, but now as people glanced in my direction, I felt admired, envied, and even empowered. I knew it was because of my company, the owner of the new team and world’s most eligible bachelor.
Sitting next to Rhett during the game was eye opening. Since I’d been with Calvin for so long, I knew the rules of the game, but Rhett provided inside information that was interesting. Like why he’d selected the players he did. His goals for the team. His vision for the next twenty years. For the first time, I saw the team through the eyes of an investor, which was fascinating.
And, of course, I cheered my guy on, watching proudly as he struck out batter after batter.
They won!
Rhett hugged me while the Beasts congratulated each other after the game was over. God, he smelled good. I quickly pulled away before I embarrassed myself by sniffing him too loud.
Calvin made his way into the stands as soon as he was able. He shook hands with Rhett and then gave me a wild stare of admiration and possibly a little jealousy.
“I hope you didn’t mind your wife keeping me company during the game,” Rhett said graciously.
“Girlfriend,” I quickly corrected him.
Calvin’s eyes moved to mine, and there was a glimpse of pain within them at my quick correction. I felt bad. I knew if he had been the one to do that, especially in the presence of another woman, I would have been terribly hurt.
Rhett thanked me for keeping him company and then excused himself from our presence. “How’d you end up with him?” Calvin asked.
I lifted a shoulder. “He was in the skybox.”
“So, you two are big pals now, huh?” The jealousy in his tone grew more obvious.
“We were talking about the celebration,” I said, looking him directly in the eye. “You know, the ball that’s coming up next week.”
He blinked.
Yeah, that’s right. You fucked up again, Calvin!
He lifted a hand and squeezed the tight muscles in his neck. “I’ve just been so busy and my mind preoccupied,” he muttered.
I kept my voice sticky sweet. “Hmm, well, Ace went to the trouble of calling Holly and inviting her, even with his extremely busy lifestyle.”
“It’s not like I wasn’t going to tell you,” he insisted, throwing his hands up in the air. “Do you think I was going to ask someone else?” he chuckled as he spoke. The laugh grated on my last frazzled nerve.
It wasn’t funny, nothing was funny!
“Well, it would’ve been nice to be included in your life. Our life. If that’s what it really is,” I snarled and turned to walk away.
I heard the guys hollering from the dugout for Calvin. I expected he would go with them and let me leave, but he didn’t. He gripped my arm and as my body turned it was pressed hard into his. “I love you,” he whispered. “Will you honor me with your presence at the ball next week?”
I tried to stay mad, I really did, but ended up giggling at his corniness and decided to push back my anger. We had fought enough in the last couple weeks to last a lifetime.
I just wanted to be happy.
***
Holly decided to fly in after all, even though Ace seemed to have screwed every woman in New York since she left.
“I should be excited that he wants to see me again,” she boasted but looked embarrassed at the same time. “He’s not exactly the type to spend his time with the same woman.” I wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince me that she was somehow special, or herself.
Rhett had his personal stylist call me as promised and I was given a beautiful Versace gown to wear. It was long, tight, and low-cut, not exactly my style, but it certainly was built to turn heads. My hair was no longer just long and straight, it was highlighted with shades of gold and layered to hang perfectly down my back.
Calvin looked stunning in his black suit with a red dress shirt underneath. His jaw dropped when I finished dressing, and he didn’t need any words to tell me what he was thinking.
I felt so fancy, so sophisticated as the black stretch limo picked us up and delivered us to the tall building where red velvet carpet lined the steps and cameramen snapped shots of everyone as they arrived. This would certainly push me from the minors to majors, so at least
Calvin and I would be in the same league.
I hope.
Inside the large two-story ballroom, I scanned the room until I found Holly. I pulled Calvin towards her and Ace. Holly looked absolutely stunning, her blonde hair curled delicately, and her makeup applied to perfection. The gown she wore was similar in color to mine but shorter to show off her lean legs, and surprisingly, not as low-cut in the front as mine. This would have to be the first time in our lives that Holly’s breasts were less exposed than my own.
Ace and Calvin talked about the recent scrimmage and made a few comments about the players they would be up against this season. “Last practice, then it’s show time,” Ace boasted.
Those words were a blessing to me, last practice. I knew the season starting would keep Calvin busy, possibly busier than spring training, but he wouldn’t be able to be out partying once the real games began.
“Well, aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes,” a sultry female voice sounded from behind me. Her body slid in between mine and Holly’s, almost pushing us as she squeezed her way to our dates. “Caroline Black,” she introduced herself without being asked.
Her body was long and lean, her curves evident in the long white gown she wore. Her demeanor was filled with confidence as if she was someone of importance, and we should be grateful to be in her presence. Calvin extended his hand first, but Ace pushed his into his back pockets and simply nodded with a smile in her direction. As my man started to introduce himself, she cut him off. “Calvin Malone.” Her voice almost purred like a kitten as she spoke.
She rattled off Calvin’s stats from college like she was reading the back of a trading card. He was impressed, that much was obvious as he continued to smile that foolish smile he wore only when he was nervous or too excited. I was hoping he was nervous.
Her compliments became more and more aggressive as her hand pushed against Calvin’s chest. Her head tilted back when she laughed at something he said. It was as if I wasn’t even here, dressed to impress, but outdone by this horribly forward woman, whoever the hell she was. I glared at Calvin to let him know my irritation level was growing, but she seemed to have him in some sort of trance.
I moved around her and gripped Calvin’s arm. “We should get a drink,” I suggested, pulling his attention from this vixen who apparently couldn’t care less that he was my date and not hers.
“Oh, darling, I would love a martini. Would you be a dear?” she purred before smiling at me like I was her servant.
“I’m sorry, I meant Calvin and I should get a drink,” I said coldly but offered her the same fake smile she had given me.
Calvin’s eyes pulled from hers finally, but when they landed on mine, they were filled with disappointment and embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I’m neglecting my…” he stammered as he obviously tried to figure out what to call me. “Girlfriend,” he finally finished. I guess I deserved that after the correction I made in front of Rhett Hamilton.
Once we stepped away, Calvin scolded me for a second about being rude, but when he couldn’t tell me who she was or why she was so important, he shut his mouth and apologized for his own rudeness.
The rest of the night was like a fairytale. We were served a beautiful dinner, a champagne toast, and there was a formal introduction of each team member, the coach, and of course, the owner. Several of the Yankees and Mets showed up to support the new team, something the mayor had been quoted as saying “would never happen.”
I began to lighten up and really have some fun, enjoying the attention from members of the other teams. One player for the Mets, Todd Morris, took particular interest in me, and we danced twice before the night was over.
It was fun to see Calvin be the one looking jealous for once.
CHAPTER TEN
Calvin
I held the ball just slightly off center, letting my fingers find their place as I stared Ace down. He held his bat high off his shoulder, ready to drill one of my famous four-seam fastballs, but this time, I was ready for him.
I added a cut to the ball as it left my hand, slowing it down just a few miles per hour. He stared hungrily at the ball as it blasted towards him, and he swung too soon. Strike!
The team cheered, the catcher the loudest behind the plate as the ball settled into his glove with a loud pop.
“Okay, you wanna jam me up?” Ace called out to me, shaking his head in amazement that I would play him that way.
That was it, last practice pitch before our opening season game. I laughed as he flung his bat towards the dugout and pretended to fight with Marty, screaming like a man possessed. I had watched Ace Newman take down many umpires over the years. I couldn’t wait to see it first-hand.
“Alright, boys, get ready for our big game,” Coach Griffin yelled as we ran towards the locker room.
Caroline Black, the beautiful blonde woman from the celebration was leaning against the fence near the dugout. She had been watching the entire practice, and I noticed her primary focus was on me.
“Great practice, Calvin,” she said as I ran past her. I smiled but kept moving, not sure if she was truly there to see me or if she had another agenda.
“Whooweeee,” Ace hollered as he gripped the back of my neck. “Looks like you have a personal fan.”
“I’m sure she was just here to watch the last practice,” I said and pulled away from his tight grip.
“Oh no, I saw how she looked at you at the party,” Ace argued. “She had that same look today.” He puckered his lips and batted his eyes as he pushed up imaginary breasts on his chest.
“Oh yeah, what look is that?” I asked and tried not to laugh at his nonsense.
“Just watch yourself,” Ace warned. “She’s a man eater.”
I looked at him, surprised he wasn’t telling me to jump that shit. “She seemed very nice, you’re just jealous that she isn’t here to see you.”
His face turned serious, and his eyes locked onto mine. “Trust me on this, she’s out for fresh meat. Beast meat,” he said and then laughed when I rolled my eyes.
“You’re a real asshole, you know that?”
He didn’t respond, just disappeared into the showers and left me alone. Thank God!
“Hey, Calvin, when you planning on popping the question?” Marty asked.
I’d planned on doing it after our first game, or possibly even during, but with so much turmoil at home and constant nagging and fighting, the thought had vanished from my mind. “I don’t know yet,” I said, not wanting to admit my concerns.
“Is everything okay at home?” he asked. Typical Marty. Baseball’s version of Dr. Phil.
“Yeah, it’s all good.” It actually was for now, meaning this minute, but I didn’t know how long that would last. She was still nagging about us finding our own place, but I spent a good chunk on her ring and of course, my Porsche. Plus, I hadn’t had time to really research the best areas let alone look at homes, and Whitney was insisting we do it “together.”
Ugh.
I shook my head, trying to shake off the bad mood. We’d had another fight about it the other night. Sure, I’d been dropped a chunk when I signed the contract, but the amount wasn’t endless, and places on Long Island were expensive as hell.
So, of course, Whitney had thrown my car in my face. “So you’d rather buy a whore magnet than find a decent place for me to live?”
I’d looked around the apartment, which was way nicer than either of the homes in which we’d grown up. Then I’d marched to the kitchen counter where I’d tossed my credit card statement earlier that day.
“See this?” I’d yelled, pulling out the statement and waving it in the air. “Thirty-two thousand dollars, Whitney! On clothes! In. A. Month.”
Her jaw had fallen open, then her eyes had filled with tears. And of course I’d caved, feeling bad for making her cry. Dammit.
One of the trainers called my name, distracting me from the hell in my head. He iced me down and did routine PT to help my arm and shoulder heal from th
e workout I’d given it in practice.
After a shower, I tossed my bag over my shoulder and walked through the dugout to the field. I was surprised to see Caroline still standing at the fence. Her smile was wide, and her eyes sparkled at she waved in my direction.
She was here for me. Shit.
“Hey, Calvin. Looks like you guys are ready for a serious season.” I watched her lips move. They were perfectly painted a shade of red that reminded me of the Marilyn Monroe posters I had on my wall in college. Her blonde hair was short, not as short as Marilyn’s, but curled at the ends in spiral ringlets that made her look sweeter than what Ace made her out to be.
“Thanks, I believe we’re ready,” I admitted.
“How about you. Do you feel ready, or are you nervous?” she asked.
“I’m more than ready, and no, not nervous,” I semi-lied. In fact, I was nervous as hell, but that wasn’t her business.
Her eyes narrowed and those sexy red lips curled into almost a pucker. “Of course, you’re not nervous, you’re a beast!” she exclaimed with a squeal and then a sweet laugh. Her head fell back against her shoulders as she over exaggerated her humor at her comment, but it led my eyes to her long neck.
“I’ll have a box, so I’ll be watching every game,” she said and then motioned to one of the skyboxes. “I just had to be down here today so I could get a better look at you.” She smiled. I couldn’t tell if her eyes batted to flirt or if they were blinking from the sun that had started to fall.
I cleared my throat and took a step away. “Well, we appreciate your support. We need all we can get as a new team.” The public relations department would love me today.
“I’d love to take you to dinner and celebrate your last practice,” she purred. Yes, she was definitely flirting.
“I’d love that,” I accepted, then immediately felt that growing burn in the pit of my stomach. “But, I really shouldn’t.” I retracted, taking another step away.
