“Me cooking will not sell baseball tickets. That makes no sense.”
“Of course it will. See, this is why I’m in charge of your PR and you’re not. You just don’t get the connection.”
“Because there is no connection. And no, I’m not going to be your cooking baseball guy.”
“But—”
“No, Elizabeth.”
“Gavin . . .”
“No.”
She inhaled and let out a huge dramatic sigh. “Fine.”
She closed the laptop and took her dishes to the sink. Gavin sat back and finished his glass of wine, watching her take her frustrations out on the pots and pans.
She was cute when she didn’t get her own way. He let her storm about the kitchen for a while, then went in with his plate and helped her finish up the dishes. She didn’t speak to him or look at him, which meant she was either pissed or gearing up for round two.
“What do you do during your off-season?”
Round two.
“I come down here to fish, hang out at home. See my parents. Go see some of Mick’s games. Relax.”
She grabbed the dish towel and dried her hands. “Cook?”
His lips lifted. “Yeah. I cook.”
“Alone or with your mom?”
He snorted. “I don’t need to cook with my mom anymore, Elizabeth. I’m a big boy now and can handle the stove all by myself.”
“Not what I meant. Do you try out new recipes alongside your mother? Does she help you, or do you come up with dishes on your own?”
“I spend a lot of the off-season on my own, so yeah, I cook for myself. Why?”
She folded the towel and hung it on the rack. “No reason.”
No reason his ass. But he wasn’t going to question her further because he didn’t want to encourage her stupid notion of him and cooking and making anything promotional out of it. Wasn’t gonna happen.
“Lizzie?”
She turned to face him. “Yes?”
“Drop this idea. I mean it.”
She lifted one shoulder. “Okay. Sure. If that’s what you want.”
“It’s what I want. I cook because it’s fun and relaxes me. I don’t want you exploiting it.”
She nodded. “Understood, Gavin.”
Somehow he didn’t think she really understood. Elizabeth with an idea was like a dog with a meaty bone. Once she got hold of it, nothing was going to make her let go.
And that worried him.
TEN
THE SUN CAME OUT AGAIN AND BASEBALL RESUMED. Elizabeth was glad to get out of the house. She’d always hated being cooped up. Even in Saint Louis, she’d go out in the rain or snow if she had to.
Now that the preseason was in full swing, she actually enjoyed the crowds and the atmosphere of the games. For the past few days the Rivers had played on the road, which meant Elizabeth had stayed at the beach house while Gavin traveled. It gave her time to catch her breath and do some work.
Today was the Rivers’ first day back on their home field. Gavin had come home late last night. She’d been asleep. He’d woken her up by crawling into bed and making love to her. She hadn’t minded that at all. In fact, waking up to his warm hands and mouth on her, bringing her to orgasm before she was fully awake, had been an amazing surprise. He’d slid inside her while she was still climaxing, and he’d fucked her with a slow and lazy rhythm, kissing her neck, whispering that he’d missed her, until they’d both come, then fell asleep wrapped around each other.
She could get used to having him around.
Dangerous thought.
She sat with Shawnelle and Haley, and watched the game. Well, she had her laptop on and her face buried in it. But she was really paying close attention to every aspect of the game. Gavin just didn’t know that. No sense in giving his already healthy ego too much of a boost. He already had her heart. She didn’t want to give up her soul to him.
“Nice to see you back here,” Shawnelle said. “Gavin’s playing much better now that his lucky charm is back where she belongs.”
Elizabeth dragged her gaze away from profit-and-loss statements and Gavin’s position at first base to frown at Shawnelle. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, everyone knows you’re Gavin’s good-luck charm,” Haley said, leaning forward from Shawnelle’s left side. “He played like total shit while you were gone those few days last week. You come back and boom—suddenly his batting improves.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I don’t think my presence has much to do with his batting average.”
“Uh-huh.” Shawnelle dipped her sunglasses down to her nose and gave Elizabeth a look. “Honey, you have everything to do with how that boy plays ball. We’re not blind. We see how he glances up here to see whether you’re paying attention or not. So pull your head out of that laptop and look at him. Let him know you’re rooting him on.”
“Oh, I’m rooting him on. And I’m definitely paying attention. I just don’t want him to know that.”
“Huh?” Haley’s confused expression told Elizabeth the girl knew nothing about power plays.
“If he sees me hanging on his every play, then he’ll think he owns me. It’s bad enough I agreed to stay down here during preseason. I can’t give him everything.”
Shawnelle arched a brow. “Seems to me you already have, haven’t you? You love him, don’t you?”
Elizabeth looked around, glad no one else was sitting near them. “I do not.”
“Liar. Even I can see it, and I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed,” Haley said.
Elizabeth sighed. “You’re not dumb at all, Haley. And, Shawnelle, you’re a pain in the ass.”
Shawnelle smirked. “Not the first time I’ve heard that. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Yes.” She stared down at her laptop.
“How long?”
“Five years.” She lifted her gaze to Shawnelle and Haley. “He doesn’t know.”
“Of course he doesn’t. Men are obtuse. You have to beat them over the head with a frying pan to get them to notice things.”
“I proposed to Tommy because he was too shy to ask me, even though I knew he loved me and wanted to marry me. He’s dumb as a cow.”
Elizabeth snorted out a laugh. “What did he say?”
“He said he was gettin’ around to askin’ me.” Haley rolled her eyes. “I figured by the time he got around to proposin’, I’d be too old to have sex. Good thing I took matters into my own hands.”
“Good thing,” Shawnelle said. “And speaking of, how are . . . things between you two?”
Haley’s eyes widened, and her lips spread into a devilish grin. “They’re great. After that night on the dance floor, ooh-wee did we have some smokin’-hot sexin’. We got to talkin’, and he really opened up about what he likes and asked me what I like, and well . . . let’s just say the dam got to burstin’ and it’s been really smokin’ hot ever since.”
“That’s just excellent,” Elizabeth said, really happy for Haley. “Have to keep those fires of lust burning.”
“I’ll say.” Haley fanned her face with the game program. “And as far as you and Gavin, honey, if you want him, then you have to be honest with him. Tell him how you feel.”
“I don’t think that’ll work for me.”
“Why not?” Shawnelle asked.
“Our situation is complicated.”
“Bullshit. You’re just scared.”
She laughed. “That, too. But I’ll think about it. It might just take a little time.”
She focused her attention on the game, and that got Shawnelle and Haley off her back about Gavin. She checked his stats, and his batting average
had
plummeted to the basement during the few days she’d been out of town. As soon as she’d gotten back, though, he’d been hitting at almost every at bat.
Interesting.
She seriously doubted there was any correlation, though.
Elizabeth didn’t believe in luck. The players she managed had success in their respective fields because they were good at what they did. Luck played no part in it. If Gavin sucked, it was because there was a glitch in his swing. If he started to play better when she came back from Saint Louis, it was purely coincidental, because she was no one’s lucky charm.
“We’re going for manis and pedis after the game. You interested?” Shawnelle asked.
Girl stuff? With girls? So not Elizabeth’s thing. Then again, she liked these women, and that was a first for her. She had no girlfriends, could never relate to women at all. But there was just something about Shawnelle and Haley that made her feel comfortable.
“Sure. I’ll buy lunch.”
“You are so on, honey. We’ll leave the men in the dust and have ourselves a ladies’ afternoon out.” Shawnelle whipped out her cell phone. “I’ll text Dedrick, and he can pass the word on to Tommy and Gavin.”
“I know this great spa,” Haley said. “I’ll call and make us appointments.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Sounds absolutely perfect.”
She did text Gavin and let him know what she’d be doing, even though Shawnelle told her Dedrick would pass the word along. She just felt better about telling him herself. By the time they arrived at the day spa, he’d texted her back and told her to have a good time.
She intended to.
The spa was heavenly, private, and deliciously decorated in creams and beiges. They were whisked away and pampered by their own personal attendants. They were seated next to each other for their pedicures and manicures, and Haley had them laughing hysterically with stories of her backwoods life back home and the girls she’d gone to school with, who thought the hottest thing to do was to get pregnant before you graduated high school.
“I’m telling’ ya, it was like a contest with these girls to see who could get knocked up first. Those poor guys didn’t know what hit’em. The smart ones dumped the girls as soon as possible and offered up child support. The dumb guys married the hos.”
Elizabeth was appalled. “That was their long-term plan? Babies and marriage?”
Haley nodded. “Yup. And they were mad when I said that’s not what I wanted. I was dating Tommy by then, and he was older than me. They thought I should get pregnant so he’d marry me. He loved me and wanted to marry me anyway, but we didn’t want to get pregnant. I went to Planned Parenthood and got me some birth control. No babies for me for a long damn time. I want a degree first, and want to be self-supporting. No way do I want kids for a while.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you, Haley,” Shawnelle said. “You have a brain. That’s how I did it. I went to college, fell in love, got married, had a career, then had my babies. And I still have a career.”
“I don’t know how you manage it all,” Elizabeth said to Shawnelle. “You’re an attorney. Your husband plays Major League Baseball, and here you are supporting him, plus you have two children under the age of six.”
Shawnelle smiled. “I have a wonderful, supporting family. We both do. His mother is watching the kids right now, so I can be here for a couple weeks and enjoy a little vacation. When I head back to Saint Louis, it’s back to work for me. And when Dedrick travels and I have to work, my mom and his mom and my aunt pitch in to help with the kids. I couldn’t do it without them. We’re very lucky he got drafted in the city where our families are from.”
“You’re very lucky to have such a great family.”
“Believe me, I know. They’ve allowed me to have it all. The man, the kids, and the career.”
“Tommy’s family is great,” Haley said. “My family sucks. Not sure what we’ll do when we have kids. I know Tommy’s mother will move heaven and earth to be wherever we are so she can be near our kids, so I know she’ll be there to help. But that’s a long time in the future, so I’m not even thinkin’ about it.”
“What about you, Elizabeth?” Shawnelle asked. “Any thoughts about marriage and kids?”
Elizabeth turned her gaze to her toenails, which were being painted a beautiful shade of pink. “Wow, look at our toes. Aren’t they pretty?”
“Avoider.”
She grinned at Shawnelle. “Expert at it, as a matter of fact.”
After the spa, Elizabeth took them to a trendy bar and restaurant. It had gotten late, and they were all thirsty and starving. They ordered food and margaritas, though the margaritas turned out to be way more fun than the food. By the time their lunch—though it was closer to dinner—arrived, they were on their second pitcher of margaritas, and Elizabeth was feeling every one of them. Her skin tingled, her lips were numb, and she was laughing at everything the women said.
But her burrito tasted heavenly, and she managed at least a few bites of it, even if she’d lost her appetite since she was now drinking her lunch. Or dinner.
The waitress brought another pitcher of margaritas, and Elizabeth turned to Haley.
“Okay, tell us about the sex, Haley.”
Haley’s eyes widened, and she grinned. “It is so awesome now that we’re talkin’ about it. Who knew all we had to do was communicate what we both liked and wanted? Tommy thought I was shy, and I thought he was sexually ignorant. Once we broke the ice, it turned out he’s a sexual animal in bed, and I sure as hell have no problem telling him how I want it. And he has no problem giving me
exactly
what I ask for.”
“Woo-hoo!” Shawnelle said, lifting her glass. “A toast to great sex and a man who knows what to do with his cock.”
Elizabeth giggled and raised her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
“So tell us about your sex life, Elizabeth. You’re typically closed up about Gavin.”
She took a long swallow of her margarita, then refilled her glass. “Mmmm. It’s good. Really good. He has great hands. A very talented tongue. And one hell of an awesome cock. His stamina is out of this world. I’m not sure I’m going to know what to do with myself when we’re not together anymore. I was in a sexual drought for so long it’s like I can’t get enough now. I’ve easily fallen into this pattern of sharing the beach house with him, sleeping with him, fucking him.”
Haley rested her chin in her hands and blinked, a dreamy expression on her face. “Sounds nice.”
“Why does it have to end?” Shawnelle asked.
Elizabeth shrugged and lifted her glass. “ ’Cuz. It does. We’re just playing house, you know? It’s not serious.”
“It isn’t? Who says?”
“We do. I do. I don’t know. It just isn’t.”
“It’s serious for you, doll, isn’t it? And it has been for years.”
Elizabeth laughed and took a drink. “Well, yeah, but he doesn’t know that. And he never will.”
Haley wrinkled her nose and lifted her empty glass. Elizabeth tried to focus on filling it, even though there seemed to be two glasses in front of her.
It was entirely possible she was drunk.
“I think you should tell him how you feel about him,” Haley said.
“Oh, no. That would be bad. If I told him how I felt, he’d have power over me. I can’t give him the power.”
“Bullshit.” Shawnelle said, pointing her finger at Elizabeth. “See, this is the problem with men and women and relationshits. Shit. Relasinsips. Dammit. Relationships. There, I got it. Lies and games and positioning. You should try honesty. Communication.” She tilted her head at Haley. “Look how well communication worked for Haley. She’s having great sex now.”
“I’m already having great sex.”
Shawnelle snorted. “You know what I mean, missy. Don’t try to double-talk me. I’m a lawyer.”
“Yeah, but you’re a drunk lawyer.”
“True that.” Shawnelle emptied her glass and refilled it.
Elizabeth signaled the waitress for another pitcher, then pulled out her phone to call Gavin. He answered on the first ring.
“Hey. Having fun?”
“Yup. Really drunk here though. Think you can swing by Bernards and pick up three toasted women and give us all a ride home?”
He laughed. “On my way. Don’t drive.”
She saluted the phone. “Yes, sir.”
“I’m serious. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”
“Thanks, Gavin. Love you.”
She closed the phone and lifted her gaze to Shawnelle and Haley. “I called Gavin. He’s going to give us all a ride home. We’re drunk, you know.”
Haley’s eyes widened. “We are?”
Elizabeth nodded. “We totally are.”
Haley covered her mouth with her hands. “That’s so funny.”
“Hey, drunk girl,” Shawnelle said, patting Elizabeth’s hand.
“What?”
“You just told Gavin you loved him on the phone.”
She frowned. “Did not.”
“Yup. You did. I heard you,” Haley said.
“I did?”
Shawnelle nodded. “You so did.”
Elizabeth snorted. “That’s fucking hysterical. I’ll bet he passed out from shock. Good thing the waitress is bringing another pitcher. Our ride might be delayed.”
“You’re not worried?” Haley asked.
“About what?”