Double Play (10 page)

She
measured her steps back to the bedroom, careful to appear in control. Then she
shoved the last remaining items into her suitcase, perched Ty on one hip, and strode
back out past the kitchen, slamming the door behind her.

“Victoria
Pryor, meet Catrina Hiett.”

“The
fiancé,” Victoria noted, sizing up Cat’s three inch platform heels and gold toe
rings. Cat’s red skirt ended at mid-thigh, revealing a generous length of shapely
tanned legs. Her matching jacket barely buttoned across her ample chest. Victoria
leaned back against the leather seat of the limousine and began to dial her
cell phone, ignoring the young blonde across from her.

“I
have that dress,” said Cat with a mean squint to her blue eyes. “Size smaller.”

“And
so it begins,” mumbled J.D.  He stared out at the Chicago skyline and wondered
why his heart tugged at the thought of leaving this city. All he’d wanted to do
since he got here was get back out. There had been a few exceptions to that
rule, of course. The first two weeks after he’d met Halee, and surprisingly,
the one night she’d spent in the penthouse with Ty. Every time Halee walked
out, his life took a turn for the worse. Today marked the next chapter in that
book of misfortune.

Cat
took J.D.’s hand in hers and turned the union toward her to admire the two
carat diamond now perched on her finger. Somehow the gaudy bauble looked pretentious
on Cat’s hand, thought J.D. Alongside the manicured red claws ready to scratch
out Victoria’s eyes.

“How
long to the airport?” Cat whined in her west Texas accent.

Victoria
peered over her reading glasses. “However long, I’m sure you have the time.”

Cat
narrowed her eyes, sensing she’d been insulted.  “Which apartment do J.D. and I
get? Does it have a pool? I need a pool.”

“Tell
your fiancé I don’t deal with such things,” said Victoria to J.D. with a sigh. “She
can call my business manager.”

“Halee
McCarthy?”

Cat
fixed a piercing stare on J.D. at the mention of her rival.

“Heavens,
no,” said Victoria, looking amused. “Didn’t Halee tell you? She’s starting a
new arm of Federals Charities. She’s one of my top executives. Best thing I’ve
done in a long time. Such a talented young woman. You’ll be seeing quite a bit
of each other,” Victoria continued. “She and the child will be living in the
opposite building from you and…” Victoria motioned toward Cat, who was flipping
through a tabloid magazine.

“That’s
not gonna work,” said J.D.

Victoria
gazed out of her window with a tired expression. “Make it work.”

They
pulled off the interstate and took the airport exit toward a far hangar where a
line of private jets sat waiting. Cat peered eagerly out the window like a kid
at Disneyland.

“Which
one is ours?”

Victoria
rolled her eyes. The limo pulled up next to an unmarked white jet and an
attendant ran out onto the tarmac, hurrying to open the car door. Cat climbed
out ahead of Victoria, practically knocking her back into her seat.

Victoria
glared at J.D. “Stupid boy,” she hissed. She climbed out next, refusing the
attendant’s hand. “We’re waiting for two more passengers,” she said, never
making eye contact.

“Yes,
Ma’am.”

J.D.
emerged last and traded nods with the attendant. The attendant turned toward
Cat and surveyed her skimpy outfit with approval. His face brightened. “May I
help you with your luggage, Ma’am?”

“Over
there.” Cat pointed to the twelve matching pieces of luggage piled by the
limousine’s trunk. The attendant furrowed his brow, took a deep breath, and got
busy.

J.D.
stretched and rubbed his sore shoulder. He did a light jog the length of the
tarmac, as far as he could get from Catrina’s chatter. One hour into the trip
to New York and she was already on his last nerve. Every other nerve had been
used up in his fight with Halee. How did that woman get so deep under his skin?
He could sleep with thirty different women in a month and walk away without a
hint of regret. But just one cross word from her, and his mind stayed jacked up
and jumbled for days on end. He couldn’t afford this kind of distraction. The Federals
had their pick of the litter. He’d simply been in the right place at the right
time. This one chance was all he’d ever get.

He
reached down to touch the ground, stretching his hamstrings, when a shorter
version of Victoria Pryor’s limo roared past him and slammed to a halt just in
front of the Federals’ jet. The door opened and a set of long bare legs
appeared, the same legs that had given him night sweats and made him call in
sick to practice.

What
the hell?

The
rest of Halee appeared, fresh from the salon, all shined up and ready for the
big city. Her nails were pink, her toes were pink, and her short pink skirt
alternated between layers of white lace and cotton ruffles. At the top of the
skirt, a tight band of white had J.D.’s painful attention.

She
reached back into the limo. Every man on the tarmac watched her skirt and held
his breath. J.D. came up behind her.

Ty
gurgled a hello when he saw J.D. and catapulted his compact body toward the big
guy’s arms. J.D. caught him and slung him like a gun onto his hip. “Let me
guess. You’re riding along.”

Halee
smiled behind her sunglasses. “I feel like a princess.”

“Great,”
mumbled J.D. “Three princesses on one airplane.” He tickled Ty’s little belly.
“You and I need to stick together, little man.”

Ty
shrieked his agreement.

The
attendant waited for directions while his eyes roamed every inch of Halee’s
body. “Oh,” she said in an absent minded way, “I only have one bag. Oh, and the
car seat. And this painting. Thanks,” she said, fumbling in her handbag for a
tip.

J.D.
whipped out a ten dollar bill and handed it to the attendant. “What happened to
all your things?”

“I
never really had much,” she said, as if it didn’t matter. “Nothing I can wear
at this job, anyway. I’ll have to buy some things when I get my first
paycheck.”

“What
about food?”

“Uncle
Gus floated me a loan. We’ll be fine.”

“About
the other day,” said J.D., feeling guiltier by the minute.

Halee
held up her hand. “I promise I’ll stay out of your way, J.D. I appreciate you
not making trouble. This is a really big opportunity for me. For us,” she said,
tickling Ty’s toes.

The
sound of an argument floated across the tarmac. J.D. looked up to see Cat and
Victoria going ten rounds. “Better get this show on the road,” he said, “before
we both lose our contracts.”

The
jet ride was tense for the first hour, Cat sizing up Halee with a look of a
viper intent on her prey. She might as well have hissed. Instead she painted on
a fake smile and simply stared. Victoria engaged in conversation with Halee as
if they were old friends and disregarded any comment from Cat.

Halee
seemed oblivious to the blonde planning her death from across the aisle. She
was completely wrapped up in Ty. Every coo, every squeal that emanated from the
little boy might as well have come from her. She held his chubby little hands
and told him about the clouds, described the farm fields below and the green
rolling hills.  J.D. sat captivated by her tenderness, silently wishing things
were different.

The
child fell asleep against Halee’s shoulder.

“Want
me to lay him on the back bed?” asked J.D.

“No
thanks,” she whispered, gazing onto Ty’s tranquil face. “This is my favorite
time.”

J.D.’s
heart squeezed tight in his chest. “Have they heard from his mother yet?”

Halee’s
face grew serious. “No word,” she said. “She might as well have fallen off the
face of the earth. I like Chantrell. I hope she’s safe.”

J.D.
nodded. “Well, he’s in good hands, anyway.”

Halee
smiled such a genuine smile that he just wanted to grab her and kiss her right
there.

“Thanks,
J.D.,” she said. ‘That means a lot.”

“While
I have you two together,” said Victoria, plopping into the seat beside Halee,
“let’s do a little planning. I have the perfect idea for a party. I’m making it
your first assignment.”

“Party?”
Cat looked up from her tabloid.

“This
one will be held at the Waldorf,” said Victoria.

Halee
nodded.

“Count
on three hundred guests. We’ll need lots of hors d’oeuvres, a champagne
fountain, a band…”

“What’s
the occasion?”

“The
engagement of Catrina Hiett to Jonathan Dillon Shaw.”

Cat
erupted into chatter. J.D. felt the weight of the world crash onto his
shoulders.  He studied Halee’s face, searching for a hint of emotion. She kept
her eyes on her lap, scribbling notes as Victoria dictated the details.

 “It
will be the perfect event to introduce you to the press, J.D.,” said Victoria.
“Once New York gets a taste of your parties, Halee, they’ll be dying to come to
every literacy charity fundraiser you decide to put on. It’s a double win for
the organization.”

“Are
you sure she’s got the right taste to arrange our party?” asked Cat, sidling
over to J.D.’s side. She perched her perfect bottom on J.D.’s armrest and
played with the skin along his neck. “I mean, that outfit’s pretty Wal-Mart.”

“Target,”
said Halee cheerfully. “Their clothes are pretty nice, really. You should try
them sometime. Save you a lot of money.”

Cat
sneered. “I don’t want Target at my engagement party.”

“Of
course not,” said Halee brightly. “Only the best for you two.”

J.D.
thought he detected a tear at the corner of Halee’s eye.

“I
think I will put him down, after all,” said Halee, rising to head toward the
back of the plane. She moved carefully, balancing the child’s head against her
shoulder.

Cat
yawned and headed for the front of the plane.

J.D.
leaned over and whispered in Victoria’s ear. “I’m on to you. It ain’t gonna
work.”

Victoria
smiled and cocked her head. "My sentiments exactly."

He
straightened and sized up his opponent. Her eyes danced, her lips curled like a
slave master looking on her prize buck. Did she really think she could control
him? His pride urged him to engage, to redefine the rules.

“Cat’s
my choice,” he said firmly.

“I
find that hard to believe.”

“Let’s
be clear, Mrs. Pryor. You got the right to choose my uniform, the days I come
to work, even what I say to the press. But you got no right to choose the woman
I marry.”

Victoria
studied him with a measure of respect. “Who you marry can change your career,
J.D. For the worse.”

“Like
I said, I’ve made my choice.”

Victoria
met his steeled gaze head on. “There are two kinds of mistakes, J.D., the kind
you can correct and the kind you can’t. Beware of the latter.”

“Excuse
me.” J.D. headed to the back of the plane, grabbing a decanter of cognac and
two glasses on his way. Tapping lightly on the bedroom door, he waited.

“Yes?”

He
cracked the door and peeked inside. “Up for some company?”

Halee
quickly wiped one eye and painted a smile on her face. “Sure.”

“You
ok?”

She
nodded.

“You
don’t look ok. Here.” J.D. filled one of the glasses halfway with the sweet
liquor and wrapped her small hand around the stem.

 “Just
nerves. It’s a big move, you know,” she said with a light laugh. She took a sip
of the cognac and grimaced. “I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been
out of Chicago.”

“Tell
me about it.” J.D. perched himself on the edge of the round satin bed sheets.
“I don’t think I got any sleep the first year I went on the road with the
Titans. Kept my nose to the window of the bus the whole time. And the first
time I saw snow? Well, they pert near had to drag me back to the hotel.”

Halee
laughed. “What’s New York like?”

“Big,”
said J.D. “Bigger than I ever imagined.”

Halee’s
face contorted and she began to whimper softly. J.D. took the glass from her
shaking hand and set it aside. “You’ll do fine,” he assured her. “Ain’t nothing
gonna happen to you, you can’t fix.”

“I’ve
spent a lot of years hungry and cold,” she said, blotting at the stream of
tears that just wouldn’t quit. “I have a baby now. I can’t live like that
anymore. I have to make it this time, J.D.”

“Come
here.” J.D. took her into his arms. Her body shook. He breathed the scent of her
skin and pretended for just one moment that he’d never have to let go. “I’ll
watch over you,” he whispered against her hair.

Cat
came storming through the bedroom door. “I’m gonna need more clothes, J.D. I
didn’t count on this party… what the hell?”

Halee
pushed out of J.D.’s arms, straightening her outfit and wiping away the mascara
streaks from her cheeks.

“Call
Tony,” said J.D. in his typical calm and collected fashion.

Cat’s
steel blue eyes darted between Halee and J.D. “Tony and I don’t get along.”

“You
better learn to get along with somebody, Cat. New York’s a big city and I ain’t
always gonna be around.”

Ty
stirred, protesting against the loud conversation. Halee reached over and
stroked his small head.

“What’s
going on here?” demanded Cat.

“We’re
planning your party,” said Halee cheerfully. “J.D. wanted to be sure I knew about
the surprise he’s planning, isn’t that right, J.D?”

“Surprise?”
Cat’s eyes lit up like Christmas trees.  “What surprise?”

“The
one that ain’t gonna be a surprise if I tell you,” said J.D. “Now scoot
yourself back up front and busy yourself. Argue with Victoria, or somethin’.”

Cat
grabbed his hand and dragged him to the door. “We need to talk.”

J.D.
glanced back at Halee and winked.

Cat
took two steps out the door and turned on J.D.  “We have a deal and that deal
don’t call for you sleepin’ around.”

J.D.
shut the door and glanced at Victoria diligently typing on her laptop. “You
want to keep your voice down?”