Huddle With Me Tonight (22 page)

The thought was heady, but Paige knew it wouldn’t last. She’d never been one for the spotlight. After the novelty of this wore off, she would be more than happy to go back to being the unseen face behind
Page Turners with Paige Turner.

“Are you almost done?”

Torrian’s question knocked her out of her daydream of bright lights and movie stars. She looked down at what was left of her seared tuna.

“I could eat another bite,” she said. “But I shouldn’t. Besides, I want to save room for dessert.”

“Yes, you do,” Torrian said. “It’s a surprise that you will not want to miss.” He looked down at his watch, then at the door. “They’re going to let the press enter in another ten minutes. I was wondering if you would come to the storage room with me for a few moments.”

He had to be kidding. “Now, Torrian?” Paige whispered, looking around to see if anyone had heard his request.

A decadent smile spread over his lips. “That’s not what I was thinking, but I’m damn happy to know that’s the first place your mind went.”

She blushed as she followed him to the kitchen. It was like a well-oiled machine. Everyone moved at a lightning-fast pace, but they were all cool and calm, their movements fluid as dozens of individual ramekins of chocolate soufflé were plated.

Paige pulled in a deep breath. Her body reacted instinctively to the dark chocolate and cayenne pepper combination.

“You did this, didn’t you,” she accused Torrian as he led her past the line of cooks.

“It was a special request,” he answered with laughter in his voice. “Of course, I didn’t tell Deirdre why I was requesting this special dessert.”

“Thank God,” Paige said. “I’d never be able to look her in the eye.”

They arrived at the huge walk-in storage room. Large containers of spices lined the shelves.

“So, what was so important that you had to take me away from my tuna?”

“I’m going to come clean to the team doctors,” Torrian said. “About my eyes. I’m going to tell them.”

“When?” Paige gasped.

“At tomorrow’s practice,” he said. “I have a checkup to clear my shoulder to play in Sunday’s game, but I can’t stay with the team through the playoffs knowing I’m a liability. It isn’t fair to them.”

“Are you sure you want to do this so soon, Torrian?”

“It’s not soon enough,” he countered. “I should have come clean way before this, Paige. It’s past time I do the right thing.”

She stepped up to him and leaned her forehead against his. She stared into his eyes. “You’re so brave.”

“At the risk of ruining your image of me, no, I’m not. I’m scared out of my mind.”

“Don’t be. You’re so much more than just football. Whatever happens, you’re going to land on your feet.”

He raised his head and captured her chin in his fingers. He tipped her face up, lowered his mouth and kissed her slowly, thoroughly.

“I love you, Paige.”

Her breath caught in her throat, followed by a rush of emotion that brought tears to her eyes. “I love you, too,” Paige said. Out of everything she’d gained from
Page Turners with Paige Turner
, he was the most precious.

“Come on.” Torrian grabbed her hand. “It’s time to go face the press.”

Chapter 17

A
fter only five minutes of fielding questions from the press, Torrian was ready to send them out of the restaurant. He needed to remember that the press was now his friend. The more exposure the restaurant received, the better.

“Is it true the reason you opened the Fire Starter Grille was to give your sister her own restaurant?” a reporter from the
Daily Times
asked.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Torrian answered. “My sister, Deirdre, has done a lot for me. You’ll all read much more about it when you read my book. So…” Torrian clapped his hands together. “Any other questions?”

“Just one,” came a voice that sent a thread of disgust through Torrian’s veins. He turned and noticed Barry Stein standing at the edge of the crush of reporters, his notepad in his hands.

“Yes?” Torrian asked.

“How will your eye condition affect your work here at the restaurant?” Torrian’s blood chilled. His eyes zeroed in on Stein, who continued, “I assume you plan to spend your time here during the off season. Will your…what is it?” He consulted his notepad. “Retinitis pigmentosa hinder you in any way? At the restaurant, that is. Apparently, you don’t feel it’s affected you on the football field since you’ve known about the disease for years, yet you’re still on the Sabers team.”

The increased mumbling among the gathered press was drowned out by the blood rushing through Torrian’s ears. How in the hell did Stein find out?

“Any response, Fire Starter?” Stein asked with his signature smugness.

Torrian took a labored breath, hoping like hell it would calm his rising ire. “My condition isn’t up for discussion,” he answered. “Tonight is about the restaurant and the book. If you don’t have questions about either of those, then I’m afraid I have nothing for you, Mr. Stein.”

The questions bombarded him from all angles.

“Do you have a disease?”

“Is that why you missed so many passes this season?”

“Tell us about retinitis pigmentosa.”

“How long have you known you had an eye condition?”

Torrian turned away from the barrage of inquiries that were hurled from the reporters.

“Wood.” Theo caught his shoulder, but Torrian brushed him off as he headed for the storage closet.

Torrian sat on the floor with his back against the wall, his head in his hands.

How had Stein found out? They had been so careful all this time. He, Theo and Latoya had made a pact, and he’d never had reason to believe they would break it. It just didn’t make any sense.

The only other person…

Torrian’s head popped up.

“Hell no,” he said aloud. Paige would not have sold him out. Not after everything they had been through.

But she was the only other person who knew.

And as a reporter she was the only one who had everything to gain by sensationalizing his eye condition. Her career meant everything to her, and being the source for one of the biggest stories in New York sports would be a hell of a career boost.

Torrian choked on the bile clogging his throat.

The force of Paige’s betrayal cut so deep that it felt as if he’d impaled himself on one of Deirdre’s freshly sharpened knives. He’d trusted her with his deepest, darkest secret, and she’d used it against him. And for what? To further her career?

Why was that such a surprise? Everything she’d done since she’d known him had been to further her career. Her review of his book, agreeing to do the cook-off, coming to his home in the Hamptons because of the invitation to Cambridge’s party.

Making love to him.

He’d bet that had been just another part of the plan. She’d had her eyes set on a goal from the very beginning, and selling him out was just one more way of reaching her final destination. He wasn’t naive enough to think a few nights in his bed was enough to derail her well-laid career track.

An ache vibrated throughout his body at the thought of the time they’d spent in each other’s arms being anything but real. Torrian clutched his eyes tight against the pain in his heart.

There was a knock on the storeroom door.

“Torrian?”

A ferocious stab of anger pierced his chest at the sound of her soft voice.

“Torrian, are you okay?” Paige asked, stepping into the storage closet and closing the door behind her.

“Get out!” Torrian growled.

“What?”

He opened his eyes and drilled her with a deadly stare. “I said get the hell out of here.” Torrian pushed up from the floor. In two strides he was in her face, backing her up until she butted against the shelf.

“You must feel really good right now. You were the first reporter to know about the biggest scandal of the year.”

“Torrian, what are you talking about?”

“What I don’t understand is why did you let Stein break the story? Why didn’t you just save it for your own article?”

“Torrian, listen to yourself. Do you really believe I told Barry Stein about your eye condition?”

“Who else would have done it, Paige? The only other people who knew were Theo and Latoya, and they’ve managed to keep their mouths shut for two years. I told you a few days ago, and now the whole world knows. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out. Hell, even a dumb jock with bad eyes can do it.”

She threw her hands up in exasperation. “You just said it yourself! If I wanted to out you just to further my career, I would have broken the story myself. Why would I let Barry Stein have all the glory?”

“I don’t know how you reporters operate. Maybe you’re going to come out tomorrow with the story of how you were just a victim in my web of lies. Is that it? That way you don’t come across as the reporter who screwed around to land the big story.”

She flinched as if he’d slapped her. “Oh my God, Torrian, don’t do this,” she pleaded. “You cannot seriously think I would betray you like this.”

“Get out,” he said again.

He stepped away from her, and had to turn his back completely. Even after he’d just ordered her to do it, he couldn’t stomach seeing her walk away.

Torrian had hoped she would plead with him again. He wanted her to do something that told him she was the least bit sorry for what she’d done. But she didn’t say anything. The only sound was the soft click of the door closing behind her.

Torrian went back to his place on the floor and resumed his position. Arms on his knees. Face in his hands. Pain in his heart.

Chapter 18

T
orrian added another twenty pounds to each end of the bar and returned to the weight bench. He could have done this at his home gym, but he figured this would be one of the last times he would be allowed in the Sabers workout room. This was more about storing up memories than strengthening his muscles.

Theo entered the weight room. “What’s going on with you, Wood? You’ve been avoiding my calls like we’re two teenagers who just broke up right before the homecoming dance.”

“I haven’t been up to talking,” Torrian bit out between clenched teeth. The bar had become harder to pump with each rep, but he wasn’t about to stop now. Not until Theo got the point and left him the hell alone.

Theo grabbed the weight bar with both hands and placed it in the cradle. “Get up,” he said.

With a disgusted sigh, Torrian sat up and pushed himself from the weight bench. “I’m not doing this with you,” he said, heading in the direction of the punching bag.

Theo caught his arm and whirled him around. He pointed a finger in Torrian’s face. “I’ve covered for your ass for two years. My sister put her entire practice in jeopardy. So, yeah, you’re talking.”

Torrian rolled his eyes but relented. “Okay, what do you want to talk about? You already know my big secret, just like everyone else. You know what’s gonna happen when I go into the exam room to meet with the team doctors. What else is there to talk about?”

“First of all, you
don’t
know what the doctors are going to say.”

“Oh, come off it, man. I know my career is over.” Torrian grabbed the bottle of water he’d brought with him and headed for the exit.

“What about Paige?” Theo called to his back.

Torrian whipped around. “What about her?” he asked, stalking back to his teammate.

“You done with her?” Theo asked.

“What the hell do you think?” Torrian barked.

“So, that’s it? You’re not even going to talk this thing out with her?” Theo shook his head. “Losing your job may be out of your control at this point. But if you lose Paige, that’s all on you.”

“You don’t lose something you freely gave up,” he gritted through his teeth.

“Come on, Dawg. Do you really think she sold you out?”

“Did you do it?” Torrian asked, getting up in Theo’s face.

“You really gotta ask me that?”

“You don’t think Paige did it. You think it was Latoya?”

Theo’s lip curled in anger. “I would kick your ass if you weren’t already doing it yourself.”

“What? I’m just trying to figure out who the culprit is, Theo. If you didn’t do it, and Latoya didn’t do it, that means the only two people left who knew anything about my eyes are me and Paige. Between the two of us, who do you think would have spilled the juicy secret to Barry Stein?” He leaned in close. “Let me give you a hint, it wasn’t me.”

Torrian straightened and steeled his heart against the words he was about to say. “It only leaves Paige.” The thought of her going behind his back still caused a hurt Torrian doubted he’d ever be able to overcome. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a job to lose.”

He turned and walked out of the weight room for the last time as a New York Saber.

Paige rearranged the hand-sewn quilt, tucking the edges underneath her legs. She leaned against the pillows butted up against the headboard, and reached over for the tea her mother had placed on the nightstand.

Her old room felt the same, even though most of the furniture was new. The only thing that remained from Paige’s childhood years was her grandmother’s well-worn rocking chair.

There was a soft knock at the door. “Olivia?”

“Come in, Mom,” Paige called. Her mother pushed the door open and entered the room carrying a second teacup. She went straight for the rocking chair, but Paige motioned her over.

“No, come and sit here.” She patted the bed.

Marlena Turner looked good for sixty-three. She couldn’t afford to torture herself with expensive plastic surgery, or even your run-of-the-mill facial. She just lived a good life, and it showed on her face.

But her eyes were sad. And Paige knew why. Marlena also empathized with her children when they were hurting. Like today.

Her mother switched her teacup to her right hand and used her left one to run through Paige’s short hair. “How is your cold?” she asked.