April (Calendar Girl #4) (14 page)

“Black Rose Pub, and there’s an extra twenty in it if you hurry!” I told the cabbie.

“You got it, lady. My wife was bitchin’ about not having any extra. A cool twenty will be nice!”

“Get me there in ten and I’ll give you forty.”

The cab screeched out into traffic, flipped a U-turn, and sped off toward the bar. He must have really needed the cash because he got me there in eleven minutes. I didn’t mince words about the minute. I paid the tab and threw the extra forty over the seat.

“Thanks, dude!” I hollered, jumped out of the car, opened the door to the bar, and started scanning patrons of the bar.

Sitting hunched over, her hair a wild mess falling out of its complicated twist, pieces flowing all over the place was Rachel. Drinking away her sorrows.

“Thank God!” I yelled and made my way over to her.

She scowled. Even with her face pinched into a scowl she was still unbelievably beautiful. One of those women you’d see while getting groceries or standing in line at the post office and think man, I wish I could be as classy and elegant as she was.

“Rach, thank God I found you!” I plopped into the stool next to her.

“Whoop-dee-doo.” Her finger went into the air and made a motion like a tornado. “Can’t say I’m happy you’re here, boyfriend stealer!” Those blue orbs narrowed like slits at me, shooting daggers with extremely sharp blades. I hated that she looked at me like that.

“Rach…” I tried again.

She cut me off. “Don’t you get enough men with your job? I mean, look at you.” Her eyes seemed to scan me from head to toe. “You’re perfect. The kind of woman that deserves to score a man like Mason Murphy. He’s perfect, too, you know. Like and like go together. Birds of a feather and all that.” Rachel sucked back a glug of whatever fruity martini thing she had in front of her then licked her lips. “You know,” she pointed a finger at me. “I’m glad this happened. At least now I know for sure I could never be with a man like him. Gossamer male specimens like him, could never be happy with me. Not when they can have someone exotic like you!”

I groaned and held her shoulders. She bit into her lip and finally stopped talking. “Listen to me,” I shook her. “Mason loves you. You!” Her eyes widened and she started to crumble before me. Her lips pursed and those pretty eyes filled with tears that didn’t fall. She shook her head, unwilling to believe. “Yes! He does, and if you’d just listen to him for five flippin’ seconds you’d know it, too! Have you even taken the time to listen to any of the voicemails we’ve left?”

That’s when she started to tremble and shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Jesus, for a smart woman, you can be pretty fucking dense!” I accused. Her shoulders slumped, she crossed her arms over her chest, and cowed into herself.

“Just leave.”

“I can’t!” I roared and lost my temper. I could feel heat blasting out of every pore as I yelled in her face. “Mason’s in the hospital and he’s asking for his girlfriend. His
real
girlfriend.”

Chapter 10

“I’m going to be sick.” Rachel’s entire face paled and she put a hand over her mouth. Out of nowhere, a bucket appeared in front of her and she lost it. Heave after heave she hacked into the bucket releasing all the liquor she’d imbibed that evening. I rubbed her back and looked at Brayden. His face said it all. Sadness and concern.

Once Rachel was done, Brayden took the bucket and left the main bar, headed to the back room. I led a shaky Rachel into the ladies restroom. She washed out her mouth and then I shoved a stick of gum in to mask the tastes and smell. Then I pulled out the pins in her hair and let her curls fall. I dug into her purse; she’d not even removed it from around her while she was drinking the night away. I found a brush and slowly worked out each tangle until it glistened like the spun gold I knew it to be. I handed her a wet paper towel and she removed the streaks her mascara left around her eyes and cheeks. Then I passed her some tissue to blow her nose. After that, I rummaged through her purse again and located lip gloss. It wasn’t much; the woman obviously didn’t carry makeup around with her, though she did have a small powder compact. I handed her both of those and she fixed up her face as best she could.

“What happened to Mason?” Her words were shaky as she started to come back to the Rachel I had considered my friend.

“He was in a car accident with some of the other players. He’s has a concussion and they’re letting him out in a few hours. I haven’t seen him. He wanted you, so my goal was to find you.”

She choked back a sob. “He wanted me?”

I nodded and put my hand at her shoulder. “Rachel, I swear to you, nothing happened. We were drunk. Really drunk. So far over the limit we were breathing fire. Honest to God, I had no idea I wasn’t getting into my own bed. We just fell into his and slept. That’s it. Nothing else.”

Her eyes closed and her chin tipped down. “I believe you.”

I took a huge refreshing breath, letting out days of heartache and guilt. “Thank God. Mason has been so lost without you. Thinking he’d never get you back.”

“It doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together, Mia. Like I said, seeing him with you opened my eyes. He’s not meant to be with some professional career woman. He’s meant to be with someone whose fun- loving, can go to his baseball games, fly around the country with him, and be there by his side. I won’t be able to do that much.”

“You can’t be serious. What about all those jobs? You’re with his PR firm. You’re his go-to for all the sponsors and stuff. He needs you close more often than not.”

Her head tilted to the side. “There is that…”

The hairs on the back of my neck tingled. I was getting to her. “And who’s going to prevent him from making an ass of himself at those meetings? You saw him in there. He’s so green it’s ridiculous. They’d take advantage of him in seconds if you weren’t there. The only reason he’s dialed in is because of you. Now that the deals are coming left and right, and they’re going to keep coming, he’s going to need a publicist that can work for only him. I’m certain of it. That person is you. He’d only trust you.”

She pushed her hair out of her eyes and her shoulders straightened. “You’re right. He would have been taken. He’s too giving and carefree. Even if he he’s not in it for the money, completely—I know he loves the sport—they were trying to lowball him.”

“Exactly. And you knew that. You, Rachel.” I pointed at her chest. “You’re the one for him.”

Her eyes glowed with what could only be described as a renewed sense of self-worth. “We have to get to him!” she said.

The two of us hustled outside the bar. “Brayden, I’ll call you when I find out what’s going on.” He did a cool chin lift move that silently said, sure thing or something equally macho. “Charge Mason for the drinks.”

“Got it on his tab already,” he grinned. “Plus this one,” he lifted up a beer and put it to his lips and took a long pull. I shook my head and headed out the door.

***

The hospital was a madhouse when we arrived. Apparently, a big rig jack-knifed on the freeway and ended up causing a fourteen-car pileup. There were people everywhere holding bandages to their heads, arms, and legs. I cringed and hit the info desk.

“I’m Mia Saunders, we’re here to see Mason Murphy.”

The woman looked up his name in the computer. “He’s been moved to a temporary room. Level two room 130.”

“Thank you.” Rachel and I hit the elevator and waited and waited. “Fuck this,” I said and instead we took the stairs. Two flights up and we were on level two and searching for his room.

When we found it, we both slowed down. I held Rachel’s hands and for a moment, we were connected. Connected in the way that sisters do or best friends, sharing comfort, and sending healing energy to one another. After a couple slow breaths, we turned and opened the door. I entered first, Rachel trailing quietly behind.

Mason was in the bed, his eyes closed. The lights were low and his Dad sat in a chair in the corner.

“Mia, sweet girl, they finally got in touch with you.” Mick said and hugged me. I kept my arm around his shoulders as Rachel stood near Mason’s bed.

His eyes opened and he licked his split lip. There was a row of stitches, no more than five or six, which stretched across his forehead. He had a series of cuts and scrapes along his arms, but it didn’t seem like anything else was broken or damaged.

“Rachel…” His hand reached out and she clasped it with both of hers. Those tears she had in check on the car ride over were renewed and sliding down her cheeks, dripping onto Mace’s hand as she held it near her face. “Baby, I’m okay. You, I’m worried about you…”

“Uh, I think I’m missing something,” Mick cleared his throat and held me tighter as if he was protecting me. Such a good man. Concerned for his son, and his son’s pretend girlfriend.

I held Mick in return and shook my head. “It’s okay,” I whispered.

Rachel looked at Mick, a frightened scared little mouse type expression scrolled over her features. Mason wouldn’t have it. “Hey, pretty girl. Look at me. I’m sorry, nothing happened. I swear,” he said close to the same words that I said to her earlier. “It never could. I only want you. You’re it for me.”

“Don’t speak, you need to rest,” her voice was raspy as if she’d chain-smoked a pack of Camel non-filters.

He shook his head then winced. Her hand came up and caressed the side without damage. From what I could see, his head must have hit the window, which split it open. The glass was probably the reason why he was littered with tiny cuts and scrapes.

“I don’t need to rest. I need the woman I love to listen to me!” He growled and both his Dad and I stayed very still and very quiet watching the entire thing unfold. For me, it was beautiful. For his Dad, confusing.

“Mason…” she lost her ability to speak.

He pulled her hand to him which brought her body closer. “That’s right. I love you. I have since that first night. I’d never, never fuck that up. Not in the way you think. What happened with Mia and I was innocent!” his voice rose and she placed two fingers over his lips.

“Mia already told me. And I believe you. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

“You had your reasons. But baby, after that wreck today, it could have been so much worse and not having you by my side right now. I can’t even think it…” his voice turned thick with emotion. “I need you. Always. By my side.”

Rachel’s big blue eyes were glassy and soft, focused only on the man in front of her. “Then I’ll be there. Whatever you need. Because I love you, too.”

I wanted to shout from the rooftops and jump for joy, but instead had to settle for a giant grin.

“Son…” Mick said, coming up to the other side of the bed. “You’ve got some explaining to do.” He offered somewhat jovially.

“Dad, this is Rachel. She’s gonna be my full time publicist, if she’ll take the job.” She nodded grinning wide. “And on top of that, she’s my girlfriend. My
real
girlfriend.”

She smiled so brightly, it lit the dark room up just like it had from the moment I met her. “Hi, Mr. Murphy. I’m Rachel Denton and I’m in love with your son.”

Mick looked from Rachel, to his son, then to me. He hooked a thumb toward me standing behind them. “And what about her?”

“She’s an escort.” Mason responded simply.

I wanted to smash my head into the wall. His dad’s eyes got so wide you could see straight through to his brain.

“Oh, no, no. Not like that!” Rachel tried.

“Dad, no, we hired her to help my image. I needed a girlfriend and at the time, Rachel and I hadn’t gotten together. It was Mia who encouraged us, actually.” Now that was true.

“Sorry for not telling the whole truth, Mick, but it was part of my role. Can you forgive me?” I batted my eyelashes in a way I thought looked pretty pitiful.

“Us?” Mason added with his own puppy dog look.

Mick grumbled then slapped a hand at Mason’s shoulder. Supporting his son. Always supportive. “Son, if this pretty lady is your girl and you love her like you say, then I’m sure I’ll love her, too. But you lie to me again and I’ll tan your hide even worse than that car accident did. You hear?”

At that, both Rachel and I laughed. Mason scowled. “Yeah, Dad. I heard ya.”

***

It was early. The sun hadn’t yet broke on the horizon as I zipped up my suitcase and silently carried it down the stairs. Mason and Rachel were asleep in the master bedroom. After the doctors cleared Mason, we came back to the house and his father puttered around making a late dinner. Claimed that you needed to feed a cold. Of course, Mason didn’t have a cold; he was in a car accident, but none of us thought it prudent to make the distinction. I had a feeling his Dad needed to do something to help, mostly just to spend some time making sure his son was okay.

Once dinner was done, each one of his brothers stopped by. Shaun with his newest girlfriend. Not the same one he’d showed me a picture of last time we were at dinner, but teens were fickle like that. Hell, I was like that. Hopping from man to man each month, not knowing where I’d be and when. His brothers stayed long enough to rib him about the accident, about having two girlfriends, which made Rachel extremely uncomfortable, not yet used to the attention from the Murphy clan, but I knew eventually she’d fit right in. Ellie had a lot to do with that. With the way Rachel looked, Ellie believe Rachel was a Princess and not for pretend. Just like their mother Eleanor, Rachel was elegant, had a regal look about her, spoke softly, and was a classic beauty. I had a feeling these two would make it for the long haul and hoped even with everything that had happened toward the end of my stay, they’d be willing to keep the lines of communication open.

I walked through the dark house, made some coffee, and sipped at it while looking out the window. My time with Mason had been interesting to say the least. I had an amazing time watching his games front and center, meeting the players, getting to know the life of a WAG, but more than that, I saw the inner workings of a team. Men who supported one another through it all and played ball like a finely tuned instrument: each player no more important than the next, and utterly beautiful as a whole. I was even more in love with the Red Sox team than I had been before I got to Boston and I was a diehard fan then.