Too Hot to Handle: A Boys of Summer Novel (16 page)

“Everything all right?”

Nikki nodded. “Sure. Everything’s fine.”

Why, then, was her heart breaking?

“Nikki, I love what you did with the townhouse!” Natalie settled into the spare bedroom, putting her Louis Vuitton luggage in the closet. She looked approvingly at the elegant ivory silk bedspread, the hardwood floors, and the simple but comfortable furnishings.

“Thanks. I couldn’t do much at first, since I didn’t exactly have a ton of money. But I’ve been picking up a few things here and there over time.”

“It looks great. And so do you.” Nikki’s sister looked her over, from the top of her silky dark hair to her shoes. “You actually have a tan!”

Nikki laughed, leading the way downstairs. “You, of course, look fabulous.” She took in her sister’s expertly highlighted blond hair, perfect smile, and killer body. “It’s not fair that you look so good after having two kids.”

“You look pretty damned good yourself. You’ve lost weight?”

“A little. Work has been pretty intense, especially lately. I don’t know if you’ve seen the papers—”

“How could I avoid it? The story about the Sonics has gone national.” She shot her sister a smirk. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you with this gang. Where do you keep your wine?” She didn’t wait, but helped herself to a bottle in the fridge. “I’ve so been looking forward to this. I love my husband and kids, but he’s been taking testosterone shots and wants to have sex every minute. I have to admit, I am getting tired of not being able to take a shower alone, and feeling a hard dick in my back every time I roll over.”

“Eww.” Nikki found herself relaxing and laughing for the first time in days.

“And the boys are going through that independent phase. You know, where the only word they say is ‘no’? I can’t take it. So the thought of having adult conversations, sipping a little vino with my fave sister, and hanging out in the Garbage State…What could be better?”

Nikki laughed. “I had pizza delivered. It’s in the oven. If you don’t want wine, there’s also a half bottle of whiskey. I got totaled the other night on the rest.”

“You?” Natalie got out a couple of glasses and looked at her incredulously. “You fall asleep after two glasses!”

Nikki nodded. “I know. Worst of all, Jake came over. He was concerned when I didn’t answer my phone.” She looked at her sister with a chagrined smile. “Let’s just say I wasn’t expecting company.”

Natalie frowned, and then poured two glasses of the pinot gris that she found in the fridge. She handed one to Nikki. “Okay, I want to hear all about it. What’s going on with you and this ballplayer?” She grabbed a slice of pizza and flopped down on the couch, settling in.

“I don’t know,” Nikki said truthfully, joining her on the other side. “I don’t know if I said or did anything stupid. I was so upset. That was the day the Sonics got into that brawl. I never saw anything like it. You could feel the tension building, and then all of a sudden everything exploded. Security was all over the field; the managers and umpires were trying to calm everyone down and break it up. And when the dust settled, all I could see was the body of one of our players on the ground.”

“My God.” Natalie paused from devouring the slice. “That must have been awful.”

“It was. Worst of all, I couldn’t see who had been hurt. Finally I realized it was Chase, our pitcher. We were all really worried about him, that it could be a concussion. Thankfully, he’s okay.”

“Well, that’s good,” Natalie said, but her eyes searched Nikki’s face. “So why were you so upset? Were you worried about the job?”

“A little.” Nikki got up and paced the floor. “I did think that management might decide to trash the PR campaign after everything that happened. But they actually feel they need me now more than ever. We put together a plan, and they are totally on board.”

“So…” Natalie waited.

“I thought it was Jake,” Nikki said simply. “When I saw one of the Sonics lying on the ground, I was afraid it was him.”

“Ah.” Natalie put down her glass. Her eyes met Nikki’s. “So you’ve fallen for him.”

“Yes. No. I mean…I don’t know what I mean.” Nikki sat helplessly back onto the couch, fighting back tears.

“Sounds like it to me.”

Nikki waited for the admonishing tone in her sister’s voice, but surprisingly it wasn’t there. Instead, she sounded sympathetic.

“Nik, I’m sorry. I know this just started out as fun, but now your feelings are involved. Do you know how he feels? Maybe it’s reciprocated.”

“No way,” Nikki said firmly. “Jake’s a great guy, but he’s made it clear right from the beginning that he’s not the relationship type. He’s dated everyone. I’m not totally naïve, Nat. A guy like that doesn’t settle for white picket fences and babies.”

“Have you asked him? You might be surprised,” Natalie suggested. “Sometimes when a guy meets the right girl…”

“No, and I’m really afraid I may have said something when I was under the influence.”

“And he rejected you? That dick! Call him up right now and give me the phone.”

“No, it’s not like that.” Nikki couldn’t help but laugh. “I went along with the whole thing. Worse, I actually let him know I was only in it for the sex. He hasn’t been at all mean. He just…was acting noticeably cooler to me yesterday. We actually had lunch today as two coworkers, not lovers. It went from him not being able to resist kissing me in the office to a casual conversation about the team.”

“Shit,” Natalie swore as she tossed back her wine. She actually seemed disappointed that she couldn’t tell him off. “So now what do we do?”

“Fortunately, I won’t see him this week. He’s on a road trip, while I have to finalize plans for our charity event and our publicity campaign.”

“What’s the event?” Natalie seemed truly interested.

“It’s a black-tie thing, dinner and dancing. It’s going to be at the Hyatt in Princeton. It should be a really nice affair.”

“And I don’t suppose the two of you are going together?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“No,” Nikki admitted. “Very few people at work know we are involved.”

“Perfect,” Natalie purred, picking up the bottle for a refill. When Nikki looked at her questioningly, she grinned. “Honey, you and I are going to go shopping.”

“Hey, Hollywood. Have a nice vacation?”

Ryan grinned as Chase entered the locker room. His head was still bandaged, but otherwise he appeared fine. The pitcher grinned back as he took a seat on the bench and prepared to change.

“Yeah, I missed you too. Some vacation. At least I didn’t have to sit here and watch you all lose to the D-backs.”

The smirk left Ryan’s face as Pete walked into the locker room. His hands were thrust into his jacket pockets, and he shuffled to the bench, methodically chewing his gum. But when he lifted his head, his expression was deadly serious.

“Boys, we need to talk.”

Jake exchanged a glance with Chase, and then Ryan. The head coach normally motivated by praising what they did right and ignoring what they did wrong. He had a feeling that was about to change.

The locker room grew quiet at Pete’s tone, and a couple of the players respectfully took seats on the bench.

“There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to make a choice about which way to go. We’ve all had a fun time here, and you know I haven’t come down on you for pulling a few pranks and having some fun. We’ve got a real chance to take this team to the next level. We’ve all tasted it—October baseball. The playoffs. The show. And I think I speak for all of us to say we want that again.”

The players nodded, aware that they’d gotten so close to the dream, only to lose it. New York last year simply had more talent, more resources, and more money, and were more rested. They had cruised into the series, and were able to defeat New Jersey as easily as swatting a fly.

It burned.

Pete capitalized on the competitive feeling that swelled inside all of them. “So we’ve had a setback with that fight with Atlanta. It happens. And we’ve seen the ticket sales drop off, the negative press again, the tags people want to put on us. But I’ve always believed that to really know a man, to know his character, you don’t look at what he does when he succeeds. You look at what he does when he fails.

“We’ve lost the last eight out of ten. That’s unacceptable. The management team, the communications people, and our PR rep are working their tails off to try to turn things around. None of that means anything if we aren’t stepping up.

“So we’ve had our share of injuries and other misfortunes. But our core is here. We got our ace pitcher back, Jake and Ryan are healthy, and the new guys are getting productive. We need to change the way we are thinking about ourselves and the game. None of us feels good about what happened in Atlanta.” His eyes shifted to Chase. “I also know none of us were happy to see one of our teammates carried off the field.

“Starting today, I want to see a change in mindset. We aren’t thugs, losers, secondhand nothings. We made it to the show last year. I want to get there again, and I know we can win.”

Pete walked out after delivering his simple speech, and the players could have heard a pin drop in the locker room. Each of them focused on the task at hand, the jocularity gone, a serious mood settling on all of them. What the head coach had said was right: none of them felt good about what had happened. And they were not playing up to their ability. It was almost as if they had internalized what was being said about them and were living down to the tagline.

Yet Pete, for all his hometown, folksy ways, made them believe they were more.

And as they jogged out onto the field, each man started to believe it.

Nikki smiled at Darcy as she reviewed the final head count for the charity event. The gala was taking place on Saturday night, and they were both pleasantly surprised at the turnout.

“We had planned on, what? Maybe one hundred people?”

Darcy nodded. “And you always get at least a thirty percent drop-off. But in this case, I’ve done a second email confirmation. I have one hundred and fifty solid acceptances. The support has been amazing.”

“It’s really helped a lot that the team is playing so much better,” Nikki said proudly. “They finally look like a first-class ball club. They’ve won six straight, and the fans are really turning out for the games.”

“I think a lot of the players felt bad for Chase. It really upset everyone to see him take that hit on the field. The Sonics might like to play jokes, but they genuinely care for each other. To see Chase hurt…I don’t think they ever want that to happen again.”

“That must have been awful for you,” Nikki said sympatheti
cally. “You must have been sick with worry.”

“I was. I remember the relief when the doctor said he was going to be okay.” Her eyes went to Nikki’s as she picked up the stack of folders. “You know, Jake was there the whole time. The doctor advised him that there was nothing they could do, but he refused to leave until he saw Chase himself.”

“Yes, I know.” Nikki winced a little at the memory. “He stopped by later that night.”

“That was thoughtful. I saw him glance at his cell a couple of times. I think he was worried when he couldn’t get hold of you. Probably wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Nikki nodded. “I think so.”

“Jake’s a funny guy. He acts like everything’s a joke and nothing bothers him, but over time I’ve seen that nothing is further from the truth. He cares deeply about his family, his friends. People who are important to him. And he’s very loyal.”

“I agree. With his teammates and his family, he seems to be exactly that way. But when it comes to girlfriends, for some reason it’s another story entirely.”

Darcy’s blue eyes looked sad. “I’m sorry to hear that. I met one of the girls he was dating last year, some model. I kind of thought…Never mind.” She seemed to realize she had struck a sore nerve and quickly changed the subject. “So what are you wearing to the dinner?”

Nikki did an eye roll. “My sister is insisting that we go shopping for a new outfit. We’re going out tonight. I’ve been through this with her before. It’s like a marathon. She’s not satisfied until we know what every store has to offer, have tried on every dress in South Jersey, and only then can she make a decision. It will be brutal.”

Darcy laughed. “Sounds like fun. I bet you’ll look amazing.”

“Yep. If I survive.”

“Nikki, you look fantastic!” Natalie gushed when her little sister stepped out of the dressing room in a gorgeous strapless navy-blue gown with a sweetheart neckline. It was probably the twentieth dress she had tried on that evening, and she was really ready to call it quits. But when she turned and saw herself in the mirror, her mouth fell open in astonishment.

“Oh my God!” Nikki turned sideways, unable to believe the reflection was her. The designer gown was stunning. Made of luxurious satin, the material showcased her breasts, was form-fitted at the waist, swept to the side just above her hip, and then fell in graceful curves down to the floor. She turned to her sister.

“You don’t think it’s too much?”

“Are you kidding?” Natalie stepped forward and swept Nikki’s hair to one shoulder. “You look like Sandra Bullock.” She turned to the salesclerk. “Am I right?”

“Absolutely.” Even she looked amazed at Nikki’s transformation from conservative businesswoman to movie-star hot. “The fit is incredible. Looks like it was made for you.”

“How much is it?” Nikki cringed at the thought of what it might cost.

“Actually, it just went on sale for $495. It was marked down yesterday. Originally it was $1500.”

“Wow.” Nikki glanced into the mirror once more. She’d never seen herself in something like this and was astonished at the difference a dress could make. The navy made her eyes appear the color of aquamarines and brought out the best of her dark hair. But the price…

“It is an awful lot of money for one dress…”

“I’m not letting you say ‘no’ to this,” Natalie said decisively. She handed her credit card to the saleswoman. “Consider it your next couple of birthday presents.”

“I can’t let you do that!” Nikki protested.

“You can and you will. This was all my idea, remember? You wouldn’t let me help you when you went through your divorce. Let me help you now. That gown is perfect on you.”

Tears came to Nikki’s eyes and she hugged her sister tightly. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me these days,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I’m crying at everything. But thank you.”

“It must be contagious,” Natalie said, smiling through her own tears. She turned to the clerk. “Can you wrap that on a hanger so it doesn’t wrinkle?”

The salesclerk nodded as Nikki returned to the dressing room and came out a moment later, once more clad in her suit. She handed the gown to the saleswoman, who put a breathable mesh bag over it that zipped down the front. “There you go. You look amazing in that. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

Natalie shot her a wicked grin. “That’s the whole idea.”

Nikki had wanted to put the gown in the car, but Natalie wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, she insisted upon hauling it with them in search of shoes and accessories. Nikki groaned, but she saw the wisdom of her sister’s strategy when they reached the shoe department of Nordstrom.

The assortment was mind-boggling. Nikki felt like Cinderella when her sister insisted that she sit while she foraged through the sales rack, the shelves full of designer heels, and the tables showing off strappy summer sandals and glittering thongs. She bypassed the boots, flats, and athletic sneakers, and came back with a beleaguered salesman and ten boxes of shoes.

“Oh my God,” Nikki breathed when the young clerk opened the first box and placed a pair of silver lace heels in front of her. “They are beautiful.”

“Yes, they are,” the salesman, dressed in a stylish suit with a bright green bow tie, gushed as he removed the shoe and displayed it in all its splendor. “These are Manolos, of course.”

“Of course.” She admired the intricate lace and the workmanship that had gone into the delicate design.

“Wait till you see the rest,” Natalie grinned, flopping beside her on the padded bench, obviously having a good time.

“This truly is gorgeous,” the salesman said as he removed Nikki’s practical pumps. “Don’t you just love shoes? And you have such pretty feet,” he said, slipping the lace creation onto her foot. “What do you think?”

“They are stunning,” she said, standing up and walking toward the mirror. She turned her foot from one side to the other, seeing the elegant glimmer as the footwear caught the light.

“Let’s put them aside as a possibility.” Natalie reached for the next box.

Nikki tried on a pair of nude stilettos that made her look six feet tall. Next, a pair of sexy black peep-toes, followed by a pair of sparkling taupe heels with jeweled ornaments. Each box revealed some of the most beautiful shoes Nikki had ever seen. When they finally narrowed it down to the silver lace or the peep-toes, Natalie insisted she try them with the dress.

“It’s the only way,” she said, and the salesman, getting into the spirit, agreed.

“You need to see which looks better with the outfit,” he said, leading them to a dressing room. “You’d be surprised at how different they will make the whole look. You also have to take into consideration the size of the heel and the length of the dress. Can I see it?”

“Sure,” Natalie said, enlisting his help as she unzipped the garment bag.

“That is gorgeous!” The salesclerk openly admired the navy-blue gown. “What a beautiful color! And blue is the new black this year. Let me just check one more thing. We got a shipment of Stuart Weitzmans last night. I seem to recall a pair that would be stunning with this.”

“I don’t know,” Natalie said, shaking her head. “Those silver ones look like the play to me.”

But when he returned a moment later and displayed a pair of blush-pink stilettos with straps adorned with emerald-cut crystals, both of the sisters gasped.

Nikki, once more wearing the gown, slipped off the peep-toes and allowed the salesclerk to slide on the new arrivals. When she looked up at her sister, Natalie actually clapped.

“Perfect, perfect!” She flung her arms around the salesclerk, who returned her embrace joyously.

“As soon as I saw them, I knew they would be just the thing for the right girl. You’re it, honey!”

Looking into the mirror, Nikki could almost believe it.

“You’re doing pretty well there, kid.”

Jake smacked the ball that Joaquin had just pitched, and watched it sail over the fence. They’d spent the morning planting some evergreens for his mother, trimming the hedges, and cleaning up after a summer storm. Now it was time to play ball.

Joaquin gleamed with pride as he leaned back for the next throw. This pitch was even faster than the first, and Jake bunted it into the field.

“You’re doing really well. We’ll focus on that fastball for now, and when you get comfortable we’ll add a couple of pitches like a curveball.” He walked toward the boy and shook his hand. “I also think it’s time we get you on a team.”

“To play for real?” The boy looked apprehensive, but he also couldn’t hide his excitement.

“For real,” Jake grinned. “It’s the only way you’ll know whether or not this is for you. I’ve checked into a couple of the teams in the area. There’s a good one in Marlton. I spoke to the coach and he wants to meet you.”

“That’s pretty far,” Joaquin said, the light fading from his eyes. “I don’t know how I would get there.”

“Got that worked out. The coach said he lives in Voorhees, and wouldn’t mind picking you up. There’s also a bus that takes you to within a half a mile of the field.”

“Does it cost a lot?”

“Couple of bucks.” Jake put his arm around the boy and led him toward the car. “And if it works out, I thought I’d come watch your games whenever I can and continue to help you. That is, if it’s what you want.”

Joaquin nodded eagerly. When he got to the car, Jake reached inside and grabbed a jersey. He had picked it up in the souvenir shop at the park, specifically for the boy. Casually, he tossed it at Joaquin.

“Can’t play ball without a jersey.”

“For me?” Joaquin fingered the red number 11 in awe. “This is really for me?”

Jake nodded as he got into the car. Joaquin couldn’t speak. His eyes stared straight ahead as he settled into the seat. When Jake turned on the ignition, the boy looked at him, his expression almost worshipful.

“I don’t know what to say. You don’t have to do any of this for me.” He stared at the money Jake pressed into his hand.

“I consider it an investment.” When Joaquin looked at him in confusion, Jake laughed. “Most people put their money in the bank or into the stock market. They buy shares of a company and hope the business does well. They share in the profit if it does.”

“Like my uncle who has a car repair shop. People gave him some money to start.”

“Just like that. But instead of me putting money into some company, I would rather invest in you. You see, I believe you have a lot of potential. You’re the kind of kid who’s going to go places.”

The boy looked at him for a long moment, measuring his words. Then shyly, his eyes dropped. “You really think…I have potential?”

“Absolutely,” Jake said with conviction. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”

They walked back into the house as Jake prepared to take Joaquin home. His mother was waiting, surveying the yard with a critical eye.

“The new plantings look very nice,” she said, with a satisfied smile as if she had done the work herself. “I’m going to pick up a few more things this week. I’d like a crabapple tree, and some roses. I saw a few I like at the garden center.”

“Don’t get a crabapple tree.” Jake sighed, leaning against the countertop. “They require a lot of work. They need to be pruned and sprayed, and the apples need to be cleaned up. Joaquin is only here for a couple of hours on Saturdays.”

“Well, maybe he can come more days than that.”

It was obvious that his mother liked the idea of her own private gardener. “We’ll see. He’s going to be playing baseball, so I don’t think he’ll have a lot of extra time,” Jake said, a familiar feeling of frustration growing inside of him. “Did you go to the doctor’s this week?”

“No, I canceled that. I had too much to do, and all he does is lecture me about how much I drink.”

“Well, maybe you should listen.” Opening the refrigerator to get some cream for his coffee, he saw half a bottle of wine. “It doesn’t mix well with your medications.”

His mother waved her hand dismissively. “When you get to be my age, you can tell me how to live.”

“Fine.” It was an old argument, one they’d been having since his father died. Jake wasn’t eager to go down that road again, but the nagging sense of responsibility wouldn’t leave him. He couldn’t control his mother’s choices, though; she was a grown woman, after all.

He was secretly terrified that something awful was going to happen and he wouldn’t be able to help her. His mother would fall, someone would break in, or she would get sick during the night and no one would know. There had already been a few instances where she’d slipped in the bathroom, or forgot to lock the door and thought she heard something outside.

Picking up his coffee cup, he put his arm around Joaquin and started for the door. “I’ll see you next week. In the meantime, can you make sure you take your meds and eat the meals Jenny brings over?”

“I don’t like her food,” his mother said with a shudder. “I’d rather order pizza.”

He also knew the pizza delivery guy would pick up a bottle of wine with her order for an extra tip.

“Whatever,” Jake said as he led Joaquin outside. Before he got to the car, his mother called out to him.

“Can you stop by Irene Brannigan’s place? She needs some furniture moved.”

Jake nodded, swung by their neighbor’s house, and he and Joaquin helped the former schoolteacher move an armchair into a better location in her bedroom. The woman thanked them over and over again and invited them to dinner, which Jake had to refuse.

They drove to Lindenwold in silence, Jake wrapped up in his own thoughts. When they reached a traffic light, Joaquin glanced at him, obviously uncomfortable.

“Are you going away this week?”

Jake shook his head. “No, we’re home. Why?”

Joaquin shrugged. “Just wondering.”

“Wondering what?” Jake asked as they pulled into the parking lot of the complex. He noticed a couple of guys leaning against one of the buildings as if looking for trouble. The property was run down, weeds growing through cracks in the sidewalk. The screens were broken in many of the windows, and one of them was awkwardly repaired with a piece of wire. Although the side of the apartment was brick, the wood frames were peeling and badly in need of a coat of paint.

“If you are going to see your girlfriend.”

Jake looked at the boy, startled. “What are you talking about?”

“That girl you mentioned,” Joaquin said uncertainly, as if afraid he’d said something wrong. “Nikki?”

“Ah.” Jake shrugged. “I haven’t seen her while we were out of town.”

“Oh.”

“Oh, what?” Something was going on behind those liquid brown eyes.

“I dunno. Just seemed like you liked her. You seemed happy.”

Before Jake could respond, Joaquin’s mother came out of the condo. Dressed in a black waitressing uniform, Juanita looked tired.

“Mr. Baldwin, good to see you. Thank you again.” She enveloped her son in a bear hug when he got out of the car, and looked at Jake as if he walked on water. “Do you want to come in for a minute? I baked cookies. The kind you like.”

Jake shook his head. “Thanks, no. I’ve got to get back for a game, and then I have a dinner thing later. But I appreciate it.”

He started to roll up the window and then paused. “By the way, I’m looking to get Joaquin signed up with a team in Marlton. He might need to take the bus a couple of days, but I’m looking to hook him up with a ride.”

Joaquin’s mother appeared surprised and delighted. “That’s wonderful! I might be able to help, too. There’s an old man who drives for us, takes us to the store for groceries. He might be able to take Joaquin to Marlton.”

“Mom,” Joaquin said, obviously embarrassed at the thought of being escorted to the baseball field by a senior citizen.

Jake grinned. “I’ll let you two work that one out,” he said, putting the car in gear and driving off.