Double Play (16 page)

 “Ladies
and Gentlemen, distinguished guests, welcome to the Waldorf Astoria.” Victoria
Pryor beamed at the audience from the Starlight Roof’s center stage, as
successful as any man in the crowd and loving every minute of it. She’d dressed
the part in a midnight blue ensemble that flaunted money and style. A ring of
diamonds hung from her scrawny neck, flashing as brightly as her smile under
the glow of a New York sunset. Halee gazed up at the carpet of dim stars and
found herself back on Sam’s boat, looking for Cassiopeia and Deneb and
recalling the sanctuary of J.D.’s embrace. She folded her arms across her chest
and sighed.

“As
you now know,” Victoria continued, “the Federals have made outstanding hiring
choices of late. Our new centerfielder showed us just what a million dollars
can buy when he hit the winning home run this afternoon, landing the Federals a
berth in the playoffs.”

The
crowd erupted into frenetic applause. Halee watched from the back of the audience
while J.D., as handsome as ever in a coal black Armani suit, rose to accept his
fans’ adoration. He’d let his whiskers grow into a sleek beard that set off his
fiery dark eyes. His posture radiated power and control. He moved with the kind
of quiet confidence earned both on the playing field and in the bedroom. J.D.
was, in short, magnificent.

“By
now, you’ve also noted that the Federals have acquired another talent,”
Victoria continued.  “Halee McCarthy has proven once again that she is the
master of event planning. Halee, please join me on stage for a special
announcement.”

Halee
swallowed hard and set her full champagne glass on a nearby table as she edged
her way to the front of the room. She checked the skirt of her plum silk
cocktail dress and rolled her lips to smooth out her pink lipstick. Being in
the limelight had never appealed to Halee. She’d hoped to blend into the crowd
tonight, speaking personally with potential patrons of her new literacy
foundation and making new friends.  Looks like Victoria had other plans.

Her
new dress was feeling like a sausage tube and the ten pounds she’d gained since
Oklahoma were pressing into the seams in an alarming fashion. It wasn’t like
her to eat when she was depressed, but ever since she’d returned sick from
J.D.’s rejection, her appetite had been barely controllable. Stephen and Cam,
anxious to improve her mood, had set to breaking in her unused kitchen. Every
night for the past month she’d come home to full three course meals heavy on
butter and cream. Tonight she was paying the price. The skirt on this dress was
hugging every curve on her hips and the v-neck bodice was ready to bust. She’d
have to be sure not to do much bending or reaching in this dress or she was
headed for an embarrassing moment.

The
crowd parted as she approached the front of the stage. She locked eyes with
J.D. for just one minute and fought back the urge to burst into tears. She
wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for Ty. This job and the salary that came
with it were all that stood between adopting him and watching him go to another
foster home. She had to make it through tonight. She had to stay strong.

Lifting
her chin in defiance, she carefully took each step to the podium. Victoria
winked uncharacteristically. J.D. studied his drink.

“Here
she is. Isn’t she lovely, Ladies and Gentlemen?”

The
crowd clapped politely.

“I
hope you’re enjoying this little affair,” said Victoria, “because we have many
more planned for you. Tonight marks two celebrations, one to announce the
engagement of Jonathan Dillon Shaw to Catrina Hiett…”

The
audience applauded. Catrina, dressed in a stretchy red number that left little
to the imagination and a set of jewels to rival a crown princess, beamed at the
crowd from her perch next to J.D. She leaned over to kiss him, exposing more
flesh than was socially acceptable.

Focus
on the back of the room
, Halee told herself.
Keep smiling
.

She
caught the eye of more than a dozen men sending messages sometimes subtle,
sometimes not, all in her direction. Tony King leaned against a far wall, wearing
the smugly satisfied expression and the expensive suit of a Federals agent. Wiley
catcalled from the side of the room, starting a wave of laughter. Stephen
winked at her from the third row. Cam gave her a thumbs up. She smiled and
stood a little taller.

“Our
other announcement will please you just as much,” said Victoria. “Tonight I
announce the birth of the Federals Literacy Foundation and its first Executive
Director, Halee McCarthy.”

A
buzz went through the crowd, rolling into a wave of applause that warmed
Halee’s heart. This is what she lived for, she reminded herself. This and Ty.

“Halee’s
been quite successful running the North Shore Literacy Foundation for Chicago,”
said Victoria, “and New York is lucky to have her. After you meet her, I know
you’ll agree. We’ll be in the crowd tonight ready to answer any of your
questions. Please take a few moments to welcome Halee to New York.”

The
audience broke into loud chatter and Halee descended back onto the main floor.
She stopped on the last stair rung and cried out in joy.

“You
didn’t think I’d let you go through this alone, did you?” asked Rita.

Halee
dissolved into Rita’s arms and held on like she’d never let go. “How did you
know?”

“The
Trib is still fascinated with J.D. He sneezes and it makes the headlines.
Jesus, the fiancé looks more like his call girl.”

Halee
giggled. “J.D. likes his women dolled up.”

“That’s
taking it to the extreme. Where’s his sleazy agent?”

“Tony?
He’s around here somewhere, scheming to overthrow some foreign country. I
haven’t seen him in the last five minutes, thank God.” They both burst out
laughing. “Where are you staying?”

“With
you, I hope. I left my suitcase in the lobby. Gave some guy behind the desk
five bucks to watch it.”

“I’m
sure it’ll be fine. And I’ll finally have an excuse to live in a five thousand
square foot apartment. I swear if Ty starts walking it’s going to be a
nightmare. He could hide for days.  Let me write down my address in case we get
separated. It’s going to be a long night. Cam!” she called. “This is my dearest
friend Rita. You’re in charge of making her very happy for the rest of the
evening.”

“Ooohlala,”
said Rita.

Cam
beamed.

A
hand pulled Halee in another direction and straight into the arms of a very
drunk Wiley. He lost no time. Pulling her close, he kissed her full on the lips
for an inappropriate length of time. It wasn’t J.D., but it wasn’t bad, either.
He eyed her up and down. “You look smokin’ hot in that dress, Doll.”

“Wiley.”

“Wiley
Coyote,” he reminded her.

“What
are you doing here?”

“Thought
we might catch up now that J.D.’s with Cat.”

“Oh…”

“We
had a real chemistry that day in J.D.’s penthouse. You felt the same way, I
could tell. Now that boring J.D. is out of the way, whaddaya say we hook up?”

”I
don’t hook up, Wiley. I have a baby.”

“That’s
temporary, right?”

Halee
choked back a very nasty reply. “Actually, I’m seeing someone,” she lied.
“Stephen…” she said, searching the floor for any sign of him… “he’s a realtor.”
She spotted Stephen an arm’s length away and reached out and grabbed him. He
stumbled toward her. “Stephen, Honey,” she urged, attempting subtle
communication, “I want you to meet an old friend. This is Wiley…”

“Wiley
Priest. Pleased to meet you.” Even drunk, Halee had to admit that Wiley looked
pretty good slicked up for a party. She could tell Stephen agreed.

Stephen
took his hand. Halee moved closer. “Darling, I was just telling Wiley about us.
About your realty business.”

Stephen
raised his brows.

“I
think Wiley might be interested in some property and I have people I need to
see,” she said, backing away. Stephen sent her an alarmed look. She shrugged
her shoulders and moved deeper into the crowd, grabbing a flute of champagne
from a serving tray and locking eyes with Jack Keeting.

He
smiled softly as he deliberately headed her way. Halee wondered if the slow
rise of nausea creeping from her stomach to her throat had more to do with the
dozen appetizers she’d consumed or the voracious way Jack was assessing her
neckline.

“My
first class companion.”

“I
didn’t expect to see you here,” said Halee.

“I’m
on the Federals Charities board,” said Jack, taking her hand. “I neglected to
tell you that, didn’t I?”

“Yes,
you did,” she said, raising one brow.

“I
keep a place in New York to satisfy my city cravings. I thought the board
should be here tonight. ” His pale eyes roamed her face, her hair, her lips. She
tried to release her hand, but his grip was firm. “More than that, I wanted to
see you again.”

Halee
held her breath.

“Looks
like things didn’t work out with your hero,” he said, studying her reaction to
that statement. “What a loss for him.”

“I’d
rather not talk about it,” she said quietly.

He
linked her arm through his. “Perhaps we can find something else to talk about,”
he suggested, leading her to the edge of the room. “I brought my own plane this
time. Paris? Rome? You name it, I’ll take you there. We’ll leave tonight.”

“Mmm,”
said Halee, sipping her champagne. “I’d love nothing more than to escape right
now.”

Jack’s
eyes lit up. “Perfect. Pack an overnight bag and we’re on our way. I’ll tell
the captain…”

“But
I can’t.”

Jack’s
smile drooped. “If it’s the child…”

She
held up one hand. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m
a complicated man. Try me.”

“Not
ready to move on.”

Jack
straightened and pursed his lips. “A woman like you won’t be able to hide away
for long.”

“I’m
not hiding,” said Halee. “I’m just resting between rounds.”

“I
intend to capture your attention, Halee McCarthy.”

Halee
reached up and planted a kiss on Jack’s cheek. “I hope you do.”

She
turned away and hadn’t gone ten feet before she ran smack into Tony King.

“You
could have worked harder, you know,” he said in staccato rhythm without saying
hello. He seemed a little angrier than usual and a lot more drunk. “With a
little more effort, you could have had him.”

Halee
lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. “Hello to you, too, Tony. Long time no
see. Can’t say I missed your company.”

“I’m
surprised you gave up so easily,” he persisted, undaunted by her indifference.  “I
had you pegged as the ambitious type.”

“I
believe in love, Tony, not greed. J.D. deserves that, don’t you think?”

“The
way I see it, he’s left with nothing. I blame you.”

“I
wouldn’t call a million dollar deal with the Federals nothing.”

“A
career is short lived. Love is forever.”

“Well,
aren’t you the romantic?” She turned to go.

“You
can change his mind.”

Halee
snorted. “You’re assuming I want him.”

“Every
woman wants the man who wins the Series, Honey. Power is an aphrodisiac. J.D.
is a superstar and he needs a woman like you to reach his potential.”

“Well,
he made a different choice.”

“The
wrong choice. Catrina Hiett is nothing but an embarrassment. What’s it going to
take to get you to make a move?”

“I’m
a little traditional, Tony. I wait for the man to make the move.”

“Maybe
he doesn’t think he’s good enough.”

Halee
studied King for a moment. “What’s in this for you, King? Because, if I know
you as well as I think I know you, you’d only play matchmaker to win a bet or
make money. Which is it?”

King
moved closer. His breath was heavy with alcohol. “J.D.’s shoulder is shot,” he
said in a near whisper. “This season could be his last. If he’s got you waiting
in the wings, he’ll make it through.”

“You’re
overestimating my influence…”

King
grabbed her by the arm. “Don’t be stupid! He’s in love with you, Halee. He’s
putty in your hands.”

Halee
peeled King’s fingers from her arm with an air of disgust and took a step
backward. “In case you haven’t noticed,” she spit, “you and a few hundred other
people have just spent the evening celebrating J.D.’s engagement. To someone
else.”

“That’s
all your doing,” King spit back.

“What?”

“He
wanted you all along.”

 A
slow burn colored her cheeks. “He’s got a funny way of showing it,” she muttered.
She slapped her full champagne flute on a nearby table and tried to control the
rising tide of anger at the back of her throat that threatened to break free in
a tidal wave of words she’d only regret later. “Good night, King,” was all she
said.

She
headed for the sanctuary of the Waldorf’s luxurious powder room, anxious to spend
a few minutes alone and clear her head. How comforting it would be to believe
all the lies that came from Tony King’s lips. But her head was too full of
conflicting emotions to even begin to sort through the rubble left behind from
the past few months.  

Pulling
out her lipstick, she hung her head over the marble sink and sighed deeply.
When would this nightmare be over? She needed a pillow and a stiff drink,
something to make her forget the worst day of her life. Her eyes were misty,
blurring the reflection in the mirror. She blinked and caught sight of Faye
Shaw sitting in a dark corner looking very fragile and very small.

“Mrs.
Shaw?”

Faye
smiled slightly. “Hello, Halee.”

Halee
dropped her lipstick back into her purse and approached slowly as if the older
woman might spook. She looked a little shell shocked, like she might be hiding
from the party and the city itself. She had dressed in a simple floral sheath,
a white cotton sweater, and the same wedge sandals she’d worn the first time
Halee had met her, probably the best outfit she owned. “I didn’t see you all
night,” said Halee. “Have you been in here the whole time?”