She sat taller. “I’m all ears, my friends.” A single mom never turned down a chance to earn overtime.
“Ten thou for the try, and another fifteen for the get. If you turn him around, Megan Ross, that’s twenty-five thousand beyond salary and holiday bonus.” The general manager was speaking for the owner. It seemed everyone was as serious as death about this ‘assignment.’
She slowly exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Their generosity was nothing to sneeze at. Her ex was totally out of the picture. A real charmer with no sense of responsibility. Not unlike Delaney, she supposed.
“We would have mentioned it earlier,” said Dave. “But we all played the same hunch on you, and we all won.” His grin stretched across his face.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Might have known.” More than ever, she felt
at one with the organization. She’d earned their respect before doing a day’s work with Delaney. Now she’d have to retain it.
##
Brian Delaney glanced at his watch as he ran up the five flights to Dave Evans’s office. Three o’clock. And the game started at 7:05 that night. He took a moment to catch his breath at the top of the stairs, content with the timeframe. He’d be able to make a prearranged visit at the hospital and be back for pre-game warm up. After last night’s trouble with Travis Watson’s arm, Brian wanted to be in good form that night—for the team’s sake—in case they needed him. Actually, Brian felt awful about Travis, too. No pitcher wanted to be laid up with tendinitis. He’d come through for a friend.
He jogged to Dave’s office, called out a “yo” to Carla and stopped at the doorway to stare at the best pair of legs in Houston. So glad she often wore sundresses! Megan Ross not only had legs, she had a body, face and a personality to boot. The total package. He enjoyed rattling her.
“Hey, y’all,” he said, after knocking on the door. “Is it a party?” He turned to Megan. “Good to see you…I think. Or am I in trouble again?” He paused. “Was there a photo shoot or something I missed?”
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head, blonde hair swirling on her shoulders. “But we will be working together. Why don’t you have a seat?” She turned to Dave.
“You’re up. Time to explain the plan.”
Brian didn’t like the look that passed between them, didn’t like the sound of the word “plan.” And he didn’t like the four-to-one odds. He continued to stand near the doorframe and leaned against the wall. His hand went into a pocket of his baggy cargo shorts and cupped one of the baseballs he always had with him. A habit he’d acquired since moving to Houston.
As he listened to the “plan,” he began to relax. It had to be a joke. He waited until Dave ran out of steam.
“And to think, my ears weren’t even burning as you spent all this time talking about me,” he began. “Probably because you were just having fun. So, let’s put it to rest. First of all, as lovely as Megan is, I don’t need a baby-sitter. And second,” he said, stepping further into the room, “baseball is about having fun!
For the fans and the players.”
If Dave Evans’s eyes opened any wider, they’d pop out. “Do I look like I’m having fun?” the man growled.
“Well, maybe I can help you out there. Help you relax more.” Brian took the ball out of his pocket, then reached for another and a third from the opposite pocket.
He tossed one ball into the air, then added the second, then the last. For thirty seconds the room was silent as all eyes watched him juggle the three balls.
“God, his eye-hand coordination is fantastic,” whispered Rick.
Brian smiled inside, kept juggling, and spoke. “I do take the game seriously.
Check the stats. Don’t I have the best record in the league for fewest stolen bases allowed?” Of course, he did. Catching runners was a hoot.
He heard mumbled agreement and juggled himself toward the door. “Sorry to break this up early, but I’ve got a date…with a very special lady.” His heart squeezed for a moment as one by one, he caught each ball.
Turning at the doorway, he added, “I can’t disappoint her.” He jogged back to the stairwell.
##
Silence reigned for half-a-minute after Brian disappeared. Dave spoke first.
“What just happened here? Does anyone know what just happened in here?”
“That was Brian being Brian,” said Megan. “Doing what he always does—
having fun.”
“At whose expense?” asked Dave.
“And who’s the special lady?” asked Megan. “Maybe she’s the key to unlocking him.”
“No girlfriends that I know of,” said Rick. “And I’d probably know if there was someone.”
“Ditto that,” said Dave. “His whole family’s back east though. His brother’s with
the Red Sox. Maybe we should’ve drafted him instead.”
“We needed a pitcher, not a fielder,” said Rick.
Interesting. She hadn’t thought about his brother or his family, for that matter.
She knew little about them, had never been curious. She knew the married players’ wives and many of their children. They went to the games and most of the women played in the annual wives’ softball game each year, which she coached. But as for the single guys…she didn’t know much. They seemed more self-contained. Or maybe they just preferred keeping their private lives…private.
“I’ll leave you three to figure out the details,” said Scott, “and I’ll brief Harold on our game plan.” He turned to Megan. “Do your best, but don’t make sacrifices you wouldn’t ordinarily make.”
“Huh?”
“You’re part of the team, too, Megan. Play it safe.” He waved and left the room.
