by Faith O'Shea
She refused to admit that, too.
What she couldn’t refuse to do was call him and let him know she was coming. She’d programmed his number into her list of contacts as soon as he’d gotten a phone, just like she did with all her players. No big deal.
Yeah, sure. No big deal. Then why is your heart drumming some crazy erratic beats?
She took a breath and scrolled for the cell number and let her Bluetooth take over.
He answered on the third ring.
“Hello, Alicia.”
His voice was deep, and it vibrated through her. The shiver had nothing to do with the baritone.
She cleared her throat of any longing.
“Hi. Where are you?”
“In my hotel room. There is no practice today and I am alone.”
She wished she could leave it at that, but she couldn’t. She had her marching orders and she wanted it done and behind her.
“I have the keys to your new place and I’m on my way to pick you up to take you there.”
“Now?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not the move, no. But it will do nothing to appease the loneliness.”
“You won’t be alone. I’ll be staying with you for a short interval of time.”
She was told to stay until spring training, or even longer. She wasn’t sure she could. There was something dangerous about the man who she was now legally bound to. Maybe she’d been a little too quick to deny them a romp between the sheets. She had a feeling he’d be as good there as he was at the plate. She’d learned quickly that Mateo was one of the premier players on the Cuban national team, clutch hitter when it counted, and an arm with bullet accuracy. He’d been a coup for the Greenliners, had already been given a thumbs-up by the infield coach, and she knew he’d attract swarms of women.
There was a prickle in her gut, which she didn’t appreciate. He might legally be her husband but she had no claim on him. It had been a marriage of convenience, would be over as soon as she could manage it.
“Then that is all right. When should I expect you?”
“I’ve just got to pick up some things before I head over.”
“I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby.”
When she swiped to end the call, she pressed her lips together in resignation. This would be her life for the foreseeable future, so she’d better dig deep for some control over her emotions. Listening to the hard-rocking beat of one of her favorite bands on the way over helped shift her mood. When she arrived at the hotel, she found him waiting in the lobby, just as he’d said he’d be, his new suitcase beside him. It probably contained everything he had in the world.
When he looked up at her, there was the barest hint of a smile and an unfamiliar thud in her chest.
Mateo’s breath caught as soon as Alicia walked into the lobby. In Mexico he’d only seen her in sundresses and shorts, bare feet, sandals, sun-kissed and casual. Now she looked the professional, stunning in her suit and heels. Her hair was swept off her face in a top knot, except for the strands that fell over her forehead, and she was brushing them back, as she’d done numerous times in Mexico. He still couldn’t believe she’d done what she’d done or that he’d agreed to it. He was not a casual dater, never had any interest in pursuing several women at a time like most of his teammates. He had thought about marriage some day in the future, with a woman he had a deep connection with, that held nights of romance and candlelight and reckless longing. He’d never imagined his vows would be spoken in an office in Mexico with strangers officiating, to a woman he’d known for less than a week. She’d told him explicitly the service was nothing more than a practical move to see him to Boston. He knew the truth of that when she’d left as soon as his agent arrived. She’d been all business. The kiss she’d given him at the altar should not have knocked the breath out of him, but it had. He could still feel the tingles of her soft lips pressed to his in the briefest of touches.
As she came closer, he could smell the fruity, floral, and musky scent that had intrigued him from the moment she’d sat down beside him in Cancun. He had no idea what it was, but it had become her signature scent, and even blind-folded he’d know her anywhere. He wanted to bury his nose in her neck…
With no smile in her voice, she asked, “Are you ready?”
Disappointment rippled through him. He nodded. “I am.”
“Then let’s go.”
He picked up his bag and followed her out to her car, the wind whipping through him. It was cold, colder than he’d ever felt before. He pulled his coat lapels together, snow crunching under his booted feet. He’d done as Rique had suggested and shopped for more appropriate clothes. There was a store in the hotel where he’d purchased what he thought he’d need and had been able to charge it to his room. He couldn’t believe it was so easy to get what you wanted here. All he’d had to do was pick up the phone, and it was delivered or sign his name and room number to any bill, and it was covered. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to that.
There was a small red coupe parked close to the door. It had what looked like an owl as a logo.
“What car is this?”
“A Mazda X-15 Miata.”
“I am beginning to think people here like tiny cars. Rique has one as well. There is no comfort.”
She scoffed. “Dos Santos has a Maserati. Not in my price range.”
When she popped the trunk, he placed his bag inside and closed it.
After settling himself in the passage seat, he glanced over. He didn’t like that she had sunglasses on. They shielded her eyes. They were the most cat-like he’d ever seen, a mixture of greens, rust, and gold striations. They suited her.
“Where will I live?”
“Boston. On the harbor. I thought being close to the field would help you get to know the area. Even though it’s right down the street from where you’ll play, you’ll need a car.”
“I will consider this. Everyone else seems to have one.”
“What kind do you think you’d want?”
In Cuba most cars were old American-made ones that had come to the island before hostilities breached the economic divide. That was close to fifty years ago.
“I have no idea what is here to buy. There is not much of a selection where I come from. One thing I know for sure. It will be big so my legs don’t cramp.”
“You don’t want too big. You’ll never fit in a parking spot in the city.”
“First, I will have to get a license, yes?”
Her voice rasped in surprise. “You don’t have a license?”
He shrugged. “There was never any need to get one.”
Camagüey’s quirky cobblestone streets were narrow, designed as a labyrinth, which were hard to navigate and confused outsiders. There were dead ends and blind alleyways that were better maneuvered with bikes than automobiles. He’d walked just about everywhere when he wasn’t traveling with his team. He’d never thought of owning a car, even if he’d been able to afford one.
Her voice was tight when she said, “I guess I’ll have to add that to the list of things to do.”
He turned his head and asked, hopefully, “You will teach me to drive here?”
“I’ll try. If I can’t manage it on my own, I’ll enroll you in driving lessons. I’m not sure letting someone else control the wheel would work for me. Especially here. There’s congestion and the streets aren’t easy to maneuver.”
“I’m not sure Boston streets are any different than the ones in my hometown. Why don’t people use bicycles?”
She laughed. “You don’t know much about Americans yet, do you? Cars are like limbs. Citizens never leave home without them.”
It was the first time she’d let her guard down in front of him. He liked the way it tickled his ear.
She added, “There’s one waiting at the condo for you. I had it brought over on spec. If you don’t like it, we’ll send it back.”
“On spec?”
“Yeah, they len
d it out to see if it suits. You can go on-line, pick something else if it doesn’t.”
“On-line?”
“Yeah, on your computer.”
“I have never owned a computer.”
Her head jerked in his direction. “You’re kidding right?”
“Why would I kid? There is lack in Cuba. Everything from food to clothes to technology.”
The internet wasn’t as universal as it seemed to be here. One could only access it from certain hotels on the island.
“Is that why you’re here?”
“I am here to play baseball. For money.”
“So, you can buy anything you want?”
She sounded put off, as if he was guilty of something.
“No. So I can buy what I need. Share with my mother so she can live a more decent life. Until I can bring her here to join me.”
No one would understand the scarcity there. No one cared enough to find out. At least she hadn’t. She’d never asked about anything other than baseball.
“And what do you need, Mateo?”
“A roof over my head, good food to eat, clothes of my choosing. Perhaps a computer and a car.”
She lifted her sunglasses, rested them on her head and looked over at him.
“You know I’ve been tasked with making sure you spend it wisely.”
“Is that a wife’s duty?”
“I’m not…”
He was staring at her. She’d almost denied it, but she knew in strictly factual terms she was.
CHAPTER FOUR
Her lips were still pinched when she said, “Dan’s asked me to help you get your footing here. A lot of the men who defected from Cuba went a little crazy with all the money at their disposal. It hurt their baseball careers.”
He remembered the comment from the man on TV last night. Millions of dollars in bonuses and salary wasted.
Something else jarred. “You are doing it at Dan’s request?”
She finally met his eyes. They were closed to her soul. He could read nothing in them other than distaste.
“Look, Mateo. I told you before we did the thing that it was business. I hope you don’t feel any emotional ties to me.”
Without blinking, he replied, “How could I? You’ve made it a point to stay away.”
With her eyes back on the road, she told him, “My life is full, and it’s been busy in my office over the last few months. Now with Farina… I’ll have to go back and start again with a new manager.”
He was sure she’d been busy. There had been quite a few new arrivals in Boston, his friends Rique and Seb two of them. He’d been spending time with both over the last week, since Keith had dropped him off at the hotel. They were helping him deal with the loneliness.
He was staring out the window at the pedestrians who walked the streets, the cars fighting for position. And then glanced over at her. She was navigating the traffic as well as anyone yet, her movements smooth and practiced. He couldn’t help noticing her manicured fingers, the gray nails twinkling with moon and stars.
He eyed her quizzically. “Do all women design their fingernails?”
She raised her fingers to look at them as if she didn’t know where the question had come from before wrapping them around the wheel again.
“Not all. My friend Casey talked me into it the last time we met for a mani-pedi.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a combination of manicure and pedicure.”
“Do your toes sparkle like your fingers?”
The corners of her mouth were twitching. Was she forcing back a smile?
He said simply, “I have missed that.”
She instantly turned serious. “Missed what?”
“The easy way you have when you’re relaxed. You hold nothing of yourself back. Since getting me signed, you have changed.”
“I haven’t changed at all.”
“That first day you met me, you seemed eager to know everything about me. I’ve come to realize it was all about baseball. Now, you want to know nothing. You don’t even want to talk to me. Did you use me to get what you wanted?”
He could see the sparkle of her nails as she tapped them on the steering wheel.
“I could ask the same question.”
He turned to see her more fully, noticed her cheeks coloring pink.
“I did not pursue you. You were the one in a hurry to see me here.”
Now those fingers were gripping the wheel.
“I thought it would benefit both of us.”
He said matter-of-factly, “You do not want to be married.”
Now she turned to him, those cat-like eyes flashing, but there was a chill in her voice.
“No. Not to someone like you. I told you that at the beginning.”
The sound of her voice, even with the deep freeze in her tone, was enticing. He asked, more curious than angry, “What is it about me that offends you? Is it my nationality?”
Her lips pinched tighter as she shook her head.
“Could you please answer me? I am asking a serious question.”
They approached two tall towers, just steps from the harbor, and just as he thought they’d pass by, Alicia turned in and descended a ramp that led to an underground garage. When she inserted a card at the kiosk, the gate ambled up and she drove in, maneuvering around a corner and into a spot marked 26C. He was almost thrown off, thinking I live here? But he was waiting for an answer. He was willing to let the silence consume them until he got one. He didn’t have to wait long. She turned to look at him, but before he could settle his eyes on hers, she turned away to stare at the concrete wall in front of them.
“I don’t like ball players.”
Now it was his mouth that twitched at the corners. “Tell me again what you do for a living?”
“I work for Dan. You know that.”
He did. It was most fortuitous that she was the one who’d sat next to him in Cancun. If it had been anyone else, he might still be sitting there. He certainly wouldn’t be here.
“But you don’t like the men you take care of.”
“I like them fine. In business. I don’t have anything to do with them in my personal life.”
“You don’t want to shit in the kitchen.”
Her nose was scrunched in distaste. “What?”
“Sorry, I could have used a better example. What I meant was the kitchen and bathroom are two separate places. You don’t want to contaminate one with the other?”
“In a way, I guess. But that’s not the only reason. Players are at times juvenile and spoiled, and they are not the most monogamous of athletes.”
The irritation was evident in her tone.
“I see. You have first-hand knowledge of this?”
Before she turned her gaze out the window, he saw sadness color her eyes. He had a feeling there was loss behind the bitterness.
“I’m on the road with the team often enough. I see what goes on.”
“And there aren’t any who keep their vows?”
She said grudgingly, “Most of them do.”
“So, there are a few men who cheat, painting a bleak picture of us in one broad stroke.”
She sighed heavily. “I’m not going to take the chance again that the one I choose will be one of them.”
“I would not be.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her voice was tight, lacked emotion when she said,
“It doesn’t concern me, one way or another. We’ll be terminating the marriage as soon as we can.”
She reached for the door handle, but he stopped her.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What?”
“I am asking to wait on that. I would like to bring my mother here. I would need you to sponsor her.”
When she looked at him, her expression was mutinous. “That could take months.”
He shrugged. The marriage meant nothing to her, so where would the harm be?
“Would it make much
of a difference if we waited a week or a year? You’d have the freedom to do what you wish.”
He didn’t want her dating, not until he knew for sure the marriage was the inconvenience, she thought it was, but he had to face reality. She didn’t want to be married. At least not to him.
There was testiness in her tone when she asked, “Like you do?”
He gave her a pointed look and said, “I will not disrespect you that way.”
She couldn’t disguise the doubt in her eyes nor the fear in her deceptively soft voice.
“As long as no one knows, I won’t look like a fool if you see other women.”
She lowered her head and shrunk into herself. He was now convinced she’d taken the brunt of some man’s foolishness and wished he could pummel him to bits.
He placed his hand on her arm, forcing her to look at him. “I will know. I promised certain things, in front of a priest. Matrimony is sacred and I, in good conscience, could not betray it.”
Now her expression filled with concern, as if she finally understood where he stood on marriage, vows, and promises.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…you’d take it so seriously.”
Frustration spilled out in a heavy sigh. “And I didn’t know you’d take it so lightly.”
Her cheeks blossomed into a polished pink hue. She rushed out the words, “This was never meant to tie you down. You’re free, and not only from the state-run government you’ve left behind. You can live any lifestyle of your choosing, date any women who appeals to you, buy those things you’ve never been able to before, live in a nice place, all while doing what you love. I did this so you could enjoy those freedoms.”
His jaw clenched at her duplicity. “You did this for me? Or for your team? I assume you wouldn’t have offered yourself up if I’d signed with another.”
From the look on her face, he could tell he was right. She wouldn’t have given him the time of day if he’d chosen another team to sign with. It was the reason he hadn’t instructed Keith to shop him around. When you came from nothing, what was another million or two? He’d have enough to live well on no matter who purchased his services. He’d moved forward with the proposition not only for his mother’s sake but because he was attracted to her, her intensity, her passion for the game, her tiger eyes that gleamed. And that had been before that kiss at the altar. Her lips were soft, full, and flavorful and he wanted another taste.