by Raine Thomas
“Thanks for the advice,” he said, getting to his feet.
“Of course. I hope it helps and that we’ll get the opportunity to work with Katie sometime down the road.”
Will supposed the visit had gone better than it might have. At least he walked away—once he managed to convince Katie to crawl out from under her chair—with a glimmer of an idea of where to go from there.
But, damn. Did it really have to involve that ballerina?
He supposed it did when he saw the telltale tracks of dried tears on Katie’s cheeks as he loaded her back into the truck. If it would make his little girl smile again, he’d cheerfully walk through the flaming pits of hell itself.
The question then was how to identify and contact the unknown dancer, he mused on the drive home. Everly Parker was a stickler about patient confidentiality. There was no way he could imagine her just offering up a patient’s name and contact information. He considered and dismissed the idea of a bribe, knowing that wouldn’t work either.
There was one other option.
Really, his only option.
So when he got home and had a minute of privacy, he pulled up the team contact list on his phone and tapped the number he needed.
“Cole?” he said when his teammate picked up. “Hey, it’s Will Campbell. Listen…I need a huge favor.”
Chapter Eight
“Hey, baby, is the Wi-Fi password your name? ‘Cause I’m really feelin’ a connection with you.”
Jasmine turned from the table she’d just finished wiping down to look at the source of the pickup line, an intoxicated frat boy sitting nearby. It was the same guy who’d been handing her similarly dreadful lines all evening. Unlike other guys like him who’d been in Steamy Beans during her previous evening shifts, this guy wasn’t hitting on every female employee.
Oh, no. His “charm” was reserved just for her.
He was one of two remaining guys from a group of eight who had come in to listen to Miles’ set earlier. All but these two—her would-be pursuer and his best bud—left after the set. Now that they were within thirty minutes of the bar’s midnight closing time, it seemed her pursuer felt it necessary to up his game.
At first she had smiled and been polite. She hadn’t acknowledged the flirtations, but she’d made sure he and his companions got the food and drinks they wanted.
Hey, it was money in Steamy Beans’ bank. It benefited all the employees.
The first time his hand touched her thigh, the smiles went out the window. She complained about him to May, so May put Tobias on the table instead. Tobias had left an hour ago, however, because he was opening the next day. With May manning the bar and helping the remaining customers there, that left Jasmine to cover the tables in the dining area.
“Are you ready for your check?” she asked, not getting closer to their table.
“Not yet, honey,” he said, giving her yet another head-to-toe scan that she imagined he thought was flattering. “I’m waitin’ ‘til you get off.”
His cohort snorted with laughter over the double entendre. Jasmine’s posture stiffened. A number of responses sprang to mind, all of which would have gotten her fired. She might not love her job, but she needed the money.
“Why don’t I get the check for you so you can pay it before we close?” she said briskly, turning and heading to the register behind the bar before he could answer.
As she reviewed their tab, she heard the chime of the door opening. She looked up in hopes they had left. She almost didn’t care if they walked without paying. When she saw who had entered, her eyebrows lifted.
Will Campbell.
She wasn’t sure how to react to seeing him there. It wasn’t entirely out of the blue, she supposed. She had gotten a couple of voicemails from him over the past two days. The first one caught her completely off-guard.
“Hi, Jasmine,” the message said. “This is Will Campbell. You met me and my daughter Katie in Dr. Parker’s waiting room a couple of months ago. Please don’t hang up now that you know who I am.”
For some reason, that comment and his tone had made her smile.
“I’d like to apologize for losing my temper with you,” the message went on. “I’m sure you’re probably looking at your phone right now wondering how I got your number and why I’m calling. I’m happy to explain both if you’d give me a call back. I’d really appreciate it.”
He left his number, though she had it from the phone’s Caller ID function. Like tonight, she had worked the midnight shift the night he called, so she hadn’t had time to call him back. The next message came the following day.
“Hi, Jasmine. It’s Will Campbell again. Sorry I’m blowing up your phone. The thing is, I’m about to leave on a road trip and I was hoping to talk to you before then about Katie. I thought maybe if I spelled things out, you might return my call. So here goes. I’d really like to talk to you about the work you did with Katie when you were together…the, uh, ballet position stuff. She really seemed to respond to you. I’m hoping you might be open to doing more work with her.”
This time, Jasmine was confounded. She had never dreamed the irate father who had threatened her in the waiting room would turn around and approach her about working with his daughter. She hadn’t been sure how to feel about it. Maybe it was flattering that she made such a positive impression on the quiet child. On the other hand, she’d never thought about teaching kids. In fact, it sounded rather tortuous. Even if it didn’t, it wasn’t something she could imagine shuffling into her current routine.
“You might have noticed that Katie, well, she doesn’t communicate like other children,” Will said. Something about the vulnerability in his tone had pulled at her. “Anyway, I could really use your help.”
Once again, he left his number with the request that she call him back. She hadn’t, both because her schedule hadn’t allowed it and she wasn’t at all sure what she’d say to him.
Seeing him enter Steamy Beans now generated a combination of annoyance and respect. She was annoyed that he persisted in trying to discuss Katie with her when she wasn’t prepared to deal with that right then. But she respected his dogged determination in pursuing something he thought might benefit his daughter.
Now, he looked around the bar until he found her. Though she tried to deny it, she experienced a heady jolt when their gazes met.
God, he had the most beautiful eyes.
She’d forgotten about that detail after their first encounter. He’d been so angry that she hadn’t given a thought to his physical appearance. It seemed all she could focus on now as he strolled across the dining room toward her. In his simple outfit of jeans, sneakers, and a dark gray T-shirt, he shouldn’t have looked so hot. Maybe it was the way that shirt fit his nicely toned chest and biceps, or the proportions between his broad shoulders and narrow hips…though she’d met many male athletes through her physical therapy and here at Steamy Beans who hadn’t ever given her the same reaction. She didn’t typically find herself attracted to blonds, either.
Will Campbell seemed to be the exception.
The resemblance between him and the little girl she’d met was more apparent to her now. Though Katie was a brunette, they shared the same eyes, face shape, complexion, and slight cleft in their chin. That cleft gave Will Campbell the look of a fallen angel, one Jasmine found far too sexy for her peace of mind.
It set her instantly on edge.
“What are you doing here?” she greeted him when he walked up to the counter.
“Jasmine,” May said in a warning tone from where she stood a few feet away. Her gaze moved between Jasmine and Will with a blend of censure and curiosity.
Jasmine took a deep breath and produced a smile she imagined looked frozen on her face. “Sorry. What can I get you, sir?”
“Ah…”
Will looked momentarily perplexed, as though he hadn’t intended to place an order. It made her smile more genuine to know she had thrown him off just as he had done her.
After a glance behind her at the handwritten beverage menu, he said, “I’ll try the IPA you’ve got on tap.”
She grabbed a pilsner glass and filled it with the beer he’d ordered. Her attention instinctively roved across the dining area in case anyone needed her attention. She saw one group of four packing up their things and made a mental note to print their bill and bring it by their table. The two females in the far corner still had their heads together over an iPad, telling her they didn’t want to be bothered. The single guy wearing earbuds and reading a magazine still had half a beer in front of him.
Regrettably, her would-be boyfriend and his BFF were still sitting at their table, currently laughing loudly and pointing at a commercial playing on one of the bar’s televisions.
“Here you go,” she said, handing Will his beer. “You want to pay now or run a tab?”
“A tab? Places still do that?”
“We do. For the next twenty minutes, at least.”
He smiled. She again compared him to Katie.
They both had devastating smiles.
“I’ll choose Option B, thanks,” he said, turning with his beer and heading over to a free table.
She watched him for a moment, curious why he hadn’t said anything about wanting to talk to her. She supposed she hadn’t exactly left an opening for that.
In any case, it wasn’t the time to chat. She returned her focus to her work. While she was at the register, she printed the bill for the table of four. Since they looked ready to go, she stopped by their table first, collected their payment, and headed back to the register.
“Who is that guy?” May asked under her breath while they were both behind the counter.
“Which guy?”
Jabbing Jasmine with her elbow, May said, “You know who. The hunka-hunka burnin’ love who just ordered the beer.”
May had something of an obsession for Elvis.
“His name is Will Campbell. We met at my physical therapist’s office.”
“Are you two…?”
Jasmine snorted. “Of course not. I barely know him.”
“Maybe you should get to know him better,” May said with a pointed look before she walked back over to the other side of the bar.
“Gee, thanks,” Jasmine muttered as she collected the receipt from the register and stuck it in a payment wallet.
She left the receipt with the departing guests, thanking them and wishing them a good evening. Then she gathered what was left of her patience and carried the check over to the Dynamic Duo. She felt Will’s eyes on her as she passed his table. He had chosen a seat close to the frat boys, she assumed so he could best see the television currently showing SportsCenter.
“Here you go,” she said, presenting the payment wallet to the guy who’d been handing her the lines all evening.
“Wait, we’re not ready to close out the check yet,” her pursuer said.
“Yeah,” his friend agreed with a wide grin. “We’ve barely tapped the keg.”
Her pursuer shifted so his elbows were on the table and he was leaning closer to her. “What I really want to tap is that fine ass of yours, sweetheart.”
A loud laugh had them all glancing at Will. Seeing their attention had shifted to him, he made a show of getting himself back under control and said, “Sorry. I heard them coming up with that line together and I made a bet with myself that they’d never actually say something that terrible out loud. I lost.”
Jasmine looked back at the drunk guys and saw their puzzled frowns as they reasoned through what Will had said. After a minute, her pursuer finally clued in.
“What the fuck do you know, man?”
The look Will pegged him with was now cool and humorless. “I know she’s way out of your league, junior.”
Both of the frat guys surged to their feet. Will just watched them and sipped his beer.
“Holy shit!”
The outburst came from the magazine-reading guy. His gaze shifted from Will to the television and back again. It prompted Jasmine and the frat boys to do the same thing. There on the screen, Will was doing a post-game interview. He stood on the field in his uniform, dwarfing the female reporter beside him. The banner under his name said he had secured the win in a thirteen-inning game that evening.
“You’re Will Campbell,” the magazine guy said, also getting to his feet. “You’re in my fantasy baseball league, dude. What an awesome game today.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I get your autograph?”
“Sure.”
Everyone else in the bar was now watching the interaction. The two frat guys didn’t seem to know what to say. Jasmine opted to leave the check with them and do another walk-through of the dining area. After she checked on the two females and got their request for their checks, she headed back to the register. May hurried to her side.
“You didn’t mention hunka-hunka is a professional baseball player,” she said as Jasmine processed the checks. Her eyes were on Will where he was now signing autographs for a couple of older guys who had been sitting at the bar talking May up half the evening.
“What difference does it make?”
May looked at her like she had two heads. “It makes him even hotter, don’t you think?”
Jasmine shrugged and slid the payment slips into two payment wallets. “I haven’t thought about it. He’s here to talk to me about teaching his daughter to dance.”
Her sister gave her a light shove. “He’s married? You might have led with that.”
“He’s a single dad.”
“Oh. Divorced? He looks awfully young.”
“I don’t actually know,” Jasmine said, stepping around the counter. “It’s really none of our business.”
May made a face at her. “You’re no fun.”
Ignoring her, Jasmine headed over to hand the two women their checks. The next ten minutes involved getting the remaining customers all cashed out and ushering them out the door. It seemed Will had managed to put the frat boys in their place, as they didn’t attempt to flirt with her again. They didn’t leave much of a tip either, but she’d rather expected that.
Will signed autographs for a few other customers as they headed out. He was just shaking the hand of the last guy to depart when Jasmine approached him again.
“I hope you didn’t want another beer,” she said, collecting his empty glass. “We’ve hit closing time.”
“That’s fine,” he said. “I’ll just pay for this one.”
“It’s on the house,” she said. “For taking the time to sign all the autographs and for getting Frat Boys One and Two to back off.”
He smiled. “That was my absolute pleasure.” He got to his feet. “You probably have things to do before you can leave yourself. I didn’t think about how busy you’d be when I decided to head over here. I’m leaving on my next road trip in the morning, so I thought I’d take a shot at catching you before then.”
“How did you know I work here?”
He reached up and tugged on his earlobe in a guilty gesture. “It might have made it to me through the grapevine of Sierra to Evan to Cole. I’ve been a little, uh, persistent in my goal of talking to you.”
May walked up to them and took the pilsner glass from Jasmine. “Why don’t you take a few minutes?” she said, waving Jasmine into the chair by Will’s table. Turning to Will, she extended her free hand. “Hi. I’m Jasmine’s sister, May.”
“Will Campbell. Nice to meet you.”
Jasmine wasn’t sure what to think about the friendly introduction between her sister and the guy who not all that long ago threatened her with legal charges.
What had become of her life?
“Are you sure?” she asked her sister, easing into the chair.
“Yep. I’ll get started on our closing checklist,” May assured her before hurrying off.
“That was nice of her,” Will said, returning to his seat. When Jasmine just looked at him, he cleared his throat and asked, “Did you get
my messages?”
“I did. My shifts have been crazy the past couple days, so I didn’t get the chance to call you back.”
He nodded. “I figured it could be something like that. That’s why I took the gamble to come out here.”
It said a lot about his resolve that he made the effort to come see her, she thought. Stubbornness and—ha, ha—will were two things she could relate to. It had her warming toward him a fraction.
“Why me?” she asked, getting straight to the point.
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes intent on her face. “I wish I knew.”
That was hardly a rousing endorsement to encourage her to do what he wanted, she mentally grumbled. Of course, she could also appreciate his honesty.
“All I can say is when Katie got home that day after spending only a few minutes with you in the waiting room, she started practicing her positions on her own. If you could have seen the look on her face…”
He paused and looked down as though he needed a minute to collect himself. Her guard dropped even more.
“Well, she just lit up,” he said at last. “I’ve never seen anything like it. We’ve visited several dance studios since then and none of them have been a good fit.”
“Why not?”
He lifted his shoulders in a way that conveyed quiet frustration. “Katie doesn’t talk. I’m sure you noticed.”
She nodded.
“Sometimes people think that makes her less intelligent, or that they won’t have the time to dedicate to communicating with her the way she needs them to. And sometimes, well, Katie just doesn’t connect with people. Especially women.”
She reflected back on her interaction with the child and tried to reason why Katie had responded to her when it seemed she hadn’t with other teachers. It wasn’t like she had done anything particularly special. Only after thinking back to her early ballet lessons and comparing them with how she approached Katie did the answer occur to her.
“I gave her the option,” she murmured.
“What?”
She met his gaze. “I didn’t tell her what to do. I offered to show her if she wanted to learn.”