by Remi Grey
Grand Slam
REMI GREY
Copyright © 2019 Remi Grey – All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Cover Created By Embrace the Pace Designs
The following story contains mature themes, strong language, and sexual situations. It is intended for mature readers.
Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
EPILOGUE
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About the Book
An Alpha Male and Curvy Girl Steamy Romance
Tyson:
Everyone heard about the incident.
It was posted up on every magazine and whispered about on every street corner: Ian Benson, the legend, gone after a baseball to the head left him unconscious. He never woke up.
I never thought that I’d fall in love with his sister or that I’d have to hide one of the most important parts of me from her to let her fall for me too: baseball.
Sara:
I had said goodbye to everything baseball-related after Ian passed away.
It all just seemed to remind me of him.
Happiness was something that I only felt in small doses, but nothing I ever knew I could truly experience until I met Tyson.
He reminded me of a future where baseball didn’t have to mean everything and where I could finally be free.
Grand Slam is a sweet and steamy love story between Tyson and Sara, a story in which the one thing that brought them together is the same thing that could drag them apart. She has to figure out if she can get past her brother’s tragic death in order to find true love for herself.
Chapter 1
Sara
“A lot of people knew Ian as the three-time MVP who had over forty home runs during his three seasons, but you just knew him as your brother. What is something that really defined him off the field?” the interviewer asked me from in front of the camera. The large and looming lighting equipment filled my mother’s small office, which she had reserved for Benny Williams, the most influential interviewer in sports.
I remember squinting when they first clicked on, exposing not only every crevice in my tired face, but seemingly the pain that I had still not gotten over. It had been a year today. For me that meant sulking about Ian’s house, which my mother inherited, but for news outlets everywhere it meant shoving a camera in my face and millions of mentions on social media. #YearAfterIan.
“Sara?” Benny called my name to get my attention. Her eyebrows were perked up, seemingly getting impatient. All I could think was how dark they were compared to the bright red of her curled hair. That lipstick, too, I thought, was so apparent on her pale skin. “What is something that really defined him off the field?”
I swallowed hard to prevent tears from falling on their expensive cameras, zooming in on my tears and my nervous twitches. If I cried now, that would be better for them. We visited Sara Benson today where she boo-hoo cried over her dead famous brother. See her tears in HD now! My mother would kill me if I didn’t “get it together.” She had led the crew into our house where a portrait of Ian was specially placed by the entrance, something that was otherwise hung in the basement where the rest of Ian’s belongings were arranged in memoriam. Whereas my mother consistently paraded cameras around down there, I could never bring myself to visit.
I opened my mouth to finally speak just as the door slammed open. Everyone broke their neck to check out the source of the ruckus. “You, you, and you,” I heard Helen say. “Out. Now!” I exhaled deeply. Thank God for Helen. She marched over to me, her dark hair in a low bun while her blue eyes pierced everyone in the room menacingly. At me, her eyes softened. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. Helen had been my brother’s agent. Now, she was a close family friend, one of the few I could talk to. Benny stood up, annoyed. “We’re in the middle of something. Rebecca Benson planned this and let us in.”
“Rebecca looks out for Rebecca. I look out for the memory of Ian Benson and the well-being of Sara. Now, get out before I make this all very messy for all of you,” Helen demanded, scowling at them.
This was enough to get Benny moving, her crew, their lights, and the cameras following suit. The door of the office shut with a final thud. I was definitely going to get it from my mom now.
“I know she’s your mother, but I am so sick of Rebecca’s antics!” she exclaimed. She calmed herself before speaking again. “I am really sorry that you had to go through this, Sara.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it…”
“Sara!” I heard from down the hall. The voice was getting closer. “Sara!” The door slammed open and revealed my mother decked in Versace from head to toe, a glass of wine floating on her palms. “Ah, Helen. Of course.”
“Good morning to you, too,” Helen said eyeing the glass. “Or afternoon. Evening...all the same to you, right?”
“There are citrus undertones, so it’s basically made for mornings,” she shot back. Then she sighed and moved toward me, adjusting her tone. “Sweetheart, what was that all about? You said you were okay with having the interview.”
“Mom, you said the crew was coming at nine and to be ready. I said okay to that,” I clarified.
“I’m sorry, Sara. Seriously, if I had known…” My mom started. Helen sighed, visibly annoyed but said nothing. “Next time, I won’t involve you. I just figured that you’d want to do something to commemorate, you know, one year. You haven’t talked to me or anyone about it so…”
“A camera crew and Benny Williams just sounded like the perfect option?” Helen questioned with an eyebrow raised. She loved snapping on my mother. It wasn’t like she could do anything to help it either. After all, Helen wasn’t on the payroll anymore. She just grew to love our family. That was until after Ian’s death. My mother and Rebecca never got along after that and neither of them ever mentioned why.
“I’m trying here!” my mom exclaimed. “You know what? It’s too early to deal with all of this.” She took a long swig of her wine and sashayed out.
“I swear that woman is something else,” Helen said under her breath. “Anyway, I came here to get you for lunch. Since you’re all dolled up and pretty…” She referred to the mask on my face.
Wearing makeup felt so abnormal to me that I could only pipe up with an excuse. “They brought someone to do it. Said it was gonna make me look less…” I paused and considered why they did this. “Uh, more...presentable?”
“Well, you look pretty regardless,” she said simply. “Now, let’s go.”
Grateful for the distraction, I beamed and followed her out of the house.
********
The restaurant was bright and casual, serving breakfast to Helen and I almost as soon as we sat down. We chatted for a while as she went on about her latest projects and other clients, thro
wing jokes out that had me cracking up. It was weird though--laughing when on this day just a year ago, Ian was lying on the hospital bed fighting for his life. I quieted down and turned away from Helen as her story trailed off. “Sara…” she began to say.
“Yo, Helen!” I heard someone yell.
From behind her I saw two men. One of them, blonde with his hair gelled back and a bright toothy grin marking dimples in his cheeks, and the other dark-haired. His brown eyes met mine with a brightness that seemed to smile for him. Instantly, I could feel the heat rushing to my face.
“Ray and Tyson, my two favorite clients. How are you?” Helen asked looking back to face them. They walked closer to our table.
“Mind if we join you guys?” Ray, the blonde, asked.
“I mind,” Helen said with a smirk clearly joking, making Ray laugh. “But that’s up to Sara. We came for a girl’s brunch sort of thing. You get it, right?”
“I don’t mind,” I said. This comment surprised even me, but something in me wanted the guys to join us. Tyson smiled down at me while Ray’s larger than life self plopped down next to Helen and introduced himself.
“I’m Ray, one of the baseball players for the team,” he said. I cringed slightly. Could he have known Ian? Or admired him maybe before joining the league?
“And I’m Tyson.”
The way the sun was pouring in from behind me and hitting his face, made his olive skin and dark eyes glow brilliantly. He held my gaze while he introduced himself, his words like silk when he said, “Soccer player.”
My eyes traveled down to the curve in his full lips, a soft smile, and I felt happy. It was a pulsing feeling at the core of my heart and for the first time I didn’t immediately think of my brother. For the first time, I just wanted the feeling of happiness to stay.
I then introduced myself. “Sara. Sara Benson.”
Chapter 2
Tyson
“What the hell, Ty?” Ray asked me once we were back in his car headed to my studio. He was more amused than pressed. “I’m Tyson and I’m a soccer player,” he added in imitation of me. He started laughing uncontrollably as he stomped on the accelerator, zooming in and out of traffic.
“I’m sorry, man. I just freaked out, but did you see how bad she was,” I said with my eyes widening. “I mean, she was beautiful.” I started thinking about how she looked up at me when I had first approached Helen’s table, eyes wide and hopeful while her lips were small and pouty. “Then when she introduced herself, I remembered what Helen had mentioned to me once.”
“What? That she’s super into soccer players?” Ray was having too much fun.
“No,” I said. “That she would never date a baseball player. It reminds her too much of her brother, Ian.”
“Wait, holy shit. Ian Benson was her brother? Why didn’t you tell me? I have so many questions,” Ray started rambling, but when I shot him a disapproving look he added, “None of which would’ve been appropriate of course given that she’s the sister of the legend himself…” He turned onto an avenue. “But tell me, what exactly are your next steps? Continue lying to her and then fall in love?” He started cackling. “Think about it. Helen is going to have you set for interviews and shoots before you sign your contract with the league. Apparently, Sara and her are really tight. So, there’s a chance you could be found out.”
“I won’t. I’ll just get to know her first. None of this even matters. Besides, I’m not lying lying. I’ll eventually tell her, but, Ray, I bet baseball brings back all these memories and if I tell her now, she’ll just see me as that. A baseball player. Same as her brother was. And the same thing that took him away from her. I won’t do that yet.”
“Alright then, send me the wedding invite down the line,” Ray said jokingly. Even though he was certain I would fail with Sara, I figured one date would be enough for her to fall in love.
********
“Helen,” I started when I showed up to her office one Saturday morning. She was just finishing up with another meeting but welcomed me with a smile.
“What’s up, Ty?” she moved to the front of her desk and leaned against it before crossing her arms. There was a curious look on her face.
Helen, my agent, always seemed to have a sly look in her eyes as though she were just waiting to shoot out something smart, but at the same time she was always very open with conversations. So, I felt confident saying, “I want to go on a date with Sara Benson.”
“Who?”
“Erm, Sara Benson?” I continued confused.
“I know what you said,” Helen replied, pushing off her desk and moving toward me. “I just don’t know why you said it. And when I said ‘who’, I meant you? You’re not only a baseball player, you’re my client. Two things that won’t exactly clash well when trying to date a good friend of mine considering…” She paused. “You know.” I figured she was referring to Ian. “She doesn’t do that. She doesn’t...date.” She sighed while thinking about her friend. “And she definitely doesn’t date baseball players.”
“She doesn’t know that I’m a baseball player, though.”
“Oh, right! That convenient lie you made up…” She shook her head. “So, you’re expecting me to hook you up with my friend knowing that you’re a liar? She’s already on me about who you are and I just--”
I got excited. “She asked about me? What did you say?”
Helen made a face but softened soon after, a playful grin playing on her lips. “You are so crushing right now. It’s like I’m in elementary again. He loves me, he loves me not. Fun times.” She chuckled lightly.
“Helen,” I reminded her to get back on task.
“Fine, I said…” I held my breath. “I said you’re my first soccer player under my representation.” I let out the breath, relieved that I still had a chance. She rolled her eyes, “But I swear I’m not lying for you again! And…” She got quiet before speaking up again. “You didn’t hear it from me but there’s an event tonight that she’s going to be at. It’s in honor of Ian.” My eyes widened. “But don’t get too excited. Even though she mentioned you, she might not be in the mingling mood.”
I pulled her into a hug. “You are the best agent, Hels.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Chapter 3
Sara
It was my second time wearing makeup this week, twice as many times as I had worn makeup the entire year. My mom seemed pleased however. She had her hairstylist take care of the both of us with her chestnut hair in an intricate updo and mine in a simple slicked back ponytail, barrettes along the swooped bang to add flair. I stared in the mirror at my long gown. It was a bright ruby red that cascaded down to the floor and hugged my curvy figure. “You look beautiful, sweetheart,” she said.
“Thanks, mom,” I replied as I took the chance to admire my figure in the mirror. Then, a thought: here I am in this $10,000 designer dress for a charity ball in Ian’s name who lost his life doing what he loved. I felt like a fraud.
“Honey?”
“Yeah, mom.” I turned to look at her. I didn’t realize how much of a trance I had fallen into. She eyed me with concern and then put her hands on my upper arms.
“You are so strong,” she said. “And Ian... he would want you to keep living. To be happy.” She smiled at me. Even though I knew she was attempting to make me feel better, I couldn’t help but grow angry with her. Had she even grieved? It all seemed too easy for her. Her own son, too easy for her to just live off what he’d earned, with this huge house and the expensive wines and the events in his name. I forced myself to smile.
“Thank you.” My voice broke at the end.
********
The amount of people that greeted my mom and I when we first entered the venue felt overwhelming. The cameras flashed and voices around the area seemed to be calling out our names for attention. Sara Benson. Rebecca Benson. Over here! More camera flashes. I attempted to appear pleasant. Nothing would ruin this event for the guests more than me frowning all
night. So, I smiled. I smiled at the interviewers, other athletes, and the donors. I shook their hands and did the small talk thing that bored me to my core.
Hi! How are you, Sara?
I’m great. (A lie) How are you (I don’t care.)
Then, they’d ramble about the beauty of Ian’s life, the tragedy of his death, and they’d all pretend to care before throwing a large sum of money on a charity for a tax write-off. I’d nod throughout the conversation and pretend to be touched until I found an out.
The one truly beautiful thing about this event was the open bar. I took a seat before it and ordered. The drink came as quick as it was summoned. I let my eyes sweep over the room, sipping idly, anything to make this night go faster.