Just a Little Faith

by Amy J. Norris

“Yes. Just gimme a minute.”

  Pax could see the anticipation about to shoot Tori right out of her chair. She toyed with not telling her anything. Deciding Tori might spontaneously combust right there on the spot, Pax sat down in the chair resting her arms on the top of her desk. She paused.

  Tori spread her hands out in front of her in disgust, eyes wide. “Well…”

  “It was a nice evening. We walked around the corner to Perks for coffee and a light dinner. We chatted about all sorts of things and then walked back to our cars afterwards. He told me he enjoyed it and he’d give me a call.”

  “That’s it? No kiss? No declaration of love and affection?”

  “Tori. You and I have known each other how long now? I would never even allow a kiss on the cheek at this point.”

  Tori crumpled in her seat. “I guess not. Perhaps I blew things up a little bit in my mind. I imagined all night how things were going.”

  Pax splayed her hands across the desk, rising out of her seat. Her chair rolled out from under her. “You did what?”

  Ignoring her reaction, Tori jumped to her next question. “So, do you think he’ll call?”

  “I don’t know. He said he would, but I’m sure he was just being polite.” Reaching for the chair, she sat back down. “I think our lives are too different from each other. I mean he’s a professional baseball player for goodness sake. He drives a... I don’t know what it is, but it’s a super fancy car, and I drive a beat up sedan. He makes as much money in one swing of a bat as I make in a year. Why would he call? How could he not find my life a bit on the boring side?”

  Tori leaned over toward the desk. “Maybe he finds your life a bit on the nice side. Maybe, in a way, he wishes he could have your life. I think a lot of people who are famous secretly wish they weren’t so famous, just as regular people secretly wish they were famous. It’s the natural order of things.”

  Pax snorted in reply. “You think so, huh? I think the natural order of things is for people to not daydream about other people’s dates all night. And instead, concern themselves more with their own lives.”

  Wrinkling her nose at Pax, Tori hopped up and walked back to her desk, but not before tossing one last comment over her shoulder. “When I get a date with a famous baseball player, and an extremely hot one at that, I’ll stop daydreaming about your dates and start living my own. So there.”

  ****

  Two days later, Seb stood in the stark white kitchen of his Chesterfield home and made his morning cup of coffee. He’d waited long enough to call Pax. Carrying the mug with him, he strode into his home office. Spotting the folder she’d given them at their initial meeting stuffed under a stack of commercial contract proposals, Seb snagged her business card from the inside slot and sat down. Grabbing the phone, he dialed the ten digit number and leaned back, propping his feet on his desk.

  He glanced out the window. He’d been on the road so much lately he hadn’t noticed the barren trees populating his property, the multitude of colors scattered all over his meticulously cut grass. Seeing the trees robbed of their leaves left Seb with a cold feeling in his gut, and a sense of uneasiness tugged at him.

  He diverted his gaze back to his desk as he listened to the LLS phone ring. No one answered. Glancing at his computer screen, he realized it was fifteen till nine. The office didn’t open officially until 9:00 a.m.

  Hanging up the phone, he stared into space wondering what he could do to pass the time. Picking up the handset one more time, he decided to give Jim a call to see if he had looked over the contract for the LLS deal. For all Seb knew, it wasn’t the business side of him talking. Maybe Jim had discovered something he didn’t like. If that was the case, Seb needed to find out now rather than later. Especially before he called Pax to set up another date.

  He punched the speed dial digit.

  “Jim! Hey… Seb here.”

  “Seb! Wow. What time is it? Are you in jail and needing some bail money?” Laughter carried from the earpiece.

  “Very funny, Jim. No, I’m not in jail. I just happened to be up early this morning, and thought I would check in on the LLS deal. Have you been able to go over it anymore? I know we promised to get back with them tomorrow.”

  Seb doodled on the calendar tablet in front of him, the sound of papers rustling in his ear. “Um, yes I have. I had your attorney check it out, too. We both think it looks pretty sound. It won’t be a detriment to your career. In fact I think it could only enhance it. The fans would find you even more appealing, and you could probably get some mileage out of it.”

  “Great. That’s good to hear. I felt comfortable with their proposal too. And I think Pax would be a good person to work with.”

  Seb’s doodles turned to writing the same letters over and over.

  “I’m glad to hear this, Seb. I am a little surprised you’re so interested in this, especially with your initial concerns. Usually, you just want to sign the dotted line and be done.”

  “I know. I, uh, just wanted to be a bit more involved in this one. It’s a charity that does a lot for cancer patients.”

  “Sure. Sure. Listen, I’ll call Ms. Taylor tomorrow and give her the good news. We can iron out the details next week. I know we need to get it done before you pack up for California.”

  “Um, yeah, okay. That sounds good. I still haven’t nailed down for sure when I’ll be going out to the coast, but the sooner the details are figured out, the better. Thanks for everything, Jim. I’ll look forward to hearing from you tomorrow.”

  “Sure thing, Seb. I’ll holler at you then.”

  Seb glanced at the clock. Nine a.m. Closing his eyes, he listened to the dial tone before punching in the number for LLS. Looking down at his calendar he noticed letters were written all over the paper.

  P A X.

  Chapter Six

  “Oh, Pa-axx….” Pax laughed, hearing Tori’s sing-song voice over the phone.

  “Yes Tooooori? What can I do you for so bright and early and first thing this morning?”

  “I have a call for you on line two. He said to tell you ‘Bash’ is calling. Who is this Bash? Have you been hiding another guy from me? Don’t hold out on me, Pax. When I check and see you’re off the phone, I’m coming back there and don’t think you can stop me!”

  Pax chuckled again. “Tori, just put him through.”

  Pax reached up and smoothed her hair. She couldn’t believe he remembered the nickname mentioned at dinner. It was kinda…sweet.

  Taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm her nerves. “This is Pax.”

  “Hey there. I hope I didn’t call at a bad time?”

  The tenor of his voice set her heart into motion. “Not at all… Bash. You threw Tori for a loop with the name. She is convinced I’m keeping a stash of secret guys from her.”

  He laughed. “Oh really?”

  “No, I’m serious. She’s going to interrogate me after this phone call! You have made my day a trial and a tribulation!”

  “I apologize for the perils I have put on you with your co-worker today. I’ll try and refrain the next time.”

  Next time. The two words caused her stomach to turn upside down.

  “I’m calling to see if maybe you had some free time this evening? I thought I might follow up on the promise of the stadium tour. I need to get a few things from my locker before they close it up for the winter.”

  Her excitement quickly turned to disappointment. “Oh, I can’t tonight, Seb. I wish I could, but I have a standing appointment every Thursday. I always leave work around three o’clock and go over to Children’s Hospital for the afternoon.” Dejected, it surprised her at how upset she was at telling him no.

  “Hey…you know what? Perhaps you would like to come with me? The kids would just love it, and I think you would enjoy it, too. I always come out of there more encouraged than anything else.” Before she knew what she was saying, the words spilled from her lips even though her mind was racing to stop them.

  What
am I doing? How forward can a girl get?

  “Three o’clock you say? I think I could swing it. It sounds like fun. Thanks for asking.”

  Pax gulped. He was going to come? I must be in another dimension. Why else would she blurt out an invitation to an all-star athlete to visit a hospital of all things?

  She took a couple of deep breaths. “Great! Why don’t you just come by the office, and we can head over from here.”

  “Okay. And maybe we’ll have time afterwards to hit the stadium and then grab a bite for dinner.”

  “Sounds like a plan. See you then.”

  Pax placed the phone back in the cradle, but didn’t release it. They were going to the hospital, the stadium, and maybe to dinner. Wow. What a pleasant turn of events for her regular uneventful Thursday.

  A sudden urge to throw up came over her.

  True to her word, Tori appeared at her door before she could look up from her desk.

  “So. Who’s this Bash? Details, girl. I need details.”

  Tori’s face was priceless. Her eyebrows almost melded into her hairline.

  “Tori, Tori, Tori. I’m not hiding any guy from you, I promise. He’s a friend. And actually, you have met him before. It’s Sebastian Quinn.”

  Tori’s mouth formed a perfect “o” and her eyes looked like they would pop out of her head. “Sebastian Quinn? He called back? I’m usually so good at recognizing people’s voices but this one got me all out of sorts. I must be losing my touch.” She perched on the corner of the desk waving her hand in the air. “But forget that…what’s this ’Bash’ reference?”

  “It’s nothing. At dinner the other night we discussed all the different nicknames athletes obtain during their career. I mentioned I thought ‘Bash’ would have been his since he bashed balls out of the park.”

  Tori clapped her hands together in rapid succession. “And he remembered it? Oh girl. I like how this is progressing.” Leaping from the desk, she paced the length of the room. “What did he want? Another date, right? What are you doing? Dinner at a five-star restaurant like Lombardo’s… Yes. You’ll go to Lombardo’s, and then you’ll take a moonlit stroll along the riverbank right near the Arch. You’ll be chilly; he’ll give you his coat. He’ll help you put it on and then stare in your eyes. He won’t be able to help himself. He’ll take your hand and place one on your cheek…”

  Tori’s emerald eyes glazed over, and she mimicked her description with her hand going as far as to place it on her own cheek.

  Pax rapped her desk with her knuckles breaking Tori out of her reverie. “Tori… What did I say earlier about daydreaming about other people’s dates? It’s nothing as formal as that. We’re going over to Children’s Hospital to visit the kids and maybe, if we have time, he’s going to take me by the stadium and perhaps dinner.”

  Tori’s glee would not be denied. She pranced out of the office chanting “Pax and Seb sitting in a tree….”

  Placing her head in her hands Pax muttered to herself. “I told him he’d cause me trials and tribulations today.”

  ****

  Pulling his black BMW into the parking lot at LLS, Sebastian moved a box from the passenger seat to his trunk. Eager to show her the surprise he planned for the kids they’d meet, Seb wondered why he hadn’t done something like this in the past. How much time does it take to go by and see a bunch of kids and share some of your day with them? Seb knew Linc liked to try and arrange visits to schools, hospitals, and such. He’d invited Seb to join him on a few of the visits, but Seb always seemed to find something else to do. Knowing Pax was involved in something like this motivated him more than Linc ever could. Seb grinned. If Rangy ever found out about this, he’d for sure have something to say.

  Stepping in the lobby of LLS, Tori gave him an evil eye.

  She tapped her pencil on her desk with one hand as she pointed at him with the other. “You certainly had me fooled this morning…Bash.”

  Smiling, he stopped in front of her desk putting his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “She mentioned she might have a difficult day based on my call this morning. I see she set you straight.”

  “Yep… but I don’t think she cared for my inquisition.” Grimacing first, she smiled. “She loves me, so I’m forgiven.”

  “She forgives easily. I’ll keep it in mind.”

  He nodded his head toward the direction of Pax’s office. “You think it’s okay if I head on back?”

  “Oh sure. She never sets any appointments after two on Thursdays so she can get out by three o’clock. It shouldn’t be a bother… Bash.”

  He chuckled at her continual use of the nickname. “You aren’t going to let it go are you?”

  “Why should I? It’s a nickname suited pretty well for a ballplayer like yourself, don’t you think? Wham there it goes! Quinn’s bashed it outta the park!”

  Laughing at her impersonation of a play-by-play announcer, he walked down the hall.

  Pax’s office door stood wide open. Pink and blue sticky notes lined her desk as she sorted through various papers, occasionally jotting things down.

  She looked different today, with her hair styled down and loose rather than in the usual up-do she’d worn the previous two times he’d seen her. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch the mocha tendrils to see if they were as soft as they appeared.

  Hoping he could get her attention, Seb cleared his throat. At the sound, Pax jumped in her seat lifting her hands to her chest while turning toward the door.

  He put his hands on either side of the door frame, supporting his upper body as he leaned into her office. “Sorry. I scared you.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. Everybody is startled every once and a while.” Playfully she wagged her finger at him. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”

  “You got it! Do you need some more time? I may have gotten here a little early.” Seb pushed away from the door and into the hall.

  “No, you’re right on time. I wanted to make sure I got these last few items down on my ‘to do’ list. If I don’t write them down today… they won’t get done tomorrow.” Checking over the notes one more time, she nodded to herself and hopped up, grabbing her coat and purse from the hook behind the door.

  “Let me tell Michael I’m heading out.” She paused. “Speaking of Michael, could I introduce you to him? I guess you might say, he’s the man in charge,” She emphasized the last few words by forming quote marks with her fingers.

  Pax lightly rapped on the door at the end of the corridor as she opened it.

  “Hey Michael? Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure, what’cha need?”

  “I thought this might be a good opportunity to introduce you to Sebastian Quinn. Seb, this is Michael Stratford.”

  Pax’s boss was younger than Seb anticipated. Dark headed with a bright smile, Michael stood up before coming around to the front of his desk.

  “Mr. Quinn, it is certainly a pleasure to meet you. I am sorry I didn’t get the opportunity the other day, but I understand Pax took good care of you and Mr. Thompson.”

  Seb grabbed Michael’s outstretched hand and shook it firmly.

  “Please, call me Seb. It’s nice to meet you, as well. Paxson tells me you’re the boss around here.”

  Laughing, Michael shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I’m just the one who’s stuck it out the longest. The brains of the outfit belong to Tori. Without her, Pax and I would be lost.”

  Looking at Pax, Seb smiled. “She mentioned something like that the other day.”

  “I’m hoping you and Mr. Thompson are considering our proposal. I know Pax felt the relationship could be beneficial to all parties involved. You’d be a great asset to increasing our donor list, which in turn provides more funds for research. I know I appreciate your willingness to consider our charity for your work.”

  Seb ducked his head. “It’s nothing really. I’m glad it worked out for me to come by the other day.”

  Turning to face Paxson, he smiled. “That remind
s me, I spoke to Jim this morning, and he inferred to me he was getting close to a recommendation. I feel confident by tomorrow you’ll be hearing from him.”

  “That’s great, Seb. I’ll look forward to the call.”

  Leaning back, Michael rested his hands against the corner of his desk. “So what brings you by the office? Did you have some follow-up questions?”

  “Actually, Michael, Seb is accompanying me to the Children’s Hospital today. I thought the kids would enjoy it.” She glanced at Seb who nodded in response.

  “What a great idea, Pax. They won’t be able to contain their excitement. Not that they don’t enjoy Pax visiting every week, but a local hero will most certainly brighten their day.”

  Seb noticed Michael swivel his gaze from Pax back to him and wondered if Michael thought something else was going on between the lines. “I didn’t realize you had set it up the other day, Pax.”

  Seb interjected. “Oh we didn’t. Paxson suggested it this morning when I called her on another matter. I’m glad she thought to invite me.” A look of relief crossed Paxson’s face.

  “Good. Good.” Reaching his arm out to shake Seb’s hand once again, Michael then returned to sit behind his desk. “I don’t want to keep you from the kids. Have a great time, and I hope we can look forward to more appearances like this in the future, Seb.”

  “I hope so too, Michael.” Seb followed Pax down the hall, watching her as a pang of attraction he’d experienced at the end of their first date, thumped him again.

  More than you know, I hope so too.

  Chapter Seven

  Seb opened the car door for Pax. Immediately, she relished how the interior of the vehicle was already nice and toasty. She surmised Seb used a remote starter before they left the office. She ran her hands over the lush interior of the car. Leather seats, and were those seat warmers she felt? She could get used to this. The only heated seats in her car were the ones God provided by the sun on a hot summer day. Sitting back, she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth as it seeped through the muscles of her back, which were always strained from sitting too long behind a desk every day.