Head Over Heels

by Crystal B. Bright

  “All the Yankees’ employees have been checked in already. Nice try, lady,” the employee said. “Please escort her out of the hotel.”

  “Wait. No. You don’t understand.” Kari attempted to dig her heels into the sandy-colored ceramic tile floor. “I need to talk to Thane Wells. If I can do that, I’ll leave.”

  “Honey, I’m sure someone in your business would love to talk to some clients. You’re not doing that in here.” The security guard pulled her roughly toward the door.

  “Stop. I’m not who you think I am. I’m a sports agent.” She managed to crane her head around the guard to see Thane, Elizabeth, and the real Yankees staff members walking out into the lobby. This would be her only chance to make an impression. “Thane! Thane!” She waited for him to look at her before she could be thrown out into the street. “Finish college and then sign with a team. Get with a good farm team. With your pitching stats, you can get top dollar.”

  “Be quiet and leave the premises,” the guard spoke between gritted teeth.

  Kari ignored him and made one final plea. “You would be worth every penny. Sign with me, and I can take you far.”

  Before she could see if she made an impact, she got pushed outside the door, nearly toppling to the ground. Kari managed to keep her balance. She wouldn’t be caught flailing even though she had failed.

  “And stay out.” The guard pointed at her and turned back into the hotel.

  Kari stood on the sidewalk and tried peering into the glass doors to see if her words had gotten through to Thane. Had he heard her and, more importantly, did he believe her?

  After waiting an hour in front of the hotel, Kari chalked up her stunt as a disaster. Thane had probably heard her pleas, but apparently her words hadn’t made any impact. Or maybe they had, and whoever this Elizabeth woman was to him had convinced him that Kari couldn’t represent him or his career.

  She glanced at her watch. If she hurried, she could make it down to Penn Station and get home to tuck her baby into bed.

  Kari started to head down the street when she heard a voice behind her.

  “Hey!”

  She turned, hoping to see Thane calling for her. Instead, she saw the other businessman who had been sitting with Alec Fogel. Out of curiosity, she waited as he walked up to her.

  “Do I know you?” Kari asked as she held on to the strap of her purse.

  “No. And I don’t know you, but I’d like to.” The statuesque older man ran his hand over his silver hair. “My name is Frank Milliner. I’m the owner of the Winning Edge Agency. I heard what you said in there to Thane Wells. What agency do you work at now?”

  Kari regarded him for a moment before speaking. “I don’t. I was hoping to sign him up as my client.”

  “Wait. You don’t work at an agency? How did you even know about him?”

  Great. Another man who probably underestimated her passion for sports and her drive for a career. She would have to correct that perception right now.

  “I review high school teams and watch players like a scout. Thane came up on my radar when he threw that no-hitter during his senior year of high school. He’s only gotten better in college. He’s going to be a beast on the field. I’m guessing Elizabeth knew that.”

  Frank furrowed his eyebrows. “Who’s Elizabeth?”

  “That woman who was with him.” She pointed into the hotel.

  He chuckled. “That’s Elizabeth Sommerville, Thane Wells’s mother. She adopted him and his two brothers.”

  “I know about Gunnar and Gideon Wells. I had no idea they were adopted. But I’ve focused on Thane.” With good reason, she wanted to say.

  Gunnar had already become an MMA champion by the time Kari had found out she would be a mother at the age of sixteen. Gideon began his career as an NFL quarterback during her freshman year of college.

  Now she understood Elizabeth’s motherly advice. She hadn’t been trying to steer Kari clear of Thane because she wanted his business. She’d been protecting her son from a potential gold digger or worse. Of course, it would have been nice if Elizabeth had told Kari of her relationship to Thane. Then again, if she had, it would have made Kari even more nervous.

  “I could use someone like you in my company. I’m assuming you’ve finished school.” Frank crossed his arms over his chest as he studied her.

  “Just graduated.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Yes, you are exactly what I need for my business. We should talk.” He tried to guide her back into the hotel.

  Kari stayed cemented to the cracked walkway. “I’m not exactly welcome back in there. Can we meet somewhere else?”

  Frank smiled. “Of course.”

  Although she’d missed one opportunity, she hoped this one would turn out to be a winner. That didn’t mean she would be giving up on Thane Wells. He wouldn’t be the one who got away.

  Chapter 2

  Present time

  “I shouldn’t do this.” Thane Wells stared at his reflection in his hotel room’s bathroom mirror.

  He braced his hands on the granite countertop as he gathered himself. The slight pain in his abdomen still throbbed. Thane took a couple of deep breaths and hoped that it would help ease the gut-wrenching feeling.

  He grabbed a bottle of a pink, thick fluid. He downed a couple of gulps and waited for it to make it to his stomach before he followed it with some mouthwash. He spat out the minty, green liquid and took another cleansing breath before he left the bathroom.

  The Carolina Wrens spared no expense for his comfort. His shoes clicked against the marble floor with its dark, soothing brown tones. The opulence of this hotel matched the great season the baseball team had had and would have this coming year.

  He combed his hair back and added a slight part on the side. Thank God, he’d gotten a trim before his meeting that night. He didn’t want to be labeled as a disheveled athlete.

  He did leave his face stubbly though. Between keeping himself clean shaven and looking like he’d been partying all night, he found women approached him more when he resembled a bad boy. For this meeting tonight, he needed an ally.

  Of course, his mother, dear Queen Elizabeth Sommerville, would hate his appearance despite his crisp white button-down shirt and complementing midnight-blue jacket and pants, courtesy of some designer who wanted Thane to model his clothing.

  Thane hadn’t given the designer his answer yet. He still had to figure out a polite way to say no. His main opposition to being the label’s spokesman had to do with the quality of the clothing. The stitching didn’t meet his standards. Each time he’d gotten a shirt from this designer, he had to let it out in the chest area. He couldn’t trust a tailor with the work, not when he knew his body better than anyone else, and he could do the work better than most.

  He pulled his shirt sleeve down under her jacket and straightened his belt. To finish off his look, he sprayed some cologne over his neck and chest. The musky scent added a nice aroma. For what he hoped would be a brief encounter, he wanted to appear pleasant, approachable.

  Thane snickered when he recalled the few times he had been out while wearing the scent. Even in crowded clubs, he managed to get noticed among other men. He would have to work hard for attention down in Florida.

  “I guess this will have to do.”

  When his cell phone rang, he assumed the call came from the reporter he needed to meet. He saw the number, and even without it being saved in his list of contacts as one of his friends or associates, he knew the caller. He could be delayed from his meeting a bit to have this quick conversation.

  He tried hard not to smile before he answered it. “Good evening.”

  “Hello, Mr. Wells. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  Thane took a deep breath and exhaled loud enough for the persistent agent to hear him. “Does that ever matter to you, Ms. Meyers?”

  “Of course it matters. I not only care about your representation, I also am concerned
about you as a person.”

  He laughed. “I needed that. That’s one thing about you. You can make me laugh.”

  “Not everything I do or say is funny.” Her tone became serious. “I would like to represent you.”

  For as long as he could remember, Kari Meyers had been after him for his business. Her daily calls during his first year at the Carolina Wren farm had flattered him at first. After he’d signed on with another agent, he assumed the calls would stop. They didn’t. She continued to sell herself. Too bad he didn’t need to make a switch.

  “So why did you stop calling me daily? I think you’re down to once or twice a month now.” Not that Thane cared.

  “Believe it or not, I’m trying not to be a total pest. I feel that I’m the best person to represent you.” She lowered her voice but still kept it strong.

  Her husky tone had a strange affect on Thane. His gut-wrenching ache went away. He didn’t think about baseball or his brothers. He often wondered what this woman looked like.

  “Why are you calling me so late? Shouldn’t you be out on a date or something?” He had to get his mind to stop imagining more with this tenacious woman.

  “When I’m your agent, my personal life goes out the window. I’ll put my full time, effort, and focus on you.” She spoke sincerely, not like a politician, but like a true businesswoman.

  “I could be very demanding.” He chewed on his lower lip to keep from laughing. “I could ask you to stock every locker room with green M&Ms. Would you do that for me?”

  “No.”

  Thane blinked. “What happened to you putting your time, effort, and focus on me?”

  “No candy while you train.”

  The slight lilt in her voice had him imagining her smiling at her cheeky statement. He fantasized about her look. How old was she? Was she tall or short? Was she attracted to him beyond being a baseball player?

  “If you would like to meet, I can schedule some time,” Kari said.

  “Why don’t you give up?” Thane looked at his reflection in the mirror one last time. “This was cute and funny at first. Now you’re just wasting your time. No matter how many times you call, I’m not going to change my mind. Why don’t you stop?”

  After a slight pause, Kari answered, “Why haven’t you blocked my calls already?”

  He stared at his reflection for a bit, stunned by the question. Why hadn’t he blocked her, or even changed his number? In a twisted way, had he come to enjoy these conversations? Did he like hearing from Kari Meyers on a regular basis? He had no idea about this woman’s identity or her appearance. He’d never met her.

  “Enjoy your evening.” He disconnected the call.

  A small part of him did want to block her number. Then again, that wouldn’t stop her from using other phones to reach him. Damn. Was he so desperate for companionship since his breakup over a year ago that this strange exchange qualified as a relationship?

  He glanced down at the pricey timepiece on his wrist. Shit. Ten minutes late.

  Thane stuffed his wallet into his jacket pocket and started to slide his phone into pants pocket. At that moment, it rang and vibrated in his hand. When he saw the name on the screen, he knew he couldn’t ignore it.

  “Mom. How are you?” He smiled every time he talked to the only person who stood by his side and believed in him.

  Elizabeth let out a long exhale. “My baby. Are you eating right?”

  Her words came out slower than her normal Southern drawl. At only ten minutes after eight, it seemed early for her to be in bed. He knew the reason for her exhaustion.

  “I’m fine. Eating all of my vegetables and being a good boy.” He plucked a piece of lint from his jacket.

  His mother didn’t need to know that he hadn’t eaten that day. No need to worry her, especially with her being all the way in Virginia. She couldn’t see him right now in Florida.

  “That’s my son.” She coughed. “Big plans tonight?”

  An uncomfortable tickle crept up the back of Thane’s neck. “Interview with a writer from some sports magazine. My agent thought it would be a good idea to help soften my image. I think those were his words.”

  “Don’t do that issue where they have all the athletes in there naked. I don’t want you showing what God gave you in some magazine.”

  He laughed. “What? You don’t think I have a good enough body for it?”

  A pause lingered before he heard a beeping sound through the phone and another one of her long breaths.

  “Mom, are you back in the hospital?” Thane sat on the king-sized bed.

  As he scanned his room, it didn’t escape his attention that here he sat in the lap of luxury while rough hospital sheets surrounded his mother’s body. He didn’t deserve this, and neither did Queen Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth’s voice hitched before she spoke again. “Don’t worry about me. Darling, I want you to do something.”

  “Anything. You know that.” He pressed his fist against the bed as he listened to her. His hand sank into the plush, tan comforter.

  “Work hard. Don’t ever give them half of your effort.” Her voice trailed down to a whisper by her last words.

  “Of course. Always. I give one hundred and ten percent at every practice. I wish you were well enough to come out to spring training. I think you would love it here in Florida.”

  She coughed again. The wheezing that followed worried him.

  “Mom?”

  She continued. “You need to find yourself a good woman.”

  Thane rolled his eyes. “I have. There are really good women all around me.”

  “I’m not talking about you jumping into bed with every woman you meet. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been doing. Be…kind.”

  He stood when she hesitated. “Do you need to call a doctor? You’re not sounding—”

  “And make up with your brothers.” She coughed again. “I apologize for interrupting you.”

  “No, it’s okay.” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “I don’t have a problem with them. I’ve just been busy.”

  “Don’t lie to me, son. Gunnar and Gideon love you. The family is growing. You need to reconnect with them.” Her breath caught.

  “Which hospital are you at?” Thane paced.

  He knew he should have gone home, despite his brothers being there. He didn’t want to see them, but he always had time for his mother.

  “I told you not to worry about me.”

  Thane could almost see her smiling as she spoke. His stately African-American mother, who never treated him or his brothers differently despite them being white, had managed the impossible. She had started and operated three successful businesses and raised three adopted boys as her own. Damn it. He should have gone back to his childhood home.

  “You are my best girl.” He smiled. “I can be on a plane and back to Virginia tonight.”

  “No.” The word came out so strong. “You are about to train. Baseball is your career. I’m so proud of you. I would love to see you win a World Series.”

  “You and me both.” He cleared his throat when it became scratchy. “Fine. My next break, I’ll come home to visit.”

  “Sounds. Good.”

  The spacing of her words heightened his concern. He balled his hand into a fist. “I love you, Mom. I love you so much. You know that, right?”

  “Always. Never a doubt. You are my baby.” Elizabeth made a kissing sound over the phone. “Love your family. All of them. I mean it.”

  “Sure.” For this one request, he would have to tell her what she wanted to hear. Even though he would rather beat himself senseless with a baseball bat than talk to his pigheaded brothers.

  “Family. Is. All. You. Have.” She coughed again. “I love you.”

  “Love you, Mom.” He covered his mouth, afraid to say more than that.

  “Go. Be…strong.” Elizabeth disconnected the call.

  Thane s
tared at his phone. He brought up Gunnar’s number. His finger hovered over the screen, only a hair away from pressing send to contact his oldest brother about their mother. She hadn’t sounded like her normal self.

  He stopped and canceled the call. Elizabeth told him not to worry. She promised to come see him when she felt better. She never lied to him in the past.

  The niggling voice in his head told him not to discount his feelings this time. He called Gideon’s number first. After three rings, someone answered.

  “Hello?”

  Thane blinked when he heard a female voice. He looked at the screen to see if he had dialed the right number.

  “I’m looking for Gideon Wells.” He didn’t say more in case he had called an old girlfriend by mistake.

  Girlfriend. More like play thing. His mother would be disappointed if she knew how he’d been treating some women lately. Since none of them had complained afterward, especially when gifted with something from a robin’s-egg-blue-colored box, courtesy of Tiffany’s, he saw his behavior as a victimless crime of passion.

  “This is his brother Thane, right?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Who’s this?” He wouldn’t be confirming her claim until he found out the identity of this woman.

  “I’m Janelle Gold. I’m Gideon’s girlfriend, I mean, fiancée.”

  Thane couldn’t move, couldn’t say anything. Gideon had gotten engaged and hadn’t told him? Gideon hadn’t even shared with him that he’d been thinking of getting married.

  Thane couldn’t blame his brother for cutting him out of his major plans. Thane had practically ignored him each time Gideon called. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

  “Congratulations on the engagement.” Thane meant the sentiment even though he felt his own heart shattering.

  Janelle gasped. “I shouldn’t have told you that until I found out for sure if you’re Gideon’s brother. Are you? He’ll be so disappointed if this gets leaked to the press.”

  Thane smiled at her naïveté. Yes, she would be perfect for his middle brother. “I’m Thane. I was hoping to talk to him. Is he around?”