by Mia Allen
Bryant wiped off his smile. “I’m just as good as I was eight years ago, maybe better. I want back in the game. I made mistakes and I’ve paid for them the hard way. I lost everything. I will do my very best to follow your rules.”
“I need you to prove that you can still pitch. I can’t afford to waste my time fixing your reputation if you aren’t good enough for a team.” Emily handed him a paper with an address and said, “Meet me there tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. We will test that golden arm.”
Chapter 4
The warm wind blew hair into Emily’s face. She had most of it tucked under a baseball cap, but stray strands had escaped. She sat in the bleachers waiting for Bryant to arrive. It brought back memories of traveling from field to field, searching for just the right player. Now, they called and begged her to represent them. Yet, here she was waiting for one of the first to ever impress her. She glanced at her watch. It read 7:02. She would give him three more minutes on the off chance that his watch was wrong. If he was really serious, he would be here. Emily’s time was valuable. She had the bank account to prove it. The roar of a motorcycle caught her attention. It pulled into the high school parking lot. It was a beautiful machine. She would love to ride it. Despite her mother’s opinion, Emily wasn’t all work and no play. She still enjoyed dancing, drinking and riding motorcycles. It just didn’t happen very often.
Bryant swung his leg over the cycle and lifted off the helmet. Emily had to admit that he was still an impressive sight. Muscles rippled under his tight black t-shirt, jeans hugged his thighs and perfect backside, and blonde hair glistened in the sunshine. Her heart skipped a beat or two in memory of their time together. He dropped the helmet on the motorcycle seat and began running across the field. Good, he knew he was late and wanted to make up for it. That was a great start toward redemption.
Emily waved at the high school coach. He grabbed a speed gun and tapped the team’s catcher on the shoulder. They jogged over to meet Emily and Bryant. The coach shook her hand and asked, “Is this the hotshot baseball player you want checked for speed and accuracy? Is he as good as my boy?”
“If I said yes, you would just argue with me. Your son is excellent and his new team manager loves him. I got him the deal of a life time and you promised to help me anytime I needed it.” She hugged the old man and turned to Bryant. “Grab a ball and throw a few to this young man.” She indicated the catcher. “The coach will check your speed and act as the umpire. I trust his judgement. His son is one of the best.”
Bryant huffed, “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Emily grinned and answered, “Not a chance. It might influence his decision. He might be a fan or he might hate the troublemaker. Let’s just show him your talent.”
Bryant took the mound and tossed a few warmup pitches to the teenager. The coach raised the speed gun after five minutes, indicating it was time for the real thing. The ball soared over the base in the strike zone. Emily was impressed. Most pitchers lost some speed as they aged, but Bryant was faster than ever. She motioned to him to continue. After ten fastballs, he changed to different pitches. He proved that his arm was as good as it had ever been. The tryout ended with a grinning coach slapping Bryant on the back and the teenager asking for pointers. Satisfied, Emily told him, “Come to my office Monday morning and I’ll have the contract ready for you to sign.”
“I’ll be there early. How about some breakfast? I didn’t have time to eat this morning and it’s still early. I’m buying.” Bryant had a lost and hopeful look she couldn’t resist. She was also starving. She had set this tryout so early on a Saturday to test Bryant’s sincerity, but she had overslept and skipped breakfast.
Emily made her decision and replied, “Sure, I’m free. Breakfast would be excellent with one stipulation.”
Bryant scowled, “I’m afraid to ask what it is. You want me to take a physical or something?”
Emily laughed at his frightened expression. “It’s more along the lines of fun. I want a ride on that fabulous motorcycle. Do you have a second helmet?”
Bryant couldn’t believe his ears. He had thought Emily’s adventurous days were behind her. He answered, “I always carry a spare for beautiful women.” He turned red and added, “Sorry, compliments are a habit. I promised to be good, so ignore it.”
“We’re not agent and client at the moment, just old friends. You needn’t censor yourself. I’m not going to. I fully intend to enjoy this ride.” She started toward the parking lot and he jogged to catch up.
Emily stuck the baseball cap in her back pocket and buckled on the helmet. She threw her long leg over the cycle and scooted up to plaster her chest against Bryant’s back. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and she could feel the six pack under her fingers. The cycle began to rumble and they tore out of the parking lot. Emily let out a yell of exhilaration. The fast speed, wind in her face and vibration of a powerful machine brought out the wild woman locked inside the workaholic. Freedom was an awesome thing she had forgotten. Bryant took the freeway, unnecessarily, for her enjoyment. They sped between trucks and cars, leaving cussing drivers in their wake. It was heavenly.
Bryant pulled to a stop in front of an ancient diner. They removed the helmets and he explained, “I love this place. It looks crappy, but the food is the best. They have huge, fluffy biscuits that are covered in a creamy sausage gravy, cheesy scrambled eggs and endless coffee. All the things a growing boy needs. I call it heart attack on a platter”
“It’s the perfect way to celebrate a wild, reckless ride through Boston. I may order two plates.” Emily was so wound up she practically bounced into the old diner. It’s gray linoleum, laminate tables and red barstools reminded her of the places she had gone to in the south while she was shadowing Uncle Wayne. She missed those days.
Chapter 5
They ordered a huge breakfast feast from the smiling, wrinkled waitress. Bryant declared, “She’s always here. I think she must have worked here since it opened. Despite her age, she really knows her job. I’ve met the cook. He’s just like the huge, gruff guy smoking a cigar as he cooks that you see in movies. I think he might be her son.”
The picture he painted with his words, startled a giggle from Emily. He was good at that. He always had been. Somehow, it didn’t fit in with his reputation as a troublemaker. She dared ask, “How many of the tabloid stories were true?”
Bryant’s smile faltered. He really didn’t want to discuss it. He wanted to leave all the gossip far behind and forget it had ever happened. He answered, “It doesn’t matter how much was true and how much wasn’t. People believe all of it anyway.”
Emily surprised herself by replying, “I don’t. You were never the type to cause trouble for fun. I think a little of it found you and the rest was an embellishment of the facts. The cheating may be true, but I can’t imagine you in a fist fight with anyone, especially a teammate.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I did fight with my teammate. In fact, I beat him bloody. Let it go. I don’t want to talk about it.” Bryant’s frustration made him push away his food.
“Fine, but we have to discuss it at some point. I can only fix what I know about. You’ll have to be truthful with me.” She shoved his plate back to him. “Answer one question for now and I’ll stop and you can eat. How are things with your wife?”
He shrugged, “She’s in Philadelphia and I’m here. So, obviously, things aren’t good. We speak once in a while, but it only ends in an argument. We both have short tempers and set each other off easily.”
Emily wanted to know more, but she kept her promise and dropped the subject. Monday would be a different matter. An important part of the contract, he would be signing, contained a clause on behavior. She wouldn’t allow him to sign unless he cleared up a few things, namely his marriage.
The ride back to the baseball field was short and quiet. Bryant considered their conversation. He needed to make a difficult decision. There were two choices, make his marriage work or
end it. Having Emily’s arms around him made it even harder to decide. Seeing her in the stands had slapped him in the face with memories. He had tried to forget the girl he left behind, but she had stayed with him no matter what else occurred in his life. Bad decisions and sad mistakes haunted him. Emily was from a time in his past where everything went great. He prayed she could return him to that life. It felt right to be here with her. He just needed to convince her of that. There was a lot of thinking to do.
Monday morning, Emily rose earlier than usual. She showered and began to dress. She skipped the business suit and donned a blue, above the knee skirt, a paler blue silk tank, and black heels. She left her hair down to highlight her delicate face. Emily told herself the extra attention to her appearance had nothing to do with Bryant coming to sign his contract. It was just too hot for a suit. Deep inside, she knew it wasn’t true. He was already under her skin.
Bryant showed up at the specified time. He looked terrific. He had dressed for the occasion in tan slacks and a green button-down shirt that brought out his eyes. Kim ushered him in to Emily’s office. She held up ten fingers behind his back, rating the man for her boss’ benefit. Emily didn’t need to be told, she had always seen Bryant as a ten in the looks department. It was his attitude that needed help.
She waved to the chair directly in front of her desk. “Take a seat. I have all the paperwork ready.” She walked to the printer and picked up a stack of papers. Bryant admired her long legs in the short skirt and the wiggle in her walk caused by the high heels. He turned away before she could notice his rapt attention. If she found him staring it might break their deal.
He looked at the papers as she sat them in front of him. It was a thicker stack than he was used to. “Why all the extra pages? Am I signing over my firstborn or something?”
With her elbows on the table and her head resting on steepled hands, she stared directly into his eyes and explained, “The first three pages are a standard contract. You can read it if you want or have a lawyer look it over. The fourth page is a full disclosure contract. It means you must tell me everything about your transgressions. I can’t explain or fix what I don’t know. The last two pages are a behavioral contract. If the bad behavior continues, the original contract becomes null and void. In other words, it’s my out if things go sour.”
Bryant was disconcerted by her bluntness. “Wow, you’re a hard ass. I never knew that about you.”
Emily replied, “I was just a kid when I knew you. The hard line comes from experience in this business. I have to cover every angle or I lose money and a good reputation.”
Bryant picked up a pen and signed the regular contract and the behavioral one. He hesitated over the full disclosure. There were some things he didn’t want to explain. He signed it anyway, imaging giving her only the bare facts without embellishment.
Emily took the offered papers and said, “Now, for the hard part, what are you going to do to change things?” She pulled out a tabloid with today’s date. “As you can see, your wife was out partying last night. There is also a picture of you at a bar with several empty shot glasses in front of you. Speculations are rampant. It has to stop immediately.”
Chapter 6
Bryant stared at the tabloid and replied, “I thought about my situation all weekend. It was difficult to make a decision. But, that headline makes it easier. My marriage is over. I can’t fix it. It’s for the best. We always fought anyway. I’ll let her know that I’m filing for divorce. As for the picture of me, it was taken the night I arrived in town. I swear it was before we talked. Drowning my sorrows was a mistake that won’t happen again.”
“It’s time to come clean. I stopped asking questions as a friend, but now you’re my client and I need the details.” Emily watched his eyes narrow and sweat break out on his forehead. She asked, “Did you commit the transgressions you’re accused of? How many and where are important too.”
Bryant danced around the questions. She hadn’t asked why he had made the mistakes, so he wouldn’t need to tell her. He answered, “I did cheat on her, just not as often as they claim.” He stared at the floor and admitted, “I even cheated with you. We weren’t married at the time, but she was my girlfriend. Some of the women were part of the publicity my former agent demanded. I should never have gone along with it. He felt I should appear single and desirable. When it all backfired, he dumped me.”
Emily held back her anger, though it hurt to hear he had a girlfriend while he was with her. She asked, “What about the fight with your teammate? Was it provoked or just a drunken brawl? Were there other fights that might pop up in the news?”
Bryant carefully replied, “It was definitely provoked. We weren’t drunk. I thought he was a good friend. It turned out he wasn’t. We argued and anger got the best of me. I deserved that headline. Thankfully, he didn’t press criminal charges. He knew that the beating was well earned.”
Emily could tell he was leaving out something, yet she didn’t press the issue. He had told her more than she expected. Time would take care of the rest. Trust was earned and it would take a while on both sides to make that happen. “Okay, that’s all for now. I will send out a press release stating that you are now a client. Don’t make me regret it.”
Bryant was relieved to get by with telling her so little. He was happy to promise, “I won’t. No more bar hopping or sleeping around. I am going to spend the day looking for a good divorce lawyer, one that’s discreet. I’ll call my wife and tell her it’s over.”
It wasn’t as difficult as Bryant had imagined finding a discreet lawyer. He set the divorce in motion and headed back to his hotel. He dreaded the phone call to his wife. She answered on the third ring saying, “When are you coming home? It’s so lonely without you.”
Bryant dismissed the question with, “Maybe you didn’t see the tabloids this morning, but I sure did. You don’t appear to be lonely at all. Drinking’s not good for your baby. I suggest you stay out of clubs. Your baby’s daddy should know better as well.”
She replied, “I want you to be the baby’s daddy. Come home and we will fix it all. We were just having some fun last night. I came home early and only drank ginger ale. I didn’t let him in the house.”
“We have tried to fix it repeatedly. It’s not meant to be. I just called to let you know I’m not coming back. I signed with a new agent and filed for divorce. The papers should reach you in a couple of days. Sign them and you are free to do whatever pleases you. I’m done.” Bryant waited for a reply. None came. He hung up and sat on the bed. She would call back as soon as his words sank in. There would be tears and begging before the fight as usual.
Emily went home to her empty apartment and changed into a pair of shorts, a tank top and running shoes. A few miles of jogging through the park would shut off the urge to call Bryant and ask him to join her for dinner. Suddenly, her workaholic lifestyle wasn’t as appealing as it once was. The baseball field, motorcycle ride and diner breakfast had made her long for more fun and excitement than an office could give. Bryant had tapped in to her wild side and she liked it. An unspoken sexual tension hung in the air between them at all times, though neither mentioned it. It would be so easy to slip into a relationship once again. She planned to jog until that idea completely left her mind. Sadly, she figured it would take a long run for that to happen. Even now, she was wondering if he had found a lawyer and called his wife to tell her about the divorce. She picked up her phone to slip it in a pocket. Her fingers lingered over the numbers, shaking. She quickly shoved the phone in her pocket and went for her run. Rekindling a long dead romance with a married man was not a good idea. Her brain knew it, but her heart continued to argue.
Bryant turned off his phone. He couldn’t stand another round of pleading from his wife. Three hours of her calling repeatedly was enough. Her tears didn’t work on him anymore. She had used them far too often to get what she wanted. He was immune. He wondered what Emily planned for her evening. Maybe, he could convince her to m
eet him in the hotel restaurant. He had almost turned the phone back on when he realized what a bad idea it would be to call her. He had gone to her to straighten out his life, not complicate it. She didn’t even know all the facts. How would she react to the news that his wife was pregnant by another man, one that he had beaten to a pulp? How would the tabloids react?
Chapter 7
Emily left the press conference with a bad headache. It had been intended to promote a football client, but the questions about Bryant kept overshadowing the real subject. One came up more often than the others. It seemed the press was speculating that Bryant’s wife was the reason he fought with his teammate. From the questions, Emily gathered that they felt his wife had an affair with the teammate. Was this what Bryant had been holding back? She was finished playing games with him. No more secrets could be allowed. The press had blindsided her with the information, and it couldn’t happen again. He had wormed his way back into her life and possibly her heart. She needed to know all the truth, not bits and pieces. Instead of returning to her office, she called his number and simply said, “Meet me at the diner in half an hour.”
When Emily stepped into the diner, she saw Bryant was already at a table. His face looked tired and drawn. There was no sympathy in her gaze when she sat down and said, “Spill it, all of it. I just faced a mob of reporters and they threw questions at me I couldn’t answer. It hurt the poor client I was there to represent. I have to be told everything now or I walk out on you professionally and personally.”
Bryant knew his reprieve was over. If the reporters were asking questions, it would all come out soon anyway. He took a long, deep breath and began, “I met my wife in high school. We dated off and on until the first year of college. It became an exclusive relationship at that point, or so I thought. Her idea of exclusive needed some work. When I left for tryouts, I broke it off with her. After I signed with the agent, she called and claimed to be pregnant. He demanded that we get married. I stayed away because I was in love with you. The agent threatened to drop me if I didn’t do the right thing. I couldn’t face you, so I disappeared. There was no baby. She had lied to keep me, but it was too late to change things.”