Not His Type

by Canton, Chamein

  “Oh hey, Mom.”

  “Just hold for a second and I’ll patch your brother

  through.”

  She hit the flash button, “Alex?”

  “Yeah, Mom, I’m here.”

  “We’re both here now, Mom,” Andrew added. “I know it’s not like me to call you so early on a Sunday

  morning, but just so you know, there’s another item in the

  gossip column today with my picture and a story about me

  verbally accosting two women in the bathroom at Club Z.” “What!” How could they print something like that?”

  Alex asked.

  “Simple. They had a couple of women who were willing

  to tell a tall tale to sell papers.”

  “You went to Club Z with Marcus Fox, right, Mom?”

  Andrew asked.

  “Yes. I did go to the bathroom and I saw the two

  women from this story. I didn’t accost them verbally but I

  did scare them enough to run out the bathroom when they

  saw me.”

  “What did they say, Mom?” Andrew pressed her. “It’s not even worth mentioning.”

  “Mom, don’t let it bother you. We know it’s not true.” Cathy quietly took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t do

  anything to embarrass you.”

  “You could never embarrass us in a million years,

  Mom.” Andrew said.

  “Let’s see if you still feel that way when I break out the

  baby pictures,” she joked.

  They both groaned. “Not the baby pictures, Mom.” She laughed. “I promise, no more baby pictures unless

  of course you bring a girl home.”

  “Oh, please don’t, Mom.” Alex pleaded.

  “I’ll take it under advisement, okay?”

  “Okay,” Alex agreed.

  “I guess you can go back to sleep if you want.” “French toast is on the breakfast menu once a week and

  it’s today.”

  “In which hall?”

  “MJ,” Andrew answered.

  “You’re going to walk all the way over there from your

  dorm? That must be some French toast.” Cathy was

  shocked.

  “It’s not as good as yours but we have to settle for it

  until we’re home for the holidays,” Andrew said. She smiled. “When you come home for the holiday in

  November I’ll make it for you.”

  “Are you okay now, Mom?” Alex asked.

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Now go on and get

  dressed before you miss breakfast. I’ll talk to you both later.

  Have a good one.”

  “All right, Mom.”

  Cathy wondered how she managed to have such great

  kids. She thanked God every day for them.

  Marcus walked into the bedroom.

  “Did you talk to your kids?”

  “I did. Since I told them before they could read about

  it in the paper, everything will be fine.”

  “How did they take it?”

  “Pretty well. They know that kind of behavior is not my

  style.”

  “I know that’s a relief for you.”

  “It is.” She sighed.

  “I spoke with my agent and we got the ball rolling to

  get a retraction.”

  She gave him a weak smile.

  “Honey, we’re taking care of it, I promise.”

  “I know you are. I’ve just got a little headache, that’s

  all.”

  “Do you need an Advil or something?”

  “Not right now. I think it’s more of a tension headache

  than anything else. Maybe a hot shower will help.” “That sounds like a good idea. Let me know if you need

  anything.”

  “I will.”

  Once in the bathroom Cathy was on autopilot. She

  turned on the water in the shower, adjusted the temperature and stepped into the shower. As soon as the water hit

  her she broke down crying. She’d put on a brave face for

  Marcus, E.D. and the kids; she didn’t want them to see or

  hear her cry. A part of her wanted to go back home, crawl

  into bed, pull the covers up over her head and hide. The

  other part of her wanted to stay and face the music to prove

  she could rise above this mess. She closed her eyes and

  hoped the water would wash the tears down the drain. Unbeknownst to Cathy, Marcus was standing in the

  bathroom doorway. He watched her shoulders cave in

  under the weight of all the week’s events including this

  morning’s. His precious porcelain doll was about to break. Suddenly Cathy felt a hand caress her neck and shoulders. She was so far in her head she hadn’t heard Marcus

  come in. She half expected him to say something but he

  didn’t. He just held her tight. There was no need for words, even those three little words she’d wanted to hear this morning. Somehow he knew Cathy just needed to be held. Marcus turned her around to face him, and he shut the water off. Cathy slowly opened her eyes as he wiped the water from her face. He kissed her tenderly and she felt safe for the first time that day.

  v

  With her bag already packed, Cathy watched Marcus pack. She was impressed with how brief his routine was.

  “I just can’t believe how quickly and neatly you pack your suitcase. It takes me a week just to figure out what I’m going to pack.”

  He chuckled. “It’s taken years of practice.”

  “I bet.”

  “So have you heard from anyone else today?” he asked.

  “I’m sure I have.” She looked away.

  He looked confused. “You don’t know for sure?”

  “I turned my phone off.”

  “I can understand why you turned it off, but what if your family was trying to reach you?”

  “I can call them later.”

  “I know you spoke with your kids. Now do me a favor and call your sister.” He handed her the phone.

  “All right, since you put it that way.”

  She dialed her cell phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Anna, it’s me.”

  “Cathy! I’ve been trying to reach you since early this morning.”

  “I had my phone off.”

  “That was a silly thing to do. You could have at least called this morning.” Anna was perturbed.

  “I assume you read the paper so you know why my phone was off. I called Andrew and Alex.”

  “So you headed the bull off at the pass.”

  “It’s not like I had a choice in the matter. I didn’t want them to hear about it from anyone else.”

  “I hear that.”

  “The boys were good about it. Still, I think I may take a trip up there before parents’ day next month.”

  “Just to be sure, right?”

  “It can’t hurt.”

  “Are you coming back tonight?”

  “Mm hmm. The Yankees are on the road this week.”

  “Oh yeah. That’s right. Where are they going?”

  “Baltimore and Tampa. They’ll be back at the stadium next Monday.”

  “Oh, okay. Before you ask, I stocked up on yeast and flour.”

  “Good. That was my next question. You got more than five pounds of flour, right?”

  “What do you think?”

  Cathy shook her head. “Good, I need as much dough therapy as I can get.”

  “I’ll be sure to stay out of your way.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I guess we’ll talk in more detail when you’re not in the same room with Marcus.”

  “That’s the idea.” She sighed. “I have to get going. Louis will be here soon. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Later.”

  As soon as Cathy hung up, Marcus looked at her strangely. “D
ough therapy? What’s that?”

  “You know how you use the batting cage and driving range to de-stress.”

  “Yes.”

  “Bread dough lets me work out my frustrations. Hauling off and hitting the person that pissed me off in the first place is a felony. At least my method results in some of the best bread you’ve ever had.”

  He laughed. “Is that your sense of humor peeking through?”

  “I guess it is.” She shrugged her shoulders.

  Marcus’s cell phone rang. He checked the caller ID.

  “Oh, honey, I have to take this call. Will you excuse me?”

  “Sure.” Cathy stretched out on the bed and savored her last few moments of luxury.

  v

  “What’s the word, Ben?”

  “I contacted Martin and met him over at the club’s office to go over the videotapes. The tape showed one of the club’s waitresses going into the bathroom before Cathy. Martin contacted her and it turns out that she heard everything. So we called the paper so she could give her statement.”

  A weight lifted off Marcus’ chest. “That’s fantastic, Ben.”

  “The paper is printing a large retraction in tomorrow’s edition. You know you owe Martin big for this, right?”

  Marcus was overjoyed. “Not a problem. Tell him when I get off the road just bring his nephews to the stadium. I’ll hook them up.”

  “Done deal.”

  “Thanks again for doing this, Ben. It will be music to Cathy’s ears.”

  “What are agents for?”

  “Good. See you over at the stadium.”

  “Later, man.”

  Marcus couldn’t wait to tell Cathy but just as he entered the room the intercom buzzed.

  “Mr. Fox?”

  “Yes?”

  “Your car is here.”

  “Thank you. We’ll be right down.”

  Cathy checked around the room to see if she’d forgotten anything.

  “Okay, honey. Louis is downstairs. I’ll take your bag.”

  “Thanks.”

  They left the apartment and got into the waiting car.

  Louis closed the door.

  “Honey, I have some good news for you.”

  “As long as it’s not about car insurance, I’m all ears,” she joked.

  He laughed. “It’s not about car insurance. That was a good one Cathy.”

  “Actually it was a little lame but I’m trying to keep my sense of humor.”

  “Try no more. The paper is going to print a retraction in tomorrow’s edition and it’s going to be a great big, obvious retraction.”

  Cathy was elated. “Thank you so much. How did you do it?” She hugged him.

  “Ben got on it and we found out there was another woman in the bathroom who heard the whole thing. She gave her statement to the paper today.”

  Cathy was stunned. “How did they know there was another woman in the ladies’ room?”

  “From the security cameras near the ladies room. We just asked the owner of the club to review it and bingo, a waitress went in before you and came out after you.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “You can still sue. They shouldn’t have printed it without confirmation.” He brushed her hair out of her face. “It’s nice to see that cloud lift.”

  “It’s nice to have it lifted.”

  “Good.” He leaned forward. “Louis, we have a little time. Can you take the scenic route?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Thanks.” He rolled the glass between Louis and the backseat up.

  “The scenic route?”

  Marcus unbuttoned the top of his shirt. “Yes, the scenic route.”

  Cathy grew nervous. “Ah, Marcus, what are you doing?”

  He kissed her. “What do you think I’m doing?” “I don’t know. I’m just a poor girl from Long Island.”

  He laughed. “You know that’s what I love about you; you are refreshingly honest and virginal.”

  “What you love about me?” she asked pointedly.

  His mind was on one track and could not be derailed. He was kissing her neck.

  “Virginal? I have two children.”

  “I know. But in a way your lack of…”

  She interrupted him. “My lack of sexual experience or track record, for that matter, makes me like a virgin touched for the very first time.”

  “Yeah, sounds good to me.” His neck kisses intensified.

  “Stop, Marcus. That’s my weak spot.”

  “I know.”

  She whispered, “Louis is in the front seat.”

  “He can’t hear a thing once I roll the window up.”

  “Oh.”

  “You know, I am so very glad you wore a skirt.” He had unbuttoned and unzipped her skirt without batting an eyelash.

  “Marcus,” she weakly protested.

  “I’m not going to see you until Friday. I have to wait all the way to the end of the week. ” He kissed her again. “I need something to tide me over.”

  “A steady handshake won’t do?”

  “Not at all.”

  Cathy slid down the seat. “Marcus, I’ve never done this before.”

  He hovered over her. “That’s okay, baby. I promise I’ll be gentle.”

  She didn’t have a chance to say another word. Cathy finally found out what it was like to make love in the backseat of a car, an experience usually reserved for horny teenagers. She might not be a teenager, and it wasn’t your average backseat, but it was worth the wait. By the time they got to the stadium, the only scenery Cathy had enjoyed was the limousine ceiling, but as far as she was concerned, it was a better view than the Grand Canyon.

  Cathy pulled herself together as they got closer to the stadium.

  Marcus kissed her neck again.

  “You are amazing.”

  “So are you.”

  “You’re very limber and flexible.”

  She raised her eyebrow. “You have yoga and pilates to thank for that.”

  “Thank you.”

  She giggled and gave Marcus a squeeze. “I can’t believe you’re not going to be here.”

  “Neither can I.”

  “Do you feel like you’re all set and tided over until Friday?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “I beg your pardon?” she said.

  “Yes, I have been tided over.” He kissed her hand. “And no, I could never get enough of you.”

  “You scared me for a minute.”

  He laughed. “Don’t worry, you know I’m going to call you.”

  “There’s email and instant messaging, too.”

  “Hopefully next week will go by quickly, until you come to Tampa of course.” He winked.

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Marcus rolled the window back down. They kissed until it bordered on making out. Louis cleared his throat to get their attention.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Fox, but we’re here.”

  They quickly regained their composure. “Thanks, Louis.” Marcus helped her out of the car.

  He put his arms around her. “I don’t want to go.”

  “That’s sweet, honey, but this is what you love to do for a living. Have a good game.”

  “Thanks, sweetie.”

  They nearly made out again while Melvin patiently stood waiting. Cathy reluctantly pulled away.

  “I don’t want you to be late.”

  “Okay. I will definitely talk to you later.”

  Cathy watched him as he walked away. Then something told her to turn around. There were a couple of photographers just shooting away.

  “Don’t they ever get tired?”

  Melvin laughed. “Never.”

  “I think you’re right about that, Melvin.”

  “He’s definitely right about that,” Ben added.

  “Mr. Bradford. How are you?”

  “I’m very good, thanks. And you?”

  “Much better and I hear that much of the credit belongs t
o you.”

  “I do what I can.” He turned to Melvin. “I can take her from here, Melvin.”

  “All right then. Enjoy the game, Ms. Chambers.”

  “Thanks, Melvin.”

  “How about we walk and talk?” Ben asked.

  “Sure.”

  “So how are you really, Cathy?”

  “I’m good. None the worse for wear.”

  “That’s good to hear. It’s been rather eventful, to say the least.”

  “Eventful is the word I’d use too.”

  He chuckled. “You and Marcus have only been seeing each other for a short time but I can see how much he cares for you.”

  She smiled. “The feeling is mutual.”

  He looked at her. “You’re different for him.”

  “I know. I’m not exactly a small woman.”

  “No, no, no. Your being different has nothing to do with your size at all.”

  “Oh.”

  “You’re the first woman I’ve seen in a long time who is interested in Marcus the man and not Marcus the celebrity ball player.”

  “It’s hard not to be interested in the man Marcus is. I think he’s wonderful.”

  Ben smiled. “I can see that. By the way, in light of this morning’s paper, security will escort you to the car after the game. Louis will be waiting for you.”

  “Terrific. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  They were at the suite.

  “Well this is me. Would you like to join me?” Cathy asked.

  “Thank you, but I can’t. There’s a seat for me down there.”

  “Okay. It was nice talking to you.”

  “Same here. I know we will see more of each other.”

  “From your mouth.” She grinned as she entered the suite.

  Just before she sat down she decided to take advantage of the suite’s bar service.

  “What can I get you, miss?”

  “A club soda with a twist, please.”

  “That’s not a drink,” the woman behind her announced. “You don’t want anything stronger, honey?” She had a heavy Southern accent.

  Cathy took a closer look. She was a tall, blond, voluptuous woman. “No, I don’t.”

  “Neither do I. I was just pulling your leg. Hey, Mr. Bartender, could you make that two club sodas?” she joked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Lord, I hate it when they call me ma’am.”

  The bartender served two club sodas. He even put a little umbrella in them.

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank you kindly, sir.” She put her hand out. “I’m Phyllis La Fontaine. My friends call me Fil.” She spelled it for Cathy.