She looked at his face. “You’re happy with her, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. I hope you can find someone who makes you feel the way she makes me feel.”
“Even with all the tricks and machinations, you hope I’ll find happiness?”
“Sure. Why shouldn’t I?”
She had a slight smile on her face. “That’s nice of you.” She rubbed her eyes. “You know, I never made the chubby chaser comment. The interviewer was asking all sorts of questions and my words got twisted.”
“It happens. I was more upset for Cathy than me. She didn’t deserve that. She has kids.”
“I know that’s a big thing for you. Have you met her kids?”
“Not yet. They’re in college but I think I’ll be meeting them during their early fall break in October.”
“Speaking of October, I see you’re really making the drive for the post season.”
“We’re trying.”
“Good luck with that.” She looked around for a clock. “What time is it?”
Marcus looked at his watch. “It’s time for me to catch some sleep.” He got up and put down cash for the bartender.
“Hold on, I’ll give you change.”
“Keep the change.”
“Thanks.”
“Well, Cybil, I’m going to say good night.”
“Good night. I’m just going to finish my drink.”
“Okay, then.”
He walked out and back into the lobby. Ben was dozing near a potted palm. Marcus nudged him. “Hey, sleepy head.”
Ben couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep. “So how did it go?” He stood up and stretched.
“Not bad. I think I made my point.”
“Good. Now we can sleep.”
Marcus pressed the elevator button.
“Damn!”
“What?”
“I told Cathy I’d call her tonight.”
Ben squinted and rubbed his eyes to focus on his watch. “It’s too late now to call her. Besides, she’ll be here tomorrow.”
The elevator bell rang.
Ben turned to Marcus. “I guess your workout is set.”
Marcus sported a devilish grin. “Yep. I’m looking forward to extra innings,” he said as they got on the elevator.
CHAPTER 23
All systems were go Friday morning. Cathy primped and fussed with her hair. The weather had cooled down in the North, but humidity was still king in the South. She gave her hair a spritz of holding spray and one last shake. “That’s the best I can do.”
Cathy studied the room to see if she had left anything out. She could hear Anna, Roger and Madison milling around downstairs.
Satisfied that she had everything, Cathy joined them. “Good morning, Cathy.”
“Good morning, Roger.”
Roger was a tall, nice looking guy whose jovial personality balanced nicely with Anna’s somewhat tougher demeanor.
“Cathy, you didn’t set the coffee timer. There’s no coffee,” Madison whined.
“No, I didn’t, Madison. We have to get to the airport and I wanted to keep the kitchen clean.”
Bewildered by their cleaning habits, Madison nodded his head. “You two are obsessive when it comes to this clean thing.”
“Shut up, Mad. Aunt Peg keeps a clean house, too. Don’t act like you don’t know,” Cathy smirked.
“I certainly hope Alex and Andrew aren’t keeping to the tenets at school. They’re young men, they should be allowed to just let it hang sometimes,” Madison asserted.
“This from the man whose cologne arrives two minutes before he enters the room.” Cathy laughed.
“I did say sometimes.”
“Listen, Mad, you can get a cup of coffee at the airport. Relax.” Anna rolled her eyes.
“What time is the car coming, Cathy?”
“E.D. said it would be here between nine and nineforty-five.”
Roger looked at his watch. “It’s a little after nine now.”
“You have only one bag, Cathy?” Anna asked.
“Yes, and everything is in it. I don’t feel like pulling a caravan of luggage for three days.”
The doorbell chimed, and Roger looked out the window. “Car’s here.”
Anna opened the door and there stood Louis.
“Good morning, Ms. Chambers. Nice to see you again.”
“Good morning, Louis. Cathy didn’t tell us you were coming.”
Cathy walked to the door. “That’s because Cathy didn’t know.”
“That’s true. Mr. Fox sent me.”
“But how? E.D. arranged for our usual car service.” She stopped to think. “Oh, E.D. was in on this the whole time.”
Louis’s smile said it all.
“I don’t care how it came about. We’re traveling to the airport in style,” Madison said.
“Shut up, Madison,” Anna and Cathy chorused. “Damn.”
“Louis, this is my cousin, Madison, and Roger, my future brother-in-law.”
They shook hands.
“Nice to meet you both.” Louis smiled, then turned to the bags. “Is this everything?”
Anna gave the room one last look. “Yes. That’s everything.”
Madison and Roger gave Louis a hand loading the bags into the trunk. Anna and Cathy walked outside.
“Anna, you have our tickets?” Roger asked.
She checked her pocketbook. “I have them.”
Although she’d already checked a million times Cathy looked to make sure her confirmation and e-ticket were in her bag. They were.
They climbed into the limousine and off they went.
Ham that he was, Madison stretched out like a movie star. “I could get used to this.”
“Well, don’t get used to it. Marcus didn’t do this for you, he did it for Cathy,” Anna said.
Cathy saw Louis smile in the rearview mirror.
Roger took out his palm pilot. “I checked the weekend weather and it’s supposed to be on the warm side.”
“At least the games are played in a dome so I don’t have to worry about my hair,” Anna said.
The conversation served as a background to Cathy’s thoughts as she stared out the window. Distracted and tired, she hadn’t slept much the night before, wondering what was happening in Tampa.
“Cathy, you’re awfully quiet. Are you all right?” “I’m fine, Anna. I was just thinking, that’s all.” “Are you sure?”
“I didn’t sleep that well last night. I’m just plain old tired.”
“Okay. Maybe you can take a nap once we check into the hotel.”
Although there were traffic pockets here and there, the car arrived at the airport in good time. When they pulled up to the hustle and bustle of the departures area, Louis gave them the star treatment, opening the door and loading the luggage onto the carts.
“Thanks again, Louis.” Anna shook his hand.
“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.”
Madison and Roger shook hands with Louis as well. They started to walk in.
“Cathy, are you coming?”
“Just give me a minute, Madison. I’ll be right there.”
She turned to Louis. “So how’s your back?”
“Not bad, Ms. Chambers. What about you?”
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Oh, and please call me Cathy.”
“I sure will, Cathy.”
“Thanks again.”
“You’re very welcome. And by the way, you don’t have anything to worry about. You are head and shoulders above her and he knows it, too.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Louis. I needed to hear that.”
v
I should have brought my dental records and blood type , Cathy thought as they waded through another flight check point. She was relieved when they finally cleared security and boarded the plane. I just need to close my eyes for a minute. Cathy sighed as she took her window seat.
“Cathy.” Anna tapped her shoulder.
She opened her eyes. ”Yeah?”
“We’re here.”
Her mind still in a fog, she looked around. “You mean
I slept through the entire flight?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Where’s Madison?”
“He already de-planed. He’s talking to a woman he met
on the flight.”
Cathy got up. “Okay, I’m ready.”
By the time they de-planed Madison had retrieved the
bags from the luggage carousel.
“Are you up now, sleepyhead?”
“As a matter of fact I am.” She looked around for the
Avis sign.
“What are you looking for?” Anna asked.
“The Avis car rental counter.”
“I know where it is. Follow me.”
They followed Roger to Avis. Cathy went up to the
counter.
“Hi, can I help you?”
“Yes. My name is Catherine Chambers.”
“Chambers? I have all your paperwork here. I just need
to see some identification.” Cathy showed her driver’s license.
The clerk looked it over. “Thank you. Sign here please.” Cathy read the paperwork over and then signed. The clerk handed a young man the keys. “Evan will
bring the car around. Enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you.”
They walked outside.
“That had to be the shortest time I’ve ever waited at a
car rental counter,” Anna said as she put on her sunglasses. Evan pulled up in a Volvo. “Here are the directions to the Hilton. However, if you have any problems, the car is equipped with a navigational system. Have a nice stay in Tampa.”
Madison and Roger loaded up the trunk. “Are you sure you want to drive, Cathy? Roger or I can if you’re not up to it,” Anna said.
“Ahem. I am a licensed driver too. I can drive as well.”
“Good grief, Madison, it’s not a competition,” Anna said.
“I’m all right to drive.” Cathy looked at the map. “The hotel doesn’t appear to be too far from here. I can handle it.”
“Did you take anything on the plane?”
“No. I actually fell asleep because I was tired, not drugged.”
“Okay. If you’re sure then we’ll go.”
“I’m sure.” She put her sunglasses on. “Let’s get going.”
v
Check in was painless and Cathy was grateful for a little down time since her nap on the plane had been far from restful. She had an aching neck and shoulders to prove it. Still, this was one time she couldn’t blame the accident for the pain; stress and worry were having their way with her.
There was a knock on the door.
“Hey, Anna.”
“Listen, we’re going to get something to eat. You want
to come?”
“No. I’ll pass. I’m still feeling tired.”
“You want me to bring you something back?” “No. I have a protein bar to tide me over. I’ll be fine.
You guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves.”
“Okay. We’ll see you later.”
“All right.”
After sending them on their way, Cathy unpacked and
turned the television on as a distraction. It didn’t help. There were 300 channels to choose from, but there wasn’t anything of interest on a single one. Disgusted, Cathy turned the television off and decided to take a bath and soak her aching muscles. Not wanting to mess up her hair, she left the door open to let some steam out. Just as she stepped into the hot water, there was a knock at the door.
“Cathy?” Anna shouted.
“I’m in the tub, Anna!” she shouted back.
“Okay. We’ll be back in the room around five-thirty.” “Got it! Five-thirty!” she called.
“I’ll call your room when we’re ready to head over to the
stadium!”
“Good deal!”
Just as Cathy got comfortable again, there was more
knocking.
“What’s up, Anna?”
She waited for a reply and all she got was more frantic
knocking.
“What’s going on? I told her I was in the tub,” Cathy
mumbled as she wrapped a towel around her and slipped
her robe over it.
“Okay, I’m coming to the door. Quit knocking so
hard.” She opened the door. “Okay, where’s the…” Before Cathy could get another word out, Marcus
kissed her and nearly knocked her over. Cathy’s hands frantically searched for the privacy sign. She hooked it with her
two fingers and hung it on the door as it closed. Cathy was breathless and towel-less in a matter of
seconds. They didn’t make it to the bed.
v
Curled up together in bed a little later, Cathy laid her head on Marcus’s chest.
“So this is what the bed feels like.”
“What do you think?”
“It’s nice. I have to say, though, that I have a healthy new respect for recliners.”
“Me, too.”
She was quiet for a moment. “You know, I forgot to tell you something the other day.”
He stroked her hair. “What did you forget to tell me?”
“I had lunch with Lisa Spellman.”
His hair nearly curled. “You had lunch with her? She’s a tabloid queen. Why on earth would you talk to her voluntarily?”
“Well…” She sounded like Samantha from Bewitched. “I was sick of her following me so I figured if you can’t beat them, invite them to lunch. The way I see it, these tabloid reporters are able to write scandalous stories because they don’t know their subjects. It’s harder to write a hatchet piece when it’s someone you know personally.”
“You could have a point but I think the money commands greater allegiance for these folks.” He was skeptical.
“Maybe so, but I thought there was just a little something different about Lisa so after I practically chased her through the supermarket, I invited her to lunch.”
“You did what? You chased her?” He was dumbfounded.
“Yes.”
“Through the supermarket in front of other customers?”
“Right. But that’s beside the point. I learned a lot about her over lunch.”
“Really? Like what?”
“For one thing, she has a degree in journalism from Columbia University.”
“She’s an Ivy Leaguer?”
“Yeah. I know, I was surprised, too. Apparently she fell into tabloid reporting by accident and it paid a lot more than her fact checker job.”
“So she went where the money was.”
“Can you blame her? Still, she seems like good people to me.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. For one thing, you haven’t seen an article about the supermarket incident and that happened days ago. She could have skewered me.”
“True. Maybe she isn’t as bad as I thought. I’ll take it under advisement.”
“That’s fine with me.”
She rested her head on his chest and sighed.
“Penny for your thoughts, Ms. Chambers.”
“It’s not so much a thought as it is a question.”
“Okay. Then it’s a penny for your question.”
“Seriously, Marcus, there is something I want to ask you about.”
“Ask away.”
She sat up. “You were supposed to call me last night after you talked to and/or handled Cybil. I just want to know what happened.”
“I’m here. Doesn’t that say it all?”
“Yes and no. What if the shoe were on the other foot? What if it was my former boyfriend who just happened to be a sexy actor? Would you let me get away with saying I’m here with you and that’s it?”
“Yeah, that would be fine with me. I’m a guy. Most guys would rather know as little as possible when it co
mes to their girlfriend’s old boyfriends. It’s a girl thing to be curious.”
He had a point. “Okay, so you’re right.” She sighed. “I know you’re here and I feel good about that. But I still want to know what happened. I’ll even take the bulldog version.”
“The bulldog version?”
“A report that’s three minutes or less.”
Marcus saw a look of anxiety in Cathy’s eyes. She was serious. He fluffed up the pillows behind him.
“Okay, then have it your way.” He paused. “Naturally I told Ben what was going on. He’s been through this with me before. Anyway, Ben figured we would teach her a lesson.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He sent the bellman in with the bags.”
Cathy burst out laughing. “I guess the naked surprise was on her.” She paused. “Remind me to thank Ben.”
“Don’t worry, I will. After she got over her embarrassment, I said for her to get dressed and meet me for a drink in the hotel bar.”
“You weren’t worried that you could have wound up wearing her drink?”
“The thought crossed my mind, but I had to let her know that I’ve moved on with my life, that I’d fallen in love with you.” He brushed Cathy’s hair from her eyes. “You’re the woman I’ve been looking for all my life.”
They kissed.
“So how did she take it?” Cathy asked.
“She seemed fine about it.”
“Are you sure there isn’t any underlying resentment?” Cathy was wary.
“Cybil’s a grown woman. She’ll live.”
“You know her better than I do. I’ll take your word for it.”
“Good. Anyway, by the time I left the bar it was late. Now can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
He reached over to Cathy’s suitcase and took out two packages of condoms. “Why in the world do you have two packages of condoms? Talk about pressure.”
Cathy turned beet red. “My sister Anna picked them up at the drugstore for me since I wasn’t going out at the time.”
“You told her to get this many?” He was surprised.
“No. I didn’t tell her to buy two packages. I’m just glad I got the size right.”
He had a cocky look on his face. “Yeah, large was right on the money. But she bought a regular and economy size box for a grand total of 48. Talk about performance pressure at the plate. This is a tall order.”
Not His Type Page 33