“You hired a driver to park your car?”
“Of course. There’s no parking here. Let’s go.” He held out his hand and helped her out of the low vehicle.
They walked to the main entrance, and Riley was unsure how she felt about this polite, new and improved Garrett. “Where are we meeting everyone?”
“In the suite.”
A group of four teenage guys approached them. “Hey Garrett, could we get a picture with you?” asked one of the guys, who wore a Led Zeppelin T-shirt.
Garrett stopped and smiled broadly. “Sure.”
“I can’t believe you’re in Chicago, man. Are you performing somewhere?” he asked.
“No. I’m here working on a special project.”
“That’s great.” The guy turned to Riley and held out his phone. “Would you mind taking the picture for us?”
“Not at all.” She snapped a photo, and waited while Garrett signed their game tickets. More people approached. Five minutes later, Garrett finally escaped his adoring fans.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized, still in a great mood.
“Does that happen to you very often?”
“Not as much anymore, but this is a pretty crowded place.” Garrett checked the direction signs and led her to an elevator. A security guard sat to the side. Garrett showed their tickets and the man turned a key next to the elevator that opened the doors.
“Wow. I’ve never needed a security guard to get on an elevator before. What kind of seats do we have?”
“Only the best.” He flashed his eyebrows at her and leaned against the back wall as the elevator rose. “Have you ever been to a Cubs game before?”
“A couple times we came on school field trips. You?”
“My first time for the Cubs, but I’ve been to a few Rangers games. I think you’ll find this a little different than your school visits.”
Once they reached their floor, Garrett checked their tickets again and led her down a wide concourse past numbered doors until they arrived at their suite. Inside she discovered a swanky room complete with bar, a blue leather couch, and seating inside and out. A spread of food covered a table against one wall. A large framed and matted picture of Wrigley Field adorned another, and a large flat-screen TV occupied the third.
The room opened up to outdoor stadium-style seating where Logan, Tara, and several others from work hung out drinking beer.
“Hey, Garrett, great tickets, dude,” said Tim, one of the runners.
“No problem. Want a beer?” he asked Riley.
“Sure.”
“What took you so long?” Logan asked, joining them.
“Garrett decided to drive.”
“You came together?” He smirked. “I told you,” he said in Riley’s ear as Garrett stepped away to fetch the beers.
“Shut up. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Sure it doesn’t,” Logan said.
Garrett returned, twisted the cap off a beer, and handed it to her. Riley had consumed plenty of beers in her day. Living with her mom, not to mention above a bar, it was only natural. But usually she drank with other under-aged kids, not coworkers who were all over twenty-one. She took a sip of the cold ale.
She joined the others checking out the awesome view from their luxury box. The lush green grass contrasted against bright white lines of the diamond. The clear blue sky made the stadium look like a photograph.
Usually the artists recording at the studio didn’t include the staff in special social events, but then again, Garrett was one of them now. Sort of. She looked up and noticed him watching her. He smiled and raised his bottle in salute.
A short while later, Garrett touched Riley’s arm. “I’d like to show you something special. Want to see?”
She looked at him with unguarded eyes, and her diamond nose stud sparkled. “Sure.”
Perfect.
He took her beer and set it on the counter, then held the door open. They walked down the concourse back to the elevator. He liked how she had dressed in little navy shorts and a bright yellow top. Very Cubs baseball. “Having fun?”
“Yeah. I’ve never seen the stadium from a luxury suite. I’ll never forget it. Thanks.”
They stepped into the elevator and Garrett pressed the button for the lower level. He shrugged off a brief jitter of nerves. Should he tell Riley what was in store? No. Better to surprise her. “I hope you like it. So you’re feeling good today?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“No reason.” He slid his hands into his pockets and watched the numbered lights on the elevator change as they descended.
“So where are we going?”
“To a part of Wrigley Field that not many people get to see.” He smiled.
“You sure you don’t want to bring the rest of the group?”
“No. This part is just for you.” She’d be mad at first, but once she did this, she’d have the confidence to do anything.
Riley glowed with happiness and smiled sweetly. Nice change from a few days ago when she’d as soon bite his head off than spend more than two seconds with him.
They reached the lower level, the elevator doors opened, and they stepped out to another security guard.
“Hi, I’m Garrett Jamieson and this is Riley Parks. We’re here to see Anita Wacha.”
“Sure. One moment please.” The security guy radioed in the message. “She should be right out.”
“Great. Thanks,” he said.
“Garrett, what’s going on?”
“You’ll see. Only a couple more minutes.” He tried to act casual, but his heart raced. A minute later, a thirty-something woman came around the corner with a radio in one hand and a clipboard in the crook of her arm.
“Hi, you must be Garrett. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Anita, we spoke on the phone.”
“Hi, Anita. This is Riley Parks, who I was telling you about. I promise you, she won’t disappoint.”
“Such a pleasure to meet you, Riley. You must be excited,” Anita welcomed.
“Um, sure,” Riley said, then glanced at Garrett, her eyes losing the sparkle from moments ago, now replaced with a trace of confusion.
“This way, please.” Anita led them down the corridor.
“What’s going on?” Riley asked under her breath. He ignored her and followed Anita.
“Here we are.” Anita opened a door and they followed her into a holding room with a linen-covered table containing water, tea, and soda. A love seat and soft chairs created a seating area.
Garrett noticed Riley’s eyes settle on a piano in the corner.
“You can wait in here until it’s time. I’ll come get you about ten minutes before, so you can warm up, relax, or whatever you need. There’s a bathroom through those doors as well. Please let me know if there’s anything you need.”
“Actually, I’m confused.” Riley looked from Anita to Garrett and back. “What are we doing here?”
“Excuse me?” Anita asked, and then looked at Garrett.
“Haven’t you guessed?” Garrett asked. “You’re singing the national anthem.” He smiled.
His words hit like a sucker punch to the gut. “Uh, no. I’m not,” she snapped, and took a step backward.
“I’m sorry, is there a problem?” Anita asked, checking her watch as if she had no time for problems.
“She’ll be fine. Could you give us a minute?”
Anita looked at them with concern, but left without another word. The moment the door closed, Riley turned on him.
“Are you out of your freakin’ mind? I am not singing the national anthem. Why would she think that? Why would you think that?”
“Calm down. It’s going to be fine.” Garrett reached for her arm, but she jerked away.
“It’ll be fine because you’re going to clear this up and tell her that you made a monumental mistake.” Riley’s hands trembled and her face flushed with anger.
He experienced a twinge of guilt but brushed it away. �
��Riley, you need to overcome your fear, or whatever it is that’s been keeping you from singing in public.”
“And your solution is to put me in a public venue in front of thousands of people and television cameras with absolutely no warning?” she shouted.
“Keep your voice down. Sometimes it’s best to just jump in and not look back.”
“No! It’s not!” This time she whispered, but still shot daggers with her eyes. “I’m not sure if I even remember all the words right.”
She stalked to the other side of the room.
“It’s a cinch. It’ll all come back to you.”
She paced back and forth. “What is wrong with you? You can’t force me to get out there and sing.”
Garrett took a breath to give himself the patience to deal with her. “You had no preparation or warm-up when you sang with Steven Hunter, and look how great you were. That YouTube video has exploded. Everyone is wondering about you again. You’re relevant. This is the perfect chance for you to get more exposure.”
“You are seriously warped. What part of you can possibly think this is a good idea?”
“Riley, you need to learn to work under pressure, to be able to do the unexpected. That’s how artists get noticed.”
Garrett crossed to the piano. “Why don’t you warm up? There’s a copy of the song right here.”
A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” he called.
Anita entered with concern etched on her face, or maybe it was annoyance. “How’s everyone doing in here?”
He could handle Anita. He’d dealt with hundreds of venue managers, promoters, and publicists in his time. He donned a relaxed smile.
“We’re doing great. Riley’s—”
Riley stepped forward. “Actually, Anita, there has been a huge misunderstanding. I won’t be singing the national anthem today or any other day.”
The room went morbidly silent.
Anita’s jaw clenched. “I don’t know what’s going on with the two of you, but I need someone to sing the national anthem in exactly five minutes.” She crossed her arms and stood in the doorway, effectively blocking Riley’s exit.
“And you’ll have someone,” Riley said. “Garrett regrets the confusion and has volunteered for the honor. He’s a big star and much better suited for this gig anyway.”
Damn her. Riley was going to sing the song one way or another.
Riley turned to him. “Garrett, it’s been a day I’ll never forget. How can you ever top this? Wow. Anita, it’s been a pleasure meeting you, but it’s time for me to go.”
Riley headed for the door.
Garrett caught her by the arm before she escaped. “You can’t go. You need to get out there and sing the damn song.”
She looked at his hand holding her arm and then into his eyes. “No, Garrett. I don’t. You do.” She shrugged out of his grasp, slipped past Anita, and disappeared into the corridor.
He turned to Anita. “Hang on a sec while I get her back.”
“No! We now have four minutes. You convinced me to bump our scheduled singer for you. Well, I bumped them, and now I need a body to get out there and sing. I don’t know who that girl was, but it’s pretty clear she knew nothing about this. You, however, the crowd knows. You will be singing today.” She crossed her arms and held her radio as if it were a weapon.
“But—”
She held up a hand to stop him from saying more and raised an eyebrow.
Damn it! He looked at the TV monitors, showing the ball players finishing their warm-up and running toward the dugout. He couldn’t go out there by himself. He wasn’t a soloist, for Pete’s sake. He was part of a group. A now defunct group.
“Three minutes,” Anita said, pursing her lips.
“Shit.” He looked around the room like a trapped wild animal. He couldn’t do this. But he also couldn’t go back on his word. He wanted to punch something. “Fine.”
“Good. Follow me, please.”
He followed Anita from the holding room toward the field. He could wring Riley’s neck.
19
Riley stormed away from Wrigley Field. She couldn’t believe Garrett was still pulling this crap. If anything, his antics were getting worse. Although he’d been acting friendly the last few days, she should have known it was to lure her into trusting him.
Logan was so far off base with his “I think Garrett likes you” line of bull. And to think that she had actually started to believe it.
And what was with that wink Garrett gave her when they arrived at Wrigley Field? At least she hadn’t done anything stupid in response. Plus, if she was honest with herself, there was no reason on the planet that a guy like Garrett would like a girl like her anyway.
Her phone buzzed. A text from her mom.
Come to dinner.
That was odd. Her mom hadn’t invited her for dinner¸ let alone made dinner in, well, forever.
What’s up? Riley texted back.
We’re celebrating. It’s a surprise. Be here by 5.
Considering her plans of spending the day at the Cubs game had turned into an epic fail, she texted back: OK.
Two hours later, Riley showed up at the apartment to find her mom using a dishcloth to pull a pan of cupcakes out of the oven.
“Hi, Mom,” Riley said, closing the oven door. “Baking. This must be big news.”
“The best.” Her mom beamed and leaned in for a quick hug.
“Hi, Riley,” Britta said as she trotted into the room carrying an old tablecloth.
“Hi, Britta. Wow, a tablecloth and everything.” They didn’t celebrate much in the Parks household. She couldn’t imagine what could be such a big deal. Maybe Mom won the lottery. She played it often enough that her number was due to come up.
Riley scooped a pile of gossip magazines and junk mail off the kitchen table. As she set the items onto the coffee table, a piece of paper slipped to the floor. Riley picked it up. The words RENT PAST DUE jumped out at her. She walked over to her mother, showed her the letter, and gave her a pointed look.
Her mom sighed and mouthed, “Shh. Not in front of Britta.”
Riley shook her head. She slipped the letter beneath the pile of papers, then helped Britta spread the faded floral tablecloth.
“So, any new guys in your life?” her mom asked cheerfully as she fetched things from the fridge and piled them on the counter.
“Nope. But Erika’s seeing a new guy. She met him at work. He actually has potential.” She handed Britta four dinner plates.
“How about your job? Any cute guys there?”
Garrett, with his clever smile and perfect hair, popped into her mind. She pushed the image away. How could he be so hot and yet detestable? “Not really.”
“How’s your job going?” her mom asked. “It’s an insurance company, right?”
Riley pulled some mismatched silverware from the drawer and set it on the table for Britta, who fussed over making it look nice.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Riley could never let her mom know that she worked at a recording studio. She’d only start harping on how it was another chance for a recording contract. God, her mom and Garrett had a lot in common.
“I’d say it’s far more than fine. They gave you a bonus after only three months. That’s huge. You be sure not to mess that job up.”
Riley almost said, “You mean like you do?” but didn’t. Instead she replied, “I’ll try not to. What’s for dinner?”
“Breakfast!” she said with an overly bright smile.
“Seriously?”
“Eggs are cheap,” her mom said under her breath.
“Riley, want to see the basket I wove at summer school?”
“Sure.” She followed Britta into the small bedroom the two used to share. Riley’s old bed was now home to a grand display of every stuffed animal Britta owned. On the bookcase Britta had arranged her doll collection.
Britta pulled out the crudely woven pink-and-yellow basket.
“That’s really nice. What are you going to keep in it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe hair ties?”
“Good idea.” Riley ran her finger along the basket’s ridges. “So what’s Mom’s big surprise?”
“I don’t know. Do you think it’s a trip to Disney? She always said we’d go.”
Britta’s face was so hopeful. It broke Riley’s heart to know her sister would be disappointed. “Probably not,” she said.
“Well, I’m sure it’s something wonderful,” Britta said, picking up a doll and smoothing down its hair.
“Dinner’s ready,” their mom called in a cheery voice.
Riley felt like she was living in the Twilight Zone. Her mom placed the frying pan full of cheesy scrambled eggs in the center of the table, and lined sausage patties around the edge of the pan.
Britta took her seat, looking so excited for a home-cooked meal and the pretense of family time.
“Riley, would you bring the jelly over?” her mom asked as she dished eggs onto Britta’s plate.
“Sure. Where’s Matt?” She set the jelly next to a plate of dark toast and took her seat.
“God only knows. I told him not to be late, but your brother and time aren’t exactly in sync.”
They dug into the hot food. Riley took a cheesy bite and it tasted exactly as she remembered. While it wasn’t Riley’s idea of dinner, if there was one thing her mom could cook, it was scrambled eggs. Britta ate happily, humming a tune.
Her brother chose that moment to appear.
“Matt, you’re late,” her mom said.
“Smells great. Did Riley cook?” He ducked as their mom took a fake swipe at him. He grinned, revealing his broken tooth.
“Mom! You didn’t get his tooth fixed yet?”
“I’m taking him tomorrow. I’ll need you to get me the money for the dentist.”
Matt plopped into his chair and heaped food onto his plate.
“I can go to the bank in the morning. I don’t have to be at work until tomorrow afternoon.”
“His appointment is at ten. I can swing by the bank with you in the morning and you can give me the cash.”
Riley choked down her mouthful of eggs. “That’s the opposite direction of the dentist’s office. I’ll bring it straight there.”
She avoided letting her mom see the distrust in her eyes. That money was going for Matt’s tooth and nothing else. Not even the late rent payment.
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