Grand Slam

by Tracie Delaney

  Her arm dropped to her side as her gaze fell on a familiar figure across the road.

  Rupe.

  Her feet were frozen to the pavement, and before she could move, he began to jog towards her. In a panic, she buttoned up her coat. She could not let him see the bump. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together, and Rupe wasn’t exactly the slowest off the mark.

  “Tally, my darling girl.” He reached out to hug her, frowning when she pulled away and held out her hand instead.

  “Nice to see you, Rupe,” she said formally.

  “What the fuck is this?” he said staring at her outstretching hand. “A handshake, like I’m some stranger.”

  She shrugged. “I guess you are now. I haven’t seen you in five months.”

  He winced. “I deserved that, but in my defence, you disappeared.”

  She shrugged again.

  “I asked Emmalee several times where you were. She refused to tell me.”

  “Probably because she thought you’d run straight off to tell Cash. Not that it matters. He’s hardly come running after me. Too busy moving on, reverting to type.”

  Rupe frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Check out the Daily Mail,” she said, unable to stop the bitterness leaking into her voice. “They sure do seem to get the best snaps.”

  “Tally––”

  “I’ve got to go.”

  She dashed off, and as she rounded the corner, a black cab was dropping off a passenger. Tally threw herself into the back and urged the driver to hurry as Rupe made a lunge for the door handle. He missed by inches. Tally twisted in her seat and stared at his confused expression until he’d disappeared from view.

  15

  Cash opened one eye, cringing at the carnage inside his hotel suite. Cans and bottles were strewn everywhere, and at a brief glance, he counted eleven pizza boxes. He shouldn’t have agreed to the party, but Suze had started calling people before he could stop her, and in the end, he hadn’t given a shit. It wasn’t worth the hassle to argue.

  He staggered off the bed and managed to make it past several unconscious bodies into the bathroom. Fortunately, it was empty, and he locked the door and sat on the rim of the bath, desperately trying to remember more than flashes from the previous evening. He’d taken Suze out to dinner as a way to test whether he was human enough to be around people again, but then she’d started banging on about getting the old gang together and how great it would be to rock the house, like old times.

  He grimaced as a sharp pain shot through his temple. They’d rocked the fucking house all right. So much so that he’d have some serious grovelling to do if he wanted to stay at this hotel anytime in the future.

  He filled the sink with water and swilled his face. After vigorously scrubbing his teeth, he felt better. If only the splitting headache pounding at his temples was as easy to shift. As he wandered back into the main area of the suite, he counted seven bodies. Five he definitely recognised, including Suze, who was curled up on the right side of his bed wearing nothing but a very tiny thong.

  A cold blast shot through him. Oh no. He couldn’t have. He had enough trouble getting it up when sober since his split with Natalia. Totally pissed, he would have had to swallow five Viagra to have any chance of getting a hard-on. And even then, he’d need to have totally lost his marbles to stick it into Suze.

  Before he had a chance to delve into possibilities that were too horrendous to contemplate, someone banged like hell on the door. A couple of the bodies on the floor began to stir as Cash stepped over them. He pressed his eye to the peephole and groaned.

  He flung the door open wide, allowing Rupe to step inside. “Don’t.”

  “What the fuck is going on?” Rupe scanned the hotel room. He tripped over an empty bottle of champagne, cursed loudly, picked it up, and slammed it down on the nearest table. Cash was surprised the bottle didn’t smash.

  “Had me a little party,” Cash said with a sheepish grin.

  “I can see that. Okay, okay,” Rupe said, poking his toe at prostrate bodies lying on the floor. “Party’s over. You can all fuck off.”

  The various groans and moans of still-drunk revellers didn’t stop Rupe. He kept kicking and prodding until he’d corralled the majority into the corridor as they staggered and muttered curses under their breaths.

  When he spotted Suze lying on Cash’s bed, Rupe flashed him a look of pure loathing. “You fucking idiot.”

  Cash threw his arms out to the side. “I didn’t.” He frowned. “I couldn’t have.”

  Rupe crossed to the bed and gently shook Suze. “Time to go, my lovely,” he said, scooping an arm under her and tugging her off the bed. He helped her into her clothes and walked her towards the door.

  “Wait, my bag,” she mumbled, clearly still half-pissed from the night before.

  Rupe checked around and eventually spotted it hanging off the back of a chair. “Here we are,” he said, slipping the strap over her head.

  “Stop!” she shouted as he began to close the door. “I haven’t had my goodbye kiss. Come here, baby.” She reached for Cash. He instantly recoiled.

  “Okay, bye-bye.” Rupe deposited Suze in the hallway, slammed the door, and deadlocked it. “Sometimes, I fucking hate you,” he said as he fixed Cash with a hard stare.

  “I didn’t bang her.”

  “If I asked you to swear on Rachael’s life, could you?”

  Cash stared at the floor. “No.”

  “I saw Tally today,” Rupe said.

  Cash’s head snapped up. “Where?”

  “Near Marble Arch. She looked as though she’d been crying. Wouldn’t even let me hug her. Muttered something about the Daily Mail.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Let’s find out, shall we?” Rupe lifted his phone from his pocket. A minute later, he handed it over to Cash. “You fuckwit.”

  Cash stared at the pictures on Rupe’s phone and then met Rupe’s fearsome glare. “I didn’t screw her,” he said, the horror of his potential fuck-up more than he could bear. If he had slept with Suze, he could kiss goodbye to ever getting back together with Natalia. “It was supposed to be an experiment.”

  Rupe expelled an exasperated breath. “An experiment in what?”

  With legs that felt as if the bones had been removed, Cash sank into the nearest chair. “You know my history with Suze. Before I met Natalia, she was my London go-to gal for when I needed a quick lay, but out of the sack, she always annoyed the hell out of me. I thought if I managed to spend a night in her company without lamping her, then I had enough coping mechanisms to allow myself to be around Natalia again. And maybe, just maybe, if I explained all this to Natalia, she’d consider taking me back.”

  Rupe blinked slowly. “For fuck’s sake,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his face. “You are a total arse.”

  “I need to call Suze.” Cash unsteadily climbed to his feet and scanned the room, looking for his phone. When he spotted it over by the window, he trudged across and picked it up.

  “What for?”

  “If I fucked her, I’ve probably screwed up my chances of ever getting back with Natalia. I need to know.”

  “You think she’ll tell the truth?”

  Cash grimaced. “We’re about to find out.”

  He dialled her number and listened as the hollow sound of the ring tone played in his ear. After the fifth ring, she picked up.

  “Why did Rupe throw me out?” she said in a slightly petulant tone.

  “Hey, Suze,” Cash said smoothly. “Sorry about that. He needed to speak with me urgently.”

  “Well, tell him he’s off my Christmas-card list.” A girlish giggle erupted from her.

  Cash’s jaw clenched as he fought down annoyance. “I will.”

  “Last night was great, yeah?”

  “Like old times,” Cash said, cringing as he spoke the words aloud. Reliving a slice of his past had reaffirmed how much he wanted his future to be with N
atalia.

  “I’ve missed those crazy parties of yours, although I do have a little bone to pick with you.”

  “Is that right?”

  “I’m not too mad, because I know it’s been tough since the car accident, but really, baby, next time you invite me out on the promise of wild sex at the end of the night, I expect you to deliver.”

  Cash’s heart started to beat double time. “So we didn’t…”

  “No. I tried, believe me,” she said with a harsh cackle. “But you kept pushing me away.”

  Without saying another word to Suze, Cash hung up. He glanced over at Rupe, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I’m only in the goddamned clear.”

  16

  The cab pulled up outside Em’s flat, and Tally jumped out, feeling excitement because her baby had kicked for the first time and sadness at the way she’d dealt with Rupe. He’d always been like a brother to her, and she shouldn’t have treated him with that level of contempt. But shock at seeing him across the street, mixed with fear that he’d figure out she was pregnant and go running to Cash, had made her behave pretty badly.

  She unbuckled her shoes and wandered into the kitchen, hoping to see Em, but the flat was empty. Desperate to share her news with someone, she dug her phone out of her bag with the intention of calling Pete. Spotting five missed calls and two texts from him, plus a whole bunch of WhatsApp messages from Danny, she cursed. She should have called after she’d torn out of the office. Wow, I’m on a streak. First treating Rupe like a leper, and now this…

  She clicked on recent calls and returned one of Pete’s, her heart plummeting when she heard the concern in his voice.

  “Are you okay, honey?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Sorry for running out on you. It was a bit of a shock.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “At home. I know I should come back to the office, but––”

  “Don’t be silly. You need to take care of yourself. Stress isn’t good for someone in your condition.”

  Tally grinned. “Speaking of which, the baby just kicked for the first time.”

  Pete took a sharp intake of breath. “It did?”

  “Yep. Weirdest feeling ever.”

  “But pretty wonderful, I bet.”

  “Yeah,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “Pretty wonderful.”

  “I wish you weren’t doing this by yourself.”

  “I’m not by myself. I’ve got you, Em, and Danny.”

  “Have you thought any more about telling Cash?”

  “I bumped into Rupe today,” Tally said, ignoring his comment. “Right after the baby kicked.”

  “Did he notice?”

  “I don’t think so. I took off too quickly for him to get a good look.”

  Pete sighed. “Tally…”

  “I know. I hear you, and I will. Just not yet.”

  “Okay, but don’t leave it too long.”

  The front door slammed, and a smile spread across Tally’s face. “Em’s home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Only if you’re feeling better,” she heard Pete say as she hung up.

  “Em, in here,” she said, almost bursting to share her news.

  “You okay, Tal?” Em said as she appeared in the doorway. “I got a weird message from you on voicemail, but it cut off halfway through.”

  “Yeah, I saw Rupe, and it distracted me, but never mind that.” She grabbed Em’s hand. “Sit down.”

  Em frowned. “You saw Rupe? Are you okay?”

  “The baby kicked.”

  Em squealed. “Oh my God. Is it kicking now?” She pressed the palm of her hand across Tally’s belly, her beaming smile falling away when nothing happened. “Maybe it doesn’t like me.”

  Tally removed her hand. “It doesn’t work on command, you know.”

  Em chuckled. “Good point.” Her head tilted to one side. “How come you saw Rupe?”

  “I had a bit of upset at work and was getting some fresh air when I felt this weird flutter in my stomach. I was on the phone to you when Rupe saw me, and that’s why I never finished the message.”

  “What was the upset at work?” Em said, homing straight in on the key point.

  Tally pulled up the Daily Mail showbiz app, which had the photos of Cash, and passed her phone to Em. “Guess it was only a matter of time.”

  Em narrowed her eyes as she scanned the pictures. When she lifted her head, her face held a mixture of sorrow and outrage. “I’m sorry, babes.”

  Tally shrugged. “Yeah.”

  A moment of silence followed before Em threw her hands in the air. “I knew there was something I needed to talk to you about.”

  “What?”

  “I need a favour.”

  Tally groaned. “Why do I get the feeling I am not going to like this?”

  “Don’t be like that. It’ll be fun.”

  Tally rolled her eyes. “Now I’m definitely suspicious.”

  “David’s brother is over from Canada.”

  “That’s nice for him.”

  “Yeah,” Em said. “David and Paul haven’t seen each other for two years, so naturally, they want to spend as much time together as possible.”

  “Right. And…?” Tally already disliked the direction this conversation was taking.

  Em grimaced. “I was hoping you’d come out to dinner with us. You know, so Paul doesn’t feel like a spare part.”

  Tally blew out a breath. Even a fake date felt like a betrayal of her feelings for Cash “Do I have to?”

  “No,” Em said. “But you would be doing me a huge favour.”

  “I don’t even know the guy. I barely know David.”

  “He’s really nice. Honestly. And there’s no worries about him coming on to you. He’s got a girlfriend in Canada.”

  Tally glanced down at her ever-growing stomach. “I don’t think I need distant girlfriends to fend off men. I have a built-in repellent.”

  Em snorted. “You could have a brood in there, and you’d still have to fight most guys off, but Paul’s smitten, so you’ve no worries on that score. Come on, Tal, do it for me. I don’t want Paul to have to play gooseberry, but equally, I don’t want to give up seeing David for the next week.”

  Tally sighed and then grinned. “Look at you, Miss Infatuated. Who’d have thought?”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Em mumbled as her skin was tinged with pink.

  “Okay. For you, I’ll do it.”

  Em threw her arms around Tally. “I owe you.”

  “Yeah,” Tally said. “And I’ll be collecting.”

  17

  “You look lovely, Tal. Positively blooming.”

  Tally glanced down at her bump and smoothed her hands over the dress Em had helped her choose. “You don’t think it’s too clingy?”

  “No. All I see is a seriously hot momma,” Em said with a giggle. “I’ve warned Paul he’ll need to act as bodyguard.”

  Tally pulled a face. “Brilliant,” she said in a sarcastic tone.

  “Don’t be like that. Paul’s looking forward to meeting you.”

  “I’m not sure I can remember how to make polite conversation with strangers.”

  “Then make impolite conversation,” Em said, shrugging one shoulder. “That’ll be more fun anyway.”

  Tally steeled herself. She wanted to do this for Em, especially given how wonderfully supportive Em was being with Tally’s pregnancy and all, but really, all she felt like doing was curling up on the sofa and falling asleep while watching trashy TV.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Trader Vic’s.”

  Tally groaned. “Really?”

  “What’s wrong with Vic’s?”

  “Can’t we just go down to the local?”

  “No. David wants to show Paul the best London has to offer.”

  “But Mayfair? Do we have to?”

  Em playfully bumped shoulders with Tally. “Oh, stop. You know the minute you get there, you’ll be in your element.
And I have it on good authority they do a fabulous No Tai Mai Tai.”

  Tally raised her eyes heavenward. “Lucky me.”

  Em laughed. “You’re the queen of the mocktail these days.”

  “I miss alcohol,” Tally said, sticking out her bottom lip in a half-wistful, half-playful mood.

  “I’ve no idea how you do it, to be honest, babes.”

  “How do you know I don’t keep a bottle of vodka under my pillow?”

  Em laughed as a knock sounded at the front door. “Wouldn’t put it past you,” she said as she went to answer it.

  Her greeting of David made Tally blush and turn away. It must have been exactly the same for Em whenever Tally and Cash locked lips. She winced at the memory. It didn’t seem to matter how much time passed—the pain of losing Cash refused to abate.

  Paul hovered in the doorway behind Em and David. His ears had turned red as he watched his brother and Em make out.

  Taking pity on him, Tally waved him forwards with a warm smile. “Hi, Paul. Just shove her in the back.”

  Paul grinned, although he didn’t do as Tally suggested, instead sidling past the still-snogging pair. He thrust out his hand. “You must be Tally.” His handshake was as warm as his smile, and Tally’s nervousness dissipated.

  “Come on in. I’ll get you a drink while these two… do whatever it is they’re doing.”

  Paul snickered and followed her into the kitchen.

  “We don’t have much,” Tally said with an apologetic smile as she held up a half-empty bottle of Bailey’s. “Em’s trying to be supportive by not keeping alcohol in the house, although she’ll get smashed tonight, no doubt.”

  “I heard that.” Em sauntered into the kitchen, towing David behind her.

  “Are you denying it’s true?”

  “No.” Em swiped the Bailey’s out of Tally’s hand and poured three healthy measures. She handed round the drinks. “But still…”

  Em’s attempt at putting on a hurt expression had Tally chuckling. “You don’t fool me with that look.”

  “That’s the problem,” grumbled Em. “You know me too well.”

  As they arrived at Trader Vic’s, Tally silently thanked Em for planning ahead. She’d booked them a table, which was just as well, considering the number of people waiting in line. With her swollen ankles, Tally wouldn’t have enjoyed queuing up.