“I should have known it wouldn’t work,” Viv snapped.
“Cora. You did this to him?” Trent couldn’t disguise his disappointment, not in his voice or his gaze. It drenched Cora like a cold and sudden downpour, one she’d predicted, but one she’d dreaded nonetheless. She’d just proved what he’d been saying since they met – the Dooley Foundation meddled where they didn’t belong. And what everyone had been telling her all along – she’d slept with too many men to have a white wedding.
“Leave,” Trent said to Cora. One word. He might just as well have added, “Forever.”
“How could you think you were my friend?” Viv asked as they walked to the door. “You’re a whore. Going behind my back – ”
“You were separated. Besides,” Cora said wearily. “Jack dropped everyone for you this summer.”
“Everyone?” Viv murmured.
“Everyone,” Cora confirmed.
Chapter 29
The mighty Jack Gordon trembled in his hard-won owner’s chair.
Trent went into emergency mode – sending Nina for warm towels from the training room, sending Zach for clothes from the equipment manager, grabbing a Pepsi from the office refrigerator and forcing his boss to drink. Sugar and caffeine were just what he needed.
“How bad is it?” Jack’s voice was only slightly stronger than before.
Relieved, Trent allowed himself to think of Cora. He’d thought they shared the same moral fiber. But she had more in common with Archie than Trent.
Jack coughed. “Did Viv ruin everything for us?”
“No. We postponed the media deal and ran interference on the Oliver trade.”
Nina returned with warm towels. They blanketed him. Color slowly returned to Jack’s cheeks.
“My cell phone is somewhere at my house. Send someone to get it. And order flowers for my mom, delivered to my house. The card should say something about how sorry I am and how much I love her.”
Trent couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jack Gordon using the “L” word.
Jack sucked down more Pepsi. “What else? Tell me everything.”
Trent told him about the junior college rental as their playing venue for the first half of the season.
“I was supposed to meet with Honda Center management the night I fell ill. The NBA media contract was tied to the Honda deal and snagged when it came to scheduling. What else?”
“Nothing more contractually. She’s tried to mess with players’ minds.” Trent paused as Zach came in with a black Flash T-shirt, basketball shorts, and socks.
“The doctor’s five minutes away.” Zach kept his eyes averted from his boss’ junk while he helped the weaker man dress. “I couldn’t find any shoes your size. Everything in stock is a size fourteen or larger.”
“Text Nina to grab a pair from the house,” Jack said.
Trent brought Jack up to speed on the team’s progress with their added offense and the status of Hugh Irving. “I need approval to hire security to keep him out of trouble. The kid means well, but – ”
“His decision-making is for shit.”
The doctor entered with a bag he wheeled behind him. He took Jack’s blood pressure, his temperature, listened to his lungs, and looked down his throat. “You need to go back to the hospital. You’re not strong enough to fend off the common cold. You need sleep and whatever cocktail of antibiotics they were giving you.”
“I’m not going back to that place. Give me whatever I need. My staff will make sure I get home safely.”
“You’ll be dead long before they get you home safely,” the doctor cracked. “Would you agree that your long-term health is in my hands?”
“Yes.”
“You heard him,” the doctor said enigmatically. He dug into his bag and produced a syringe. “This will keep you alive.”
Jack held out his arm. Almost immediately, his limbs slackened.
“What did you give him?” Trent asked.
“Something to make him sleep. From what you’ve told me, his immune system is weak. The worst thing he could do right now is try to conquer the world.” The doctor closed his bag and headed toward the door.
Trent pointed at Jack. “What am I supposed to do with him? Take him back to the hospital?”
The team doc paused in the doorway. “If he doesn’t want to be in the hospital, he won’t stay in the hospital. Get him home and hire a full-time nurse.” And then the doctor was gone.
“Do you think Viv slept with someone else?” There was an odd note of vulnerability in Jack’s voice, a high strung tension usually missing in his brash, blustery tone.
“No.” That was what his boss wanted to hear. Trent didn’t know for sure. Cora would know.
Cora. How could he have been so wrong about her? He’d only known her for a few weeks, but –
“Cora meant nothing to me,” Jack was saying. “None of them did.”
Trent didn’t want to have this conversation.
“And I know damn well I meant nothing to her. She dumped me from across a crowded restaurant and – ”
“I don’t need the details.”
“She’s a good woman. All the Rules are, despite being a meddlesome bunch. They make shit happen. Good shit. You could do worse. I didn’t always screw the good ones.”
Trent wanted to vomit.
Evan entered, cheeks ruddy, shirt sweat-drenched. “How is he?”
“Medicated and running at the mouth.” Trent would have left him sitting there, except for the fear he’d pass out, slide to the floor, and hit his head. Which might finally make him shut up.
“It won’t bother me if you make an honest woman out of Cora,” Jack was saying. His head rested awkwardly on his shoulder. His eyes kept rolling back in his head. “We’d get a family discount from the Foundation.”
“Is there any way to shut him up?” Trent shook Jack’s arm.
“You could slug him.” Evan grinned. “I won’t tell.”
Trent scrubbed a hand over his face. “The last time someone punched him, it ended up on ESPN.” Considering it was Evan who slugged him, Trent wasn’t keen on taking Evan’s advice. “Besides, he’s out of it.”
“Seriously, Coach…Trent. I feel like I can call you Trent since you’re dating my sister-in-law.” Evan circled Jack in his chair, while Trent considered correcting his dating status. “You need to shut him the fuck up. If you don’t know by now, loving the Rules women means you gotta break some rules now and then.”
Trent shook his head. Cora had broken enough rules already. Probably some laws, too. For sure, his heart.
Trent immediately recalled the thought. He’d never told Cora he thought he loved her, so it couldn’t be love. There’d be no lovesick, drunken binges, like Archie. And the Reverend could go on with a stick up his ass.
Jack kept on blathering. “It wouldn’t bother me either if you continued to fuck Cora. She’s really tal – ”
Trent’s fist landed on Jack’s cheek, sending the man reeling sideways in his chair. His eyes rolled back. And he shut up.
“Holy seven hells,” Evan said, coming in closer to assess the damage. “You must really love her.”
“If anyone asks, tell them he passed out and hit his head on the desk.” Trent headed for the door. He had a team to coach and a woman to forget.
~*~
Luck had screwed Cora over good this time.
She ignored the call for an emergency meeting at the Dooley Foundation. She was too busy for lectures, too busy for sad faces, too hurt for hugs.
She’d tried being nice. She’d tried making friends and dating. But the truth was, the only thing she’d ever been good at was being a bitch and watching out for herself.
It hurt too much to care for someone and then have them dump you. No wonder her parents acted like fools every time their hearts were broken. But that wouldn’t be Cora. Thank God, she didn’t know how to love somebody.
Amber left a voicemail: Let’s talk.
Dad
dy’s lawyer sent an email: We need to meet.
Blue direct-messaged her Twitter account: Come over later.
Gemma tracked Cora down at a day spa, stomping into the massage room with her army boots and combat attitude. “If you don’t start answering your phone, I’m going to turn off your service.”
Cora dismissed the masseuse, gathered the sheet around her, and sat up. “That’s a great idea. I’ve decided to quit anyway. I’m selling my condo and moving to Paris.” The admission should have made her feel excited. “You have skills as a life coach. You can take some of my clients.”
“You can’t leave. I don’t know shit yet.” Gemma scowled. “And what about Brutus?”
“You take him.” Brutus barked from his carrier in the corner. His protest pulled on Cora’s heartstrings. “Just not…Just not yet.”
Gemma made a strangled noise. “You’re going to ruin everything.”
“Why? You and Mimi can continue being besties.”
“She’s not my best friend.”
That cut through Cora’s fog. She wasn’t aware Gemma had friends.
“You’re my best friend, you stupid bitch.” Gemma stomped her foot. “When you leave, I’ll have to be nice to everyone. You don’t know how hard that is. People whine about the stupidest things – they can’t get a decent espresso, they were seen at a designer outlet, the water temperature on their bidet is too cold. People don’t realize how lucky they are.” She poked Cora’s shoulder. “You don’t realize how lucky you are. You have Coach Parker. And you know how to help people.”
Cora laughed, but the sound was as hollow as her heart.
“I’d hug you and tell you not to go, but I’m starting to sound pathetic.” Gemma frowned. “Besides, you’re naked under that sheet and that’s too weird for me.”
Cora leapt off the table and hugged her. “Don’t ever change, bitch.”
“Ditto.”
~*~
Her siblings tracked Cora down to her favorite shoe store. Cora had already tried all the new fall fashions, and was moving on to the clearance items from the summer season. She had yet to work up any enthusiasm to buy. Not that she cared about the three million dollars a purchase would cost her. She just couldn’t see where she’d wear any of the shoes. Had she lost her fashion sense along with her heart?
Not that she’d been in love. She’d practice dated. This numb feeling that she couldn’t shake in the region of her heart was only practice heartbreak.
Amber paled at the shoe boxes that circled Cora. Some stacks were higher than her knees. She exchanged a panicked glance with Blue.
“It’s not too late.” Blue grabbed Cora’s arm and hustled her out of the store, much to the sales clerk’s dismay.
Amber followed with Brutus and Cora’s purse. She waited to start her lecture until they were settled in a rear booth at the Gilded Bean. “You have to meet your sales quota.”
“I know you wanted me to establish myself as a life coach so you can take maternity leave, but I can’t do it. I bought a one-way ticket to Paris this morning. I meet with a realtor tomorrow and then I’m gone.” Aloysha was still interested in apprenticing her.
Cora would probably have to take on a part-time job to make ends meet. And there was the small problem of her uninspired, nearly empty fashion portfolio, but she had every reason to smile. It wasn’t every girl who was finally pursuing a dream in Paris.
“I will not accept your resignation,” Amber said adamantly. “Worst case, you can open a Paris office.”
Cora wouldn’t admit the idea intrigued. “It’s time for a reality check.” Her phone buzzed. She ignored it. “I’m a bitch, not a life coach. Quit carrying me.”
“Carrying you? You’ve been picking up our slack,” Blue protested.
“Gemma says the requests for you as a coach outnumber the requests for us two-to-one,” Amber added.
A teenage girl walked in wearing a pink Flash T-shirt.
Cora’s heart panged. No more Trent. No more game film nights. No more Ren drenched in Old Spice. “Every client you’ve given me is worse off than before.”
“Not Winnie Tiegler,” Blue said. “She gushed about how attentive her husband has been since you took her shopping and suggested she romance her husband. And she landed that movie role.”
“Mimi agreed to read a script for a new sitcom,” Amber added. “And Evan says you help keep the team upbeat and focused.”
“What about Jack? Or Cal? What about Viv?” What about Trent? Not that she’d been coaching Trent, but –
“Your impact on them has yet to be seen. The really tough cases don’t show results as quickly.” Blue sipped his coffee. “In a few more weeks, you’ll have met your sales quota. You’ll be free to go to Paris or to stay here with us.”
Somewhere during the past few months Paris had lost its appeal as a goal. Now it seemed only a safe haven. She’d leave this pain in her heart in the States.
A man about Cora’s age pushed through the front door of the café carrying a Guilded Bean apron. He looked vaguely familiar. When he saw Cora and Amber, he stopped at their table. “Did you have a new job for me?”
Amber slouched and waved him off. “Not now, Henry. We’re busy.”
“Sure, sure. Whatever.” He saluted and headed to the back of the café.
He saluted.
The hand-delivered letter from Daddy. Amber’s annoyance that the delivery man saluted them from the sidewalk. A different kind of emptiness took over Cora’s heart. “You set me up.” Her own siblings. “Was this some kind of twisted lesson you thought I needed to learn?” If she hadn’t been trapped in the booth by Amber, she’d have walked out and tried to book an earlier flight to Paris. “How dare you!”
“How dare we try to make you see something through a different perspective?” Blue’s features turned grim. “Isn’t that what you did to me this summer? I remember you bragging about it to Viv a few weeks ago.”
“So there are no other kids? This was all a ruse? If you were trying to make me happier, you failed.” She was miserable.
“Hear us out,” Amber said. “There are other heirs. And we won’t be told more until you meet your sales quota.”
“That’s the reason you’ve been helping me?” Not because they’d formed a closer bond last spring. “Not because you finally like me or you want to get pregnant.”
“We’ve been helping you because we love you,” Amber said solemnly.
“Please,” Cora resisted rolling her eyes. “I’m such a bitch. No one’s ever loved me. Not you or Mom or Dad.” Her voice cracked and she blinked back tears. She’d held herself together since Trent told her to leave by telling herself he never could have loved her anyway. It was the only thought that kept her sane.
“I thought we’d agreed to forget about the past.” Amber captured Cora’s hand. “We may not have loved each other when we were kids, but Blue and I love you. It’s why we came up with this idea. We thought you’d take the news better if it seemed to come from Dad.”
“There’d be less doubt.” Blue cleared his throat. “We thought you’d need time to process it before you met one. You know you’ve never been good at sharing Dad and – ”
“And that was when there were three of us,” Amber pointed out.
“Three in three years.” Blue’s words were heavy with significance. “We’re in our twenties. Imagine how many – ”
“I don’t want to know,” Cora repeated. “I wasn’t exactly the best kid in the world and I’m sure some of the crap I pulled affected them. I don’t want to feel shittier about my life than I already do.” Apologizing for slights she hadn’t known she’d caused. “If they knew about me when I was younger, they wouldn’t want to meet me today.”
Brutus poked his head out of her bag. He’d been found in a dumpster in Santa Monica, thrown away like trash. Blue had made her adopt him to make her more feeling. Now she was feeling too much and it hurt. It hurt like it had when she was little, and Daddy ign
ored her to pay attention to Portia. Or when Lucia told her stylist that Cora would never be beautiful.
She liked it better when she’d had fuck-buddies and bitches for friends, and didn’t give a shit about strangers who might be related to her and cast aside. Would they be like Brutus, who’d been cast aside? She’d saved him. But no one was coming to save Cora. She was saving herself by leaving. “Daddy never loved us.”
The pair shook their heads, surprising her.
“Dad loved us. He believed in us.” Blue took her other hand. “And we believe in you. We’d never ask you to do something we didn’t think you were ready for.”
“Dad wouldn’t have made his reveal of other children conditional on your success,” Amber said. “If he didn’t love and believe in you.”
“I wanted him to believe I could be a fashion designer.” As usual, Daddy had other plans. “I wanted to move to Paris.” Venom, gone from her verbal repertoire these past few minutes, returned. Because sometime since the reading of the will, Cora’s desire to go into fashion had paled. And with it her talent to design. Just last night she’d tried to sketch summer blouses. They’d looked like winter wool jackets.
“Past tense? If you stick with this another few weeks, you’ll meet your quota,” Blue said softly.
“With that money, you can do whatever you want.” Amber squeezed her hand. “But we hope you’ll stay with us.”
For two seconds, Cora considered it. She liked the mental aspect of being a life coach, of staying one step ahead of her clients. But then she remembered the fear when Cal confronted her – she’d handled that all wrong – and the expression on Trent’s face when he’d learned she’d manipulated Jack. “No. I messed up big time. I’m not going to be welcome at the Flash anymore. I’m a bitch. I’ve slept around. It’s best I go to Paris, because I’m never going to be good enough here.”
“Good enough for who?” Blue demanded with an older brother’s righteousness.
She and Amber exchanged glances. Her sister knew.
Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin' Anthology 2015 Page 30