Played: Scandalous Moves Series

by Staley, Deborah Grace

  “You’ve got this,” she said, her smile bright. “I’ll meet you outside the locker room after the game, okay?”

  After kissing her once more, Matt released her. Jaye stepped aside and walked out of the bullpen. Once she was outside, she leaned against the wall by the door. If she held it together through the game, it would be a miracle. The conversation she needed to have with Matt later would be more than difficult. She pressed her fingertips to her lips and inhaled the scent of his cologne that lingered on her hand. Forgetting she had a feminine side had had its advantages, but now that she’d given her heart to Matt, there was no going back.

  Back in the owner’s box, Jaye joined her father. “How’s our boy?” he asked.

  “Good. No nerves.”

  Her daddy took her hand. “How are you?”

  “I’m nervous enough for both of us.”

  He gave her a direct look with those steely-blue eyes that saw everything. “I think there’s something more. What did Stan say?”

  “He didn’t take the news of my relationship with Matt well.” That was an understatement. Comparisons to volcanic eruptions came to mind. “Apparently, there’s some obscure and antiquated rule about female employees not fraternizing with male personnel.”

  “But you knew that.”

  “Yes,” Jaye said, getting angry. “I also know that rule went into the books just after WWII, and I don’t think it’s been enforced since.” But that wasn’t everything Stan had told her. “He just used it to add weight to his proposal that I stay in Jacksonville rather than move to Miami for the promotion he promised me.” She faced her dad. “He wants me to stay in Double-A and run a clinic for troubled ballplayers.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I told him I could run my clinic in Miami better than I could in Jacksonville.”

  “I’m guessing he disagreed.”

  “I understand what he’s saying, Dad, but I deserve that promotion.”

  “For you or because Matt’s here.”

  “For me. I want to work in a front office for a major league team. I want Stan’s job. I’ve earned it ten times over.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” She twirled her hair around her finger. She’d worn it down tonight—had been wearing it down for a few weeks now. She was sick of hiding the fact that she was a woman. It was the twenty-first century, after all. A woman being good at what was considered to be “a man’s job” wasn’t a crime. “I have to tell Matt.”

  “Good,” her father said. “If you’re going to be a couple, you should work this out together.” He hesitated before continuing. “I don’t want to interfere, but can I offer you some advice where Stan is concerned?”

  “Of course,” Jaye said.

  “You don’t have to take what he’s offering. If this isn’t the job you want, don’t do it. It’s not like there aren’t other teams who wouldn’t kill to have you in their front office.”

  That was true. She got offers all the time, but she’d thought she was going somewhere with the Marlins, and now it felt like she’d hit a dead-end. She knew Stan was retiring soon, and she’d had her eye on his job, but it could be years before he resigned. Not to mention the fact that she liked living in Florida and being close to her dad. At present, the most appealing offer she had was with the Washington Nationals—a job that would take her away from not only her father, but Matt, too.

  As if reading her mind, her father added, “You know, you don’t have to work in Florida to have a relationship with me.”

  “I like being close. We’ve always been close.”

  “Honey, airplanes make everyone close, including Matt.” He let that sink in before adding, “Explore your options. That’s all I’m saying. Then make your decision, and be sure it’s one you can live with.”

  13

  Matt accepted the congratulations and welcomes of his new teammates after the game. He’d gotten his first save after entering the game in the ninth inning to hold the team’s lead and get the last three outs. He’d gotten three strikeouts on nine pitches. He’d had pinpoint accuracy. His arm had never felt better. Although he usually loved celebrating with the team after a win, right now he just wanted to get out of here and be with Jaye.

  “Ruiz. A word?” Coach John Stevens said.

  So much for a hasty exit. “Sure thing, Coach.” Matt followed the man down the hall from the locker room to his office. Once inside, the coach shut the door. Never a good sign. “What’s up?” Matt asked.

  “What the hell was that before the game between you and Jaye Baxter?”

  Since his coach wanted to get to the point, Matt reciprocated. “We’re dating.”

  “How long has this been going on?” Coach Stevens demanded.

  Matt sat, relaxing into the chair though he didn’t feel relaxed. “Do you ask all your players about their personal lives, Coach?”

  “I do when they date general managers in our organization. You know—” he began, but took off his hat, tossed it onto his desk, and sat. After he’d run his fingers through thinning gray hair he continued. “She met with Stan earlier, and he’s on the warpath.”

  Frowning, Matt sat forward, resting his hands on his knees. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Look, Ruiz, we’re happy to have you here. And I shouldn’t have to say this, but I will. You have a certain reputation with women that’s not all together flattering.” At that, Matt lost his words for a second, so the coach went on. “We like Jaye. Hell, a lot of us played with or against her father. We’ve got nothing but respect for Chuck Baxter. He and Jaye have been through a lot.”

  “I’m aware—” Matt said.

  “I’m not finished,” the coach said, cutting him off. “Jaye’s a rising star in this business, and I’ll be John Brown if some high-paid, pretty boy womanizer is going to come in here and destroy everything that woman has worked for.”

  “That’s the last thing I want,” Matt said, shocked, but pleased with how protective the coach was of Jaye. He felt the same way.

  The coach laughed and said, “You expect me to believe she’s not just another stop on the Matt Ruiz tour? The way I hear it, you’ve got a couple of women in every town.”

  There was no use denying it. His personal life for the past few years had been well-documented by the press. “Jaye’s different,” Matt said simply. “I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, but it’s true. I am in love with her.”

  “If that’s true, then there’s something you need to understand. Stan Reid had a grand plan to end his career with the Marlins and retire when he felt the time was right. But he knows the owners have other ideas—ideas to move Stan out and replace him with Jaye Baxter—sooner rather than later. He’s looking for any reason to discredit her, and the two of you foolin’ around is the only thing he’s got to work with because she has a spotless reputation.”

  Matt stood and paced the small office. “Shit,” he said to himself.

  “Yeah. You need to shut this down.” The coach moved to the end of his desk, and Matt stopped to face him. “Look. This whole thing with female employees not dating male personnel is complete horse shit. When Jaye’s the GM, she can make changes, but until then, you’re a complication she doesn’t need. Not now.”

  Matt nodded. “I get it. Let me talk to her.”

  Coach Stevens nodded. “Do it off site.”

  * * *

  Jaye checked her phone again. She’d texted Matt earlier and told him to meet her in staff parking. Her preference had been to wait for him outside the locker room, but in the end, she’d decided not to antagonize Stan. Anger about their conversation warred with her excitement over Matt’s win and finally seeing him again tonight. He was right. It felt like they’d been apart much longer than a few days. She hit the button on her phone again, and it lit up the interior of Matt’s car. What was taking him so long?

  Jaye turned when she heard the trunk release. “Good luck with gettin
g anything else in there,” she said out loud.

  Matt opened the driver’s side door and looked inside. His smile was a welcome sight. “You brought my car. And my things.”

  She held out her hands for his bag, and he gave it to her then slid in behind the wheel. Jaye took the bag and tried to squeeze it between her and the door since his pricey black Ferrari didn’t have a backseat. Unable to wait another millisecond, she put her arms around Matt and kissed him. He kissed her back, but with much less enthusiasm than she showed him. Hands still on his shoulders, she sat back. “What’s wrong?”

  He briefly touched his lips to hers. “Let’s get out of here,” he said and started the car.

  Jaye leaned back into the soft leather seat, staring at him. His dark hair was wet and combed back. He wore one of his favorite soft, thin black t-shirts with a deep V-neck that she knew cost more than most people made in a week. Black designer jeans and black leather loafers completed the look. A stack of bracelets emphasized the strength of his forearm as he changed gears.

  He glanced over at her. “Where to?”

  Jaye felt like her heart had fallen into her stomach. His jaw was set and a muscle ticked there. “Matt?”

  He picked up her hand and kissed it, then settled it against his muscular thigh. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Left out of the parking lot,” she said. “The team booked you a suite at the Marquis. It’s not far.” To keep from looking at him, Jaye busied herself with putting the address into his GPS. She’d never seen Matt this way. He’d never been distant with her, but right now, it felt like they were on different continents. Traffic around the stadium had died down while she’d waited on Matt, so they soon arrived at the hotel, but he kept driving.

  “You missed the turn,” she said.

  “There’s a dark van following us. Paparazzi.” He made a quick turn without signaling. Then another. He sped up then slowed for traffic. The GPS was going nuts. “Call the hotel. Tell them we need to come in through the service entrance.”

  Jaye did as he asked. The manager gave her an alternate address for a rear entrance, and she put the new address into the GPS. After Matt lost the van, he doubled back to the hotel. A valet met them and opened Matt’s door. Matt put the car in neutral and engaged the parking break, then grabbed a dark cap and aviator sunglasses. She felt like she was watching someone else put the items on. He said something to the valet, handed him some cash, and then walked around to open her door. His bag fell out, but he picked it up and offered her his hand. Jaye tried to hide her feelings when she looked up at him, but knew she’d failed when he said, “Don’t look at me that way, pequeña. Come. Let’s get inside.”

  He glanced around, probably to make sure no one saw them. A man in a suit approached with another, larger man, also wearing a suit, close behind. The young man in front held out his hand to Matt. “Mr. Ruiz, I’m Kent Lawson. I’m the manager on duty. This is our head of security, Mr. Woods.” Matt shook the man’s hand. “Follow me.”

  With her hand in Matt’s, she had to rush to keep up as the men moved quickly through a maze of hallways in the back of the building. The head of security stayed behind them, and the manager led the way. They stopped at a wide elevator, and the manager used a key to activate it. After the doors slid open, all four of them got inside. The manager pushed a button on an upper floor and they all focused on the numbers as the elevator moved. Everyone but Jaye. She stole a look at Matt. It was like standing next to a stranger, and the feeling wasn’t just because of the hat and glasses. He was distant. Withdrawn. Their only connection was her hand in his, but even his touch felt different.

  When the elevator stopped, the head of security stepped out, made sure no reporters waited, and turned back to them with a nod. “All clear.” The manager led the way to the end of the hall where he opened double doors.

  They walked into a living room with luxurious furnishings. Enormous windows revealed tall buildings. She knew in the daylight, the water view would be breathtaking. Jaye moved further into the room while Matt spoke to the manager. Inside another room, she saw a king-size bed that faced more large windows. The Marlins had spared no expense for their new star. She heard the door close and watched as Matt removed the hat and glasses, tossing both onto a low table. When she’d imagined this moment, Matt had walked up to her, taken her into his arms, held her for a long moment, and then kissed her senseless.

  Rather than that, he walked over to the bar, found a refrigerator, and got a beer. “You want something?” he asked, not looking at her as he uncapped the bottle and drank.

  Her anger finally kicked in, giving her something to feel other than devastating loss. “Actually, yes. What the hell?”

  Matt strode over to a chair, not the couch, and sat, his long legs wide and barely bent as he took another drink. “I’m tired,” he said at length.

  She approached and stood in front of him. “You’re tired? That’s all you have to say to me? You’re tired?”

  His eyes were hooded, expressionless. “It’s been a long week.”

  “What happened, Matt? Why are you acting like this?”

  He sipped the beer. “How am I acting?”

  “Like an ass.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he countered, finally showing some emotion.

  She took his beer and drained it. She’d need more than half a beer in her if they were going to play this game. Without reacting, he got up and went to the refrigerator. He uncapped two beers, set one on the bar, and sipped the other as he tried to return to the chair he’d just vacated, but Jaye snagged his arm before he got there, surprising him into stopping. “What was I supposed to have told you, Matt?”

  “About your conversation with the general manager.”

  “I told you before the game that we had talked.”

  He backed away from her touch. “Coach Stevens called me into his office after the game. Told me to stay away from you.”

  Relief coursed through her. “I don’t want you to stay away,” she said.

  Matt set his beer back on the bar a little too forcefully. The sticky, amber liquid spilled over the side. “I won’t have you lose your job because of me.” He grabbed a towel from the bar and wiped his hand off.

  Jaye got in his space. “I’m not going to lose my job, Matt.”

  “Are you saying that Stan did not tell you we couldn’t date?”

  “No, I’m not—can we sit? On the couch?”

  Matt stalked over to the couch then plopped down onto it. Jaye approached, not sure how to deal with this angry Matt she’d never seen. She should sit next to him, but she didn’t. Instead, she walked between his legs and sat on his thigh. He put his hands on her waist like he was going to push her away, but she put her arms around his neck and his hands tightened on her. “Jaye,” he growled, his gaze dropping to her mouth. It was all the invitation she needed. She kissed him, and he responded the way he was supposed to this time—like she was water and he couldn’t quench his thirst. He draped her legs up over his other leg and stroked her from ankle to knee.

  When they finally broke for air, they were both breathing hard. “Thank God,” she said. “You scared me.”

  He pressed his lips to her cheek, not looking at her. “Jaye . . . tell me. Tell me what Stan said to you.”

  Where to begin. “He was upset when I told him we were dating.”

  “How upset?” He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed, encouraging her.

  “It was a heated discussion.”

  “Coach said there is some rule discouraging dating among employees.”

  “The rule actually prevents female employees from ‘fraternizing’ with male employees. But it’s a ridiculously old rule that’s unenforceable.”

  “Fraternizing? What does this mean?”

  “It means evil women shouldn’t tempt men while they’re trying to work.”

  Matt frowned. “You’re teasing me?”

  She sank her fingers into his hair
and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Only a little.”

  “Coach is afraid Stan will use this rule to fire you.”

  So that’s why he’d been so upset. She brushed his hair back off his forehead. “He won’t fire me.”

  “What makes you so certain?”

  “Stan’s married to his former secretary, so that’s a road he doesn’t want to go down with me because I will fight it if he tries anything.”

  “But this rule, it is worded in his favor, yes? The rule is for female employees, not male.”

  “As I said, these types of rules are antiquated and unenforceable.”

  “I don’t want to be a source of trouble for you in your job. You’ve worked too hard.”

  “I’ve been in more sexist situations than this,” she said honestly. “There’s more,” she added. He tipped his head to the side. His expression showed his disbelief. “Stan’s not giving me the job in Miami.”

  “Why?”

  “He says he wants me to run my rehab clinic for troubled ballplayers from Jacksonville.”

  “What did you say?”

  She put her head on his shoulder. “There’s nothing to say. He’s the general manager. It’s his call.”

  “So, you didn’t get the job, and if we continue to date, he will fire you.”

  “He can’t fire me. Technically, I don’t work for him. I work for the owner of the Jacksonville Rays.”

  “But he can damage your reputation with the Marlins’ organization.”

  Jaye shrugged, trying to pretend it didn’t matter, but it did. Matt was right. She’d worked too hard to come this far only to lose her standing in the eyes of the organization because of something so sexist. Stan—this situation—it all made her angry.

  “Ow.”

  Jaye sat up. “What?”

  Matt rubbed his chest. “You hit me.”

  She touched the place on his chest. “I did? I’m sorry.”

  Matt cradled her against his chest, holding her tightly for a moment, then moved her to sit beside him and stood. “It’s clear what we must do.”

  “Yes, it is,” Jaye agreed.