Sassy, Sexy, and Stalked

by Wall, Shelley

  “I’m good. You?” Todd answered. He pounded his fist into the supple baseball leather on his hand. Well, he showed up. That had to be a good sign. Right? The bruise proved less severe than expected. She wondered if it felt tender to the touch. The urge surfaced again to stroke a finger across the lump and she sighed.

  “Fine. Guess I’d better get out there.” Reva grabbed a bat and rushed out to take first hits. A quick glance over her shoulder as she exited the dugout caught Todd’s eyes firmly planted on her pockets as he sauntered to his position in the field. She moved to home plate suppressing a grin. Okay, the conversation was awkward but maybe there was still hope. She had no idea what for, but she’d figure that out later. After all, she had no interest in men at the moment. Although it had become a bit harder to convince herself after kissing him.

  Wolf whistles from the stands caught her attention. Great. Some sleaze ball intended to make a scene. Really? “Knock the hell out of it, Rev!” Tim’s voice. It had to be. She turned to look just as the pitch flew past her.

  “Strike,” Jeff called. “Good thing this is just practice. That pitch was served up perfectly and you let it go. Pay attention.”

  What the hell is Tim doing here? Had he become so protective that he intended to follow her around as if she were twelve? Reva frowned and burrowed her head in concentration as the next pitch approached. She nailed it. It was a nice line drive right down the third base line and she made it to second.

  “Woo! Way to go, sis!” And that was Ben. Unbelievable. They both had showed up? Obviously, they hadn’t believed her story about Todd and intended to make their protective presence known.

  Todd had been assigned to take shortstop and he grinned her way. “Looks like you have a cheering squad.”

  “Don’t you mean bodyguards?” She snorted.

  “Basically the same thing, isn’t it?”

  Jeff was second up and hit a fly ball to the outfield, sending Reva around the remaining bases before George in the outfield made a diving catch, then rolled and sailed the ball back to the pitcher. The guy had a great arm but seriously, who names their kid George nowadays? Reva rationalized it had to be a family name. They continued until everyone had a chance to bat twice. Another team showed up to scrimmage and they took the field. The game lasted about an hour with Tim and Ben whistling and cheering like it was the minor leagues. They laughed and carried on like kids. Reva stepped closer to the fence at one point and shushed them.

  “Quit acting like idiots. It’s just a scrimmage.” She narrowed her eyes and took in the beer cans under the bleachers. “Oh. No wonder. You two are seriously buzzed. Time to go home—both of you.” She wiggled a finger from one to the other.

  “Nah. We’re just getting warmed up. Besides we said we’d stay till it was over,” Tim said.

  “Well, I don’t need you to stay. Scratch that. I don’t want you to stay.” She pointed to the parking lot. “Go.”

  “No can do, little sista,” Ben teased. “You’re stuck with us. Now get back out there. Your team needs you, slugger – ” he swooshed a dismissive hand, “and tell that coach of yours that if he pats you on the ass one more time, I might have to come out there and beat his.” They both burst out laughing.

  Reva growled. “Shut up, or at least keep your voices down.” She punched a finger at both of them to punctuate her words and returned to the team.

  In the fourth inning, Reva hit a grounder that bounced over the pitcher’s mound and landed conveniently in the shortstop’s glove. He subsequently threw her out at first and received a scolding from her brothers. The scrimmage ended after five innings with the teams tied.

  The other team’s catcher, an athletic but attractive blonde, approached as she packed her bag. “Your family’s cute,” she said. “They might need a ride home, though.”

  Wonder where she got that idea. Reva acknowledged her brothers’ lack of musical talent as they screamed “Take me out to the ball game” while swaying side to side on the aluminum bleacher. Yep, they needed a ride…and a cup of coffee—correction, a gallon of coffee—each.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Reva felt Todd standing behind her before he said a word. His scent was deliciously familiar even with a little sweat added to the mix. “Can you believe this?” she asked. “I can’t take a step without a family member under foot. I don’t know why they think I need to be followed around.”

  “They care about you. That’s not so bad, is it?”

  “No, but I’d rather they do it at home. I didn’t ask them to come up here and make a scene screaming at the top of their lungs.”

  “No, you sure didn’t.”

  “And I don’t want them sticking their noses in my business. Who invited them to butt in anyway?”

  “I did.” He moved next to her.

  “Huh?”

  “I invited them.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. They called to apologize for the other night.” He turned to Reva. “I told them if they were that concerned, they should come watch our practice and see just how things really are. Of course, I hadn’t planned on this.” He waved at the two burly guys in shorts.

  “So, I have you to blame for the two drunks in the stands?” Reva asked.

  He laughed. “No, they brought the beer. I just told them where we’d be. I didn’t know they intended to make a party of it.”

  “At least Mom and Dad aren’t with them. Dad’s the worst when it comes to obnoxious fans. Those guys don’t even come close.” She hooked a thumb toward the bleachers, noticing that her brothers had left.

  Still, she loved the lugs and had missed them when she had been too far away for their visits. Growing up, their constant ribbing and interference had been a staple in her life. In Maria’s too. She’d found it frustrating when she was younger but now, as much as she complained—she appreciated the sentiment behind their actions. She wondered if their meddling would have helped with Nick, had she stayed.

  Duh. She’d have never met the asshole if she’d stayed.

  A breeze lifted Todd’s hair from his brow and tossed it from his face. Reva peeled her eyes away and dropped her glove into the sports bag. She flipped the bag over a shoulder. Time for a subject change. “Well, our first game is tomorrow. That should be fun. We’ll see just how good we really are.”

  “Or aren’t,” Todd answered.

  She smiled. “True, but a little pessimistic. See you then.” Reva turned to leave. The few cars around the ball field had begun to depart. Ben and Tim rolled a cooler to the trashcan, tossed their empty cans, then loaded it into Ben’s truck. They sat on the bed of the vehicle, eyes on their sister’s approach.

  “You played pretty good for a girl,” Ben joked. He nodded to Todd. “He wasn’t so bad either.”

  Reva grinned. “I bet I could still whip both of you if it came to that, but I know you’re both too chicken to try to take me.” She put a hand on her hip and felt sweat trickle down the side of her face.

  Tim reached into the cooler and pulled two beer cans from it. Reva marveled that there were any left to retrieve. He popped the tab on one and passed it to her. “We’re not chicken Reva, but we’re not stupid either. You played softball from the time you were nine. When you weren’t on the ball field, you were running track or cross country. Neither Ben nor I were into baseball, so any attempt to keep up with you would have been a losing battle. Not to mention the fact that you’re a bit younger than both of us. Besides, Todd here seemed to do just fine.” Tim passed the other can to Todd as he approached.

  “I can hold my own. You guys want to walk back with us?” Todd suggested.

  Reva recognized that he’d inferred an us that made her uncomfortable. There wasn’t any us with Todd. There was him and then her. Separate. Not together. He just…just…oh, why try to explain it? “Are you inviting them to your house or mine?” She asked.

  “Doesn’t matter. It depends on how much everyone wants to walk. I’m one block farther away.”
<
br />   “Judging on the way these two were singing, I’d guess the extra exercise might do them some good. You know with the fresh air and all.”

  Tim frowned. “What are you trying to say now?” He ran a hand down his flat-as-a-pancake stomach and patted.

  “Just that you probably need to dry out a little before you think about driving that truck. Don’t worry, I wasn’t calling you fat or inferring you had a beer-gut. Yet.”

  Tim and Ben slid off the truck bed, and followed Reva and Todd. She noticed Tim’s prolonged glance at the pretty blonde from the other team.

  ***

  Two brothers would have been heaven, Todd thought as he remembered sharing a bathroom with his older sister. He wondered what it had been like for them as children. For him, it had been pure torture. Undergarments consistently hung over the towel bar, make-up and hair dryer scattered over the bathroom counter. Where he had been meticulous and organized, she had been everything but. It more than annoyed him to snag a pile of her nasties from the bathroom floor and toss them into her room. He hadn’t cared what she did in her own space, but he refused to let Terry’s laziness creep into his. Nor into the spaces they had shared through their teenage years. She had found it a game.

  He looked out over the park and reminisced that he wished for that frustration now. His sister had married and moved an ocean away to be with her husband and his new job. It worked out well for her since they were both journalists. As much as she annoyed him then, their biweekly conversations were a blessing. Reva complained but Todd sensed her appreciation for the two somewhat inebriated human guard dogs behind her. He had no doubt that even in that state, they boded trouble for any man that meant harm for the beautiful woman at his side. He shot a glance sideways. Yes, beautiful. Even with sweat trickling down her neck and dirt smattered across the pockets of those tight shorts. Reva’s brothers had their work cut out for them.

  “Did you eat before practice?” he asked.

  “I didn’t have time. I have some leftovers in the fridge, though.”

  He noticed she glanced around the street. Always kept an eye on her surroundings. She had perfected the art of being present yet separate. He purposely stepped closer just to see what happened. Nothing. Wait. Ah, she added distance, a little safety.

  “I’ll fire up the grill and feed all of you tonight. I have everything for burgers if that’s okay,” he said.

  “I…um. Sure. Just long enough for them to get some air in their lungs and food in their stomachs, though. I have some work to do. I had a personnel issue this afternoon that I need to document while it’s still fresh in my mind.”

  He didn’t respond. A personnel issue. Her work seemed plagued with those. That was something he rarely had to deal with in his own business. Since he owned the whole thing, no one gave him grief. In fact, just the opposite. His business had blossomed and the few people he’d added over the past few years were long-time acquaintances and friends. People he trusted to be as dedicated as he, himself with his dream. They came to work with energy and enthusiasm every day and knew, without a doubt, that their contributions mattered. He had no need to constantly assure them. They knew. That was the beauty of a small enterprise rather than a larger environment such as hers. Fewer personalities, therefore fewer personality differences—in his opinion, of course. It had also meant that everyone had pulled their weight and more. Just last night, he had been at the office/shop/warehouse to help package a large shipment and get the billing done.

  Should he be concerned that she had escaped an abusive relationship in her recent past, and had personnel issues that required documentation? What, exactly, did that infer? He had never documented any of the few incidents he encountered at work. He’d done so intentionally. Much of the time it was for the benefit of his staff but he also felt it best not to constantly rehash old troubles. Documenting such became a permanent smear for the person involved. As a result, he chose only to document the good—and often skipped that too. Instead he made sure he talked them up when they excelled and made them aware when they didn’t. Periodic adjustments in their pay substantiated their effort. When he could afford it, of course. It seemed appropriate to do both and it worked. So far. An attorney would likely argue his methods but he didn’t care. One can’t base decisions on the remote possibility of lawsuits.

  Burgers with Reva and her brothers was hilarious. They mercilessly teased everyone and it seemed obvious they had the wrong impression about his relationship with Reva, which wasn’t a relationship at all. He had no clue what it was, but definitely not that. Todd admitted that Tim and Ben had the type of easy confidence that was compelling. Had he known them growing up, they likely would have been friends. Had he not been completely immersed in work these past few years, these were the kind of people he would have enjoyed spending time around.

  Two hours later, the burgers had been demolished. Tim and Ben had walked back to their truck in much better condition than before. Todd appreciated that they seemed comfortable enough with him to leave Reva, although he did notice a private interchange between them as they departed. Reva grabbed tea glasses, paper plates, strewn trash, and carried them to his back door.

  Todd realized that the whole of his early years, he had been obsessed with achievement. His obsession had taken root and blossomed. The success of his business wasn’t a fluke. It had come with pain, sweat, and a lot of late night hard work. It had also come with a price and while he hated to admit it, there was a tinge of loneliness and alienation that lurked in the fringes of his life. He rarely acknowledged it as he normally just covered himself up in work when he did. Tonight, though, as he watched Reva with her brothers, it hit him hard. This was what he had missed. What Todd had hoped for in his family life since he left home to conquer college and then the world. What had never really quite happened with Annie. The only bright spot in all that had been Eric. Apparently, he’d never understood her.

  “I’ve put the dirties in the dishwasher and bagged the trash. I left the bag by the door as I wasn’t sure where to put it.” Reva smiled. “Thanks for feeding us. I’d better get back and write up that report.”

  “Need help with it? I’m great with words.”

  “You wouldn’t enjoy this. I had a staff member voice his displeasure with the way I speak with him. Since this isn’t the first time he’s had a problem, I thought I’d better write it down just in case something comes of it.”

  “What’s his problem?” He didn’t mean it to sound critical but recognized it did.

  “Apparently my tone of voice. Or at least how I say what I say, rather than the actual words. If that makes sense.” The lines between her eyebrows dented as he watched her frown.

  “He sounds hyper-sensitive.”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. Isn’t everyone hyper-sensitive about something at some point? Anyway, I need to write it down while it’s still fresh. I’ll admit I can be abrupt at times. Mainly because I believe in stating the facts, outlining what needs to be done, and then doing it. It frustrates me when people don’t do what you ask of them. It especially frustrates me when they pretend to know something they don’t and then screw things up because their ego won’t let them ask for help. But that’s only part of the issue, as far as I’m concerned. If someone asks a question, I assume they want my opinion and an answer. I give it and most times, I don’t sugar coat it. That’s where this particular person has an issue. Personally, I think he’s not comfortable with a woman expressing opinions and giving direction quite so bluntly. I can’t say that though. That would be discriminatory.”

  “Discriminatory in pointing out that he’s discriminating against you as a female in business, and let’s not forget you’re his boss? Or that it’s very likely he can take the exact same words from a man but not from you?”

  “Ah, you get it. That’s the dilemma in this. If I point out his prejudices, it sounds as if I am prejudiced against him. As a boss, that’s a huge no-no. So, even though I know much of his anger toward me
wouldn’t exist if I were a man saying the same things…in truth, as a man, I could be even stronger and he’d be fine with it. I also know it would be disastrous to my credibility and career to point out the obvious. Plus, and this is the big one, I didn’t get this far by complaining about how I’m treated in my work and I sure as hell am not going to start crying wolf now.”

  “So, in other words, you’re letting him have the upper hand?”

  “No, I’m documenting it. Word for word. Should problems continue and his projects don’t get back on track, he will be officially reprimanded and I’ll have the data to support it.”

  Todd sighed. “And if he documents it differently, then what happens? People can write whatever they want to on paper, that doesn’t necessarily make it fact—or even honest. I’m so glad I don’t work in the corporate realm anymore.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “But you do. You’re a business owner and an entrepreneur. That’s about as corporate as it gets.”

  “No, that’s small business. No fancy offices, no big staff, and only a few corporate policies, none of which take precedence over common sense. If I had an employee like that working for me, well, he wouldn’t work for me long.”

  Reva shot her head up and her eyes flashed. “Why? Because you’re a man and you can handle it better?”

  “No. Because I’m a man and he wouldn’t try that shit with me. It wouldn’t work. Don’t you see?”

  “That’s my point! That’s exactly what’s wrong. I should be able to say exactly the same things that any man in my position would and expect him to do his job. I can’t and he doesn’t.”

  “Then fire him.”

  “Without even giving him a chance to correct things? That would be cruel.”

  “That’s business. He would do the same to you if the tables were turned.”

  “But they’re not, are they? I have to believe that our legal system and our generation make it possible for both of us to be successful. Not in an I win, you lose way either. I want him to resolve the problems on his project. I want him to stop being so concerned with what I say or how I say it, but what needs to get done and how to do it. And I especially want him to stop making mistakes and overpromising to the staff. If he doesn’t, I’m prepared to make a change but I’d rather not. Any time you change personnel, there’s a huge learning curve to get past. That will delay his projects even further. So, I’m keeping my hands in it deep enough to take over if needed but still give him room to fix it.”