Champagne Brunch: The Stiletto Sisters Series

by Ainsley St Claire

  “Have you met his parents?” Nate asks.

  I shake my head, and he leads me to an older couple sitting in corner seats in the box’s front row.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton, I’d like to introduce you to Mia Couture. She’s friends with Axel and was just down on the field talking to Jeremy. Mia, this is James and Mary Hamilton.”

  They both stand and shake my hand. “Nice to meet you,” Mr. Hamilton says.

  “I saw my boy gave you a hug. Are you his girlfriend?” Mrs. Hamilton eyes me carefully.

  I bite back a grin as I shake my head. “Oh no. I’m friends with Axel and have had the chance to get to know Jeremy. He’s a great kid. When I talked to him on the field, he seemed very calm. He’s ready for the game. He’s going to be so excited when he finds out you’ve flown in for this.”

  “We were fortunate that the town pitched in to buy us the tickets, and they’re taking care of our other kids and the farm,” Mr. Hamilton explains.

  “They surprised you and now you’re surprising Jeremy? That’s fantastic. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Well, we didn’t get to see him break the record in San Diego…” Mrs. Hamilton sighs.

  “True, but he may break it again today.” I lean in close. “Prophecy Park is a pitcher’s dream. Jeremy has his best stuff ready for today.” I give them a wink.

  Mrs. Hamilton’s shoulders relax and Mr. Hamilton nods.

  “Have you gotten anything to eat or drink?”

  “We had breakfast on the plane,” Mr. Hamilton says.

  I realize they don’t want to spend money they probably don’t have.

  “Well, if you get hungry, help yourself. All of the food in here is free, and what’s not eaten is thrown away, so don’t hold back. Mr. Lancaster takes care of everyone in here, including the tips.”

  Mr. Hamilton turns to look over at the food. “Well, those hot dogs do look pretty good.”

  “My friend Peter here will watch our seats. Do you mind if I sit with you?”

  “We can’t stop you,” Mr. Hamilton says.

  Mrs. Hamilton rolls her eyes. “We’d love to have you sit with us. This is very exciting.”

  We fill plates of food, and they’re amazed at all the choices.

  “Mr. Hamilton, would you like a beer? Or maybe a Coke?” I ask.

  He looks at Mrs. Hamilton. “I might enjoy a beer. What kinds do they have?”

  I look at the bartender, who rattles off about six kinds of beers, pointing out the local and national brands.

  “I’ll go with the Anchor Steam, since it’s local,” he says.

  “Just water for me,” Mrs. Hamilton says.

  The bartender shows her the alcohol and points out the wines to tempt her.

  “Well… maybe just one glass of white wine,” Mrs. Hamilton acquiesces.

  “Can you make that two please?” I say.

  We collect our drinks and return to our seats, setting our plates and drinks on the small ledge in front of us.

  It isn’t long before Axel arrives. He kisses my cheek and greets the Hamiltons. “I can’t wait for Jeremy to see you. He’s going to be thrilled.”

  After the national anthem, the Prospectors take the field, and Jeremy does some warm-up throws. The box is loud as is the stadium, and I notice Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton holding hands and sitting forward in their seats. I figure Jeremy will slow-play his fastball the way he did at the Tarantulas game.

  Like the last time Jeremy pitched, there’s a camera focused on the radar gun behind the plate, and the numbers are visible on the jumbotron.

  Jeremy’s first pitch is his fastball, and it takes everyone—including the batter—by surprise. The umpire yells, “Strike.”

  The pitch doesn’t break Jeremy’s current record, but at one hundred and ten miles an hour, it does break Nolan Ryan’s record here at home. The stadium erupts, and suddenly everyone in the box is watching the game.

  Jeremy throws two more fastballs and though they’re straight down the middle, the batter doesn’t even come close to touching them. They’re just too fast.

  And that sets the tone for the day. Jeremy does mix up his pitches as the game progresses, but through the first four innings, he allows no walks or hits, so no runners on base.

  Turning to us, Mr. Hamilton looks like he has tears in his eyes. “This is so much better than watching it on TV.”

  I nod enthusiastically, and Axel reaches around me to grasp his shoulder. “I agree.”

  The game progresses quickly. The Prospectors finally are on the scoreboard by the end of the fifth inning.

  When we reach the seventh-inning stretch, Jeremy still hasn’t allowed any hits. People around us are whispering about a no-hitter—or even a perfect game.

  “It ain’t over ’till it’s over,” Nate reminds everyone. “It’s bad luck to speculate before the last pitch is pitched.”

  The whispers stop.

  At the top of the ninth, the Rockies still have no runners on base, and true to his usual form, Jeremy remains on the mound. There are two outs, and everyone is quiet. Jeremy has been throwing consistently in the one-hundred-and-ten range. And now he’s aiming to join the elite group of twenty-three pitchers who have thrown a perfect game—no hits and no one on base in all nine innings, forcing a shut-out.

  I’m holding Mrs. Hamilton and Axel’s hands, so anxious for Jeremy. He’s one strike away. My stomach is tight. Jeremy winds up and throws a fastball, and the stadium explodes before I can even see clearly what has happened. Everyone leaps to their feet, and I find the jumbotron with his pitch speed. Not only has he broken his own record at 112.8 miles an hour, but the batter swings and misses. Jeremy has broken the fastball record again while also pitching a perfect game.

  San Francisco police officers immediately take the field and line up around the perimeter to keep the spectators in the stands. Both teams’ dugouts empty and everyone meets Jeremy on the mound to celebrate, lifting him into the air.

  The box is in chaos, and Jeremy’s parents are hugging everyone in sight. The next thing I know, I see Nolan Ryan’s head. He’s here? Or am I seeing things? I look over at Axel, my eyes wide.

  He grins and shrugs. “He came in with me.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You’ll get the chance to meet him. He’ll be at Nate’s this evening with his wife.”

  I clap my hands like a child. I can’t even believe it!

  Axel stands. “James and Mary, are you ready to go surprise your son?”

  “Yes!” Mrs. Hamilton exclaims.

  “Can you come, too?” Axel asks me.

  I look at Peter, and he shakes his head.

  “I’d better not. I’ll watch from here. What time is everyone going over to Nate’s?”

  “It will probably be a while. The press is going to be incredible today, but Nate was clear that we were going to celebrate at his place.”

  “Okay, I’ll meet you there,” I promise.

  Peter and I sit back down and watch the pandemonium on the field gradually subside as the owners’ box empties out.

  When Nate and Nolan Ryan walk out on the field, the crowd goes crazy. Jeremy sees his parents and runs over to them to be covered in hugs. I can see on the television screen that Bryan is right there with him. Their faces are pure jubilation. Jeremy’s smile has taken over his entire being. I couldn’t be more excited for him.

  Nolan Ryan walks over to shake his hand, and they exchange a few words, all captured on the jumbotron. I wipe a tear as it falls. I’m so grateful to be here today.

  I look around the remaining people in the box, but don’t see Lilly, so I text her.

  Me: Did you know Nate invited everyone over this evening to celebrate?

  Lilly: Yes. He just told me. Ha! Thankfully his assistant took care of catering or I’d string him up and I don’t care that he’s the CEO of my company and my fiancé.

  Me: Thanks to Viv, I can’t go on the field. Are you okay if I come over now
, or would you prefer I show up later? Be honest.

  Lilly: Come now so we can visit before the crowds arrive.

  Me: Awesome. Thank you. Peter and I are on the way.

  It’s relatively easy to navigate the streets since Peter and I leave before most of the other forty-six thousand attendees exit the stadium.

  As we make the drive across the Golden Gate into Sausalito and Nate’s home, I decide to call my sister.

  “Hey,” she says, her voice sounding muffled into the phone.

  “Did I wake you?”

  “Yes.” She yawns. “But don’t worry about it. I’ve been working on a new album, and we were in the studio until after four.”

  With the sixteen-hour time difference and her crazy hours, I always seem to disturb her sleep. “I’m sorry. Do you want to catch up later?”

  “No.” Ava yawns again. “I’ve been meaning to call. I’ve been watching the US news and see Viv has you plastered all over. You look too skinny.”

  “Mom hasn’t called to tell me that,” I snark. My mother is always obsessed with our weight. We can never be skinny enough.

  “Yeah, Mom will never call with that, but I do think you need to eat more.”

  “Well, today I ate a ton of junk food at the baseball game, so I’ll probably gain back anything I lost.”

  She sighs. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m good. My dating app is doing well.”

  “I know. The rollout here is going strong. I’m surprised you didn’t come out for that.”

  My breathing stops, and my stomach turns inside out. “What? We haven’t rolled out in China. We’ve not rolled out beyond San Francisco. It’s not even officially live in the US yet.”

  “Isn’t it called Flirt?”

  My stomach drops. “Yes.”

  “I’ll go to the website and send it to you. It may be different, but it sounded just like everything you described.”

  I rub my hand over my forehead, feeling hot all over. “I’ve heard of technology being pirated, but this is so early. It’s not even fully tested and the kinks fixed.”

  “If it has been pirated, Marvin and I will help you with a piracy lawyer. You know we had a good one with my recent hit.”

  “Thanks. Ugh… Not to change the subject, but send good vibes my way. Axel wants to have a conversation tonight about us.”

  “Oh shit.”

  “My sentiments exactly. It was fun while it lasted. But he did call me his girlfriend in front of one of his clients today.”

  “That’s positive. Viv fucked this up for you if things go south. Damn that woman!”

  “Ryder told us the other night that she used a gigolo for a wedding one time. Maybe that’s what I need for events. A good-looking piece of arm candy who shows up with me and then goes home afterward. No entanglements, no worries.”

  “What has Axel said?”

  “Nothing much. He’s just been piecing things together on his own. He knew I couldn’t sit in the stands during the game, and he said he wants to talk about what’s going on with me.”

  “He’s upset you can’t sit with him?”

  “No, I don’t think it’s that. He seems like a great guy. I hope he can handle all this, but I guess I’ll find out.”

  “Don’t go hiring any gigolos until you know what he’s thinking.”

  I chuckle. “Okay.” I look out the window and notice we’re over the Golden Gate and not too far from the Lancaster home. “I’ll let you know,” I promise. “Send me your new music when it’s ready to be heard.”

  “This has four tracks in English, and we’re hoping they’ll translate out to the rest of the world.”

  I shake my head. “My sister the megastar. I promise not to sell the tabloids the story of you skipping school to go see what you thought was Mariah Carey, and it was a drag queen doing covers.”

  “Please. That would probably ruin me.”

  “I miss you,” I tell her.

  “Miss you, too. Come visit me soon.”

  I say goodbye as we pull into the Lancasters’ estate, and I leave Peter behind and walk into the house.

  “Hello?” I call.

  “I’m in here.” Lilly stands as I enter the living room, and she pours a pink drink into a martini glass.

  “What’s this?” I ask as she hands it to me.

  “Pomegranate martini.”

  “Oh.” I take a sip, and it’s perfect. “This is fantastic.”

  “It’s one of Emerson’s drink creations.”

  I see Nate’s older daughter, Katrina. “Hey, why didn’t you go to the game today?”

  She gives me a hug and turns her nose up. “It’s baseball.”

  “I know. It’s cool math and statistics.”

  “It’s sloooooow.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “Katrina, I thought you were my math buddy.”

  “I love math, but baseball isn’t interesting at all.” She wanders away with her cell phone in hand.

  I sit with Lilly and talk for a while about the house they’re renovating in the City and what’s going on with Viviana’s trial.

  “The FBI and US Attorney interviewed Nate yesterday,” she says. “What a pain in the ass. They wanted him to come back again today, but he’ll go again tomorrow.”

  “I’m being deposed by Viv’s counsel tomorrow with Raven, Marci’s second chair. That’s going to be rough.”

  “We saw that your testimony with the US Attorney’s office was leaked. Do you know who did it?”

  “I have no idea. I know the US Attorney from Oregon was irate, but it wasn’t Marci or anyone from her office. Walker was with us over lunch, so it was likely someone from the FBI or his staff.”

  “At least it makes clear that you were targeted and she didn’t get much information.”

  “Wait until they interview Gage Easton from Clear Security,” I tell her. “He found a few things in the system at Diamond Analytics, and he’s nervous about the access Viv may have gotten.” My cell phone pings. “I’m sorry. I need to check this. My sister said Flirt was being rolled out across China.”

  Lilly frowns. “That’s great, isn’t it?”

  I shake my head. “Wasn’t supposed to have happened yet.” I click the link my sister sent and find myself looking at my exact website, translated into Chinese with a .cn ending. I shut my eyes. “This is just another thing to screw with me.” I turn my phone toward Lilly.

  “Oh crap,” she says.

  I forward my sister’s email to Mason and Sara over at SHN with a quick explanation.

  Almost immediately, my cell phone pings again.

  Mason: I’m on my way to Nate’s. Will you be there?

  Me: I’m already here.

  A little while later, Mason and Caroline arrive. We make polite conversation for a few minutes until Jim enters and Mason asks me to join him in Nate’s home office.

  They close the glass doors behind us.

  “How did this happen?” Mason asks.

  “I have no clue. My sister is living in Shanghai, and she chastised me for launching Flirt there without coming over. When I asked questions, this is what she sent me.”

  Jim steps over to the massive screens on Nate’s desk and bypasses the password. I’m a bit shocked.

  “I set the password, and he’s too lazy to change it.” Jim shrugs.

  “Why should I?” Nate asks as he joins us. “It’s encrypted with security protocols, and you’re the only one who knows.”

  Jim pushes a few buttons and brings up the website.

  “Is this a sample website?” Nate’s brow is furrowed.

  “No. It looks like Mia’s new software has been pirated,” Mason explains.

  I sit down hard. “It’s not like I needed to get rich, but that does have my algorithm, which we use as the basis for Diamond Analytics.”

  I see Axel outside the glass doors of the office. We make eye contact, and he waves and walks away.

  Jim clicks a few buttons and picks up
his phone, making a call on speaker.

  “Gage,” he answers after a moment.

  That’s pretty succinct, and it makes me smile despite everything.

  “I just sent you a website,” Jim says. “Can you go through the backend and see if the technology is the same as Flirt’s?”

  There’s a little rustling in the background. “Oh shit,” Gage says. “Those fuckers got ahold of the app. How is that possible?”

  “We have about fourteen hundred suspects,” Mason says.

  “It’s changed since the rollout, so that will tell us something,” I offer.

  “This is going to take some time,” Gage says. “I need to bring in Thomas Turner, but he was at the baseball game today, so even if I can find him, he may not be sober.”

  “Just let us know what you can in an hour, and then we can wait for the full rundown,” Jim demands.

  “No problem,” Gage says and disconnects the call.

  “How much of your algorithm is out there with the sample version?” Mason asks.

  “We may be okay if it came from there, because I knew it could be cloned,” I tell him. “We gave it an abridged version until we could lock it down.” I think for a minute. “But if they pulled the code for their app off our servers, then I’m screwed.” I look out the glass doors and watch all the people arriving. I roll my neck, trying to get the tension to leave. I think I need about six more of those pomegranate martinis.

  Mason reaches for my arm. “How are you doing with all the Viviana shit?”

  I shrug. “It’s a slog. Diamond still isn’t telling me much. Are they talking to you as a board member?”

  Mason shakes his head. “I was deposed last week, and it was nothing. They interviewed Christopher Reinhardt last week too.”

  “I get why they interviewed you, but why did Christopher?”

  “Viviana’s company had been in his portfolio at SHN. Fractional Technology came in through our usual channels. We moved it over to Christopher to guide them through the process of going public. It was a big win for us. The feds went through our books on Fractional Technology. Walker probably shouldn’t have told me, but he said Viviana has almost none of the money left from the public offering, but they can’t figure out how she spent it.”