“What is going on with you?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice, so near to her.
“You’re going to win,” she whispered. “I hate that.”
“Get used to it, darlin’. I rock at this.”
She gave him a glare, then said, “Cheater” semidisguised as a cough. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“Oooh, how?” He looked entirely too excited.
“I don’t know yet. It won’t be the fun kind of revenge, mark my words.”
He laughed, which got everyone looking at them. Gwen kissed him, which he really didn’t deserve. But what the hell, right? He made her laugh, and he made her happy. If anyone didn’t like it, they could just screw off.
FINALLY, PAUL WAS UP TO BAT for the first time.
Gwen stood in the bleachers right next to Holly. She wanted him to knock it out of the ballpark, but barring that, to not strike out. He’d been touted as a ringer. He certainly looked like one. Terribly buff in his T-shirt and jeans, he even managed to make the batting helmet look sexy.
“Go, Paul!” Holly was shouting so loud Gwen had to cover her ears.
“I don’t think they heard you in St. Louis.”
“I’m just being an excellent teammate,” Holly said. “You should be shouting, too.”
“I’m encouraging him in my own way.”
Holly bumped her shoulder. “He can’t see you crossing your fingers.”
The pitcher lobbed the ball and it was a swing and a miss.
“That’s okay, Paul.” Holly shouted again. “Good eye, good eye.”
Gwen saw that while his timing was off by a hair, he had real power. As soon as he did connect, the ball would fly out of the park. She crossed the fingers of her other hand.
Another strike.
The whole team was shouting now, at least those not too busy drinking beer from the conveniently located cooler. They were playing against Harland, Inc., a very reputable agency with very nice people whom her crew liked a great deal off the field. The loser had to spring for beer and pizzas after.
At the third pitch she held her breath. A ball. That was okay, but her heart couldn’t take this. She wanted to sit down, shut her eyes until it was over, but couldn’t. Another pitch and damn! The crack of the bat filled the air and that ball was so far out of there it almost hit a car across the street. A home run!
Gwen shouted like a lunatic. She was so proud of him, it set off every girl hormone in her body.
Then when he came back to the bleachers, panting after running the bases, and swept her into his arms for a kiss, she positively swooned with such happiness that she had no words. Only feelings. Lots of them.
“WHAT’S THIS?”
Paul’s secretary placed the brightly wrapped package on his desk. “It just arrived.”
“What is it?”
“I believe you’re going to have to open the package to find out.” Tina grinned at him, then returned to her office.
He had a million things to do today, but he could take a few minutes to open it, right? He tore into the paper and there was his first hint, a rather big one. The name Christopher on a shipping label on the box. What was Gwen up to?
He wrestled with the tape and finally got the box open to find a very well protected, very small reproduction of Venus de Milo.
He knew instantly that he’d assumed the wrong Christopher yet again.
A card was inside the box.
Sweet, Wonderful Paul,
Here I am in Rome with all its great restaurants and fabulous bars, but all I can think of is you. I hate that you haven’t called me. I know I’ve been out of town, but I’m coming home on Thursday. Please, please let’s do something wicked. I won’t be able to have a good time until I’m with you. I hope you like the Venus.
Love, Autumn
Damn. He’d been putting it off, but that had to end. He’d make lunch plans with her. That couldn’t end up too badly, right? Besides, he didn’t think it would break her heart not to have him chasing after her. Her ego, maybe, but nothing more.
He needed to tell her what was going on with him and Gwen. Or maybe he should break it off with her first, then tell her about Gwen another time. Knowing Autumn, that seemed the best route.
He placed the Venus, which didn’t match the decor in his office or his house, and was pretty shabby in fact, back into the box. Then he hit Gwen’s speed-dial number on his phone.
“Gwen Christopher.”
“It’s me.”
“Hey,” she said, and he could hear her smile.
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Book club,” she said, her voice low and intimate.
They hadn’t done more than kiss since that night. He hadn’t pressed, she hadn’t brought it up. All the same there was a whole lot of simmering going on. “Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight.”
“Oh.”
She laughed. “I completely understand why you haven’t finished the book. It’s okay. You’ve been incredibly busy.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts. Besides, I don’t think you’d love book club. Especially my book club. We tend to go off on tangents. Long ones. Many involve cooking.”
“Cooking?”
“Seriously, Paul. Finish the book if you like, but don’t think twice about these little meetings. Use tonight to catch up on some sleep. You need it.”
“I know what would make me sleep better.”
She snorted. “That’s such a lie I can’t even stand it. Drink some warm milk. Read. Sleep.”
He sighed. “I’ll try, but I’ve been putting off a couple things I need to handle. Save tomorrow night for me. I’ve got a dinner to go to at The Ivy. No big deal…it would be nicer if you were there.”
There was a pause, which he figured was work related. Finally, she came back to him. “I wish I could. I don’t think that’s gonna work for me, though. Anyway, my three o’clock is here. Talk to you later.”
With that, she was gone. What had happened? How had a woman he shouldn’t even know become so important to him?
Chapter 12
CHILI’S WAS BUSY, as usual, and the dinner crowd was noisy, still Gwen and Holly had scored a relatively quiet corner booth. It had been too long since the two of them had spent any quality time together. No games, no movies, no work to discuss. Just Gwen’s best friend and some good chow.
“I’m having the ribs.” Holly put down her menu and shoved it to the middle of the table. “I shouldn’t have ribs, but I am. With fries. And a beer.”
“I understand completely.” Gwen looked for their waitress, who was nowhere to be seen. “I’ve had too much popcorn and beer lately. So it’s a salad and water for me.”
“Well, I don’t have a man to get naked for.” Holly sighed. “I’d totally have salad if it would mean I could order someone like Paul off the menu.”
“I’m not getting naked.”
Holly’s look of shock