Chapter 22
1717words
He looked out the windshield at the proximity of their space and the stadium entrance and whistled in appreciation.
'These must be some tickets you have."
She smiled. 'I told you they're good."
They got out and Celia led the way. Normally she would have gone in through the players' entrance, but she didn't want to tip her hand just yet, so they headed through the main gate just as everyone else did.
Evan waited for her while she went through security and had her bag screened and then they had their tickets scanned and walked in the direction of the field.
Since she'd handled the tickets, she knew he hadn't seen them and she couldn't wait to get his reaction to the behind the home plate VIP tickets she'd scored from Noah.
Several minutes later, and after navigating two entrances, they entered the field above the home plate. She flashed her tickets and an usher led them down the steps to a box of seats directly behind the batter's box.
He motioned them into the row and Celia settled in the seat four rows up from the bottom.
'Wow," Ethan said as he took his seat beside her. 'I mean, wow. How the hell did you get these tickets? They must have cost a fortune. Not to mention they've been sold out. I know because I've tried to get them." 'I know people," she said smugly.
He eyed her curiously. 'I'm beginning to get the impression you do."
They caught the tail end of batting practice and then settled back as the field was watered and prepared for the start of the game.
Evan relaxed in his seat and knocked his shades down over his eyes. It was exceptionally sunny today and there was absolutely no cloud or fog cover. It was a perfect day for baseball.
In typical business-geek style, his gaze roved over the fans, looking for those who wore Reese designs. If Celia had her way, a lot more normal, everyday people would want to wear his line of sportswear.
He turned when he heard Celia talking to a hot dog vendor. She twisted to look at
Evan. 'You want something?"
'Whatever you're having," he replied.
He dug into his wallet to pay the vendor, but the older man smiled and waved him off.
'Our Cece is taken care of. No charge for her."
Evan watched the banter between Celia and the vendor in utter bemusement. They chattered about batting averages, who to watch in the coming season and the travesty that had occurred the previous season when the Tide had finished one game back from the division leader.
'They'll win the pennant this year," Celia consoled. 'Noah is in top form. He was only warming up his bat last year."
The vendor nodded enthusiastically. 'I believe you're right, Miss Cece. He got hot and the season ended."
Celia turned and made an expression like she'd forgotten something.
'Oh, my manners are horrible. Please forgive me. Evan, this is Henry Dockett. He's worked here since the stadium was built thirty years ago. He knows everything there is to know about everything around here. Henry, this is Evan Reese."
Evan extended his hand to shake the older man's and Henry's face lit up.
'You're the Evan Reese from Reese Enterprises?"
Evan smiled. 'One and the same."
Henry nodded approvingly. 'Good place for you to be then. Miss Cece will show you a good time."
Someone else signaled for Henry and he nodded at Evan and Celia. 'I'll be back later on to check on you, Miss Cece."
She smiled and patted Henry on the arm and thanked him for the hot dogs.
When she turned back in her seat, Evan leaned over to take his hot dog from her lap.
'Do you have everyone eating out of your hand, Miss Cece?" She actually blushed and ducked her head.
'Henry is an old friend."
Evan chuckled, delighted at the rosy bloom of her cheeks. 'Do you have any other surprises in store for me today?" 'Maybe," she mumbled around a bite of hot dog.
The Tide took the field, and the very first batter walked. Celia groaned her dismay along with the rest of the crowd.
'Our pitching has been what's let us down in the past," she whispered to Evan.
He didn't have the heart to tell her that not only did he know, but he could quote the stats for every one of the Tide's pitching roster.
'This year should be better," Evan consoled.
She nodded. 'Soren is our best. He usually starts cold, though. If we can get out of the first inning, he's awesome."
Again Evan grinned and sat back to watch. Celia bolted from her seat when the second batter grounded to second and Noah scooped, tossed to the shortstop who turned the double play to first.
Evan could swear that Noah looked straight at Celia and winked. He looked
between the two and finally shook off the absurd notion.
Soren struck out the next batter and the Tide was up to bat. Celia clutched her hands like an anxious mother. Todd Cameron, the lead off, looked up at Celia as he headed to the plate, grinned and waved. Celia waved and blew him a kiss.
Evan stared but didn't say anything. Things just got stranger and stranger. He was willing to put the first off as a fluke, but when the third batter came up and gave Celia a thumbs-up, he wondered what the hell he was missing.
After the batter flied out to center field, advancing the two runners on a sacrifice, Evan leaned over, intending to ask Celia exactly what he was missing out on, but she put her hand on his arm and squeezed hard.
'Just a minute. Noah's up!"
Her fingers dug into his arm like little daggers, but he didn't pry her away. He was too interested to see what would happen when Hart came up. And, too, he was interested to get a close up glimpse of what he hoped would be his company's golden PR boy.
Noah's face was drawn in concentration as he began the walk to the plate. He swung the bat a few times then stopped, two inches out of the box. He turned and glanced first to the right of Evan and Celia and dipped his head in acknowledgment. Then he turned and scanned behind home plate until his gaze lighted on Celia.
He lost the look of intense concentration, and his face relaxed into a smile. He gave her an exaggerated wink and then held up his fist.
Evan's mouth fell open as he glanced between the two. Celia's hand tightened further on his arm when Noah took the first strike.
'Come on, come on," she whispered.
The next two were balls. Then he swung at the second strike. If he didn't hit soon, Evan was going to lose the feeling in his arm.
The next pitch, Noah fouled back. The next was a ball, making it a full count.
'I can't watch," Celia whispered.
The pitcher wound up, threw a fastball and Noah swung. The bat connected with a sweet crack that to anyone listening signaled a smash hit. The ball sailed over the center-field wall into the upper deck. Three-run homer to start the game.
Celia lunged to her feet and screamed at the top of her lungs. 'Did you see?" she yelled at Evan. 'Did you see?"
'I saw, I saw!"
He laughed as she continued to bounce up and down. Noah rounded the bases, taking high fives from the first- and third-base coaches. He met his teammates at the plate, where the group jumped up and down and pounded on Noah.
Noah looked up at Celia and pointed. She leaped to her feet again and pointed back, her smile so wide Evan was sure she'd hurt something.
Then she glanced over in the direction that Noah had first looked when he'd come
up to the plate and then back down at Evan.
'I'll be right back, okay? I'll just be a second."
She hurried up the row of seats and then cut over to the section that adjoined the home-plate area. Evan watched as she hugged two younger looking men and an older guy. They glanced over in Evan's direction once but then didn't look back as they chatted with Celia.
A few minutes later, she returned and took her seat beside Evan again. He was beginning to think he'd been dropped in an alternate reality. Was there anyone here she didn't know?
When she'd offered Noah to him on a virtual silver platter, he'd only assumed that she'd contacted him through his agent and offered him a deal he couldn't refuse. He hadn't considered that she had such a connection to his team. And what connection that was had Evan insanely curious.
He leaned over so she'd hear over the still insanely celebrating crowd. 'What am
I missing here?"
She smiled. 'I'll explain later. Just enjoy the game."
Mysterious little wench. He'd make her pay later when he had her alone.
The rest of the game followed a similar pattern. Celia seemed to know every damn person on the team. He began to have uncomfortable thoughts, like whether or not Celia was involved with Noah Hart. It would certainly explain how she'd been able to get him to agree to the endorsement deal.
But it also brought up a lot of questions. Like whether she was using Evan to further her career. He glanced sideways at her. No way. It would take someone pretty diabolical to have a man like Noah Hart on the line and then sleep with Evan to secure his business. Why would she even need it if she was involved with Hart? The man made a lot of money, even without the million-dollar endorsement deals. He was one of the highest-paid baseball players in the league.
Before he could get carried away with thoughts that would only enrage him, he made himself back down and quit speculating. He'd find out before the end of the day.
