Bouncing (8 page)

Her first lover had been a high-school classmate who’d played the part of seductress to perfection, and their relationship was all about sex. Both knew they were heading in opposite directions after graduation, and much like her relationship with Anke, the ending of that first affair had been written at the start.

In college, where Alex was known on campus from the moment she arrived, it was much the same. Girls wanted to know her and wanted to sleep with her, and that had been fine with Alex. She wasn’t in school to find a wife; she was there to learn a thing or two and to shoot a basketball. The women who so eagerly accompanied Alex to her bed were just a bonus.

One-night stands had been the norm for her, and it wasn’t until this summer with Anke that Alex actually had more—conversation, discussions about plans and food and television and not just sex. It was new and different, and if Alex was asked under oath, she’d have to admit she’d enjoyed the summer.

That didn’t mean she was heading for the altar, though.

She tuned out her friends and allowed the beauty of the Atlantic to push all those complex thoughts from her mind.

Workin’ Weekends

Unsold pastries and bread were piled into a large cardboard box, counters and tables were wiped clean, and the dishwasher running as P.J. flipped the light switch that officially closed the bakery on this Saturday afternoon. All that was left to do was tally the money and slip it into the safe. Then he’d walk down the hill behind the bakery to the Viewmont Mall, where his dad was also working, pick up the car, and head to Lake Winola for the party. His friends were already there and had been since noon when it started.

He spilled the contents of a large bank envelope onto a table in the staff lounge. The room was vacant, just like the rest of the building that housed the actual bakery, the coffee shop, and the business office from where his boss ran his operation. Vacant was good. He couldn’t do what he needed to do with witnesses around.

All denominations of bills scattered on the laminate surface of the table, along with dozens of slips of white paper. There wasn’t much money to count. Mid-August wasn’t a busy time in the sports-betting business. The NFL pre-season wasn’t wildly popular in the area, and NCAA football was still a couple of weeks away. Baseball’s pennant races hadn’t really started yet, and most of the teams with local fan bases weren’t having banner years, so betting was down. The FedEx Cup Playoffs had started, though, and dozens of golf fans had placed bets on the tournament in New Jersey. The big event by far was the Little League World Series, held just a couple of hours away in Williamsport. All of the media coverage generated excitement, and all the gamblers with nothing else on which to wager were betting on twelve-year-old kids to make them money.

After placing all the paper slips into neat piles, P.J. counted the money he’d collected. Just under three thousand dollars. Then he counted the bakery receipts. He shook his head and frowned. He’d spent ten hours serving coffee and pastries, selling cakes and pies and fresh hard rolls, and the bakery had only brought in a thousand dollars. That was the gross profit. After expenses, including his paltry salary, the profit was probably only half that. It didn’t take a genius to realize the illegal activity was much more profitable than the legitimate business. And the illegal profits weren’t taxed, either. It made him wonder what he was doing, working and studying to get ahead in the world. Crime was the way to go.

What would he do with all that money? Buy a fucking car, for one thing. He was so sick of bumming rides and riding his bike, missing out on things like the party at the lake because he had no way to get there. Even though he lived close to most of his friends and classmates, work put him on a different schedule in a different town, and it was nearly impossible to find transportation. Thankfully, his mom had agreed to pick up his dad after work, and they allowed him to borrow the car. It would be so nice to hang out and have fun for a change. He hardly saw his friends anymore, and they’d all be at the lake. So would Justina, the smartest girl in his class. They’d been friends since kindergarten, but lately, on those rare occasions when he saw her, she seemed to be paying him more attention. And, he’d heard from a reliable source that Justina thought he was cute.

He rubbed his hands together excitedly. He couldn’t wait to get to the party!

Skimming through the slips, he searched for bets that weren’t likely to pay off. Long shots. Someone named Frank M. had bet twenty bucks that all ten of the baseball teams he’d picked would win that day. If they did, he’d win two hundred bucks. Chances were, they wouldn’t. P.J. took Frank’s twenty-dollar bill and the accompanying slip and set it aside. He found several other slips with similar wagers that were likely losers. He set those aside as well. When he was finished, he had two hundred dollars in the extra pile.

Taking a blank slip from the bank envelope, P.J. set it on the table and studied it for a moment. What team to pick? The Yankees were almost as unreliable as the Phillies. The Orioles were playing well, though. He’d bet on the Os. It was a gamble, but it wasn’t his money. It belonged to Frank, and the other losers who’d bet on long shots. If he won, he’d come away with a few hundred bucks. If he lost, no big deal. Unless, of course, one of the long shots won. Then, he’d be in trouble.

P.J. wrote his dog’s name on the slip of paper, stuffed the extra pile of slips into his pocket, and made his way to the large safe bolted to the floor in the midst of the industrial ovens. He slipped the envelope into the opening at the top of the safe, and prayed that none of the long shots would win.

Coaches’ Meeting

As directed, Alex arrived at Sal’s house an hour early. Hiding a bouquet of flowers behind her back, she waited impatiently at the door, tapping her feet to mark the time. The sun was hot, and she’d been a direct target of its rays in the topless Jeep as she battled traffic for most of the ride. The heat and the sun didn’t usually bother her, but she suspected she might have overdone it on this glorious day.

Frantic barking heralded the door’s opening, and Alex knelt to rub the Yorkie’s head before it scooted through the opening and ran into the shrubs to water them.

“Hello, gorgeous.” Alex greeted the woman who opened the door. Like her partner Sal, Sue was in her late fifties. Her red hair was now streaked with silver, but not a freckle had faded from her face. A bright smile spread across it when she saw Alex.

“Come in before you melt,” Sue said and waited until Alex had crossed the threshold before hugging her. “How are you?”

“I’m great.” Alex handed her the flowers and hugged her back, happy to see this wonderful woman who’d meant so much to her over the years. They’d met in a Pilates class when Alex was still in high school, playing basketball for Sal. Even then her back had bothered her, and they’d developed a friendship based on mutual sweat and pain and a desire to make it through the class. For Alex, a conditioned athlete, it was difficult. Sue—who was fifty pounds overweight and terribly out of shape—was incredibly limber and able to do amazing things, but only for short periods of time. They worked together, encouraging each other, and both came out feeling better and stronger both physically and spiritually. They’d been friends since.

Sue pretended to look over Alex’s shoulder. “Is it safe to accept these?” she asked with a smile. “I don’t want Miss Berlin knocking my lights out.”

Alex shook her head. Apparently, everyone knew about Anke’s jealousy. “She’s back in Germany. I think it’s safe.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll take them. They’re beautiful.”

Sue called the dog and they made their way into the house.

“Do I hear Alex?” Sal called from the other room, and Sue led her in the direction of Sal’s voice.

Sal was cleaning up the kitchen and wiped her hands before hugging Alex. “Let’s have a seat,” Sal suggested, and they moved to the living room. They caught up and shared the photo book from their cruise, and Alex chuckled as she thought of the photos from their previous trip the year before. “Not a single baby elephant this time. How disappointing.”

“I can still make you run laps,” Sal said with a menacing glare. “Or worse yet, tell Britain the truth about you.”

Unconcerned, Alex glanced at her watch. “Speaking of Brit, what time will she be here? I’m having my annual farewell drink with the girls tonight.”

“So you can’t stay?” Sue asked, disappointment written on her face.

Alex would stay for dinner, of course. How long she stayed depended on Britain. If she was totally boring, Alex would skip out. If not, she might stay a little later. But either way, she was meeting Tam and Kim at the Frogg Pond, and making that announcement now gave her the freedom to leave later.

“I’d never skip one of your dinners. I’m just saying I need to leave early.”

Sal eyed her suspiciously, and Alex worried her mentor knew her real motives. She seemed to weigh her response, then let it drop.

“So how are you feeling?” Sue seemed to inspect her from head to toe.

“I’m good. Great, really. How about you?”

Sal laughed at the way Alex had expertly redirected the conversation. “I’m great, too.”

“No chest pains or anything?”

“Not a one.”

“Excellent.”

“You must be happy to see Miss Berlin leave. You still have a week of summer to enjoy.”

Alex leaned back into the soft leather of the chair and breathed deeply, studying the ceiling. “It’s funny, about Anke. She was actually a good playmate. I kind of liked having her around.”

“But you didn’t ask her to stay?” Sal asked.

“No. I didn’t really want her to. I couldn’t have a relationship with her, you know? We’re too different, and we’d argue all the time. But it was nice to have…someone. To talk to. To hang out with.”

“Someone?”

“Yes.”

“Alex, you may be growing up right before our eyes,” Sue said.

“It’s about time,” Sal replied.

“No arguments from me,” Alex said. In fact, for the first time in her life she agreed. Maybe it was time for a real partner instead of just a sexual one.

“How about a little sun?” Sal asked. “I think it may have cooled off enough to enjoy the patio.”

Alex went to fill the ice bucket with drinks. She’d just reached the patio door when the dog began the frantic barking that heralded the appearance of a visitor. Alex looked up to see a lovely blonde approaching. Her hair was pulled back, and she waved as she made her way down the path, her hips swaying seductively with each step of her long, toned, tanned legs.

Maybe I will hang out for a while, Alex thought.

“Bogie!” Sal yelled. “Calm down!”

Brit heard a chorus of voices yelling at the little dog who so bravely came to meet her. She approached the patio slowly and pushed her sunglasses up on her forehead as she knelt to allow the wriggling pooch to sniff her hand.

“Hello, you ferocious beast. I’m sure you scare away all the bad guys with that bark,” she told him as she scratched the fur behind his neck.

“His AKC papers claim he’s a pure Yorkie, but we’re convinced he’s really part Doberman.” Brit looked up to find a woman smiling at her. Beside her, Sal watched Brit playing with her dog. As she started to rise, Brit stopped her.

“Don’t get up for me, please.”

Sal ignored her. “Britain, this is my partner, Sue,” she said, and walked across the patio to pull Brit into her second hug of the day.

Brit nodded and smiled. “Hi, Sue.”

“Welcome,” Sue replied, and she started to stand but sat back down when Brit made the suggestion.

Brit followed Sal across the patio. The house was a sprawling one-story of glass and stone, and the patio was massive, with two levels looking out at Rehoboth Bay. Brit exchanged pleasantries and was about to inquire about Bogie’s name when a sliding-glass door opened and a woman stepped through.

Bright blue eyes met hers and held for a moment before Brit forced herself to look away to study the rest of the picture. The woman’s blond hair was cut short and fell in loose waves around a perfect, oval face. High cheekbones, a chiseled nose, and full red lips completed the picture. She wore a ribbed white tank top that hugged her lean body and outlined her generous breasts, and flattered the toned arms and shoulders. Navy-blue cargo shorts hugged the long legs that drew Brit’s eyes all the way down to the tops of her running shoes. Brit was five-nine, and she guessed Alex must be at least three inches taller than her.

Over the years, Sal had mentioned Alex Dalton a number of times. And Brit had heard of Alex even before meeting Sal. They’d grown up in neighboring counties, but Alex was the star senior heading off to college when Brit was a timid high-school freshman just breaking in, and the two of them had never faced each other on the court. The local news station’s coverage included both areas though, and Brit had seen Alex on television enough times to recognize her.

If Alex noticed Brit’s appraisal, she did nothing to acknowledge it. Instead, she gracefully carried an ice bucket of beverages to the patio table. As she set it down, Sal pulled back from her and turned toward Alex. “Britain Dodge, I’d like you to meet Alex Dalton.” Spreading her arms as if conducting a symphony, Sal looked from one woman to the other, smiling.

With two easy strides, Alex stood before Brit and locked those brilliant eyes into hers as she offered her hand. Brit cleared her throat as she extended her own, surprised at the slight tremor that coursed through her entire being, lucky to find the outstretched hand while her eyes were glued to Alex’s. The firm grip with which Alex shook her hand broke the trance, and Brit turned her attention to the fingers she suspected could be broken. In spite of the pain, she managed to squeeze back.

“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Alex smiled, and if Brit was off balance from the vision of Alex, the reaction her smile caused was downright dangerous.

It took a second to find her voice in the clutter of her brain. She cleared her throat. “Yes. You, too.”

Alex found herself falling into the warm pool of Brit’s eyes. They were wide and welcoming, and she couldn’t help herself. They seemed to capture Alex and suck her in, causing vertigo that made her reach for the chair to steady herself.