Sudden Death (17 page)

Monday morning arrived. After breakfast, Reid and Shane went outside to say goodbye. “I’ll call you tonight,” he said after a tight embrace. “Please be careful. Now that I’ve found you, I don’t want to lose you.” “I’m going to miss you. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I think I’m falling in love with you.” It was out before he realized what he was saying. It was a first for Reid; he had never said that to any other girl.

“Me too.” She smiled and kissed him again, more passionately this time. “I’ll see you Thursday.” The others came out, said their goodbyes to Joan and Hunter, and left. Buddy had been waiting in the lobby when Reid, Joel and Stu arrived at the hotel. Reid said, “Let’s check in and put the stuff in the rooms; then I want to get a massage. If any of you want one, just put it or anything else you want on my room tab. After that, I want to head to the course to practice.”

They all went for massages, then headed to the club. The driving range was empty, so Reid suggested that Stu and Joel hit some balls while he worked with Buddy. Joel was pretty good. Stu would have been better off going for a bike ride. They followed Reid from the range to the chipping area to the practice green, then took a lunch break.

The clubhouse was starting to buzz with tournament activity. Some of the members’ kids were waiting in the lobby to get autographs. They attacked Reid as he walked in. In spite of his better judgment, he signed away.
What’s with me?
he thought. A month ago I would have walked right past these kids. The truth was he was having fun, more so than he’d had in a long time.

Howard Brock walked into the lobby and a bunch of the kids ran over to him. Reid took advantage of the moment and exited after a quick nod to Howard. He headed for the dining room with Stu, Joel and Buddy. They sat at a table, reserving a seat for Howard.

After lunch, Reid and Howard talked about the course and its areas of difficulty. There was a brief discussion of security, at which point Howard asked Stu and Joel, “If you don’t mind me asking, have you guys made any headway?”

“We’ve narrowed the possibilities down, but the guy is still playing with us,” Stu said. “We’ll get him,” he added with absolute confidence. “I just hope he doesn’t get me first,” Reid said. “Why don’t you just do as he asks, Reid?” Howard joked. “You mean I shouldn’t win? Ha, very funny, Howard. You got as close to beating me as you’re going to get.” “Can’t blame me for trying, can you?” They all chuckled. “Do you want to join me on the range?” Reid asked. “I’ll meet you there in a little while.” They left the dining room and fortunately for Reid, the kids were gathered around another golfer in the lobby. Reid was able to get by without the kids noticing. The other guy mouthed, “Help!” but Reid was no fool; any more autographs and he’d get writer’s cramp. With a quick wave, Reid mouthed back, “Sorry,” then walked out. At the range, Reid noticed the sportscaster, Bobby Lee, interviewing a golfer at the far end. Not in the mood for an interview, Reid stepped up to a practice tee with his back toward Bobby. He started swinging a club to loosen up. As he turned to get his driver, he heard Bobby yell, “Reid, there you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Damn,” Reid said under his breath. He then he noticed that Bobby had been interviewing Jim Turner. Bobby and his cameraman walked over. “Reid, how about a quick interview?” Reid didn’t see that he had much choice. Turning him down would only provoke Bobby to retaliate on national TV. “Great, Bobby, I hoped you were coming over.” “Oh, such lies,” Bobby said. “No, really, I’m sure after your interview with Turner I need to defend myself.” “Good point, you’re right. Jim is not very happy with you or your investigators at the moment. So are you ready? Can we shoot?” “Yeah, but only if you use a different word.” “Oh. Sorry, I really didn’t mean to say that.” “I know. Go ahead and start, but please keep your questions related to the tournament.” The camera’s light turned red. “I’m here with Reid Clark. As you know, Reid recently won the Master’s after receiving a death threat. You just heard me speaking with Jim Turner, who complained about how Reid’s investigation team questioned him as to his whereabouts during the death threat. Reid, is Jim a suspect?”

“Bobby, you know I can’t talk about the investigation. Talk to me about my strategy or how I’m going to win the Classic. Talk to me about my arrogance and cockiness. That stuff I can talk about. But please don’t ask me about the investigation.”

“Okay, if you won’t talk about the investigation, how about your new girlfriend? I hear you met her at Ross Misrok’s party and practically stole her away from Jamie Freed, the Wall Street mogul.”

Reid’s irritation showed in his reddening face. “You son of a bitch, you’re totally out of line. I thought you were a sportscaster, not a gossip reporter. Consider this interview over.” Reid turned his back to the camera, picked up his club and started taking practice swings again, almost hitting Bobby with his back swing.

“Hey,
easy
,” Bobby said. “Look, I’m sorry. You’re right, I
was
out of line. Come on, let’s start over again. Only golf, I swear.”

Reid looked at Bobby and growled, “Don’t ever come near me with a microphone or camera again, Bobby. Now leave me alone. I need to practice.” Bobby did the smart thing and backed off. Reid turned to his ball, muttering obscenities. He raised his club and hacked at the ball. A wad of turf flew into the air but no ball. He outright missed. Reid cursed again, louder this time. He took another swing, hitting the ball with the heel of the club. It flew left into the trees. Reid tensed and stamped his foot. He teed up another ball and swung again. The ball took off sharply to the right, into the short divider between the practice tees. It hit with a loud bang and bounced back at Reid. Jumping out of the way, he cursed and slammed his club into the ground. His face turned crimson with the heat of aggravation.

He paused, leaned on his club and hung his head.
I better get myself together,
he thought. Or I’m going to have a heart attack. Or worse, lose this tournament. Taking a few deep breaths and closing his eyes, he began to simmer down. He felt the gentle breeze wash over his face. Just as the heat in his face subsided and his heart rate slowed, Jim Turner approached, fuming.

“Hey, asshole, you think I’m dumb enough to send you death threats?” Turner seethed. “If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t bother with the fucking threats, I’d just do it. Right now, just looking at you makes me sick.”

It took Joel, Stu and Buddy all together to hold Reid back. He was enraged. Joel said calmly, “Turner, I have some advice. I think you should get the fuck out of here before we let him go, because if we do, he’s going to rip you apart. Both you and Bobby Lee make a fine pair, one dumber than the other. Now get the hell out of here.” “Fuck you all,” Turner said before he turned and stormed off. When they let him go, Reid turned toward Turner to tell him off. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. There, not 20 yards from him, Bobby and his cameraman stood in full glory with the camera running.

“Shit!” Reid screamed, picking up a golf ball and throwing it as hard as he could at the cameraman.

The man easily dodged the ball and, with an evil smirk, he flipped Reid the bird.

Reid watched both men hurry to their van and drive away. He turned and kicked a pyramid-shaped pile of balls that flew in all directions. Bobby was going to have his day.

It’s never smart to alienate a news reporter, he thought. So why do I keep doing it? It took Reid a long time, but he finally settled down. He wasn’t leaving the range until he was hitting balls consistently long and straight again. He knew if he left now, it would not bode well for him mentally. After regaining his composure, he started to laugh at the whole episode. “What a mess
that
was. Buck is gonna to go crazy when he sees it on TV. Guys, please tell me that wasn’t my fault. Was it?”

“No, Reid, they were both way out of line, but you can’t react like that any more,” Joel said. “I know I overreacted. I just can’t stay calm in situations like that.” “I don’t think I could have either, if it makes you feel any better,” Stu said. Buddy laughed. “What’s so funny?” Reid asked. “I was just imagining the headlines,” Buddy said. “The Bad Boy of Golf takes a few days off to be nice to his fans, but never fear, he’s back with a vengeance,” he said, drawing an imaginary line in the air as if pointing to a headline. “I actually think your fans will love it.”

Back at the hotel, the men went for their second massages. Afterward, they relaxed by the pool. Everyone except Reid, that is. Incessant fear was eating him up. He tried unsuccessfully to meditate. He thought it ludicrous that at a time he needed relaxation the most, his stress and fear prevented him from getting anywhere close to nirvana. He finally deemed it fruitless and gave up.

After a light dinner in the garden café, Reid, Buddy, Joel and Stu went to the bar to relax. A celebrity gossip show was on TV. Reid looked around to see if anyone else was watching. Seeing no one, he said, “Hey, Buddy, why don’t you go ask the bartender to change the channel?”

Buddy stood up and turned to walk to the bar when Reid snapped, “Wait. Hold on. Oh no!”

They all watched as the reporter said, “And during practice at the Classic today in Westchester, The Bad Boy of Golf proved once again how he got that label.” The next image was the scene from the driving range. “Reid Clark and Jim Turner, who by the way had his Porsche stolen earlier, were at each other’s throats on the practice range. The two, known to dislike each other, had to be held off one another by Reid’s caddie and bodyguards. Turner told us that earlier this week, Jay Scott, the PI handling Reid’s death threat investigation, had actually questioned him on his whereabouts during the incidents. Reid Clark could not be reached for comments.”

Reid was cursing as his cell phone rang. He flipped it open and brash ly said, “Hello.”

“What the fuck was that all about? Keep it up, pal, and your endorse ment contract is going to go right down the toilet,” Buck yelled. “I can do damage control, but I’m not a fucking magician. Stop the bullshit now, kid. I mean it.” “B…Buck, listen, he…,” Reid stammered. “Save it, I don’t have the time. I’ll be there Wednesday.” Buck ended the call. “Dammit!” Reid yelled, snapping his phone shut. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” Joel said. Up in the suite, Reid dialed Shane’s number. “Hi, this is Shane.” “Hey, I miss you already.” “I miss you, too. What was that all about on TV?” “You saw it?” he said, embarrassed. “No, Jamie just called and told me. He’s called and left a few messages since I broke up with him. He just asked if I saw the news and said that he wanted me to know what kind of guy I was getting involved with. You didn’t get hurt, did you?” “Just my pride. I feel pretty dumb. Buck is totally pissed at me.” “Rightfully so, I guess.” “Please, don’t you start too,” he begged. “Hey, why don’t you come up tomorrow instead of Wednesday and we’ll go out for dinner. You can help keep me out of trouble.” “Out of one kind of trouble and into another, right?” she said. “What do you mean?” “You’re breaking all your tournament rules because of me, aren’t you?” “My rules weren’t intended for you. They were pre-Shane rules. How do you know about them anyway?” “Your sisters. They told me a lot about you.” “Well, don’t they have a couple of big mouths?” “They love you and you’re lucky to have them.” “I know, I know… So are you coming up tomorrow or what?” “I’ll be there, but not till late in the afternoon. I have a deadline for an article I’m writing. I’ll meet you at the hotel around 5, okay?” “Perfect, see you then. Wear something nice, I’m taking you to a fancy restaurant.” “That will be nice.” “Good. Well, I’ve got to hit the sack, I’m beat. I love you.” Wow, he thought, I said it again. “I love you, too. Goodnight babe.” He hung up, then stuck his head out into the living room and said,

“I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.” “Goodnight,” Joel, Stu and Buddy said.

Tuesday was a better day. No cameras, no autographs, no fights, almost boring. Reid played the front nine in the morning, had a quick bite of lunch, then spent the afternoon playing the back nine. Joel, Stu, Buddy and Reid went back to the hotel at 3 p.m. for massages. Afterward, they went out to the pool, where Reid did some laps, then went to lie down.

The next thing he knew, someone was kissing him and whispering in his ear, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!”

Peeking through one sleepy eye, he caught a glimpse of Shane. He pulled her down on top of him and returned her kiss. Although dressed to the nines, ready to go out for dinner, she didn’t complain. They lay there together for a few minutes, just holding each other. It was the most peaceful moment he’d had in two days. “Thank you,” he said. “For what?” “Just for being you.” After another brief hug, he said abruptly, “Now get off me, woman. We need to get ready to go.” She hit him playfully and asked, “Where are we going?” “A restaurant called Lori’s Place; it’s supposed to be excellent.” They passed Howard on their way to the suite and Reid introduced them. Other golfers walking by stopped and stared, probably waiting for an introduction to Shane. Reid wasn’t in the mood for them.

In the suite, Shane sat in the living room while Reid went to change. When he came out, Joel and Stu had joined her. “Guys, you need to move it. We have reservations for two tables at 7:30 p.m., one for you two and one for us.”

They were ready in 10 minutes. Upon arrival to the restaurant, they were greeted by Sal Ferro, the actor who owned the place. He joined Reid and Shane at their table, per Reid’s request. “Why don’t you order for us? You know what’s good.” Reid immediately corrected himself. “I mean, I’m sure everything is excellent but… Oh, you know what I mean.” “No, Reid, what exactly do you mean?” Sal asked, feigning resentment. Reid stammered apologetically. “Take it easy, I was only kidding. I’ll be happy to order for you,” Sal said with a laugh. “I can’t believe you thought I was serious.” Reid rolled his eyes and shook his head in relief. “I don’t know whether to be more embarrassed for what I said or for being so gullible. This is the last time I have dinner with an actor.”

Shane chuckled and said to Reid, “Ha, look who can dish it out but can’t take it.” “Oh, please don’t start with that,” Reid pleaded. “Don’t be so sensitive,” Sal said with a smile. “So, what are you guys in the mood for? The tuna, duck and Beef Wellington are all excellent. My chef is known for them.”

“They all sound so good, why don’t we get one of each and share between the three of us?” Reid said. “I didn’t think I was joining you for dinner.” “Please, join us, Sal. Otherwise I have to listen to him all night,” Shane said with a grin. Taken off guard, Reid responded, “Excuse me?” “Calm down, you know I love you.” Shane leaned over and gave him a kiss. “Very nice, this must be a new relationship between you two. Am I right?” Sal asked. “Very,” they both agreed simultaneously, smiling at each other. “Well, it looks like it’s working.” “It is,” Shane said, with a subtle smile. Reid reached over and covered her hand with his. “Are you sure you want me to join you for dinner?” Sal asked. “Absolutely,” Reid responded. “I’d love to hear what you’re working on;

anything interesting?” “Let’s order, then we’ll share golf and acting stories. I’d love to hear about the Masters, and if you can talk about it, the death threat situation.” Reid visibly tensed at the mention of the threat. “Hey, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, sorry,” Sal apologized. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.” Shane reached over and rubbed his thigh. Sal waved a waiter over and ordered various appetizers and the three entrees. Dinner was every bit as excellent as the rave reviews had claimed. Conversations switched back and forth between Ferro’s movie roles, Reid’s golf and even the threat.

As Reid described the threat scenario, Sal was all ears. Afterward, Sal said, “Sounds like it would make a good movie. What do you think?” “Guess that will depend on the outcome,” Reid said with a chuckle. “Of course it will, but I’m serious, Reid. I’m always looking for a good movie idea. This could be a blockbuster. Just think about it.” “Sal, I think I have enough on my plate at the moment, between the tour and trying to stay alive. Can we just have dessert for now? I need to get back to the hotel.”

“Hey, I’m sorry, that was way out of line. It’s my biggest fault. Every time I hear a good movie idea, I kind of lose my head. I get so one-tracked, I visualize the movie set in my mind and become consumed with it. Please accept my apology. I was completely insensitive.” Sal’s embarrassment poured out.

“Take it easy, Sal, I understand. It’s the same for me when I’m golfing,” Reid said. “I get so focused, I don’t hear or see anything but the ball. I’ll tell you what, if I get through this thing alive, we’ll talk about a movie. Let’s wait and see how it plays out.”

The desserts Sal ordered were like edible art and tasted as good as they looked. Reid and Shane turned down Sal’s offer of after dinner drinks. Reid had to get to sleep at a reasonable hour, and they still had to drop Shane off at Joan’s. Sal graciously accepted Reid’s invitation to the tournament.

The drive to Joan’s was quick. She and Hunter were there with Judy and Jared. Reid said hello and goodbye to everyone and gave Shane a hug. “We’re heading back to the hotel,” he said. “I need my beauty sleep.” Reid was very relaxed during the ride. It had been a good day followed by a great meal with the woman he was falling in love with. He felt good. He was looking forward to a good night’s sleep. He wanted to get in some early putting practice. Buck was coming up and probably had scheduled a late morning press conference. He knew yesterday’s issues were going to haunt him tomorrow. Oh well, he thought,
Que sera, sera.

Reid parked the van and went straight up to the suite with Stu and Joel. The lounge was packed with players and caddies. The elevator also was filled with players. One said, “You should’ve kicked Turner’s ass, Reid. He deserved it.” “I’ll do it on the golf course,” Reid said. “Good, hopefully we all will,” someone said. Entering the suite, Reid went directly to his room. He called the front desk for a 5 a.m. wake-up call. He got ready for bed and was asleep minutes after his head hit the pillow.