Playing for Keeps (14 page)

"I don't care what Julia thinks or anyone else. I don't care if people think you're using me or that I'm making a mistake again." She hurried through her next words when she saw his jaw twitch. "
Please
take the role."

The buzz of his cell phone interrupted his reply. "Excuse me," he said checking the number. "Sorry, I have to take this."

"Go ahead."

He sighed then answered. He listened for a moment and his expression changed, replaced by a darker look. "Okay, I'll be right there." He disconnected then stood. "I've got to go."

Stacy looked up at him worried. "What's wrong?"

"I have to get a taxi."

"I've got my car. Where do you need to go?"

"Foster Elementary."

"What's going on?" Stacy asked leading him to where she had parked her car. Why would he need to go to an elementary school?

"There’s a problem with my niece, Tiffany. She’s locked herself in the girls' bathroom and won't come out."

"Tiffany, it's me Uncle Chance," he said, as he poked his head around the corner of the girls’ bathroom.

"Please go away."

Stacy looked at him. "How old is she?"

"Ten. She'll be eleven in June."

"Let me talk to her in private."

He hesitated, then nodded and left.

"Tiffany, hi, I'm Stacy Price. I’m a friend of your Uncle so you can trust me and tell me what's wrong?"

"Is Uncle Chance gone?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to upset him. I'm going to die."

"Why?"

"I'm bleeding to death."

"Tiffany, I don't think you're dying."

"I am. It's...it's coming from...you know...down there."

"Did your mother tell you anything about having a period?"

"A what?"

"In school, didn’t you learn about becoming a woman in health class?"

"No, Mom wouldn't let me take that class."

Then she should have told you herself
, Stacy thought wishing she didn't have to take on the task herself. "What's happening to you is perfectly normal. You're becoming a woman and every month a woman goes through a cycle."

"A cycle? What kind of cycle?"

Damn, how was it possible for a young girl, today, with so much information out there, and more openness, to still experience their first monthly flow in such an antiquated and scary way? But then, maybe her mother hadn't learned much either. Stacy spent the next fifteen minutes explaining the basics.

"I don't feel well."

"I know, we'll get you taken care of okay? I'll be right back."

"Don't tell Uncle," Tiffany said with a tremor in her voice.

"I won't." Stacy left the bathroom.

Chance raced up to her. "Is she going to be okay? Do I need to speak to her?"

"No, just give her a minute and she'll be fine."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. When she's ready, she'll tell you herself." Stacy held up her hand. "Don't ask any more questions, just trust me."

Stacy met with the school nurse, who helped take care of the crisis. After a few minutes, Tiffany came out of the toilet stall, tear faced. She was a pretty girl with light brown hair, big dark eyes and skin. On the drive home she remained quiet and tense no matter how much Stacy tried to make her smile.

"Is your Mom home?" Chance asked.

"I think so," Tiffany said in a tense voice.

"Then why didn't you--" Stacy let her word 'call' die on her lips when Chance sent her a curt look. But the question still lingered. If Tiffany's mother was home, why had the school called her Uncle? Stacy said nothing. When they reached her house, Tiffany quickly said, "Thank you," before jumping out of the car. Chance turned to Stacy and said, "Wait in the car" and left before she could argue. Stacy watched them with interest. They both seemed worried about something, but she couldn't guess what. They disappeared inside the house.

She had gotten a reprieve. He hadn't told her if he'd take the role, but the way he'd held her hand and said her name made her forget about him playing the role. Being with Chance made her only see a man. A wonderful man she wanted to get to know more. She still didn't remember him. She wished that looking at his niece would have given her an idea, but it didn't. Stacy looked around the clean cut neighborhood then glanced at her watch. They'd been inside at least ten minutes. She got out of the car and stood to stretch her legs then she saw the front door swing open and a cute, dark haired woman, wearing a shapeless brown dress that reminded Stacy of Idaho potatoes, came barreling down the stairs pointing at her, anger blazing in her eyes.

"You had no right!"

"I'm sorry?"

"You had no right telling my daughter things that should only be taught at home!"

Stacy stared at the woman openmouthed for a moment then shook her head. "What?"

"You told her about 'becoming a woman'."

Stacy felt her temper snap. "If you'd told her, I wouldn't have had to. She was terrified."

"I was going to have that talk in due time. She's fast and that's why it came sooner than I expected."

"You can't predict when the 'first time' will happen."

"I didn't get mine until I was nearly fifteen. These kids nowadays are just growing too fast."

Chance ran outside. "Maris!"

The woman ignored him and glared at Stacy. "Stay away from her."

"I was only trying to help," Stacy said trying her best to keep her tone civil. "I didn't tell her anything she shouldn't have known. I left plenty of space for you to fill in."

Chance took Maris's arm. "Come on back inside."

She yanked her arm away. "You told her about tampons."

"As an option," Stacy said.

"No ten year old should be shoving things inside herself that don't belong there. What if she makes it a habit and starts wanting to have other things put there?"

"I think you're taking this out of proportion."

Chance again tried to take the woman inside. She shoved him back. "You're as bad as she is." She spun back to Stacy. "You see how pretty she is? You think men aren't already thinking things. She's already a liability to me. I'm not having a girl that gets knocked up. Or maybe somebody will steal her and use her up."

"She's safe and I'm sure she's not even thinking about boys that way yet."

"Yes, she is. And now her innocence is gone." The woman's face crumbled to tears. "This is one of the worst days of my life." Her feet began to give way.

Chance grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up. "You need to rest."

"No!" She bit his arm so hard she drew blood. He loosened his grip and she lunged at Stacy, grabbing her arm in a vise-like grip. "You're seeing my brother, aren't you?"

"Let go of me," Stacy said in no mood to offer any explanation about her relationship with Chance.

Maris sneered, her nails biting into Stacy's arm. "Sure, you'll be sleeping with him soon, if you're not already. That's what women do these days. Especially women like you, dressed like that, ready to spread their legs for any--"

"That's enough," Chance said in a low voice, holding the back of his sister's neck in a way that forced her to release Stacy's arm. "Now you're going to calm down and go back inside and make sure your daughter is okay. Is that clear?" he said, releasing her.

Maris rubbed her neck and nodded then looked at Stacy and spat in her face.

Chance swore.

Maris laughed.

Stacy saw red. For a moment she wanted to take off her heel and whack Maris with it--hard. Then she remembered the punching bag at her anger management class, the women at the detention center and where her anger had gotten her before. She wouldn't strike back. No matter how unfair she felt Maris's treatment was, it wasn't worth the battle. Stacy took out some tissue from her bag and wiped her face, making sure to avoid Chance's gaze, then walked back to her car. She watched Chance take his sister's arm and this time she allowed him to lead her inside.

"She's filthy," Maris said loud enough for Stacy to hear.

"You think bikinis are filthy," he said in a tired tone.

"And they are. And Mom's expecting you home for Sunday." But that was all Stacy could hear before their voices faded inside. Stacy got in her car.

Chance emerged minutes later with his arm bandaged and in a dark mood. "Don't move," he said, sitting in the passenger seat and pulling out a swab from a small first aid kit he'd taken from the house. He dabbed at the scratch marks on her arm.

"It's--"

"Shut up and let me do this."

She did. When he'd finished, he sat back and stared out the window.

"Do you want me to drop you at a subway station?" Stacy asked not knowing what else to say.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry I didn't stop her. I didn't realize she'd gone outside until...until she got to you."

Stacy lightly touched his leg, feeling the tension in him. "I'm fine. Relax."

"My sister wasn't always like that. After her husband left her she's put a tighter rein on Tiffany and it's getting worse." He glanced down at Stacy's hand. "I'm very angry right now."

Stacy stared at him stunned. He looked tense, mildly annoyed but not upset. "This is you angry?"

He nodded, his jaw twitched but his tone remained neutral. "Very."

"You look as calm as a choir boy."

"That's because I know how to fool people." His gaze pierced hers. "I know how to make people think I'm one way, when I'm really another." He shifted fully in his seat, resting his hand on the dashboard, making the space in the car feel smaller. "I'm good at that."

Both his tone and look made her believe him. And a shiver of awareness shimmered through her as she looked into the gaze of a man with many hidden depths. Depths she wanted to fall into. "I know. That's why you're perfect for the role--"

Chance drummed his fingers on the dashboard, but his gaze never wavered. "Don't play games with me, Stacy."

"I'm not," she stammered, suddenly unsure of how to read him.

"Don't tell me it doesn't matter if people think I'm using you."

"But it doesn't."

"Yes, it does." He fell silent for a moment. "Do you think I'm using you?"

"No."

"If I don't take this role will you still want to see me?"

"There's a lot at stake."

"What if I told you that I don't particularly like Julia and I've worked with directors less annoying than Donald? Whose side would you take? Mine or theirs?"

Stacy shook her head. "You don't understand, I need this project to work."

"I do understand, but what I'm asking you right now is am I just an actor or am I your man? If I'm just an actor then if I say no or yes determines whether I'll see you again. But if I'm your man that won't matter."

Stacy closed her eyes and rested her head back. "You're making this complicated."

"Actually, it's very simple. Which is it?"

Am I your man?
What a question. What a choice. Did she really have to make one? But he was right. They couldn't have questions between them. Stacy groaned then rested her head on the steering wheel, resisting the urge to bang it. "Julia's going to kill me."

"What does that mean?"

Stacy turned to look at him. "That means you're my man first and an actor second. And Julia's going to think I'm an idiot and that I'm ruining my career again."

"Forget about Julia."

"She's the only friend who stood by my side. She's a good person. I don't know why you don't like her."

Chance drew her close. "I don't like anyone who makes you doubt yourself."

"She worries about me."

"Then we have something in common. Julia isn't the only producer around. I have my own company. Depending on the contract you signed, you have options."

Stacy sat back and frowned at him. "I know," she said then reached over and smoothed down his eyebrow. "So how does it feel?"

"What?"

"Being my man?"

The beginnings of a smile tipped the corners of his mouth. "I like it. Let me show you how much." He pulled her close and covered her mouth with his. "Do you like being my woman?" He whispered against her lips.

"Uh huh," she said.

"That's good to know," he said then kissed her some more.

And Stacy let herself surrender into the deliciousness of the kiss until a thought entered her mind. She quickly drew away. "Stop."

"Why?"

"We can't make out like this in front of your sister's house. She already thinks I'm a--"

"I don't give a damn what she thinks." He sighed. "But you're right."

"What subway station do you need?"

He told her then looked at his watch and swore. "I have a meeting in three hours and it will probably run late."

"Rain check?" Stacy said, putting the car in gear.

"Will you still be up by nine?"

"Yes."

"Good." He grinned, making her heart melt. "And don't change."

Don't change.
But of course that was the first thing Stacy did when she got home. She jumped into the shower, wanting to be as clean and fresh as possible before he arrived, but she didn’t make it to the bathroom before having to field Laurice's questions first.

"So did it work?" she demanded meeting Stacy at the front door.

Stacy walked past her. "I'm not sure yet."

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Laurice followed close behind.

He hadn't said he'd take the role, but he did want to be with her. "He's coming over tonight. I have to get ready."

An hour later Stacy was wearing a new perfume, the same dress and a new set of nerves.

"What do you want me to do?" Laurice asked, watching Stacy plump up several pillows in the living room.

"Nothing. Just make yourself scarce."

Laurice grinned. "Oh, it's going to be that kind of night?"

"I hope so."

The door bell rang.

Stacy looked at the clock. "He's early."

"Do you want me to hide?"

"No," Stacy said going to the door. "I'll introduce you and then--"