Turn Over:A Secret Baby Sports Romance(74)

"H-h-hi."

Jackie smiled first. She had pitch-black hair and crystal blue eyes. Her  hair was parted in the center in smooth waves. "I saw your memo, Mark."         

     



 

"Oh good. That's good." I felt bad for the guy. He was completely out of  his element with the PR team. "I'm going to run upstairs for a second,  Sydney."

"I'm fine. I can find my way back no problem. Thanks, Mark."

He headed back to the third floor.

Chelsea spun in her chair. Her hair was layered in blond highlights. She  had soft pink lips and wide eyes. "Thank God, you're here."

I found her introduction a little odd. "Excuse me?"

"We've been working on this Padre story all morning which makes no sense  since you are in the ‘Padre office'." She used air quotes.

"What story is that?" I walked closer to her computer to see what was on the screen.

I looked over her shoulder. "The natural habitat story. It's ridiculous." She exhaled in exasperation.

I scanned the document she was typing. "Where is this habitat?" I asked. I hadn't heard of anything on the island.

Jackie stood next to me. "See? I knew it would have been easier if you  had done this from the beginning. We have no idea where anything is on  the island. Neither one of us has ever been to South Padre."

Chelsea hit print. "Why don't you read it first and then you can help us with it?" She handed the pages to me.

I couldn't be reading this right. I looked at both of them. "This is for  the sound site where the campground was supposed to go?"

"Yeah. I don't even know how we're supposed to make this sound sexy." Chelsea looked bored.

"But, what happened to the campground?"

Jackie shrugged. "No more campground. It's all about some bugs now. We  have to write about how wonderful it is we're saving some kind of locust  species. Lach Corp is going to fund a habitat and summer courses for a  nature camp."

"No. No. That's not right," I argued with them. "The sound site is for  the Cove residents. It's for Shawna and Lindy." I searched their pretty  faces, but they had no clue what I was talking about.

Neither had been to the island. They had never sat at Shawna's table or listened to Lindy's munchkin voice.

Shawna and Lindy were supposed to move in less than a week. Lindy was  excited about the cats and Shawna was looking forward to real  playground. No, these two models had it wrong.

"Can you at least show me on a map the location you're writing about?"

Jackie opened a second window on her computer. "Here. This is the address we have for the story."

It was the abandoned junkyard. My stomach clenched in spasms. No. Mason wouldn't abandon them.

"Ok. And where are the Cove residents supposed to go?"

There had to be a backup plan. He was the kind of man who always had a plan B.

Chelsea ran a hand through her choppy locks. "That's the challenge we  have. We have to make saving bugs sound more impressive and important  than relocating the residents. We've got to bury that angle and fast."

"Who said you needed to do that?" I steamed. "Does Mason know?"

"It came from upstairs," Jackie reported. "Of course he knows. The  request came from him. I tried to tell him it's not going to be easy."

"No, it's not." I handed the half-written article to Chelsea. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

I didn't care that they were both staring at me. My face was white. I  could feel the blood draining and the perspiration on my palms. I tore  out of the PR office and raced to the elevator bay. I hit the button,  smashing it harder with my finger each time.

I stared at the numbers above the door until finally it opened. I jumped  inside, realizing I didn't pay attention to a damn thing when I walked  in this building. My focus had been on him. His eyes, how they fired  bits of cobalt when he gave me the tour. His voice, how it growled in my  ear when he pointed out the names of the different departments. His  skin, how it smelled like a powerful, confident man. A man I couldn't  take my eyes off of.

There were other companies in this building. I think I remembered Mason  mentioning law firms, accounting firms, and even an oil company, were  co-residents of his. One day he planned to buy the building. For now he  was still a tenant. I tapped L for lobby, hoping I would recognize the  floor when the elevator deposited me on the level. I rushed from the  elevator and headed for the set of revolving doors.         

     



 

I walked out of the office building not sure which way to go. I fished  through my purse looking for my sunglasses. The rays shot around the  tall buildings, and for a second I felt so disoriented I considered  sitting down to get my bearings, but I couldn't sit. I couldn't be still  long enough to let it sink in what had happened. If I kept moving, I  could keep it away a little while longer. Long enough to get home. I  didn't know my way around Dallas. I held out my hand for a cab. When one  pulled up to the curb I hopped in the backseat.

"The airport," I choked.

"Yes, ma'am." The driver took off.

I pulled my ticket from my bag. The return flight wasn't until ten. I had to hope I could fly standby on an earlier flight.

I walked to the ticket counter and handed the woman my voucher. "I was hoping I could fly standby." I bit hard on my lower lip.

She studied me for a second. "Let me see what we have here." Her nails clanked on the keyboard.

I waited while she mumbled to herself. "How about the three o'clock?"

I felt the hot tears roll over my cheeks. "Is there anything earlier?" I  sniffed. I was not going to break down in the airport. I refused.

"Honey, you all right?" She peered at me.

"I'll be fine. I just really need to get home."

"Hold on." She clanked some more. "The noon flight?"

I nodded. "Yes. Can I do that one?"

"It's a two hundred dollar change fee."

I dug through my wallet for the credit card that was an emergency-only  backup. This was an emergency. I had to get home. Away from Mason. Away  from the super models in PR. Away from Lachlan Corporation, or as Jackie  fondly referred to it, Lach Corp.

I handed her the card. "Just get me on the flight please." At this point  I would be willing to pay another hundred dollars to make an earlier  plane back to Padre.

It took off in an hour. I returned the card to my wallet after she ran  it through the scanner. I heard my phone ring. Mason. I clicked ignore,  and shoved the phone in the side pocket of my bag.

"Here you go, honey. I hope everything's all right." She handed me a new ticket.

"Thank you."

I walked toward the security checkpoint and put my bag on the conveyer belt.

"Ma'am, your phone is ringing." The guard pointed to my bag.

"I can take care of that." I picked it from my purse and powered it off.  I didn't need to talk to him. I needed to get out of here.





23





Mason





I looked at the phone in my hand. The calls went straight to voicemail. Damn it.

"Mark, what were you thinking taking her to PR?" I yelled. "I told her to stay in my office."

"She's on the PR team, sir."

I threw my hands in the air. I should have told her. "Find out where she  went, damn it!" I knew I was yelling and screaming like a dictator, but  I felt all the control I had was lost.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Mark was plastered to the wall next to the door.

I sat in the chair. She was gone. No one had seen her in the building,  and Jackie and Chelsea said she ran out of their offices like she was  being chased.

I didn't know whether I should stay in the office or go out on the  street to search for her. She could be at the airport. She could be in a  coffee shop. Hell, she could be anywhere. I picked up the note she had  scribbled on my desk. She signed it with three X's. She had told me once  they stood for more than kisses. They were kisses laced with fire.

"I need James Booker on the phone now." I glared at him.

"Got it." Mark raced out of the office.

It had been a long time since I had used his services, but this was  urgent. Sydney could be anywhere in the city. I couldn't stay if she had  left, and I couldn't go if she had stayed. I felt caged. Worse, I felt  helpless.

The intercom crackled. "Mr. Booker's on line one."

I yanked the phone in my hand. "James."

"Sounds like you have something urgent." The retired detective had a slow drawl.

"I do."

"What can I do for you, Mason?"

"Can you meet me at my place? I'm headed over there now."         

     



 

"Sure can. See you in twenty minutes."

I barged past Mark and the rest of the staff. I turned to face him. "If you see her, call me immediately."

"I will, sir." Mark shrank against the potted palm next to his desk.



I flipped the lights on in my penthouse, and threw the keys on a side  table. I was going to show all of this to Sydney. I wanted her to see  where I lived. See the view I coveted from this floor. It felt stuffy  even with the air conditioner running. These windows didn't open. It  wasn't like the condo in Padre, always circulating with salt air.