Free Double Play by Nikki Duvall

returned
her attention to her paperwork. “Go ahead and send Mrs. Pryor in.”
    “Miss
McCarthy…” Chantrell hesitated. “I wondered if you would have a little time
later on… to talk?”
     “Have
you seen the caterer’s bill from the benefit?” Halee leafed through a stack of
papers in frustration. “I swear I saw it right here on top.”
    “If
you’re too busy…”
    Halee
looked up. “I’m sorry, Chantrell. What did you say?”
    Chantrell
opened her mouth to speak, then simply sighed. “I’ll send in Mrs. Pryor.”
    “Oh,
by the way,” said Halee before Chantrell closed the door, “Rita Benedetto is
meeting me for lunch in about fifteen minutes. Don’t let her leave.”
    Chantrell
nodded, hesitated, then closed the door softly behind her.
    A
moment later the door crashed back open.
    “I
have a proposition for you.” Victoria Pryor careened in dressed in a leotard
and tight fitting tank top, fresh from Pilate’s class. Halee couldn’t help but
admire Victoria’s lean physique. If it wasn’t for her waitress gig at
Benedetto’s she’d be packing on the pounds sitting at this desk job every day
and as soon as she finished her thesis she planned to quit the bar, which
spelled imminent fat gain. She made a silent vow to start running again. 
    Victoria
plopped herself into the overstuffed chair opposite Halee’s desk and frowned. The
delicious scent of her French perfume wafted through the office, masking the
smell of dirty diapers. Her eyes flitted between Halee and the child. “Who’s
that?”
    “He’s
Chantrell’s baby. His name is Ty.”
    “Shouldn’t
Ty be somewhere else? Like the nursery?”
    “Chantrell
is working. She works to pay her tuition. I told her I’d watch him.”
    “I
don’t pay you to watch the clients’ children,” said Victoria.
    “He’s
no bother. What’s your proposition?”
     Victoria
paused, smoothing a hand over her blonde ponytail. “I want you to come to New
York and run Federals Charities for me.”
    Halee’s
heart did a flip flop. “New York?”
    “The
benefit last week was outstanding, Halee, probably the best fundraiser I’ve
seen in this town. Everyone is talking about you. The high rollers are
completely smitten. The Federals foundation is stale. I need new leadership.”
She leaned across the desk and pointed one long finger at Halee. “And you, my
friend, are just the woman to revive it.”
    “I
don’t know anything about ...”
    “I
want you to set up a literacy foundation as a subset of the operation, like the
one you’re running here. It’s my new passion. We could fill a huge need in New
York and regain the attention of our wealthiest donors.”
    “I’m
sure you can find someone with the right skills in New York.”
    Victoria
closed her eyes and waved Halee’s words away. “Not at all. Let’s face it; few
people have your work ethic. It’s refreshing to meet someone who actually gets
something done.”
    “Even
with a baby on my lap.”
    “Yes,
well, that will have to change.”
    “I
appreciate the offer,” said Halee, “but I’m committed here.”
    Victoria
raised her brows and smirked. “That’s not what the papers say.” She tossed the
sports section of the Tribune on Halee’s desk. Chicago’s Top Bachelor
to Tie the Knot . A red faced Roudy stood over J.D.’s limp body cradled in Halee’s
arms. “Guess I’m the last to know.”
    “I
can explain.”
    “The
other man seems like a bit of a barbarian, though,” said Victoria. “I can’t see
you two together.”
    “We
weren’t.”
    “He
didn’t hurt J.D., did he? We should probably ask the Federals trainer to look
him over before we move forward with any final deal.”
    Halee’s
mind flashed back to the night before, J.D.’s painful shoulder, the ice pack,
the way he grimaced when it touched the mattress. The night of the benefit,
he’d held it close, immobile, as if sheltering it from the slightest
disturbance. “He’s fine,” she blurted, then