It felt strange to hear his name being broadcast. It felt even stranger to be the subject of a critique.
The guy in the middle was questioning his ability to adjust.
“Alvarez has just arrived from Cuba. With the millions of dollars in bonuses and signings wasted on other Cubans, there’s no guarantee he’ll make the difference at third.”
“Nilsson does her homework. She’s done some amazing things since she got the job and I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one.”
He clicked off the TV, letting that last remark take root. He’d have to work even harder to prove she’d made the right call about him. Both on and off the field.
CHAPTER THREE
The next day, after very little sleep and a lingering hangover, her night spent with one of her co-workers and housemate, at a bar drinking, Alicia found herself standing at the doorway of Dan DeLorenzo’s office. Her mouth was more of a pinch than a scowl.
He’d just told her he wanted her to move Mateo and monitor his assimilation.
“You’ve got to be kidding?”
The wheel of fortune had taken another spin around, one she wasn’t sure she’d survive.
She studied him, looking for the punch line. He looked younger than the forty-five-year-old businessman he was. Bright smile when he used it, shark’s teeth when he needed them. If it wasn’t for him, she’d be a lot farther down the ladder than she was. He’d had faith in her ability to do the job. Today, the job wasn’t going according to plan.
Dan was leaning against the windowsill, the backdrop the ice-stained harbor. Meeting her eyes, he said, “Because of this latest development, you’re the one I want on this. It doesn’t hurt he already knows you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“I know handling ballplayers is part of my job description, but this is taking it a bit too far. Must I remind you he already ruined my vacation, possibly my life?”
“You started the ball rolling. Now you’ll get to finish it.”
He hadn’t been happy about that Skeet-Ball throw down the alley, which was one of the reasons she’d omitted telling him it was part of her plan. Even though it had hit the jackpot, she could tell from the tone of his voice the irritation was still festering. She should probably be more conciliatory but…
“I don’t want to finish it. I didn’t even mean to start it. It comes down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I disagree. I might not like your methods, but they worked. He’s a hell of a third baseman which is just what they Greenliners were looking for and you got him here.”
With Keith’s legal expertise, she’d gotten Mateo his papers, and she was the reason he had a visa. Had she honestly believed that would be the end of it?
Dan walked back to his desk, pushed a set of keys on a Greenliner ring toward her. It was the same one she’d handed to him a few hours ago, once the lease was signed.
“Move him this afternoon.”
There was a gut check to the solar plexus. She stared, not willing to fight him outright but what did that leave her? Acquiescence? Her silence might have told him he had it.
He checked his watch, picked up the TV remote and powered up the screen. “There’s been a running marathon of the press conference, interviews, and the conjecture of who’s taking over is all everyone is talking about. It will only end when we have a new story for them.”
He looked over at her. “The meeting’s at two. We both know who they’re leaning toward. Once the decision’s been made, there’ll be a lot of work ahead, but it won’t include practices. They’ll be canceled and everyone will have a few days’ reprieve to be with family and friends. Mateo will be alone to stew or worse. You know he was at the field when it happened. I want someone with him until he leaves for Sanford.”
She did know. Farina had dropped dead after a heart attack a few hours after she’d dropped in on the practice. It had come as a shock to all of them. They’d been counting on Farina to take the team all the way this season and now… who knew what the hell would happen? Upper management was scrambling, spring training only a few weeks away, and the meeting this afternoon would finalize his replacement. They didn’t have time for indecision or for an in-depth review of who was available. Her father had called her after the news broke, looking for an inside scoop. She’d had nothing to give him. She had her own opinion, as did Dan, but until management voted, no one knew for sure who’d take the helm and she wasn’t putting anything out there until they did.
She had her own problem on her plate, and it made her cringe. Dan wanted someone with Mateo until spring training. That was close to three frigging weeks. Then the full import of what he’d said hit her.
“You don’t expect me to live with him, do you?”
“I do.”
Those words had a way of sneaking under her skin and making it crawl.
“He’s made friends with dos Santos and Layden. Can’t one of them stay with him? The place where he’ll be living is certainly big enough.”
“Rique told me he’s going to Brazil for a couple of days after the funeral and Seb might not be in the right mind-set if Calipari gets the nod. They have their own lives.”
Pointing out what he already knew, she countered, “So do I.”
“And that life includes taking care of the players. He’s all yours at the moment. And I want him out of the hotel. Today.”
“You’re not giving me a
