"Oh, I see. Not only are you too old, but you're chicken too."
She glared at Michael as he chuckled. "I really hope you're more than just a weekend warrior, Ray. Otherwise you're gonna regret this." She walked back over to the mound and waited for Rachel to crouch behind the plate. Starting off with a gentle curve ball, she placed it within inches of her desired location. She smiled as Rachel pulled the glove over the plate, framing it slightly for the umpire. She caught the ball Rachel threw her way and threw a second curveball directly over the plate.
"Come on, Alex, give me some heat." She stuck her glove out in front of her and waited. "Give me your best shot."
Alex put her toe on the rubber and cleared her mind. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and pushed off the rubber as her arm began the large arc overhead. She released the ball and watched as Rachel caught it. The force of the throw knocked her backward and onto her back. She rushed over to check on her, and saw Rachel grinning from ear to ear. "Holy shit, Alex. That was incredible." Alex just shook her head as she helped her to her feet.
"Why don't you go get cleaned up while I pay for this?" She took the catcher's mitt and pointed her towards the restrooms. As Rachel closed the door, she placed both gloves on the counter and said, "I'll take them both as well as a couple of balls." Michael quickly wrapped them and placed them in a bag before running her credit card. She took the bag and turned just as Rachel reappeared. Together they told Michael good-bye and headed out the door.
"Where to now?" Rachel asked as she started the car. She looked over at Alex who was deep in thought.
"I think I'm done for today. I've got Nikki's present taken care of, and you have Dani's. I need to think about Dani for a little while before I proceed." She saw the concerned expression at the mention of Dani's name. "What are you thinking?" she asked as she rubbed her aching thigh.
"Are you sure that your friend will come through with the book? I'm just a little nervous not having a backup plan."
"Trust me, Ray. I won't let you down."
"I do trust you. I certainly didn't mean to imply otherwise. It's just that I'll be in the doghouse for weeks if I don't have something for her."
Alex chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing I asked them to ship it overnight then isn't it?"
As they entered the house, Alex held up the bag and said, "I need to take this upstairs, and make a phone call. I'll be down in a little while." Nikki watched as she made her way up the stairs. As Alex moved out of sight, she turned and saw Rachel's knowing smile. With a shrug she followed her back into the living room.
Alex stashed the bag in her closet and pulled out her cell phone. Unable to find the phone number she was looking for, she pulled up the Internet and began to search. Several minutes later she found the number and dialed. The call was answered on the third ring. "May I speak with Ms. Kelly Smith, please? Tell her that Alexis Mohr is calling…Thank you."
"Alexis, is that really you?" They spent several minutes catching up after years of silence, before Kelly said, "Tell me what's on your mind. As much as I've enjoyed catching up, I know that's not why you called."
"I'm sorry I let things come between us, Kelly. You were a good friend, and I should have tried harder."
"It's water under the bridge, Alex. Now tell me what's on your mind."
She told her about Dani and her current work situation. "All I'm asking is for you to meet her with an open mind. I was thinking we could have lunch sometime this week, that way you can get to know her a little bit. She has no idea that I'm calling you, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"Let me think about it, Alex. Give me your number and I'll call you to let you know." They exchanged phone numbers and said good-bye.
Chapter Eight
The beginning of the week passed quickly as they prepared for the birthday party on Saturday. Alex's latest book arrived on Monday, and she immediately personalized it and wrapped it before calling Rachel to let her know it had arrived. She received a call from Kelly on Tuesday with an invitation to lunch the next day. She called Dani to ask for her help. It took a little convincing, but she finally agreed to join her and Kelly for lunch. Dani became a bit more enthusiastic when she found out Maria was set to babysit.
When her morning appointments were complete, Alex headed upstairs to wash away the evidence of her hard work in the gym. After blow-drying her hair, she stood in the closet trying to decide what to wear. She pulled out a pair of black chinos and hung them on the door. As she was looking for a blouse, she heard a knock on the door and Dani call her name. "Come in."
The hardwood floors in the hallway gave way to plush gray carpeting as Dani walked into the room and looked around curiously. The room was spacious with a sitting area near the back windows, and a king size four-poster bed with a lavender cloth draped between the posts. The clean, citrusy sent of Alex's perfume hung in the air. "Where are you?" she asked when she didn't see Alex. She stepped out of the
