Mitch gave a snort of disbelief. If this paternity thing with Brad blows up
Im sure youll deal with that, too. My point is, you do know how to schmooze. Youve got the gift for talking anybody into anything.
Mitch knew he could hold his own when it came to persuasion. Hed never thought of it as lobbying, but he supposed that wasnt too much of a stretch.
And your celebrity doesnt hurt one little bit, Cole continued. Plus, youve proven your ability to engage young people beyond the realm of sports. I cant imagine anyone more perfect for the job.
Do you need a soapbox of some kind to stand on?
Was that a joke about my height?
Mitch barked out a laugh at Coles unexpected response. Emily really got to you over the short thing, didnt she?
Emilyhas seen the light.
Congratulations on that, by the way.
Cole gave a nod of acceptance. Then he waggled his brow. Take a look. He reached into his jacket pocket and extracted a black velvet box, handing it over to Mitch.
Youre going to ask her?
I am.
Mitch snapped open the box to reveal a big square-cut diamond surrounded by miniature sapphires. Something hitched in his stomach, and he found himself thinking about the ring hed offered Jenny last night. Stupid.
He had nothing in him but a joke, while Cole was ready to take a lifetime plunge.
You worried? he asked, genuinely curious about how Cole could be so certain about his decision.
Not really. Im sure shell say yes.
That wasnt what Mitch meant. But he had to admire Coles confidence. As long as youre sure.
Whats not to be sure about?
Its for the rest of your life.
Hey, when you know, you know.
Mitch closed the box and handed it back. Would he know? Should he know? Did he know?
Did you like the ring? Cole asked.
Its fine, Mitch answered absently.
Cole grinned. You couldnt give a damn, could you?
Not in my frame of reference, he lied, pretending he wasnt thinking about putting more than just a football ring on Jennys finger.
He shook away the ridiculous idea. This was a brand-new infatuation, a knee-jerk reaction to his career ending. And if he tried to make more of it, tried to force it, he risked hurting Jenny even more than he already had.
D.C., you say? he asked Cole.
Yeah. Why do you keep asking?
When he thought about leaving, Mitchs thoughts went straight to Jenny.
There was no good choice in all this.
Go to D.C., Cole insisted. Check it out. See if it fits. If it does, youll have a great Beltway office. Youll be doing good for the youth of America. Itll keep you out of trouble. And theyll pay mileage on your jet.
Mitch drummed his fingers on the desktop. He supposed there was no harm in talking. And, who knew, maybe theyd be willing to wait a few weeks, or maybe a couple of months. Surely by then his relationship with Jenny would have run its course. Shed probably be itching to be rid of him.
Youll keep this to yourself? he asked Cole.
Wont tell a soul. Not even Emily.
Especially not Emily. If Mitch did this, if he did this, hed have to be very careful about when and how he told Jenny in order to keep from hurting her.
As she stared at the three sets of house plans taped to the wall in the mostly bare, airy room on the second floor of Coles house, Jenny tried to forget about the debacle two days ago, when Mitch had offered her the ring.
Mitchs joke about going steady had driven home for her just how quickly and how thoroughly shed fallen under his spell. In the split second it had taken for her to come to her senses, shed realized how desperately she wanted go steady with him, to have him be an ongoing part of her life.
Times up, Emily said from beside her. Theyre shaping the foundation tomorrow. Are you going with your heart or your head?
Emily had been the one to insist that they continue to consider all three sets of plans.
Jennys heart was leading her toward the whimsical French country house. But shed trusted her heart last night, and look where it got her.
What started off as a relaxed romantic interlude had ended in awkwardness and embarrassment. Shed all but fled from Mitchs house, and then this morning, hed abruptly left town with the lamest of excuses, some vague story about paperwork and the football team.
Im going with my head. She moved to stand in front of the two-story, three-bedroom, telling herself shed be happy there.
Emily came up beside her. Funny. Lately, Im leaning toward my heart.
Jenny forced herself to smile, not wanting to inflict her mood on Emilys happiness. Did he ask you yet?
Tonight.
He gave you advance warning?
He says he found the right ring. And we have reservations on the rooftop at Chez Jacques. I can fill in the blanks.
Youre going all the way to Houston for dinner?
Emily waved a dismissive hand. Theres a helicopter involved. Millionaires are crazy.
Jenny leaned into Emilys shoulder, determined to be happy for her good friend. Thats fantastic.
It is, Emily sighed. You cant even imagine how smart he is. He gets calls from New York and D.C., Switzerland and Brazil, movers and shakers in the high-tech world, politicians, even movie stars. They want his advice. They want to be his friend. And hes funny, wickedly funny. But hes not geeky. Hes not even short.
Jenny couldnt help but smile at that. He magically stopped being short? Imagine that.
Emily gave her hair a little toss. Five-elevens not short. I was giving him grief about it on the dance floor, when I was asking about Emilio. A blush formed on her face. Man, was Cole ticked off about that. Anyway, hes making a point, and I realized he was towering over me. And then I realized how much sense he was making, and how much I respected his opinion.
She rolled her eyes. Listen to me. I sound like a dork. Back to your house.
Youre not a dork.
Emily pointed. So, this one.
This one. Jenny nodded. Definitely.
I would have bet you were going to go the other way. Emily cocked her head at the French country house. I was beginning to think-
Mitch left this morning, Jenny blurted out.
Emily drew back in obvious surprise. Huh?
Not that I didnt expect it. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Jenny had given away her insecurities two nights ago, probably panicked Mitch. Why couldnt she have just joked right back? Why did she have to freeze up like a schoolgirl?
What do you mean, he left?
He went to D.C.
On business?
He said it was football business.
Emily searched Jennys expression. And?
And, I think he lied. Suddenly dizzy, Jenny braced a hand against the wall.
Emily reached for her. Jenny?
Im fine.
Emily took her arm and helped her to one of two armchairs in the corner of the large rectangular room.
What the hell is going on?
Embarrassed, Jenny eased down into the chair. Same old, same old. Im crazy about him, and hes just having a good time. I thought I could handle it. I really did.
Did he say that?
Jenny shook her head. Two nights agowell, he joked, and I kind of freaked, and this morning he left. And I dont know what that means. And Im trying not to care. But I do care. Her chest hitched. I really do.
Emily crouched down next to the armchair, placing her hand over Jennys. Im so sorry I went on about me and Cole.
Im sorry to be such a wet blanket. Jenny felt a sting in the back of her eyes. Honestly, I dont know why Im so emotional.
PMS?
Jenny laughed. Wouldnt it be nice to have such a simple explanation? In fact, now that she thought about it, maybe that was the explanation. She did the math in her head.
She usually got her period on a Saturday. Was it this Saturday? It had been nearly three weeks since the wedding, and before that-
Her stomach crashed into a free fall.
Jenny? You just turned white as a sheet. Emily tightened her hold.
Jenny struggled not to panic. Do you have a calendar?
Sure. In my phone. Emily produced the phone and pressed a few buttons with her thumb, holding it out for Jenny to see.
Which weekend did we go to the Albatross Club?
Emily turned the phone so that she could see the calendar. That had to be the twelfth. Because it was a pay week for me.
A roar sounded in Jennys ears. Oh, no.
Oh, no, what?
Oh, frickin no.
What?
I had my period that weekend.
And?
And, Im just doing the math.
But- Emilys eyes went wide, and her mouth formed a perfect circle.
Jenny stood up from the armchair and took two staggering steps backward. It cant be. No, no, no.
The night of the wedding?
Jenny made an inarticulate exclamation.
You must have used a condom.
We did. We did.
Then the mathematical odds are in your favor.
Right.
Emily was right. Jenny forced herself to calm down. What she needed now was more information.
At the interview in D.C., Mitch had been offered everything Cole predicted and more. It was a significant and meaningful job, with a laundry list of perks and a chance to work with kids all over the nation. If he had to leave professional football, there was no better way to do it than this.
So why was he hesitating?
Why had he asked the White House Senior Advisor for a few days to make up his mind? It wasnt geography. Hed never planned to stay in Royal long-term. And if he wasnt with the team, it didnt matter where he lived. The salary was great, plus hed built up an almost embarrassing nest egg through appearances and endorsements over the years.
So, it wasnt the money. It was Jenny. It always came back to Jenny. He didnt want to leave her.
So, it wasnt the money. It was Jenny. It always came back to Jenny. He didnt want to leave her.
He paused in the lobby of the Rathcliffe Hotel, gazing unseeingly through a shop window. First he only saw a reflection of the lights behind him, then slowly his eyes focused on the shiny jewels in the display. Against a backdrop of autumn maple leaves, gold necklaces, platinum bracelets and colored stones of every description were arranged on crystal stands.
He found himself staring at a round diamond solitaire, set in platinum, with tiny emeralds at each side.
Nobody buys an engagement ring in a hotel gift shop, came a familiar voice.
Mitch shook himself back to life and turned to see Jeffrey. What are you doing here?
Were playing in Baltimore tomorrow night.
And that brings you to this hotel how? Mitch resented Jeffreys sudden appearance. He really wanted to be alone.
Cole told me youd be here.