Game Seven Chapter Sunday, One: Game October Seven, ALCS 21

A hush fell over the crowd and every eye was focused on the drama unfolding at home plate. Fenway's lights glared down, illuminating the field where the scene seemed like something out of The Miracle two outs, the bottom of the ninth, with the Yanks leading the So !"# in game seven of the American $eague %hampionship, the series tied the

games to three. &ertram had gotten the sacrifice for once making contact under pressure advancing &ingley to second. 'f (arcy managed to get &ingley home, they'd go into e tra innings. 'f he made the circuit himself, they So would win and head to

the )orld Series. &ut if he struck out* +li,abeth didn't think she could bear to watch -evin de &ourg take .eorge )ickham and the Yankees to yet another Fall %lassic.

$i,,y trained her binoculars on the face of the pitcher, mid conference with the /ew York manager. 0ooming in close, she could see the beads of sweat forming on the smug countenance of )ickham as de &ourg and he strategi,ed. More likely, de Bourg is lecturing him on his throwing form $i,,y thought, chuckling to herself.

She had been a Yankee fan once. 1er room in 2eryton, /Y had posters of )ickham and (enny plastered all over the walls and ceiling. &ut that had been before she moved to &oston for college much to the consternation of her friends, who were all devout Yankee worshippers.

Ad3usting the binoculars, $i,,y focused on the batter's face. (arcy had been the real reason she had switched loyalties. 4ntil she saw him play, $i,,y was sure she would remain a Yankee fan. After all, her accent was as thick as any good &ron ite. &ut (arcy commanded the field with an unparalleled grace and confidence. She had tried her best to ignore his captivating style by countering it with evidence of his poor public persona, but really, she had been a hopeless case all along. She now was a card"carrying member of 5ed So /ation, through and through.

As the conversation on the mound concluded, energy in the stands grew to di,,ily feverish heights. 6itcher and batter glared at each other. A reach $i,,y's breath caught in her throat the crack of ball"in"glove.

7Steeeriike87

A collective sigh issued from the lungs of !9,9:; fans. (enny tossed the ball back to )ickham, who caught it before reaching up to wipe the sweat off his brow.

Another stretch, release, this time, followed by a resounding crack! of leather against wood. !9,9:; voices rose to a roar that crescendoed as the ball arched through the air and landed high up over the .reen 2onster.

As (arcy ran triumphantly around the bases, and the scoreboard flashed <"! in favor of &oston, $i,,y stopped shouting long enough to think Of course, a two out, two strike home run WOULD be too clich for Darcy!

=(on't mind me combining ':> and ':<* the So played the %leveland 'ndians in ':>, but the &oston"&ron rivalry is more fun

==' wanted to add that the Yankees, 6hillies, 5ockies, and 'ndians will all be left out of the story from this point forward. ?here will still be baseball @after all, the 5ed So 3ust

earned a trip to the )orld Series8A but it won't be played against a real 2$& team.

Chapter

Two:

Another

Historic

Upheaval

for

the

Beantown

Boys

Skipping home from the 1arvard SBuare ?"stop to her apartment in +ast %ambridge, $i,,y couldnCt believe what she had 3ust seen. For the second time in four years, the 5ed So had come back from a near"defeat to take the American $eague %hampionship.

?heyCd played the final three games with their backs to the proverbial wall, knowing that one error could end their season and their #::> )orld Series aspirations for good.

And then, suddenly, magically, it was .ame >, and the So

and the Yankees were again

on eBual footing. ?hree games to three, winner take all. &ut the boys from &oston were riding on a wave of unstoppable momentum, coming off a string of crushing victories to wrench the $eague %hampionship out of the hands of their greatest rivals, and game seven was a blowout. 't was as if they were laughing in the face of the /ew Yorkers, waving their dominance in the faces of the &ron &ombers with 3ubilant glee.

?he 5ed So

won < to !, an unbelievable upset. ?hey were going to the )orld Series.

%aught up in the fren,y of another miracle post season in the making, +li,abeth hardly thought twice when Dane uncharacteristically changed her plans to return home after the game, responding evasively, E'Cm going out.F $i,,y was so high on victory, she simply nodded and said goodnight to her older sister before heading for the -enmore ? Station.=

't wasnCt until she unlocked the front door to her house and tramped up three flights to their apartment that she stopped to reflect on DaneCs odd behavior.

E.oing outG )hat does that meanG .oing outGF )hipping out her cell phone, +li,abeth had already punched DaneCs number on speed dial, when she paused. 1ad Dane met someone a manG

Dane and +li,abeth were both attractive, witty, personable women, but they were both e tremely busy with their careers and only occasionally dated, so while it didnCt seem likely that Dane surreptitiously meeting a new man, but certainly not impossible. 2ore ve ing, however, was her tight"lipped manner. Dane and $i,,y told each other everything.

/ot a little miffed at being left out of the loop, $i,,y was aware that she was thinking like a petulant child. ?rusting her sister implicitly, +li,abeth put her phone away, determined not to press DaneCs confidence, sure that she would share when she was ready.

't was lateH IH<> blinked florescent green over the stove, only si

hours before sheCd

have to head to work the ne t morning. $i,,y stifled a yawn, for the first time reali,ing !ust how tired she was. 6ushing the mystery of DaneCs whereabouts from her mind, she stumbled off to bed.

= ?he E?F @? Station, ? stopA. Short for 2&?A @2assachusetts &ay ?ransportation AuthorityA, .reater &ostonCs public transportation system. ?he E?F usually refers to the subway system that runs through downtown. $i,,y and Dane live off the 5ed $ine, which runs appro imately north"south from %ambridge through (owntown and then South of the city past (orchester &ay and Juincy. (arcy and &ingley live off the .reen $ine, running east"west from &oston through &rookline and out to /ewton. For an image, and more informationH httpHKKwww.mbta.comKschedulesLandLmapsKsubwayK

Monday,

October

22

E.et

up,

sleepyhead8

YouCll

be

late

to

work8F

Dane plopped down onto the edge of $i,,yCs bed, the shift in weight awakening $i,,y as the groan in the bo springs matched the one that issued from her own lungs. )hen she failed to open her eyes, opting to burrow deeper under the blankets instead, Dane whipped the comforter off the bed and launched into a full"scale tickling assault. )iggling in a desperate attempt to avoid treacherous fingers, $i,,y shot up in bed and scooted to the other side.

ED"a"a"a"ne8F

she

whined,

drawing

the

word

out.

E%Cmon $i,. You got much more sleep than ' did.F $i,,y met DaneCs words and impeccable appearance at the early hour with a scowl.

E1ow do you always look so damn good in the morningG )hat time did you come in last nightG )here the hell did you goG And why didnCt you tell meG8F $i,,y shot off the

Buestions rapid"fire, one tumbling over the ne t with only the briefest of pauses between them. Dane only smiled.

E/ever

you

mind.F

E' was so worried once ' reali,ed that ' had no )1A?G8 Mf course ' mind8F Dane mumbled something unintelligible under her breath, not meeting $i,,yCs eye. $i,,y glared. E1uhGF

E' met,F she paused, swallowing thickly, Eum, a guy a couple days ago, uh, before the A$%S started. 1e um* he asked me out for after"game drinks if the So Series.F went to the

EYou got asked out and you didnCt tell me8 )ho is heG Dane 2arie &ennet, who is heGF

E1is

name

is

loud

gasp

cut

off

her

response.

E"f they wonG )hat kind of weirdo is heGF Dane laughed at her sisterCs fanaticism, the same fever that infected all members of the 5ed So /ation. Far be it for anyone to

doubt the So anymore. E/o, no. ?hatCs not what ' mean. )hat ' mean is, what if .od forgive me for saying this the Yankees wonG 1e wouldnCt be interested thenG ' mean, heCd be cra,y not to8F

Furiously shaking her head, Dane came to the defense of her handsome knight.

EActually, no. 't was only going to be last night if the So eliminated them in .ame ;, he would have

won. 'f the Yankees had met me then.F

E?hank

goodness,

'

was

worried

that

you

went

out

with

cra,y

person8F

E't was only* he needed to wait for the series to end because he couldnCt go out the night before a game.F

ESome kind of weird superstition, like not shaving or wearing the same t"shirt as long as they keep winningGF

E/o* no nothing like that. 1eCs employed by the team.F At this, $i,,yCs face lit up. She sensed an opportunity when she saw it.

E%an he get me tickets to the seriesG %an he introduce me to some playersG Mh my god, Dane ' bet he knows the players8F 2uch to $i,,yCs surprise, Dane blushed " blushed.

ED"a"a"a"ne8F

EYouCre

going

to

kill

me

for

not

telling

you

sooner*F

$i,,y

waited.

EMk, ok. YouCre never going to believe this, but*F Dane hesitatedN $i,,y was nearly beside herself in anticipation. E'tCs %harles &ingley.F

Dane was sure that the neighbors would bang down the door, suspecting domestic violence, from the shriek that emanated from the mouth of +li,abeth &ennet.

E%harles &ingley. %harles. &ingley. The %harles &ingleyG O&ring Oem home &ingleyG88F /odding, her cheeks flushed in a brilliant pink that started at her hairline and swept down to the tops of her breasts, Dane confirmed that she was, in fact, the luckiest woman in &oston. ?he tall, cheery"faced centerfielder was a fan favorite and a dynamo both on the field and at the plate, and an e cellent producer under pressure. 1is dashing good looks certainly didnCt hurt his popularity among the female demographic, and he was considered the handsomest player on the team after %aptain )ill (arcy.

Shivering with glee, $i,,y could hardly contain her curiosity. &egging Dane to tell her e#ery little detail, she nearly forgot the time. 5eluctantly, she hurried into the bathroom to throw herself together for work, but not before e tracting a promise that Dane would share e#ery little detail when they both got home that evening.

ESushi and secrets8F $i,,y laughed, giggling at her own silliness. E?acos and tidbits8F

E.o8F Dane said firmly, pushing a still laughing $i,,y towards the door. E.et out8F

$i,,yCs guffaws @and Dane thought she detected a snort or twoA echoed through the

stairwell as she hopped down the stairs two at a time, all in wonderment at her dear DaneCs incredible fortune.

E+li,abeth &ennet.F $%ey lil& sis' "t&s me'( E1i Dane, is everything alrightGF $Better than alright, " ha#e some good news' " ha#e dinner )lans for tonight, and you&re coming'( E(id %har finally make that reservation at +PMMGF ?he three best friends had been trying to find an evening to try out the eclectic little restaurant on &eacon Street a few blocks from their apartment. Famous for its creative and innovative combinations of flavors particularly using local"grown foods, +PMMCs growing reputation made it hard to ignore.= $*o, not +harlotte' +harlie'( E%har M18 As in, %harles &ingleyG 'Cm going to dinner with +harles BingleyGF $,e)'( E(id ' mention that ' love youG8F $,ou might ha#e told me once or twice'( E)ell ' do, and youCre officially the best sister on the planet. )hat did ' do to deserve such luckGF $-ust make sure you&re home in time to lea#e for a ./01 reser#ation, O23( E'Cll be early8F $,ou&re ne#er early'( EFor the best centerfielder in the game, you can bet 'Cll be ready the minute he arrives. You do know that youCre the luckiest woman in all of &oston, donCt youGF $" might be' But you know, " bet Will Darcy&s lady would be !ust as lucky' %e&s so hot!( EYouCre telling me. &ut heCs single, so that makes you the most fortunate girl in town8F

$%e is single, isn&t he3 Well4 alright, " won&t argue with you' 5ee you at home'( E&ye, Dane.F E&ye, $i,,y.F As the phone clicked into place in its cradle, something else connected in $i,,yCs brain. Will Darcy&s lady would be !ust as lucky4 he is single isn&t he3 )as it possible that %harlie wasnCt coming aloneG 2eeting 3ust him was already a dream, but )ill (arcyG That would be heaven. Chapter ": #$%c&, $%c&, Goose#

+li,abeth had convinced herself of the possibility that she might meet )illiam (arcy, the unassuming, Buiet leader whose tenacity at the plate and sharp agility and Buick speed at third base made him one of the best keepers of the 1ot %orner ever to play for the So . +li,abeth's disappointment knew no bounds when %harles &ingley @ +harles Bingley!A knocked on the door to their apartment alone. +li,abeth hung back from the door, allowing Dane to properly greet their guest, still incredibly thrilled to have %harlie &ingley standing in her front doorway. Dane, her face effused with an enormous grin, beckoned %harlie inside the apartment to introduce him to +li,abeth.

7$i,,y, this, as you know, is %harlie. %harlie my sister +li,abeth, who has a very small*7 cough 7obsession* with your team.7

7Dane87 +li,abeth cried, horrified. ?o her great surprise, %harlie let out a great, hearty laugh.

7.oodness8 ?his is &oston, the city famous for loving its sports teams, and most of all its baseball team. 'n fact,7 he continued, fi ing his mischievous eye on a mortified +li,abeth, 7''d be thoroughly disappointed if you weren't willing to rhapsodi,e at length over every stat and every play of the season87

She couldn't help it. 1er embarrassment melted under that warm congeniality of a man so gifted with charm and good nature, and +li,abeth let out a healthy chuckle and allowed herself to rela into his company.

7?hank

you,

2r.

&ingley.

''d

be

happy

to*

rhapsodi,e...

with

you

anytime87

7%all

me

%harlie,

please*

$i,,yG7

She

grinned.

?his

was

going

to

be

fun.

Dane immediately took note of her sister's easier manner, and clasped her hands together delightedly.

7Shall

we

go

thenG7

?he Mctober night was unseasonably warm, and the three of them agreed to walk the ten blocks to +PMM. 6assing the parking lot, +li,abeth's attention was drawn to a sleek, black sports car when its parking lights shut off. She couldn't pretend to recogni,e the model, but it looked wicked e pensive. She wondered at the identity of its owner would she be dining in the company of some politician tonight, or perhaps with one of the big"name 1ollywood celebrities in residence shooting a filmG &oston had always been a hot spot for politics, but a recent city decision had dramatically lowered the costs for film producers to purchase rights to shoot in the city, and conseBuently, many new blockbusters were &oston"made.

She had hung back slightly during the walk, content to watch the interaction between her sister and %harlie. Famous baseball player he might have been, but to +li,abeth, her beloved Dane deserved the best, and contemporary society tended to forgive less than savory behavior from its celebrities. So far, he had proven to be everything that was delightful and charming, without the arrogant e pectation of superiority. &ut of course, they had only 3ust met him.

%harlie held the door open for Dane, and then +li,abeth, waving them inside. +li,abeth almost missed the matching smirks etched across both his and Dane's faces when, as she crossed the threshold, time stopped* 't suddenly became very clear whose car she'd admired outside.

7)illiam

("(arcyG7

she

stuttered

breathlessly,

completely

forgetting

her

earlier

con3ectures. 4nable to tear her eyes away from her personal hero, it was all she could do not to stare outright. 7You brought me to dinner with )illiam (arcyG7

1e stood leaning stiffly against the corner of the bar at the back of the single"room restaurant, his ga,e fi ed vacantly in the general direction of the open kitchen, appearing to watch as the chef and his assistants swiftly worked. Although he held a pint in the hand that rested on the bar, it appeared untouched. +ven from across the room, +li,abeth could see that he gripped the glass with unnatural fierceness, as if it was the only anchor to his eBuanimity. And then suddenly, his severe ga,e met hers.

+mbarrassed to be caught staring, she colored and tore her eyes away from his an ious figure, forcing herself to take note of the room as a whole. Splashes of color and charming softness contrasted with industrial metal and stark edginess. Mne wall was painted a lighthearted turBuoise, while shelves behind the bar were a dark, elegant woodN the front window that spanned the entire face of the restaurant was sheathed in a filmy cream"colored sheer material. + posed piping crossed the warehouse ceiling, and the whole room was bathed in a soft yellow light that emanated from silver drops whose fi tures were wrapped in wire, shaped like fat silver ribbons.

And

the

whispers.

/ot the normal, white noise of a busy restaurant, but the hurried, secretive whispers of forbidden topics and furtive conversation. At any one moment, several heads were craned pseudo"surreptitiously towards the dark man at the bar.

A sudden rush of sympathy flooded +li,abeth's breast, and she was determined not to add to his discomfort. She would submerge her own e citement and try @although she might reasonably failA to treat him as any new acBuaintance.

As time returned to its normal cadence, the level of the whispers washing over the room rose dramatically, as if someone had leaned over to the stereo and yanked up the volume dial several notches. +li,abeth was painfully aware that this coincided with the diners' noticing their entrance, and that she was being scrutini,ed for the simple act of accompanying &aseball's &est %enterfielder to meet &aseball's &est ?hird &aseman. %harlie, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to the whole thing, and tripped gaily over to his teammate.

7)ill8 So glad you made it87 he e claimed, hardly bothering to keep his voice down. ?he look )illiam shot him was one of poisonous fury mi ed with pain. %harlie was never one to mind the attention of the crowds, so he never attempted to melt into the shadows. 6umping )illiam's hand with glee, he continued, at a decibel slightly more suited to private conversation, completing the introductions as a hostess led them to the booth in the corner.

7''d like you to meet Dane &ennet, and her sister, my new friend, +li,abeth.7

)ill

inclined

his

head

stoically,

not

much

in

the

mood

for

civility.

7't's an honor to meet you, 2r. (arcy. %harlie has told me so much about his very best friend,7 Dane began congenially.

7$ikewise, 2iss &ennet. 1e has been most adamant that ' meet you. 6lease, call me )ill.7

7?hen

call

me

Dane,

please,

)ill.7

%harlie launched into a blow"by"blow account of their trip to the restaurant, which would have been annoying if its teller had not been so uniformly good"natured. +li,abeth uncharacteristically could find very little to add, her own skills at conversing positively stymied by her earlier vow. )hat could she possibly talk about with a man about whom she knew so much, and yet didn't want to admit that familiarityG She kept her eyes trained on %harlie, forcing herself not to give in to her own curiosity.

?o her great surprise, every time she faltered and allowed her eyes to dart over to the face of the man who truly held her attention, she found him looking back at her. She blushed, disconcerted. ?he two hadn't even e changed words beyond the necessary greeting.

?aking advantage of a pause, +li,abeth decided it was time to make an attempt. 71ow long have you been in &oston, )illG7 1e startled, not e pecting her to address him.

1e cleared his throat. 74h* ' grew up here.7 'f he was going to elaborate, he showed no

indication of it. She would feel foolish asking him anything about his career, since she knew that he knew that she probably already knew the answers. 1arvard educated, leading the %rimson baseball team to four years of 'vy $eague championships, drafted out of college by the 6awtucket 5ed So , and moving Buickly up through 'A' level ball until he'd reached the 2a3or leagues a mere two years after his draft. Mver the past si years, he'd become an incredibly tactical and effective player and a leader among his teammates.==

?here was much that +li,abeth admired about him as a ballplayer and so, naturally, she found herself curious about his private life, although she feared that she might seem nosy if she asked personal Buestions. ?he man seemed to be on his guard enough already.

7So, uh, your family is from the &oston areaG7 ?o her mild surprise, she watched a strange look pass over his face, as if he was coming to a decision. 1is face set, and, taking a deep breath, he offered her a small smile.

72y ancestors were disillusioned members of the peerage who came over from +ngland and bought a farm north of the city before the 5evolution. ?hey were staunch patriots, and well respected. )e still live on the same estate, in the original manor house. 't's been moderni,ed, of course.7 She grinned, encouraged by his longer response and improving mood. %harlie, on the other hand, stopped mid sentence and stared at him with barely"concealed shock at the display of verbosity. +li,abeth pretended not to notice.

7Mf

course.

)eG7

72y

sister

and

'

are

all

that's

left.7

7''m

sorry

to

hear

that.7

7't's

been

that

way

for

long

time.

)e

make

do.7

71ow

old

is

sheG7

7Seventeen. She's 3ust into her senior year in high school, and starting to look at

colleges. ' remember how difficult it was for me, and ' had the help of my father, at least. 't's a good thing that, one way or the other, by the time she really starts the applications, the Season will be finished.7

?here. ?he sub3ect they'd been avoiding, the great +lephant sitting sBuarely in the middle of the table, had been breached, and by him, not her. 1er ne t step could sour their conversation dramatically if she wasn't careful.

/ot one to second"guess herself, +li,abeth relied on her tried and true wit and sense of humor to gloss over any awkwardness the sub3ect might cause. 7Ah, so ' hear you play sports for a living, )illiam. )hat is it you said, Dane dear,7 she said seriously, putting her hand on her sister's arm, 7.olfG7

't was all +li,abeth could do not to burst out laughing at the look of incredulity on )ill's face. She was sure he was well accustomed to people knowing e6actly who he was, for in addition to his incredible talent on the field, his face made him rather difficult to forget.

1e sputtered. 74h, no, +li,abeth,7 he laughed nervously, not daring to guess her motives, 7' play baseball.7

'f he had yet to catch the twinkle in her eye, her intentionally false voice made the 3oke plain, even to the rather obtuse 2r. (arcy. 75eally8 ' thought for sure golf. Anyway, baseball is a terribly boring sport, in my e alted opinion, all those men chasing the ball down the field, trying to score* what are they calledG ?ouch upsG7

%harlie laughed out loud then, knowing from Dane 3ust how much +li,abeth loved baseball. 7Mh no, $i,,y, you've got it all wrong. Basketball has touch ups, but baseball has runs. You know, with the diamond and the outfield and all that.7

7Mh, " remember now8 (idn't that 1ank Aaron guy break some big record this yearG ' think it was* hole"in"ones, rightG ?hey mentioned him on the news, like, all the time. 't got su)er annoying.7 Dane simply shook her head at $i,,y's antics, hoping that the twisted e pression on )illiam's face wasn't disgust. ===

'n fact, he was trying mightily not to erupt with the laughter that threatened to bubble up inside him, but at the 7hole"in"one7 comment he couldn't help it. .reat peals of

laughter rang out of his throat, deep and rich, but slightly hoarse, as if he hadn't had much practice at the art.

7'f only they'd give 1ank his record back87 )ill replied breathlessly, before dissolving into another round of hearty guffaws. $i,,y's mighty struggle to keep a straight face resulted in an undignified snort, and )ill, eyes gleaming with mirth, sent her a playful wink. %harlie actually dropped his spoon right into his soup, and little flecks of the chicken comfit broth splattered across the snowy tablecloth, but he paid it no mind.

$i,,y,

recovering

Buickly,

didn't

think

it

was

Buite

time

to

Buit.

7%harlie, have we shocked youG You look as if )ill sprouted wings and a tail and started hopping 'round the room singing '2y 1umps' at the top of his lungs.7====

Suddenly serious, %harlie glanced searchingly at his friend, who was still wiping away tears of glee from his eyes. ?hen he turned to +li,abeth. 7/o, it's simply that, well* ' haven't heard )ill laugh so much in a very long time. 1e*?hank you, $i,,y.7

/ot a little confused, she simply gave him an acknowledging nod, and an uneasy silence descended over the table, relieved only when their waitress brought out their entrees.

.ee, that seemed... almost pleasant8 )ell, dinner isn't over yet8 6lenty of time for )ill to stick his foot in it8

2aserati

.ran?urismo

=7(uck, (uck, .oose7 A famous +PMM entrQeH (uck %onfit, Seared (uck Foie .ras, Slices of .oose &reast, $entils, Perrill Farm's String &eans, Swiss %hard and Sherry " .inger Sauce* yum88

=='n baseball, once a player is drafted by a 2a3or league organi,ation, he plays in the 2inor leaguesH first in 7Single A7, then 7(ouble A7, and finally 7?riple A7 ball, before he can move up to play in either the /ational $eague or the American $eague. 2any players take a while to move up through the ranks of the minors, some never making it through. $ike any professional sport, its e tremely difficult to reach the top.

=== ?his year, to the great misfortune of the Sport of &aseball, &arry &onds of the San Fransico .iants broke 1ank Aaron's long"standing all"time career record of >;; home runs. &onds hit his >R#nd home run this season. 1e is currently facing criminal indictment for per3ury regarding steroid use. $ovely guy, &onds. Sblech8T

Mn an interesting note, the ball with which &onds hit his record"breaking home run will be branded with an asterisk before being donated to the 1all of Fame. &arry is whining like a little bitch about it, too.

Chapter

'o%r:

(asp)erry

an*

Lemon

C%r*

Tart

What am " doing here3 )ill thought, for the si th time since he walked through the doors of +PMM. 1e'd been there ten minutes already, and at any one time, half the dining room was craned around to peek hardly surreptitiously at the star leaning wearily against the bar. 1e'd ordered his beer out of politeness, though he hadn't tasted any of it. 'nstead, he clutched the glass in a vice grip that would be cramping his throwing arm if he paid enough attention to notice it.

't wasn't like )illiam never went out into publicH playing IR# games a year in front of crowds that topped !;,::: fans and watched by millions more on national television managed to rather neatly sidestep that particular tendency. 5ather, he hated being the center of attention for any reason other than his ball playing skills* when he was on the

field. Adoring fans at the gates were nearly as hateful as the random friendly citi,en who 3ust what was itG )anted to strike up a polite conversation with a strangerG 1adn't they 3ust sho#ed past a do,en other such willing members of society with whom to converseG &ut at least the fans that waited at the player's parking lot were honest in their obsessions.

)hen he had his choice and he most nearly always did )ill picked only restaurants that offered a private dining area for recogni,able personalities who wished only to spend a Buiet evening in the company of friends. %harlie, much to )ill's chagrin, could care less if half the city walked over to their table, interrupting dinner for an autograph, a handshake, and a photo op. And of course, %harlie had picked +PMM. Mr rather, this 2s. &ennet had picked +PMM, and considering its address, if the lack of private dining weren't bad enough, the food was probably greasy, une citing, and unhealthy.

1e'd been pleasantly surprised when he walked through the door. ?he dQcor was charming and tasteful, and from what he could see, the food looked elegant and delightfully eccentric. 1is itty"bitty, teeny sliver of hope was snapped in an instant, however, when the diners sensed his presence, and their attention was suddenly, irrevocably drawn to him, like the most helpless of flies imprisoned in a tractor beam.

7&eam

me

up,

Scotty,7

he

mumbled

miserably.

?rying to be as invisible as possible, he buried himself in the farthest corner of the bar and growled a curt 7Your best microbrew7 to the barman. And now, he would simply count the seconds until %harlie arrived and would hopefully distract him enough to keep the evening from becoming a complete disaster.

As the seconds crawled by, )ill began to fear that &ingley wouldn't show, losing himself in his new 7angel's heavenly eyes7 or simply showing up at some other restaurant, forgetting that he already had a reservation at +PMM. )ill fought the impulse to check his watch compulsively.

And then finally, finally %harlie practically pulled the door off his hinges as he yanked it open enthusiastically. 1e stepped aside, allowing through a very pretty blonde woman, as graceful and willowy as any woman to ever capture )ill's interest.

Damn

+harlie

and

his

luc7

?he blonde was forgotten in a second when a not"Buite"as"graceful, not"Buite"as"willowy, darker, se6ier version of the same features stepped out of the shadows of the storm entrance and into the warm glow of the restaurant.

+very

last

drop

of

moisture

in

)ill's

mouth

evaporated

in

an

instant.

)hen he came back to +arth enough to allow his more 6% senses to kick back in, )ill reali,ed that the gorgeous woman who sent his stomach somersaulting at a glance was staring right back at him. As he watched, he saw the familiar e pression of recognition pass over her features, but then, instead of the e pected interest and fame"greedy look that usually came ne t, the emotion on her countenance stunned him.

't

was

pity.

1er eyes swept the room in slight distaste at the patrons' obvious attention to )ill, and then, he watched as she sBuared her shoulders, and smiling at &ingley and 2iss &ennet, graciously following the pair to the table.

As %harlie broke away from their little group and came bounding over, )ill tried and failed to mask his horror at his friend's loud greeting. 1e reluctantly followed him to their corner table where %harlie made the necessary introductions. Dane appeared all that was polite and gracious, and frankly, she couldn't hold )ill's attention. 'nstead, every last particle of his being was drawn to the woman seated across from him as she waited patiently for Dane and )ill to finish their reBuired niceties before speaking.

&ut

when

she

did,

)ill

got

the

shock

of

his

life.

The

Bron63!

1e was so stunned by her heavy accent from the hateful borough that he nearly missed the content of her Buestion, and even then, was only able to stutter the merest of responses. She watched him e pectantly, clearly waiting for an elaboration, but his mind was racing. )hat was a girl who grew up in the heart to /ew York Yankee territory doing at a dinner with two of the stars of the 5ed So G &ingley had said that both girls were

true

&oston

fans,

but

something

here

3ust

didn't

add

up.

(etermined to get to the root of the mystery, his curiosity irrevocably aroused alongside another feeling he couldn't Buite define, )ill resolved to draw her out. 'gnoring his own flight instinct, and %harlie's obvious incredulity, he managed to carry on the beginnings of a real conversation about himself, no less8 with a complete stranger.

And then he slipped. 1e inadvertently mentioned the baseball season, and suddenly, their easy chat was at a crossroads. 1e'd broken his own number one rule the So were not to be mentioned to anyone who wasn't an intimate friend in any personal conversation. 1e hated how much being famous made him feel so unimportant.

&ut then*8 ?o turn it around on him like that* her feigned innocence mocking him, her eyes not Buite able to mask their own mischievous glint. 1e couldn't help it.

1e

laughed.

&ig, long, full"bellied laughs that caught the attention of all the people who had ever so slowly forgotten the presence of the celebrities and gone back to thinking about their own lives over dinner.

And

he

didn't

care.

?he conversation tripped along merrily through the soup and well into their artfully arranged and eBually tasty entrees. )ill, to his own surprise and %harlie's, had settled comfortably into the evening, and none present could remember having a more pleasant meal in a long time.

?he waitress busied herself around their table, removing dishes and chatting merrily as if

they were any four patrons in her little restaurant, offering coffee and dessert, chatting about the locally"grown ingredients and their brilliant chef. She took down the last of the after"dinner orders, and as she bustled away, )ill caught +li,abeth e changing an odd look with Dane.

?heir odd behavior triggered something deep in the recesses of )ill's brain, his most paranoid neurosis suddenly firing wisps of suspicious thought across his synapses at record speed. 1e suddenly remembered his first instincts she was too companionable, he was en3oying their conversation too much it was a new e perience, and suddenly, irrationally, he didn't trust it. (espite his better 3udgment to keep his mouth shut, to dismiss such unfounded suspicions, he turned back to +li,abeth.

7You're from the Bron6, ' believe, +li,abethG7 he asked, making only the smallest of attempts to mask the edge in his voice.

1er eyes widened, fearful. 7Yes, ' grew up there,7 she responded slowly, flicking a glance at Dane. She was edgeN )ill's wariness redoubled.

/o longer even bothering to hide his sarcastic tone, )ill pressed on. 7So how does one become a 5ed So fan, coming from /ew YorkG Your friends must give you such a hard

time about it87 1e regretted his words immediately, when, to his great surprise, her e pression tightened.

7Mne does not become a 5ed So

fan in /ew York, 2r. (arcy,7 she replied tonelessly.

.rabbing her bag, she whispered, 7+ cuse me7 and rushed away from the table.

%onfused, Dane shot %harlie a look of apology before following +li,abeth to the back.

)ill turned to e press his incredulity to his friend, and was surprised to see the fury on %harlie's normally placid mien. 1e hurried to defend his behavior, not a little confused at what had 3ust transpired. 7' 3ust* look, Dane and +li,abeth are both really lovely, but 7

7&utG )hat could possibly be said against themG ?hey're beautifulG ?hey have a sense of humorG ?hey like our baseball teamG7

7?hat's 3ust it. Something isn't sitting right with me* ?hey're from the Bron6 of all

places8 (oesn't that strike you as odd, that two women who grew up elbow"deep in Yankee fanaticism can profess a love for the 5ed So G7

7)hatG87 %harlie shook his head, as if trying to cast away this new and unpleasant )ill. 7)ait, you actually think these two charming women are trying to pull one over on usG7

7Mh, hell %harles, ' don't know8 't wouldn't be the first time someone wanted to know me only because ' was rich and famous and talented* team loyalty has never stood in the way of that before. ' don't like it. 6eople have motives in this world, %harlie. .reedy motives. 't's human nature* people have motives and /ew Yorkers hate the 5ed So . ' don't trust them.7

7.od, )ill, ' wouldn't be as suspicious and paranoid as you for all the )orld Series trophies there are. So she wasn't a So fan from the moment she was born8 )ho cares8 You were having a lovely evening. %an't you 3ust let it go for onceG7

7)hatever. ''ll be polite, but ' still don't trus oh, uh...7 1e finished lamely, cowing at the e pression of fury he saw in +li,abeth's eyes, her cheeks pale in anger.

7+ cuse me,7 she began coolly, forcing her anger into indifference, 7' had a lovely time, but ''ve got to be going. (on't worry about me walkingN ''ll 3ust hail a cab. ?hat's what all good /ew Yorkers do, rightG7 she spat, glaring at )ill, her hard"won control over her temper slipping momentarily. For %harlie, she had a genuine smile. 7?hanks for a nice evening, %harlie. ' hope we'll see each other soon. 6lease tell Dane that ''ll see her when she gets home.7 And without giving )ill so much as a nod, she whirled around and marched out the door.

Fuming, +li,abeth didn't even bother with the cab. ?he walk was short enough, and the brisk fall air helped cool the fury that managed to convert itself into actual heat radiating from her face. 1e'd hit a nerve to say that she was unbelie#ably angry was an

enormous understatement. )ho did he think he was, to pass 3udgment like thatG Dust because of her accentG ?rue, she'd been a Yankees fan once he didn't even know that and he'd pinned all kinds of evil motives on her without a second thought.

She thought back to what she'd heard. 1e hadn't taken the trouble of lowering his voice, so even in the busy restaurant, she could hear him clearly from several steps away.

84" don9t like it' :eo)le ha#e moti#es in this world, +harlie' ;reedy moti#es' "t9s human nature4 )eo)le ha#e moti#es and *ew ,orkers hate the <ed 5o64 "9ll be )olite, but " still don9t trust them4 8

At least she could e cuse %harlie for standing up for them, but oh8 She was infuriated.

Actually, +li,abeth couldn't decide what bothered her more, his words, or the fact that she was so sure that the handsome third baseman had truly en3oyed their conversation, at least until he'd turned the whole thing into an inBuisition. 1is accusations dredged up painful memories clearly, she had not come to terms with her past as well as she'd hoped. And then, to find out so cruelly that )ill (arcy was simply good at faking his interest bruised her ego more than a little and shattered her ideals of him as a player.

" ho)e it hurts a lot when he falls off his )edestal, she thought bitterly'

$i,,y made it back to her own door in record time, her anger carrying her feet swiftly over the uneven brick sidewalk old as the city. ?ossing her keys ne t to the coffee machine where she'd find them in the morning, she leaned heavily on the countertop, dropping her face in her hands. ?he fire igniting her indignation had mostly burned out with her walkN the last embers smoldered weakly in her breast so that she hardly noticed them. )hen she could barely suppress the yawn that surfaced, fighting its way up through her chest and wracking her body with fatigue, she slowly straightened her spine and shuffled off to bed, flipping light switches as she walked.

As she crawled between the sheets, crisp from the air blowing in gently from her open window, her last waking thought was of the handsome face of the man who incensed her with so few words. She wondered why she suddenly felt no anger towards him at all, only a deep, ine plicable sadness.

Chapter

'ive:

+orl*

Series,

Game

One

At first, it was righteous indignation. 1ow dare she storm out of the restaurant like that, in full view of every ?om, (ick, or bloody 1arry in &oston, hardly caring who overheard, how embarrassed he wasG ?he last thing he needed was for this to end up in the papers.

&ut as the night grew older, and the room came slowly back into focus, he reali,ed that he'd been out of line. )ho was he to say that she wasn't allowed to support the 5ed So , regardless of where she was bornG ?hat's what it meant 5ed So *ation wasn't itG

And it wasn't as if he regularly went around accusing all /ew Yorkers who happened to be So fans of sinister intentions. 1is customary caution in meeting new people was

often construed as defensive, but his reaction to +li,abeth wasn't 3ust customary caution. Something about this woman burrowed deep under his defenses and lodged itself there, refusing to release him. 't set him on edge. 5eally, it freaked him out.

And then, a stroke of genius8 A frantic search for his cell phone ensued, resulting in a rather violent self"induced shake down before his scotch"soaked brain remembered that he'd tossed it down with his keys when he had stomped through the door. Stumbling into the foyer, he punched %harlie's number on speed dial, paying no heed to the lateness of the hour.

right

mind

would

call

this

late3

%ello3 7

7%haarliee87

7Will43

Will,

are

you

O237

7/nno.

&ut

you

can

help

me.

1elppp

mmmeeG7

75ure,

what

can

"

do

for

you3 7

7+llli,,y's phone nnumberr. ' should apppologi,,e. ' wass vvvery rude to herrr.7

7,eah, you were a right ass' But don9t you think you ought to wait until morning3 7

7)aitG Mf coooourse ''ll wait. 't'sss unpad"pad" )ardonably rude to calll someone ssso late87 %harlie chuckled, careful to cover his cell's microphone. )ill must be as drunk as he sounded to be so oblivious.

7Ok, as long as you )romise to wait until morning' 5he9s mad enough as it is' 7

)ill held it together long enough to copy down the phone number in a shaky scrawl, and barely suppressing a yawn, ended the call with little more than a curt 7/ight87 and dragged himself to his huge and suddenly very empty bed.

Tuesday,

October

23

)ill awoke to the brutal pounding of a migraine and a miserable sensitivity to motion and bright light. .roaning, he tried in vain to recall the events that followed his return to his &ack &ay apartment, only to find that he remembered nothing beyond the first bottle. Suddenly, he reali,ed that the fingers of his right hand were still curled tightly, and that a cramp had developed in his forearm. 1is face burnedH healthy and natural it may be, but he hated the implications of needing such self"pleasures.

&ut what's thisG A scrap of paper was crushed in his fist. So he hadn't*G %onfused and unable to recall writing anything down, he smoothed it out as best he could, sBuinting to read the scribbled phone number, barely legible. All at once, the later events of his night came flooding back. >li?abeth. 1e shook his head at his own weakness, his failure to keep his wits in the face of a pair of brilliant eyes and a lithe figure, and his own unfailing ability to let his own fears to ruin what would have otherwise been a lovely, normal evening out. 1e felt a warmth low in his belly 3ust thinking of the passion in her fiery temper, ine plicably aroused by the remembrance of being the ob3ect of her ire. A shower would clear his mind not to mention a cup of strong black coffee. )ill was sure +li,abeth would disappear from his life as Buickly and abruptly as she had entered it.

4nfortunately, the shower held no such respite from the mess of guilt, curiosity, lust, and warmth swirling around his brain. ?oweling off, he slipped into his plush terrycloth robe, and plopped down on his bed, staring at her number on his phone's screen, willing it to make his decision for him.

%allG

(on't

callG

1e

hardly

knew.

1e sucked in one last steadying breath, and then, before he could change his mind, hit 7Send.7

't rang and rang for what seemed like ages, and 3ust as )ill thought he would be forced to leave a message, the voice of a breathless +li,abeth crackled in his nervous ear.

7,eah37

1e cleared his throat, hoping that would prevent it from closing on him completely. 7+" +li,abethG 4h, 2iss &ennetG7

7This

is

she'

"9m

sorry,

who9s

this3 7

She

was

clearly

in

hurry.

.reat.

74h,

this

is

)ill

(arcy.

',

uh,

'

wanted

to

say

She

gasped.

7Will Darcy! " = oh no' " can9t talk to you, not now' "9m sorry' ;oodb = 7

7/o8 )ait* please.7 She said nothing, but )ill took heart from the absence of a dial tone. 7' wanted* ' want to apologi,e. For last night. ' was unaccountably rude* ' should never have said those about you.7 She sighed heavily.

7" a))reciate your a)ology and am ha))y to grant you the forgi#eness you seek' "9m sorry but " really must g = 7

7$et me make it up to you. 6lease. ' would be honored if you would take my P'6 seats for )ednesday's game* and perhaps allow me to apologi,e in person afterwardsG7 1e waited an iously for her reply, the ticking of his watch in sync with the pounding of her heart.

7@s much as " a))reciate the kind offer, " cannot acce)t it' 7 )ill felt as if the fragile walls of his chest caved in, disappointment sending his heart tumbling down from his throat to his stomach. She continued, 7"9m sorry if my selfishness in not allowing you to fully e6)ress your regrets is in any way )ainful to you, but " = you must understand my that doing so would be ina))ro)riate at this )oint' 7 She paused again, and )ill heard a plaintive e hale from her end of the line.

7;oodbye,

Mr'

Darcy,7

she

concluded

briskly,

and

hung

up.

)ill resisted the urge to hurl his cell phone against his bedroom wall. 't didn't make any sense even if she wasn't interested in knowing him purely for his fame and money, any true fan ought to 3ump at the chance to sit as a guest of a player in some of the best seats at Fenway8

?aking a deep breath to calm his indignation, he remembered why she had been so angry the night before, and reminded himself that it was his fault entirely. 1e'd interpreted her silent communications to her sister as sinister and allowed his poor e periences with 7friends7 who'd taken advantage of his position in the past to unfairly color his impressions of new friends. +li,abeth had every reason to think poorly of him, and her refusal of his offer and disinterest in pursuing his acBuaintance proved !ust how wrong he was in his assumptions.

Fine. 'f she wasn't interested, he'd find a way to forget her. ?hey probably wouldn't ever cross paths again, unless %harlie maintained his relationship with her sister. ?hen they'd have to meet as indifferent acBuaintances, for the sake of the others, but since they hardly knew one another, it wouldn't be too difficult a task* rightG

For her part, +li,abeth was baffled. She'd lied to )ill if she'd received his call a day before, she would have been convinced she'd gone off the deep end and had herself committed. &ut today, her reality included refusing P'6 seats to the )orld Series opener

from

the

captain

of

her

beloved

5ed

So .

/ot that she didn't regret it* and had been mightily tempted to accept the upgrade, as she already had tickets to the game, but her seats were far out in the left"field bleachers, as cheap as she could find for the Series. )ell, if nothing else, her refusal ought to convince 2r. ?oo"?ight"So acBuaintance that she had no designs evil or otherwise for using his for personal benefit.

As heartfelt as )ill's apology had been, a lingering hurt remained. 1is remarks had really hit her in her weak spotH she'd faced constant censure for her 7disloyalty7, from &ostonians and /ew Yorkers alike. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much more coming from )ill, and if she were honest with herself, she knew she'd overreacted to his comments. She 3ust wasn't ready to confront the reasons why.

'f anything, +li,abeth had felt compelled to refuse )ill's offer because accepting it would put her in his debt, and it would have definitely reBuired her to face him again. At least now, she could be sure that his accusations had been countered completely she wasn't looking for an 7in7 with the team to take advantage of the free tickets or to take advantage of him personally. Friendship didn't come with an ulterior motive, and in that, +li,abeth was unbending. She was trapped in the irony she couldn't accept his gesture without proving his accusations correct. 't was a shame, really, she thought, remembering how wonderful it had been to watch him smile warmly and laugh at her 3ests at dinner. 't was 3ust as well, she supposed, since they'd likely not meet again, unless Dane and %harlie became serious. ?hen, she supposed, they'd have to get along as indifferent acBuaintances, for the sake of the others.

She attempted to put the incident from her mind entirely, burying herself in a mound of tedious paperwork left over from her most recent assignment. She was very nearly successful, until her colleague and dear friend %harlotte dragged her off for a lunch break, chattering e citedly about their incredible luck in landing tickets for )ednesday's game.

Wednesday,

October

24

+li,abeth closed her eyes and soaked it all in the euphoria, the an iety, the drunkenness, the anticipation all of it swirling through the air and surrounding her with the aroma of hot dogs and popcorn and beers in every e cited hand. ?he )orld Series8 1er first one* and such inner turmoil she could never have predicted.

She'd been trying and failing to take her mind off of )ill since his call that morning. 'f his accusations had been strange and illogical, her reaction to him was even more so. Yes, he'd managed to get under her skin, unsurprising since she admired his talent so much, and could only have been disappointed to see her hero tarnished by the stain of reality. &ut still, it was unlike her to have been so begrudging when he called to offer a truce.

She was no closer to settling it in her mind when %harlotte returned from her trek to replenish their supply of &udweiser. ?he game was only through the fourth inning, and the 5ed So were winning R runs to I. ?he match"up hardly seemed fair. &oston's team

was a collection of titansH storied players with years of e perience alongside young dynamos who were predicted to have legendary careers. Mpposite them, the 6ugs were a team short in history and low on e perience, whose incredible momentum from winning #I of the final ## games was sBuashed when they'd been forced to take an eight"day layoff between the $eague %hampionship and the )orld Series. ?he 6ugs had never been to the Series, whereas &oston, fresh from its unbelievable comeback to triumph over the Yankees, was a great teem steeped in history and seemingly unstoppable.=

7You know, if you keep that e pression for too long, your face will free,e that way,7 %harlotte teased, handing $i,,y her beer as she slid into her seat. 7You look like you're at a planning meeting or something.7

7''m 3ust*7 She paused, searching for the words that would e plain what she felt. 7' dunno. ' feel like ''ve been living in an alternate universe for the past two days.

+verything seems so normal right now, watching the So play, and that's great. &ut then ' remember ' spoke to William Darcy on the phone. This morning. And ' re!ected him.7 She shook her head, willing the 3umble of her thoughts to order themselves into something comprehendible.

7Yeah,

$ady,

''m

seriously

3ealous.

And

'

think

you're

nuts87

+li,abeth laughed. 7Yeah right, ' know. ' mean, what kind of sane person would turn down P'6 seats to the )orld Series opener, no matter how much he confused herG7 %harlotte cocked her head, searching +li,abeth's face for* something. She wasn't entirely sure what, but she knew there must be more to the story than $i,,y was willing to admit.

7)as

he

really

so

badG7

sigh.

7/o, and that's the part that bothers me. 1e was so* pleasant. And then we ordered coffee, and all of a sudden, he was like an entirely different person. An asshole. And rude, and suspicious, and blaming, and all sorts of things ' would have never e pected after talking with him half the night.7

71e

apologi,ed,

+.7

7' know. ' know. And ' accepted his apology. &ut besides, ' already had tickets for the game.7

7You could have told him that8 And besides, how cool would that upgrade have beenG87

7't hit a little too close to home, M-G (o you know how much shit ' get for being a convertG For having once supported the YankeesG 6eople doubt my loyalties all the time, and to be honest, ' can understand what they're saying. And it 3ust makes it all so much worse that (arcy is the reason why ' became a So fan. 1aving him call that into

Buestion* ' couldn't handle it. ' flipped. &esides, ' didn't want to owe him anything. ?hat would 3ust prove what he was saying all along. /o, it's better this way.7

%harlotte could think of no appropriate response to that, and they turned their attention back to the game. .eorge -nightly, &oston's ace starting pitcher, was making mincemeat

of the 6ug's struggling offensive lineup. ?hey hadn't scored, other than one lone run, way back in the second inning. ?he 3ubilation in Fenway was tangible.

)atching )ill (arcy interact with his teammates through her binoculars, $i,,y couldn't help but be entranced by the sense of calm he e uded and the respect he commanded from the other players and the staff. %harlotte was right )ill had apologi,ed. ?hough she hadn't allowed him to e plain himself, he probably had a reasonable e planation for his insulting words. 1e had apologi,ed, and she had forgiven him. Forgive and forget* /ot that she'd ever forget meeting her hero, especially when he proved so decidedly that he was, in fact, human, sub3ect to the same faults and vices of human nature as she8

She could again be the ardent fan of the 5ed So

team, unencumbered by feelings of

guilt and confusion towards its captain. "t9s !ust a game, and he9s !ust another )layer, albeit a ca)ti#ating one'

1aving made peace with herself regarding (arcy, $i,,y was content to focus on the game unfolding on the field, her mood buoyant and moving towards bliss as -nightly struck out Frankie %hurchill on five pitches, and DD ?horpe hit a rocket to left, where 1enry ?ilney made a spectacular diving catch for the third out to end the inning.

7You know, %har, ' think sports events are the only time when people complain about doing too well,7 $i,,y giggled, not meaning a word. 7' mean, sure, ' want to win as much as the ne t fan, but a little competition would be nice87

7Mh, yes, ' 3ust lo#e the stress of a close game,7 %harlotte replied drolly. 72y fingernails always fare so well87 $i,,y only laughed harder, knowing that %harlotte's hard work at creating a pretty manicure had been completely wrecked during the A$%S, when it took the So all seven games to beat the Yankees and she'd chewed her nails down to nubs.

Si

runs, unfortunately for the /ampa 6ugs, were not the end of their troubles. ?he

bottom of the fifth inning was an all"out scoring e travagan,a for &ostonH 5D Fit,william led off the batting order, and the slaughter didn't stop until he had scored twice, the entire team having come up to the plate in the meantime. )hen the smoke had cleared and the body count completed, the 5ed So had racked up seven runs, bringing the

score to I! to I. (espite her earlier words, $i,,y and %harlotte had screamed themselves hoarse, hardly daring to believe that their beloved team was not only winning .ame Mne,

but

trouncing

the

6ugs.

8That,7 %harlotte cried happily, after the 6ugs had finally managed to end the inning, 7calls for another round8 )ho wants a &udG7 she shouted to the section. A half do,en euphoric &ostonians took her up on the offer, and the rest of the game was one big party in the cheap seats.

Chapter

Si,:

-n

+hich

Li..y

'or/ives

Completely

?he whole city of &oston was e hilarated what a way to kick off the )orld Series8 $i,,y, %harlotte, and most of Section <# out in 5ight Field stayed and celebrated after the game ended. ?he ? from -enmore would be hot and crowded for a while yet, and the ladies felt no rush to abandon their new friends. Some guy named Pittorio from the /orth +nd had brought a radio to listen to the radio call of the game, and after the So had run away

with it in the ;th, he switched on 2ike F2 @7)e play everything87A and the bleachers had turned into a dance party discothUBue. )inded and laughing, $i,,y and %harlotte bounced and sang and danced with the other fans while the ushers shook their heads in wonder and waited for these silly fans to head home.

)ith a start, they reali,ed the time it had been a long game, and it was now nearing midnight. Sighing with happiness, the girls gathered their personali,ed So messenger

bags, shoving in their team logo fleece blankets and bags of peanuts, and headed towards the ballpark gates. ?hey e ited out onto Pan /ess Street, staggering along ne t to the stadium through the thinning crowd of drunken revelers.

%harlotte snorted as she stumbled over a tiny crack in the sidewalk, her body swaying dangerously, and $i,,y reached out to steady her. Although she wasn't faring much better herself, $i,,y was more euphoric from the win than into icated from alcohol.

7$i,,, we sshould have taken the $andssdowne Strreet gate. /now we have to walk aaaalll the way arooouund the Fenway87 %harlotte slurred.

All of this seemed very funny to $i,,y, who couldn't seem to control her own giggles. 7Mops*oops, whoops. Silly silly us,7 she added, wisely. 7Yawkey Street is stillll nice87

7Yawkey

)ay,

$i,,y8

'tiiisss

verry

important

to

get

it

right87

As they reached the corner of Pan /ess and Yawkey, %harlotte decided to use the curb as a balancing beam, and nearly fell into the street.

7%har8 &e caareful87 $i,,y shrieked, grabbing at her friend and helping her up 3ust as a sleek black S4P pulled out of the player's lot and onto the road. 't stopped inches from where %harlotte had been 3ust seconds before.

7Moh8 ' almost got killed87 %harlotte sBuealed, dissolving into cascades of laughter.

&ut +li,abeth was fro,en stock still, her eyes as wide as saucers, staring past %harlotte at the owner of the S4P.

7$i,,yG7

7)illiam.7 +li,abeth didn't feel the least bit drunk anymore. 'gnoring %harlotte's indelicate gasp, $i,,y absently dropped %harlotte's arm and stared at where )illiam (arcy was standing stupidly outside his running vehicle, its door wide open, in the middle of the street.

7You're here87 1e blinked, incredulous, wondering if he was hallucinating the presence the woman to whom he had silently dedicated his every play that night.

7Yes, that seems to be the case,7 she responded softly, with a faint smile, although without any hint of malice remaining from their previous conversation.

7Forgive

me,

but

you

said

you

couldn't

7Yes, ' know. &ut ' already had tickets with %harlotte here. Mh, and by the way, %har, this is )illiam (arcy, in case you didn't notice. )ill, my dear friend %harlotte $ucas.7 )hile %harlotte pumped his hand rather more vigorously than necessary, )ill turned back to +li,abeth.

7So

you

were

3ust

7' didn't want to accept them. ' couldn't, don't you seeG &ut, um, )ill*7 She stopped,

unsure if she ought to proceed. &ut with her recent resolution, she was left with something she could not define. 7' should have been honest with you and for that ''m sorry. ' do appreciate the offer.7

7You should know ' don't really believe that your motives are, uh, in any way sinister. ' was so out of line* ' don't really know why ' said it at all. ' mean, ' do* but it was stupid.7 1e hung his head, remorse written plainly over his features. $i,,y put a comforting hand on his arm, smiling, and he started at her touch. 1is glance shot up to meet her own, a tentative grin spread across his face, and neither seemed to be able to look away.

Suddenly reali,ing that she was touching )ill's arm, $i,,y felt herself grow warm at the contact. 7Yeah, it did seem rather melodramatic, don't you thinkG7 she teased. 1e tossed back his head and laughed, the same beautiful, rich peals of mirth that $i,,y found so charming at dinner. She basked in it, and for some reason she wasn't sure she was ready to e amine, she glowed with happiness in the knowledge that he found her funny. She was confident, however, that his fame had no part in it.

A flashbulb went off, and they suddenly became very aware that a small crowd had gathered, drawn to the laughter of their darling and the charming lady with whom he shared his amusement. )ill grimaced, reali,ing that they could not continue their conversation where they stood. .lancing at %harlotte, now hanging uncertainly onto the handle of the 2ercedes to keep herself upright, )illiam shrugged regretfully to +li,abeth before offering a small wave and smile to the curious onlookers. 1is obligation to his admirers dispatched, he turned his widening grin back to $i,,y.

7$i,,y +li,abeth. ' would love to continue this conversation elsewhere* can ' take you for a drink, or some foodG7 1e looked so hopeful, his eyes searching her face for some hint, so vulnerable to her whims that her heart melted. &ut she had to work in the morning, and %harlotte needed to get home to bed.

Sighing, she glanced sadly at her watch. 7' can't. ' want to, but ' can't, not tonight. ''ve got to get up in the morning. &ut maybe* 7 She trailed off, looking straight into his eyes, willing for him to understand that she wasn't re3ecting him outright. 1e looked disappointed, but the hope hadn't gone out of his e pression. 1e smiled softly, the corners of his lips curving up gently, pointing to his newly revealed dimples.

7$et me at least call you a carG7 She nodded, her heart light with anticipation. 1e reached into his idling car and pulled out his phone, pressing a single number before raising it to his ear.

7&enny, can you send Sam over with a car pleaseG7 1e paused, listening to the response on the other end. 7?hanks, &enny,7 he said, and snapped his phone shut.

)ill turned back to +li,abeth, his heart rate refusing to return to normal. 71e'll be here in 3ust a few minutes.7 ?aking a deep breath, he pressed on, 7+li,abeth, perhaps ' shouldn't ask again, but*7 1e offered a sheepish grin that she couldn't help but return. 7'f you're free, ' would be honored for you to sit in my seats tomorrow night. ' can't offer one to your friend, though,7 he glanced to %harlotte again with genuine apology, 7since my sister will be sitting in my other seat, and ' only have the two. &ut Ferry doesn't usually use both, since 2rs. Ferrars usually comes alone, and his seats are ne t to mine, so ' can ask if he'll give me the other so 2iss $ucas can come too*G7 1e trailed off uncertainly.

$i,,y

giggled.

She

couldn't

help

it.

7You don't have to ask 2r. Ferrars for his seat, since %harlotte is busy tomorrow. &ut,7 she spoke Buickly to relieve his obvious an iety, 7''m free, and ' would love to accept your offer.7 1is entire face lit up upon hearing her response. )ith the warmth of his ga,e enveloping her, $i,,y thought he was even more handsome than before.

7.reat8 ''m sure .eorgie will love you, and +linor, er, +ddy Ferrars' wife, is very sweet.7

7You're cuuuute when you're nervous, )ill (arcy87 %harlotte's voice broke through the moment, and both of them blushed. )ill let out a nervous laugh, and he looked supremely grateful when a town car pulled up ne t to them. ?he young man behind the wheel, identified by )ill as &en3amin 5eynolds' eldest son, rolled down the window, grinning.

71iya,

2r.

(8

6a

said

you

needed

me

to

drive

somebody

homeG7

)ill leaned into the window, addressing his e uberant young employee with an indulgent smile. 71ey, Sammy. ' need you to take 2iss &ennet and her friend home, please.7

7Mk8

Sure,

&oss87

7?hanks, Sammy.7 1e opened the door, gallantly helping an unsteady %harlotte into the car. 1e walked around to the other side, glancing at +li,abeth so she would follow. 1e opened the door and she stepped inside, looking back at him Buestioningly when he stood holding it, seemingly lost in thought.

7)illiamG

You'll

have

to

close

that

so

we

can

go*7

1e sputtered, not reali,ing 3ust how long he'd been stalling. She interrupted, 7' can't thank you enough. ''m so e cited about tomorrow, and 7

7)ill you have lunch with me tomorrowG7 he blurted out suddenly. She stared at him, caught completely unprepared. 7' mean, you don't have to, if it's too much, but ' 3ust wanted to, and so ' thought 7

7Yes.7

that

you

might

be

interested

too,

and

whatG7

7Yes,

''d

love

to

have

lunch

with

you.7

7Mh. 4m* ok8 .ood, great. ''m glad. ''ll uh, ''ll call you* tomorrow. 'n the morning, and, we can settle a time and place. 5ight. Yes, tomorrow.7

7.oodnight,

)ill.7

7.oodnight,

+li,abeth.7

As they drove away, +li,abeth craned her body around instinctively, drawn by the need to watch out the back window at )ill's shrinking form. She could hardly believe what had 3ust happened. $unch, with )illiam (arcy, who, to top it all off, was acting like a nervous schoolboy in asking.

As they rounded a corner, she settled back into the cushions of the seat, leaning her

head against the doorframe, unable to keep the grin off her face. She was so tired* and yet, she had a strange feeling of contentment, as if she were wrapped in a warm, soft blanket, comforting, and soothing. +li,abeth closed her eyes, hardly daring to wonder at the emotions. Somewhere, in the deepest reaches of her consciousness, +li,abeth sensed that something had changed in her life, and it might 3ust be the most important thing to ever happen to her.

Thursday !i"abeth#s

October o$$ice on

25, %hurch Street

10:07 in

AM %a&brid'e

7+li,abeth

&ennet.7

7%ey!7 ?he voice on the line was high"pitched and breathy, nervous. And a man's. Said man cleared his throat, and made another attempt, this time, his voice the rich, oo,ing baritone that made +li,abeth's stomach leap. 7 %ey, >li?abeth' "t9s Will'7

She grinned, unable to stop herself. 71i )ill8 1ow are you this morningG7 %harlotte dropped the 6eople she was reading and stared at +li,abeth, wide"eyed. She gesticulated wildly, pointing to the phone and to $i,,y and making stupid 7lovey"dovey7 faces until $i,,y rolled her eyes and swung her chair around to face into her desk* where, hopefully, certain ea#esdro))ing co7workers couldn't hear her conversation.

7"9m great! " was !ust calling you to find out a good time for lunch' Would noon be alright37

7/oon sounds perfect. 1ey )ill, did you pick a place alreadyG &ecause there are some

fantastic restaurants ''ve always wanted to try, and have never been able to find an occasion.7

7Uh4 as a matter of fact, " had, and " was ho)ing it could be a sur)rise' 7

7?hat's 3ust fine8 .reat, actually,7 she replied, hoping he didn't mistake her tone for disappointment. She wasn't his company was more important than that food. She thought maybe she ought to tell him that he was the only necessary element, but she hesitated. ?hat still seemed too forward she hardly knew him8 So she stayed silent, waiting for his response.

7;ood, good' Ok, um, are you going to take the T3 Where are you coming from3 7

7' work here in 1arvard SBuare, so taking the 5ed $ine is usually the way to go for me. %an ' meet you at a stop somewhereG7

7:ark

5treet

is

)erfect'

"9ll

be

waiting

on

the

+ommon

side' 7=

7Alright,

6ark

Street

station,

noon.

''ll

be

there87

75ee

ya,

Li??y!7

7&ye,

)ill.7

11:3(

AM

7Shit87

+li,abeth had spent the morning distractedly .oogling reports on the previous night's game, having resigned herself to a total inability to be productive, and completely lost track of the time. Shutting her computer down and grabbing her purse and 3acket, she 3umped out of her chair and ran at warp speed out of the office into the coatroom of their third"floor suite.

6ausing in front of the mirror, $i,,y swept a nervous hand to smooth her hair and dashed on a bit of lip balm to combat the dry fall weather. .lancing down at her pretty but casual patterned skirt, blouse, and a se y black tu edo vest she'd added for flair, her stomach lurched in a momentary panic. )hat if )ill was taking her to some e pensive restaurant, where 7business casual7 was underdressedG &ut recalling the time, she frowned, hoping her outfit wouldn't be terribly inappropriate for wherever they went.

She slipped on the thin linen 3acket, once more glad that &oston had been granted perfect, warm weather for the Fall %lassic, and with one final glance at her reflection, she ran out the door.

Chapter
Thursday, )oon

Seven:

+orl*

Series,
October

Game

Two
25

+li,abeth lifted her face up into the golden warmth of the autumn sun as she rose on the escalator out of the 6ark Street ? station. ?he /ew Yorker in her appreciated the benefits of a large idyll in the middle of a bustling city into which one could escape the noise and traffic. ?he &ostonian in her loved how easily accessible the &oston %ommon wasH she could hop on the ? in 1arvard and in I: minutes step right out onto the %ommon for a long, contemplative walk in the middle of her day. ?oday, however, the beauties of the %ommon were not her destination.

)ill was greeted with the vision of +li,abeth's upturned face radiating in the warm fall light, her eyes closed, as the escalator carried her towards him. 'gnoring the stares and whispers of the small knot of people that was beginning to gather nearby, he moved forward, catching +li,abeth's arm gallantly as she stepped off the escalator.

71i )ill,7 she said softly, a gentle smile causing tenderness to well up within his heart. )ith pleasure and relief, she took note of his snug"fitting 3eans and wine"colored sweater, thankful that he was as casually dressed as she. 6ulling off her 3acket, she allowed the sunshine to seep into her bare arms, lu uriating in the lasting mild weather.

71i yourself,7 he replied in kind, and she wondered when in the last day his very presence had begun to bring about such a sense of 3oy. 7%ome on. ' think you'll like what ''ve got in mind.7 1er arm was still entwined with his as they began to walk, a charming throwback to the days of chivalry and propriety.

1e led her westward into the %ommon, along one of the several paths laced across the grass.

71ave you ever been skating on the Frog 6ondG7 she asked, nodding her head towards the still"watery attraction to their right. 7' used to go to the pond in %entral 6ark once a year, with my family, but ' haven't been to this one yet.7

1e grinned. 7' take .eorgie every %hristmas. 4h,7 he colored, suddenly embarrassed.

7.o on,7 she encouraged, 3abbing him playfully in his ribs. )ill shrugged, resigned to his own aristocratic past.

7't sounds so elitist now8 +very year, my father would have the pond closed on %hristmas morning so that .eorgie, my mom and ' could come skate together. 1e* um, the company that runs the Frog 6ond skating enterprise is part of a family of businesses owned by the (arcys. ' continue to do it for .eorgie, since the tradition always meant so much to us.7 1e looked nervously to +li,abeth, who was watching him curiously.

7' don't think it sounds elitist, )ill. Your dad had the means to do something special for his family, and so he did it. And you have continued to do so because it makes your sister happy. ' don't think that should ever be a cause of shame.7

?hey reached %harles Street, and crossed from the %ommon into the &oston 6ublic .ardens, chatting amicably about their surroundings.

7(id you know that the %ommon and the 6ublic .ardens are part of a chain of twelve

parks, called the +merald /ecklaceG7 +li,abeth asked, 7?he whole thing is seven miles long, starting with Franklin 6ark and including Damaica 6ond, the Arboretum, the Fens, and a few others, and then ending at the %ommonG Fredrick $aw Mlmsted was the architect, the same man who designed %entral 6ark.7

)ill looked at +li,abeth wide"eyed. 1e'd lived in the &oston area his whole life, and never had known it the way +li,abeth did. She was someone so incredibly different and special, and he had almost chased her away with his own stupidity. 1e didn't know her well, but he could tell that she was the kind of person who was incapable of feeling less, who, when she gave her heart, she gave all of it.

7)hatG7 she asked, growing uncomfortable with his silence and having no way to read his thoughts.

7't's 3ust that* well, you continue to ama,e me. ' had no idea about this /ecklace thing, and ''ve lived in &oston for my whole life. &ut you you li#e &oston, you don't 3ust live here.7

7'

thank

you.

'

don't

really

know

what

to

say.7

&ut +li,abeth was saved from needing to respond by their arrival for lunch. ?hey stopped, standing ne t to the Swan 6ond on a little grassy bank shaded by a large willow. From their spot ne t to the water, they had a lovely view of the stone and o idi,ed copper suspension bridge. 7?he world's smallest suspension bridge in the country's first public garden87 +li,abeth gleefully informed )ill, who turned to turned e pectantly, waiting.

71ereG7 she asked, confused. 1is sly grin stayed put on his face as he waited for the revelation to sink in. ?hen, she spotted the basket, nestled ne t to the trunk of the willow. 7A picnic8 ?hat's* oh )ill, this is wonderful87

+li,abeth clapped her hands together in childlike delight, completely charmed by his creativity. 5ecovering herself, she helped him spread out the blanket that sat waiting on top of the basket, and looked on as he pulled out a selection of cheese, fruit, bread, finger sandwiches, a bottle of #::! -ongsgaard %hardonnay, and two stemless glasses.

7+verything

looks

beautiful,

)ill.7

For more than two hours, they lu uriated in one another's company and the company of good food. )illiam wondered at the uncanny similarities they shared in something as simple as cheese they both loved the &rie studded with cranberries and walnuts and the pine nut and pesto provolone on dark wheat crackers, nearly to the e clusion of anything else )illiam had brought. 2unching on pieces of sliced green apple and crusty rolls, he watched +li,abeth savor her glass of wine, having limited himself to 3ust the one. 7''ve got a game to play,7 he said simply, and she understood.

At a lull in the conversation, +li,abeth glanced over to see a frown form on his brow. 1e seemed troubled by something, and their frank tVte"W"tVte that afternoon had allowed her an enlightening glimpse into his world. She instinctually comprehended his hatred for the pettiness of his celebrity, and her increasing understanding fed her desire to smooth away his troubles with a gentle touch.

7A penny for your thoughtsG7 she asked, reclining against the trunk of the willow.

1e

chuckled

sadly,

reigning

in

his

wandering

mind.

7Am

'

so

obviousG7

$i,,y gave him a little half"shrug in response. 7You may or may not have been staring at the same nondescript point in the distance for the last minute or so.7

7Ah, well, then ' suppose you've caught on to me.7 1e'd been sitting with his legs outstretched, and, pulling them in, he twisted around to face her directly. 76erhaps ' should 3ust let it lie, but ' can't stop thinking about how stupid ' was on 2onday. ' wanted to apologi,e, again 7

7/o,

please,

)ill,

don't.

'

promise

it's

in

the

past87

7' can't let it go, though, at least not until ''ve e plained myself. ' think ' owe you that, at least* and ' want you to understand.7 't was +li,abeth's turn to look away, and when she didn't say anything, he continued, 72y words were* thoughtless. ' guess you could say that ''ve become supersensitive to people's reactions to who ' am, not 3ust as a ballplayer, but also because of my family's position and wealth. ?ime after time, old acBuaintances and new have gone to great lengths to take advantage of what they see

as

an

opportunity

for

some

sort

of

sick

personal

gain.

7't always starts with tickets to games or small favors like getting a ball signed by one of my teammates or calling them over to the stands before a game and introducing them, but then it gets bigger. ?hey start asking for multiple tickets to big games to help them out of a tight spot at work, asking for favors, information, non"game appearances.

7't wouldn't be so bad, you know, if they were 3ust upfront about their reasons for wanting to know me. ''m never sure how far ' can push someone away before they'll sell me out for refusing, even though ''ve done nothing wrong. You see, '* ''d do anything to shelter my sister from the glare of the tabloids, but unfortunately, they seem determined to dig up any dirt they can, and they're happy to make something up where nothing e ists. So ''ve learned not to share anything with anyone ' can't trust, and ' can't say ' know more than si or so people who've earned it.

7?hat's what ama,es me so much about you, +li,abeth, is that ''ve only known you for a few days, and yet ' feel like* like ' could tell you anything and never worry that you'd try to sell my secrets to the *ational >nAuirer. And ' kick myself when ' think about how easily ' could have missed out on this how easily ' almost threw it away. )ho the hell knowsG 2aybe ''m 3ust a man in need of a good friend.

7'n any case, ' felt so comfortable with you right away that, to be honest, it kinda freaked me out. And then* .od, this sounds so stupid now* you and Dane sort of looked at each other strangely, like you were hiding something, and it 3ust* brought back on these fears. 't felt like ' was a fool to feel easy around you, and ' latched onto a reason to mistrust you. Your accent was 3ust an e cuse.7

1e stopped, suddenly reali,ing that he'd revealed far more than he intended, and an iously waited for +li,abeth's response. ?o his surprise, when she finally met his ga,e, there were tears in her eyes.

7't's not stupid, )ill,7 she let out a small, incredulous laugh, almost more like a sigh, 7't makes so much sense that " feel like the fool. You couldn't have known it, but Buestioning my devotion to the 5ed So was the easiest way to offend me, and ' knew ' was overreacting.7

7Mffend

youG

)hyG7

7Again, you had no idea of this, but not so long ago, ' was a Yankees fan. As you can imagine, ' got a ton of crap for it when ' fell in love with* the 5ed So , from both sides. &elieve me, ' was hard enough on myself. (o you have any idea what it's like to suddenly, ine plicably, find yourself hoping your home team loses to their most bitter rivalG /o one believes that it's possible for a Yankee fan to suddenly swap their pinstripes in favor of red footwear87

7&ut, ' mean, was it because the 5ed So

were winning moreG ?hat the Yankees hadn't

won the )orld Series since #:::G 1adn't even made it to the Series since ':!G7

7/o, no it wasn't anything like that. 't's* hard to live in a city like &oston and not get swept up in the fervor.7

)illiam raised his eyebrows, his e pression skeptical. 7?hat's not really the reason, is itG7 ?o his surprise, she blushed madly, refusing to meet his ga,e. 7$i,,y* %'mon, you can tell me87

She laughed, shaking her head passionately. 7/o, ' really can't87 she gasped, and yet she knew that it was unlikely that )ill would give up now. 7/o* no* no*7

7)ow, it's that bad, hmmG )ell then ' must know87 1e lunged at her, chuckling. +li,abeth twisted away, shrieking, but he caught her, and began a murderous assault of tickling on her person. She yelped, writhing in his grasp, desperate to escape, all the while breathless and laughing. 1is hands darted across her body, upon her ribcage, her stomach, her back.

$i,,y finally managed to pull herself out of the reach of his hands. She hung back, her chest heaving, her cheeks flushed from the e ertion. 1er eyes sparkled with mirth, daring him to make another attempt, threatening a counter"assault in retaliation. )ill lay back on the blanket, his own o ygen in short supply from his efforts, and, he reali,ed, +li,abeth's nearness, and they sat for several moments in silence. She was as effected as he.

7't was you87 she suddenly blurted out, before immediately slapping her hand over her

mouth.

)ill

sat

up

slowly,

turning

to

face

her.

7)hat

did

you

sayG7

he

asked,

his

voice

suddenly

full

of

emotion.

7' damn it. ' can't believe ''m telling you this8 You, William Darcy, are the reason that '* that ' fell in love with the 5ed So , and am no longer a fan of the Yankees.7 1e stared at her, shocked.

7)hat

did*G7

7'

said,

you

are

7Yes,

yes,

'

got

that,7

he

interrupted.

7&ut*

whyG7

She steadied herself, plucking mindlessly at the blanket as he waited for her to speak. Finally, after a long pause, she began, 7' loved watching you play. 't wasn't 3ust skill, but you move with a grace and finesse on the field that ''ve never seen in any other player, and you are powerful without being monstrous. And the way that you lead your team there's a real sense of cohesion and spirit that the fans really can get into ''ve never seen anything like it in either league. So, in a lot of ways, ' meant what ' said about simply living in this city. &oston adores the 5ed So because of the character of the

team, and ' think you have a lot to do with that. ' think you love your team beyond description, and every play you make is proof of your devotion.7

For

long

moment,

)ill

searched

her

face,

his

e pression

unreadable.

76lease

say

something,7

she

whispered

feelingly.

'nstead,

he

kissed

her.

*en+ay

,ark,

that

e-enin'

$i,,y followed the e tended hand of the kind usher who directed her down to her seat with a knowing grin. + amining the laminated ticket she held in her hands, the source of the usher's smirk became apparentH ne t to the big gold 7P'67 was stamped a large red 7(arcy, XI:7, proclaiming for all the world that she was there by special invitation of )ill (arcy himself.

She wondered if he often had guests in his seats. (id he often invite other women of his acBuaintance, or did he usually reserve the tickets for close family and friendsG $i,,y guessed that his sister, .eorgiana (arcy, was a freBuent attendee how would she react to a stranger in her brother's second seatG

4ncharacteristically nervous, $i,,y counted the rows as she passed them. 1, ., F* &.

5ow

&.

5ow & in (ugout &o XRI, right ne t to the 5ed So bench. &arely twenty feet from the third base bag where (arcy would play the whole game, where he would be able to clearly see her.

/o sooner had the thought crossed her mind, )ill glanced over from his pre"game warm" ups towards the stands. 1is ga,e met her own, and he acknowledged her presence with a small wave and a warm smile. She returned the gesture, keenly aware that his singling her out caught the attention of the fans around her. 1er 3ourney towards )ill's P'6 seats was nothing if not surreal.

Standing in the aisle, hovering uncertainly above her seat, the reality of whom she was dealing with hit her. She almost fled in panic, until the young woman already seated in the bo detected her presence, and broke into a broad grin.

7You must be +li,abeth87 she gushed, 3umping to her feet. 7''m .eorgiana, but you must call me .eorgi.7 She grasped $i,,y's hand, tugging on it enthusiastically. 7Sit, sit8 )ill said he'd invited someone, but he wouldn't tell me anything about you87

$i,,y couldn't help but rela in the company of the delightful girl who seemed so thrilled to meet her. 't appeared as though all her fears were for naughtH .eorgi's effusive greeting seemed to indicate that +li,abeth's presence was an anomaly, and she couldn't help but take pleasure its implication. 1er afternoon with )ill had been special, and if .eorgi's behavior was any indication, he thought so too.

7Yes,7 $i,,y smiled, turning to her companion, who was barely biting back a thousand Buestions, 7Your brother was kind enough to offer me his seat after we met at dinner this week. ' can hardly believe it, since yesterday, ' sat7 she pointed straight out across the field, 7way out over there87

7You know,7 .eorgi mock"whispered, leaning conspiratorially into +li,abeth's ear, 7he almost ne#er invites anyone to sit here, e cept family.7 She eyed $i,,y, her pretty lips twisted into a Bueer half"smile. 7You must have made Buite an impression, then, for him to invite you here.7

$i,,y coughed in embarrassment. 7''m not sure what you mean,7 she replied. )illiam's sister 3ust smiled, before changing the sub3ect.

7So

what

is

it

that

you

do,

$i,,yG7

After +li,abeth recovered from .eorgi's odd proclamation, their conversation proceeded without a hitch. She was relieved to discover that she really liked the girl and anticipated seeing her again, outside the ballpark. Mf course, that depended on how her relationship unfolded with )ill.

She and )ill seemed to be at a crossroads in their relationshipH at noon, they were

friends, if not friendly acBuaintances, but by two, they were* something else. Something more. 1e had kissed her, there, in the .ardens, and she'd kissed him back. A swooping sensation swept through her body in remembrance. After the impromptu first contact of his lips to hers, he had pulled back, the soft e pression on his face mirrored in her own. 't had been the most natural thing in the world for him to do, and it was eBually as instinctive for +li,abeth to wind her arms around his neck and do it again, this time initiating a kiss that lingered. 1e had sighed softly in contentment against her lips, before opening his mouth to her insistent tongue. 1ow long they were occupied in such a manner she couldn't guess, but when his watch had chimed the hour, he had reluctantly pulled away, e plaining that he was needed at Fenway. 1e had pressed the P'6 pass into her hands before gathering the picnic things and, brushing a light kiss on her cheek, headed towards his car. (efinitely not 3ust friends.

+li,abeth flushed at the turn of her thoughts and forced her mind not to dwell on the ob3ect of her desires while said Mb3ect's kid sister was sitting inches away. 'nstead, she focused on the drama unfolding on the field. ?he game was turning out to be a real pitchers' duelH the 6ugs' ace pitcher 1al %rawford was duking it out with &oston old"timer ?om &enning, keeping batters off the bases and runs off the scoreboard. &ack in the first, the 6ugs got aboard early when )hitey /orris scored off of 6hil +lton's groundout to +d &ertram at first base. %rawford had successfully kept &oston out of scoring position until the fourth, when Dimmy 5ushworth hit a sacrifice fly that allowed (arcy to score from third. )ill drove in &oston's second run when, in the fifth, he doubled to left field, sending %hris &randon home with the go"ahead run.

As both teams struggled to get hits into the later innings, $i,,y sought to break the palpable tension by resuming the conversation with .eorgi. 't had all but halted as they hung on every pitch made, hoping the So would add a few insurance runs, and praying the 6ugs wouldn't tie the game. So, as a distraction tactic, they discussed everything and anything that came to mindH $i,,y's high school physics professor who looked like .eorge %looney but lectured like the teacher from %harlie &rown, .eorgi's dream of someday scaling 2ount +verest despite having never done any mountain climbing, and )ill's bi,arre habit of refusing to eat the ends of his bananas.

&etween halves of the eighth inning, $i,,y divulged some of the details of her introduction to )ill, briefly e plaining that he had insulted her Yankee heritage, but glossed over the particulars, only allowing that he had apologi,ed the ne t day and she'd

forgiven him in time for lunch. 4pon hearing $i,,y's tale, .eorgi's eyes gleamed with mischief, and finally, after much prodding from $i,,y, speculated that )ill liked $i,,y very much indeed.

7''m glad,7 .eorgi said, her teasing tone failing to mask the affection in her voice, 7because ' rather like you myself.7

Chapter

0i/ht:

1aho/any

an*

Stone

+li,abeth and .eorgi were on their feet, clapping in time with !;,::: other fans screaming themselves hoarse as closer Dames $ucas stared down the line at &illy %ollins at the plate. ?om &ertram had fanned three straight pitches for the first out and )hitey /orris hit a long ball to center field for out number two, and if %ollins failed to get on base, the game would be over. Fenway was bursting with e citementN a palpable energy pulsed through the crowd as the So pulled within three strikes of their second win of the series.

?he first pitch went low, a called ball. $ucas paused, fro,en calmly on the mound, waiting, varying his time between pitchers to confuse his opponent. ?he ne t pitch he threw was a rocket, a Y9mph fastball that whi,,ed under %ollins' bat for a strike. %ollins pulled the third pitch foul for strike two, and the anticipation in the stands ratcheted up yet another degree. .eorgi grabbed +li,abeth's hand, sBuee,ing tightly. /either she nor $i,,y even reali,ed what they were doing, so entranced were they by the game. At long last, $ucas threw his ne t pitch.

Fenway

held

its

breath*

7Strike

three87

As !;,::: voices e ploded in 3ubilation, .ame ?wo became a memory. ?he 5ed So had taken their lead to two games to none.

+li,abeth threw her arms around .eorgi, and the two women 3umped repeatedly in celebration. $ucas had completely shut down the 6ugs' final attempt at a rallyN they were now ready to head to /ampa with a strong advantage. +ven if they lost all three games at 2ansfield 6ark, they would still have another chance to take it at Fenway.

As the team broke out of its celebratory knot over the pitcher's mound and headed towards the dugout, $i,,y watched as )ill 3ogged towards them, an ecstatic grin on his face. As he got closer, he looked up into the seats to where $i,,y and .eorgi stood beaming back at him and felt his heart lift even more than he thought possible.

2eeting his eye, .eorgi noddedH she knew what to do. .rabbing +li,abeth's hand, .eorgi pulled her out of the aisle and up the stairs, leading her to a door guarded by a Fenway official. Flashing her P'6 ticket and acknowledging his nod with a gleeful 7?hanks .ordy87 she dragged +li,abeth enthusiastically through the hall and down into the bowels of the stadium.

7)here are we goingG7 +li,abeth asked, although she thought she might have some inkling of the answer.

.eorgi grinned, knowing from their conversations 3ust how awed +li,abeth was at her pro imity to the team during the game. 7$ocker room anne ,7 she replied. 7?he team will head in there as soon as they've cleaned up and changed out of their uniforms.7

7So

does

this

mean

''ll

get

to

meet

the

rest

of

the

teamG87

7Anyone you want8 ''m sure )ill wants to introduce you to his buddies.7 .eorgi winked, and $i,,y laughed, unable to contain herself for the thrill.

?hey settled into a pair of cushioned chairs in the anne

waiting room, e citedly

reviewing the best moments of the game. .eorgi introduced +li,abeth to a few of the other players' family and friends. ?he dynamics in the room were fascinating enough for a character studyH 2arianne &randon, wife of designated hitter %hris, was glaring across the room at $ucy Steele, the scantily"dressed girl waiting sulkily for the 6ugs (1 Dack )illoughby to appear. Apparently, this was the remnants of a love"triangle scandal )illoughby had played for the So for a few seasons before being traded several years

back and $i,,y had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing aloud at the pinched look on $ucy's face as she met 2arianne's ga,e with eBual intensity, if not eBuanimity. $i,,y met Francesca 6rice, +d &ertram's Buiet girlfriend, who was sitting awkwardly with pitcher .eorge -nightly's wife +mma, and +linor Ferrars, whom $i,,y had already met during the game. %harlie &ingley's sister %arrie chatted conspiratorially with Dimmy

5ushworth's wife and +d &ertram's sister, 2aria, both women icily elegant and condescending in their e clusion of the other ladies in the room.

74sually it's not so crowded,7 .eorgi whispered into $i,,y's ear, 7but everyone is here for the Series.7 ?he poor girl looked miserable, despite having known most of these ladies for many seasons.

+li,abeth shot her an apologetic smile. 7' imagine it gets pretty cra,y in here once the players come in,7 she replied, pretending a tranBuility she did not feel. 'n reality, she was nervous as all hell waiting to meet )ill again. ?hey hadn't spoken since they parted ways after their picnic that afternoon, and though she still felt warm from the kisses they had shared under the trees at the .ardens, she hoped he did not regret their actions.

%onversation abruptly halted as the door swung open and staff started pouring into the room ahead of the players. A relief pitcher named 2arshall -ing was the first of the team to appear, and his entrance sparked a wave of wild applause and cheering from the waiting fans. ?he players strode into the room, each greeted 3ubilantly by his guests and longtime friends. +li,abeth waved merrily to %harlie as he moved to chat with his sister, trying to ignore the butterflies flitting an iously in her stomach. She gaped openly as Freddy )entworth and 1enry ?ilney greeted .eorgi and +li,abeth and politely introduced themselves to the latter before 3oining their wives Anne and %atherine.

5D Fit,william, one of the sluggers on the team, bounded over to them, his enormous si,e belying his agility and making him an e cellent right fielder. 1e grabbed .eorgi about the waist and swung her around, shrieking, like a toy doll.

75D8 6ut me down87 she sBuealed. 1e set her carefully on her feet, making a great show of straightening her rumpled clothes until she playfully slapped him away. 7' want to introduce you to my new friend, and a big fan, +li,abeth &ennet. +li,abeth, my cousin.7

+li,abeth e tended her hand, and to her surprise, he pressed it warmly within his own. 7$i,,y, please,7 she said. 7't's Buite a thrill to meet you.7 She felt herself grow almost uncomfortably warm under his appraisal and, reali,ing that he still held her hand in his, pulled it gently from his grip.

7A

pleasure*

$i,,y.7

.eorgi's eyes darted from her cousin's face to her friend's, and reali,ing that a rescue was in order, spoke up, perhaps rather louder than necessary, 7$i,,y, )ill should be here any minute. ?he media usually like to interview him after each game, especially when he's a big part of the win, like he was tonight.7

+li,abeth looked as if she could have kissed .eorgi right there. 5eali,ation dawned on 5D's face, and he grinned mischievously.

7Ah, so you're here as a guest of (arcyG ?ell me, how do you know himG7

+li,abeth shot a wistful glance at the door, wishing )ill would appear. 7' met him through %harlie &ingley, who 3ust started dating my sister.7 She grinned at the memory of that first dinner. 7' think %harlie dragged him there rather against his better 3udgment, and he shocked everyone by actually en3oying himself.7

7)ith such inducement before him, ' can't say ''m surprised. ?hough ''ve never known him to behave well with strangers, especially pretty ladies, and he 7

75D, please shut up. You sound like an ass.7 ?he two women whirled around, beaming, at the sound of )illiam's voice.

7)ill87

.eorgi

e claimed.

7%ongratulations87

)ill smiled gently at her, doting. 7?hanks, kid. 't was a good game, and hard"fought.7 1is grin widened as he turned from his sister to +li,abeth, taking her hand in his own. From him, she did not pull it away.

7+li,abeth.7

7%ongratulations, )ill. 't was* ama,ing to sit so close to the field. ' don't know how ' can ever thank you.7 Mut of the corner of her eye, she saw 5D Buietly leading .eorgi away to talk to some of his other teammates, leaving )illiam and +li,abeth alone for the moment.

7You can allow me to buy you a drink tonight, or perhaps, a cup of coffeeG7

7''d

like

that.7

7'

never

thought

you'd

say

yes87

She laughed, a bright, musical cascade of mirth dancing from her lips. 1appiness glittered in his eyes.

7&ut ' already have. )e had lunch today8 Mr have you forgottenG7 +li,abeth 3oked, but in a sudden flash of insecurity, remembered her fears. After a pause, she continued, a Buestion plain in her voice, 7' had a wonderful time this afternoon, )ill. Yet another reason to thank you.7

1e sBuee,ed her hand, fingers still interlaced with his own, an ious to reassure. 7' haven't spent a better afternoon in a very long time* and ' hope we can do it again soon.7 1er e pression of utter relief and 3oy spurred him on, and he lowered his head to murmur intimately in her ear. 7$i,,y, '* ' meant what ' said this afternoon. And ' can't begin to e press how happy it makes me to see you already getting along so well with my sister.7

7You already know ' admire you very much as an athlete, but ' hope you know how Buickly ''m coming to en3oy getting to know you. .eorgi admires you very muchN ' can see how much you care for her.7

7Yes,7 he sighed when a high, false laugh intruded on his consciousness. 7' think we ought to continue this conversation somewhere more private, but for now,7 he grimaced, 7' have a few people ' need to greet before ' can make my escape.

7%ome on, ''ll introduce you to some of the guys.7 1e folded his arm around hers, linking them at the elbows, securing her hand beneath his own. She, in turn, was shocked and moved by this bold claim from such an intensely private man. 1e might as well have put an announcement in the ;lobe as far as she was concerned.

$i,,y slipped on the same white linen 3acket she had worn that afternoon to meet )ill, only instead of her skirt and blouse, she had paired fitted, faded 3eans with an official 5ed So gear (A5%Y, I: 3ersey. She felt a wave of pleasure at the e pression on his face as he reali,ed that she wore his number. 7You can have as many of those as you want,7 he had whispered. 75eal ones, though, not the rip"offs from the stadium store.7

Following .eorgi through the ma,e of halls under the stadium, $i,,y was completely turned around when they suddenly stepped out into the cool evening air. )ill, who had left them momentarily to grab his belongings, 3ogged up behind them a minute later, his sport 3acket thrown casually over his arm. ?he lights of his S4P flashed as he unlocked it with his remote.

7.eorgi, 5D wants you to come hang out with him tonight.7 ?o $i,,y, )ill e plained that .eorgi often spent the night at her older cousin's apartment, since he was as much like a brother to her as )ill. ?urning back to his .eorgi, )ill continued, 71e said something about * pressing flowersG ' have no idea what he means.7 .eorgi burst out laughing as )ill and $i,,y e changed confused looks.

71e meant :ushing Daisies, )illiam8 You know, that ?P show ' keep telling you to watchG About the man who can bring dead people back to life with 3ust a touch, but if he doesn't touch them again, and send them back to being dead, then someone else diesG7

7?hat

sounds

awfully

morbid

to

me,7

he

answered,

skeptical.

7&ut

$ee

6ace

is

so

dreamy8

1is

smile

is

3ust

soooo

adorable.7

7So

why

does

5D

watch

itG7

7Anna

Friel.

(uh,

)ill.7=

7)hatever* you two behave yourselves. And don't let him forget to take you to school tomorrow, M-, kidG7

.eorgi rolled her eyes. 7Yes, dad.7 1e gently pushed her towards 5D's waiting car before handing $i,,y into his own. %alling out his goodnights through the open window, he pointed his car home.

)ill pulled into the drive beside a red brick building on 2arlborough St. on the &ack &ay, its front steps gently illuminated in the glow of an old"style wrought iron lamp. ?he lingering warm weather meant that the shrubbery under the windows was still lush and green, lending an air of elegance to the stately faZade.

So da,ed was she at the incredible turn her life had taken, $i,,y had failed to noticed their arrival until the silenced engine and the ticking of warm metal pervaded her thoughts.

7$i,,y*7

7)ill, ' thought*7 ?hey spoke at the same time, suddenly hyperaware of each other, sitting in a parked vehicle outside )ill's condo. ?hey burst out into simultaneous laughter and the tension between them eased immediately in the wake of their mirth. .iggling, $i,,y gestured for )ill to speak first.

7''m sorry, ' wasn't really thinking about where ' was going. .uess ' was on autopilot. 4m, well, would you like to come in for a while anywayG7

$i,,y smiled. ?hey had come very far towards an understanding that afternoon, but some awkwardness still lingered between them. 7' would love that. ?hank you.7

1eaving a sigh of sheepish relief, )ill hopped out of his side of the car and hurried to

hold open the door to $i,,y's. Dustifiably proud of his beautiful home, he took +li,abeth by the hand and led her up the steps, pausing to point out some of the adornments characteristic of the architectural style of the building.

7?his house is almost I#: years old now, and the e terior is more or less the same as it was then. ' had the interior redone a few years ago to update the gas and electrical and things to increase efficiency and reduce my environmental impact, but otherwise the apartment is the same in essentials as it always was.7

Stepping into the beautiful, dark"wood paneled entryway, +li,abeth gaped at the elegance around her. Several handsomely wrought tables stood sentry in recesses on either side of the hall, adorned with graceful sprays of autumn flora tastefully arranged in elegant crystal vases. ?he entry opened into a spacious, warm living areaN brightened further as )ill stopped briefly to light a fire in the hearth. 't danced merrily in the grate, growing, throwing a soft glow on the rich wood of the walls.

At his invitation, +li,abeth removed her shoes and followed )ill through the beautifully appointed living area to a magnificently outfitted kitchen, where the aged grace of the original woodwork and stone merged seamlessly with the finest of modern kitchen appliances. ?hey then went into a co,ier, more comfortable sitting room that doubled as a library.

7Beautiful,7 she breathed, nearly unaware she'd spoken aloud. )hen )illiam looked back at her e pectantly, she e plained, 72y dream is to have a library of dark wood shelving and hundreds of leather"bound books, where ' can sit and read and 3ust be every evening before ' go to sleep. ?his* 3ust reminded me of that.7 She didn't add that this library somehow seemed to be the e act incarnation of the one she dreamed of owning someday.

.esturing towards one overstuffed chair, )illiam sat down on the couch ne t to the chair, taking a moment to relieve himself of the tensions of the day. She watched as he closed his eyes and leaned back into the cushion. She felt as if she was seeing him completely unguarded for the very first time. ?he difference was striking his shoulders rela ed, his e pression loosened, he seemed, physically, almost a different man than the one she was beginning to know.

)hen he opened his eyes, +li,abeth was struck with a reali,ation. Yes, there was a change, but his eyes, she knew, bore the same intent e pression as before, only the framing around them had altered. For the first time, she truly saw )illiam (arcy as simply a man, separated from his team, his talent, his cityN independent of his familial legacy, his inborn elegance, his wealth. She felt a deep, unmistakable need to know him, understand him to complete him.

7?ell me what you're thinking,7 she said, unconcerned with the directness of her Buestion.

?he muscles around those penetrating eyes contractedN his ga,e focused on her in contemplative silence for yet a moment longer.

7'

think,7

)ill

began,

7that

something

changed

for

me

today.7

7You

did

lead

your

team

to

1e cut her off. 7?hat isn't what ''m referring to.7 1is voice was even, but its very smoothness belied a tight control over emotion raging beneath. 7Although perhaps the win is making me think about life on a grander scale,7 he added, almost as an aside.

7?henG7

7%an't put my finger on it, e actly. 't's strange though. ?his Series has already been so different than ':<, although it looks similar on paper. 't has a whole different feel to me, as if "9#e changed " because the baseball is the same. 't all seems somehow* irrelevant.7

7You can't mean that, reallyG7 +li,abeth feared for her team in that moment.

7/ot irrelevant, then. 6erhaps ''ve 3ust suddenly come to the reali,ation that my whole life isn't 3ust baseball. 't changes things, when in the long run it becomes less important to win the .ame than it is to have lived outside it too.7

7You have .eorgi. And your friendships with your teammates, especially the friendships that are beyond the team, like %harlie. Mr 5D.7

7And

you.7

72eG7

7You're the variable, +li,abeth. You're what's changed.7 1e leaned forward in his seat, reaching across to take each of her hands in his own. 7$i,,y.7

'n that moment, a 3olt coursed through her, a magnetic pull that was all at once new and familiar. /ever, not with &radford or 6aulo or .arret or Dake, was the chemistry so immediate, so strong, so clear. She couldn't tear her ga,e from his if she tried, or her hands from his grasp and she didn't want to.

7$i,,y,7 he repeated, but softer this time, and more sensual, as if it came from a new source. 1is fingers caressed her arms, tracing upwards toward her shoulders, pulling her closer to him in achingly slow increments. 1er own hands passed over the contours of his chest until they reached his neck. She circled her arms around him, drawing her face near enough to his to feel his gentle puffs of breath on her lips.

.rasping +li,abeth's shoulders, )illiam lifted her slightly, and keeping their faces only a breath apart, he pulled her off her chair onto his lap. 1e twisted, lifting his leg onto the cushions and pulling her body flush to his own taut form, their limbs woven together in a tightening grasp.

And then, she could bear it no longer. %losing the gap between their lips, +li,abeth pressed herself to him, caressing his responsive mouth with her own. ?heir breath came in gasps between kisses as they diverged in concert, their tongues seeking to finally communicate through touch rather than word.

)ill laced his fingers upwards through her hair at the base of her neck, holding her to him. ?hey paused for a moment, eyes closed, breaths intermingling, foreheads touching in Buiet understanding as they struggled to register the full power of the visceral reaction occurring between them.

?hey could not remain in such an attitude for long before they felt the irrepressible desire to converse tongue"to"tongue once more. +li,abeth could feel her own ardor building steadily, and )ill reacted with growing vigor. 2aneuvering skillfully, he shifted his own

weight such that she found herself underneath him, her head supported by the armrest of the couch as he hovered above her.

+li,abeth felt her eyes roll back into her head with need upon seeing his athlete's strength displayed to such advantage above her and she moaned his name against his lips as she strained towards him. 1e rela ed onto her, and their mouths met, tongues mirroring the language of their bodies below.

72y 3ersey is so se6y on you,7 he growled against her throat as he moved to taste the curve of skin under her 3aw and across her clavicle. She arched her neck backwards as his tongue traced its curve, her breathing more ragged by the moment. )ith an impatient hand, he unbuttoned the front of the 3ersey, spreading it wide so that her abdomen and her breasts, cupped by delicate pieces of lavender lace, were e posed to his ravenous ga,e

)ill trailed wet kisses from the hollow of her neck to the tops of her breasts, spurred on by the pulsing rotation of her hips gyrating against him. 1e nu,,led there, slowly inhaling her scent as she whimpered for more. She pushed him onto his side, so that they lay front"to"front on the couch and he was no longer supporting himself above her. Stroking her waist with insistent hands, he returned to her mouth for a slow kiss before he pulled back, a Buestion in his eyes.

1er response was to tug at the hem of his shirt, pulling it upwards over his head with little patience. Mnce he had untangled his limbs from the offending article, he flung it to the floor and returned his hands to running over the place where her skin met the denim waistband of her 3eans. +ach light touch of his fingers sent a bolt of electric desire through her, almost painful in intensity.

7)ill*7 $i,,y sighed, releasing her breath in a gasp. 1er hands pressed down his back, circling forward between their bodies to the clasp of his slacks and flicking them open. 1e lifted his hips to allow her to slide his pants offN she chuckled softly into his chest as he wiggled in frustration as they caught on his knees. Sliding her hands beneath the elastic band on his bo ers, she savored the feel of his length and hardness in her palm. 1e 3erked at each small movement of her fingers, teasing, tracing, circling each part of him in reverent salutation.

)hen )illiam could handle no more of +li,abeth's dancing, caressing fingers, he arched, crying out, his orgasm erupting powerfully into her cupped hands. Smiling softly, she delivered another kiss to his panting mouth before rising off the couch to clean her hands, returning as Buickly as she could. She collapsed back onto the sofa ne t to him, sighing as he pulled her to him, showering her hair with a succession of appreciative kisses as he slowed his breathing to a normal cadence. $anguidly, his fingers began to inch towards her navel, spiraling towards the center of her abdomen in shrinking circles until every last ounce of her being was focused on the few centimeters where his skin met hers. (i,,y with wanting, she pressed her hips towards him, meeting his hand as it moved and began to trace a winding path from her navel to the button of her 3eans.

1er pants were divested as Buickly as his had been, leaving her in only her underwear and the 3ersey unbuttoned and thrown open, leaving very little to )ill's imagination. ?he contrast of the cool brush of sofa leather against her bare skin, warmed with the heat of his ga,e, sent shivers radiating across her body, flushed with pleasure as his eyes probed as intently as his fingers. 1is hands had not strayed from her waist, and now, in the absence of the denim obstacle, he reached down to run an open palm between her legs, warm and damp from desire. +li,abeth moaned at his lightest touch, her nerves already sensitive with pleasure and wanting, and when he edged aside the fabric and began to caress her, the waters of her pleasure began to flow inward, pulled towards her center. ?hey threatened at the edge, teetering momentarily, before crashing downward in a deluge of blissful waves as she cried her ecstasy against his shoulder.

&reathing hard, )illiam and +li,abeth lay chest"to"chest, holding one another, too spent to move other than the rhythmic e panding of lungs. )illiam let out a contented sigh, a sound of such utter bliss that +li,abeth's eyes fluttered open and she ga,ed at him Buestioningly.

7)ow,7

he

murmured.

7Yeah,7

she

sighed,

7?hat

was

7Ama,ing,7 he finished, sBuee,ing her gently in his embrace. 7''ve never had 7

7Anything that good, ever.7 ?heir eyes met and they both collapsed into giggles.

Another hour had passed spent in light kisses and conversation, enhanced by an e cellent vintage drunk in cherished company while curled together in front of the fire. As it neared one in the morning, $i,,y checked her watch regretfully. 7)ill, as much as ' hate to* ' have to work tomorrow. 't's pretty late.7 Mblivious to the reasonableness of her words, )ill couldn't keep his face from falling. 7You're right, of course. ' don't have to be at the park until noon, but* 7 1e trailed off, his e pression thoughtful. 7&utG7 7%ome to /ampa with me.7

Chapter
7%ome

2ine:
to

+orl*
/ampa

Series,

Game
with

Three
me.7

$i,,y pulled herself from )ill's embrace, gaining enough distance to stare incredulously back at him.

7)hatG7 ?his was* une pected. ?hings were moving fast perhaps too fast. $i,,y's stomach lurched, but she reali,ed with a sudden surge of clarity that it was not the s)eed of their developing relationship but rather the de)th of her feelings. Admittedly, some of this fear stemmed from disbelief, and though she imagined that any normal woman would e perience some astonishment upon finding herself the ob3ect of such a handsome man's ardent attraction, he was not 3ust any man. She allowed that their relationship indeed, it appeared to be a relationship of some significance for them both was still new enough that she could feel a bit of star struck awe on occasion. Still, she had a sense that a real emotional connection ought to develop at a statelier pace, and found herself rather shocked that their current situation seemed intent on defying any of her previous conceptions.

7+li,abeth,7 his voice caressed her, soothed away the an iety and preoccupation evident in her e pression. 7?his troubles youG7

7/o*

yes.

'

can't

agree

to

goN

'

can't

miss

work.7

1e sighed heavily. 7-nowing wouldn't stop me from asking, and certainly not from hoping.7

7' do wish ' could, though, and,7 she grinned wickedly. 7And not 3ust for the baseball.7

7+ven more, then, ' wish you could be there.7 /othing more could be said to that, and after a moment, )ill's shoulders drooped, visibly disappointed. 7' guess ''d better drive you home now.7

7?hank you.7 1e looked so sorry at her refusal that she took pity on him. She sBuee,ed his hand, and pulling him towards her, placed a light kiss on his cheek. 1e brightened considerably.

?he drive from the &ack &ay to %ambridge was completed in near silence. ?hey both were aware of an approaching turning point, and whether this bade good or ill was a mystery. )ould the wisdom of distance when )ill went to /ampa while $i,,y stayed in &oston make them reali,e that their connection was brief, fast"burning, and over as soon as they were out of touchG Mr would they find that their longing only grew in separation and move forwardG

)ill pulled up in front of her building, and the Buestions between them hung menacingly in the air. ?hey sat, staring ahead, sneaking Buick glances and waiting for someone to break the silence.

7Should

'

7)ill, ' 7 ?hey laughed, thankful for the reprieve. 7You first,7 she offered.

7''ll call you when ' land, if that's alrightG7 1e seemed so timid, as if twenty minutes of silence had made him forget their lunch date and their blissful interlude in his home. &ut then, it threatened a similar effect on her.

7''d like that.7 $i,,y smiled, encouraging. Juickly, before her nerves could take over, she leaned over and kissed him, hard. She moved to pull away, but he held her to him, and

she could feel his mouth curve into a smile beneath her own. 1e opened his mouth to her, and she deepened the kiss, bringing them both back from the edges of uncertainty as they reminded each other of what they had shared.

Finally, )ill broke away, breathing hard, hair askew and clothing rumpled once again. 'n a strangled voice, his eyes begging for mercy, and he pleaded for her to 7$eave, before ' won't be able to.7

)ith one last brush of her mouth against his, $i,,y stepped slowly out of the car and up to her doorstep. She turned and waved, a sad smile playing across her reddened lips, before she pulled open her door and hurried inside.

As she ran up to her apartment, she laughed through the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes. 'gnoring Dane's curious greeting, she hurried to the window, throwing open the curtains 3ust in time to see his car round the corner of her street and drive off.

She stood for some time, hands pressed against the glass as she fought to gain control over her emotions. %e9s going to call tomorrow' What " fool " am, distraught o#er a few days! .radually, she became aware of the hand pressing patiently into her shoulder.

Dane had the grace to say nothing, but simply wrapped a comforting arm about +li,abeth's shoulders. Paliantly trying to regain a degree of eBuanimity, $i,,y allowed herself to be steadied by Dane's embrace. ?hey stood at the window in companionable silence for several moments.

Finally, $i,,y sighed, feeling a little silly for her dramatic solemnity. 6ulling $i,,y into a chair at the table, Dane moved about the kitchen, preparing them each a mug of steaming chamomile tea. $i,,y took hers gratefully, simply inhaling its warmth and calming aroma for several minutes before she spoke.

71e's leaving tomorrow, obviously. &ut he'll be back. And he said he'd call when he landed tomorrow.7

Dane said nothing, instead waiting for $i,,y to talk out her feelings. +li,abeth had always carried her emotions close to the surface, incapable of hiding them from any but the most oblivious. And yet, she had such an odd sense of humor. Dane was no longer

surprised to see $i,,y sobbing over a commercial on ?P or giggling alone at some private irony while watching a play. She laughed and cried aloud when she read her favorite books, but seemed incapable of summoning tears at a funeral. Dane knew that $i,,y was no less compassionate for it, but she simply e pressed her 3oys and sorrows differently than most.

Finally, $i,,y went on, 7''m certain that the last few days have been nothing like ''ve ever e perienced. At dinner, when ' hardly knew him, ' couldn't be indifferent to him. ' was so happy to hear him laugh and so angry when he insulted us.7 She paused, sorting her thoughts. 71e invited me to fly to /ampa with him for the games.7

72y

.od,

$i,,y,

and

you

turned

him

downG87

7(on't be so shocked, Dane. ' wasn't about to forget my responsibility to my 3ob and my boss because my new 7 )hat was heG

7&oyfriendG

2an

toyG7

Dane

suggested,

hopefully.

$i,,y ignored her, 7* because )ill invited me to go. ' told 2adeline that ''d have the 4nderground 2usic proposal for /ational 6ublic 5adio &oston done tomorrow and ' intend to finish it.7

7Mf

course.

You

made

the

right

decision.7

7' know that. ' mean, ' wish ' didn't have to decide. .od, ' would have loved to go to the game* but more than that, ' think ''m falling for him, Dane.7

72mhm,7 Dane replied, smirking, raising an eyebrow. $i,,y laughed, blushing. )hen Dane continued to eye her sister, $i,,y snorted, and announced that she was going to bed.

7''ll see you in the morning,7 she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, wiggling her hips teasingly at her sister and sauntering to her bedroom.

*riday !i"abeth#s

Mornin',

October

2.,

/:3(

A0M O$$ice

7$ate

nightG7

$i,,y stifled a yawn and finished rubbing her eyes before she slowly swiveled her chair around to face the curious e pressions on %harlotte and 2ary's faces.

72mm,7 she said, dreamily. %harlotte and 2ary e changed suspicious glances. 't certainly wasn't like $i,,y &ennet to walk around floating in a cloud, but that was e actly what she'd been doing all morning.

7Spill, girl87 2ary laughed, settling back in her chair and folding her arms. 7''ve got my numbers submitted for the ).&1 proposal, ''ve got all day.7

$i,,y rolled her eyes at her coworkers, wondering if she would get any peace at all. Might as well get used to it , she mused, if "9m going to be in Will9s life . Somehow, dating the captain of the team making a strong bid for the )orld Series title 3ust might capture some media attention.

?he ringing of her desk phone 3olted her out of her reverie, and she gave herself a mental shake before she picked it up. Bocus on work, she reminded herself.

7+li,abeth

&ennet.7

7%ey Ms' Bennet, its 5andra'7 Sandra was one of the receptionists on the first floor, and typically called if a package was delivered to the office. )racking her brain, $i,,y tried to remember what she might have ordered recently.

7.ood

morning,

Sandra.

1appy

Friday87

7The same to you, Ms' Bennet' Ma9am, there9s a gentleman here who says he has an urgent deli#ery for you' @))arently, he9s under strict orders to bring it to you in )erson' 7

71mm* that's strange. Alright, send him up.7 1anging up the phone, +li,abeth shrugged at %harlotte and 2ary's curious faces. She turned back to her computer and began reading through the information on the screen again, making notes on the legal pad on her desk.

The

!e-ator,

%a&brid'e

)et+ork

%o&1any,

/:43

A0M

)ill's heart was pounding. 1e was thankful that the lady at the front desk hadn't recogni,ed himH it seemed that the last person one would e pect to see wearing a So hat was an actual So player. 1is beat up, fan"issue cap matched with 3eans and a black fitted tee was the best disguise he could find.

Although the %ambridge /etwork %ompany offices were outfitted with the newest in computer, radio, and television eBuipment, the building itself was over a hundred years old, and the elevator showed its age. &y the time the elevator had arrived, opened, closed, and risen to the third floor, )ill had his entire greeting to +li,abeth composed, perfected, and rehearsed.

)ith a ding, the elevator door slid open, and )ill stepped into the reception area of the bustling third floor 6rogramming offices. )ill already knew from his previous

conversations with +li,abeth that %/% was a small firm that speciali,ed in producing information programming for radio and television stations throughout &oston and /ew +ngland. +li,abeth had told him that worked in the 6ro3ect (evelopment division, which meant that she and her coworkers did the initial research and number crunching to transform the idea of a radio contributor into a legitimate, working proposal that could be presented to an e ecutive.

After speaking Buietly to the smiling young man at the desk, )ill followed his directions

down the hall and to the entrance of an office. ?he door was wide open, and merry chatter, accompanied by the click7clacking of typing, floated out into the corridor. 1e hung back, peering through the glass wall into the office marked with a plaBue that readH

6ro3ect +. 2. %. $ucas. &ennet @(ivision

(evelopmentH $eaderA &uenavista

)illiam knew that +li,abeth's e perience working at )+5S, the +merson %ollege radio station, while studying for her degrees in Dournalism and 2arketing %ommunications, had provided her with ample e perience to begin a successful career in radio broadcast 3ournalism, but she had been modest in describing her position. +ventually, he knew, she wanted to write radio features and conduct interviews, ideally in art, entertainment, or cultural commentaries like the ones that played regularly on shows like /65's weekly Fresh Air. For now, though, she was en3oying the production and business aspects of the field, and apparently, e celling in it. ?hat she headed her division only four years after her graduation indicated that she not only possessed the ability to determine the potential of new ideas for radio, but also the talent reBuired to effectively manage and lead her peers. 1e smiled at this new knowledge, pleased that others recogni,ed +li,abeth's value and appreciated her the way that he did. Well, he smirked to himself, maybe not all the same ways!

?aking a deep breath, he stepped into the doorway and scanned the room for $i,,y. ?here was an enormous gasp from his leftN turning towards the sound he recogni,ed the petite woman with the chunky brunette bob and bright blue fingernails as the same who had been with +li,abeth after the first game of the Series.

72s*7 1e wracked his brain for her name. 7$ucasG7 She nodded, looking as if she might faint. 7''m pleased to see you again, if you'll 7

7)illG7 Standing behind her desk, opposite 2s. $ucas's own, was +li,abeth, her face a mi ture of shock and 3oy. ;ood omen, )ill thought. 7)h"what are you doing hereG7 she asked, unable to hide the pleasure in her voice.

1e grinned, holding up the paper bag in one hand and a carrier with four cups of coffee

in the other. 7' wanted to see you again before ' left* so ' brought breakfast.7 $i,,y gestured to the chair in front of her desk, inviting him to sit. 1e set the bag and drink carrier down carefully, and e plained, 7' don't know what you like, so ' brought several options. And if your coworkers are hungry*G7 1e trailed off.

7?his is fantastic8 ?hank you87 She dug around, finally selecting the blueberry bagel from the bag before turning to offer one to %har and 2ary. 1er words die on her lips when she met their suggestive glares. 7Mh my goodness8 ''m so sorry, that's so rude of me8 )ill, these are two of my best friends, and my coworkers, 2ary &uenavista, and you remember %harlotte $ucas from after )ednesday's game. 2ary, this is )ill (arcy, third baseman, &oston 5ed So .7

%harlotte seemed to have recovered use of her voice and hurried over to $i,,y's desk to grab a bagel. 7't's so nice to see you again, 2r. (arcy. .ood luck tomorrow87 1e smiled, returning her greeting.

2ary hung back, offering only a shy 71ello7 to the formidable athlete who chatted so easily with $i,,y before she scurried back to her chair. %harlotte, on the other hand, perched on the corner of $i,,y's desk, eager to find out as much as she could about her friend's relationship with this man. &ut tightlipped as ever, $i,,y deftly kept the chatter to mundane topics. $ike %harlotte.

7)ill, %harlotte is graduated from /Y4 with degrees in 2edia %ultural Studies and %reative )riting. She's originally from Mregon and wants to eventually work in political editorials.7

7Ah,

pundit

in

the

makingG7

)ill

3oked.

%harlotte, always easy in company, laughed along. 76erhaps8 (on't we need more of thoseG7

7She's also my closest friend, aside from Dane,7 $i,,y continued. 7't's hard to believe we've only known each other as long as she's worked for %/%* 3ust three years now.7 %harlotte $ucas was actually several years older than $i,,y, having spent the four years following her college graduation in a paid internship at the 6ublic 5adio station in her hometown of 6ortland before returning to the +ast %oast.

?hen, $i,,y smiled warmly that the shyer woman who was trying to hide herself in none istent work on her computer. 72ary and ' met working at )+5S my senior year. She was 3ust a sophomore, ma3oring in )riting, $iterature, and 6ublishing. She has been working for %/% since she graduated two years ago.7

7$i,,y was kind enough to help me get an interview here,7 2ary said in tones barely above a whisper.

7You got here on your own merit, 2ary, ' 3ust made sure that 2adeline knew how great you are.7 +li,abeth turned to )ill to e plain. 72adeline .ardiner is the head of %/%, and our boss. She's one of the best small producers of specialty radio and television programming in /ew +ngland, and she started %/% when she was 3ust out of +merson herself. She loves to hire fellow )+5S alums because she's intimately familiar with the high e pectations of the radio station and the e cellent practical education its team gets in this field.7

7)hat are you working on nowG7 )ill asked, peeking curiously over her shoulder at the documents open on her computer.

7A proposal for ).&1, &oston's /65 station, on a new feature of the underground music scene in the city. )e're talking to the writer, who has given us a list of artists he'd like to interview, and we're working with him to put together four, fifteen"minute segments that flow logically and include audio interviews, song clips, and of course, the writer's commentary. 'f it gets accepted, it will likely get aired in February.7

?hey noticed that %harlotte had snuck back to her desk during their conversation and was surreptitiously sneaking glances at them from across the room, but otherwise, they were free to speak privately if they were Buiet.

7$i,,y, ''ve got to meet the team soon, as much as ' hate to go. )e should be arriving in /ampa around <H!:, +astern ?ime. %an ' call you about an hour after thatG7

7''ll

look

forward

to

it.7

7'

really

wish

you

could

come.7

7So

do

',

but

you

know

''ll

be

watching

from

home.7

7.eorgi

will

miss

your

company

in

the

stands,

too.7

$i,,y laughed. 7(on't you try to guilt me into changing my mind, mister87 Suddenly, )ill was ga,ing at her with a look of such longing that she 3umped out of her chair. 5unning around the desk, she grabbed his hand. 7%ome with me,7 she whispered urgently.

?hey ran down the hall as stealthily as they could, until they reached the coatroom where, 3ust the day before, $i,,y had scrutini,ed herself in the mirror before meeting )ill for lunch. $ocking the door, $i,,y pushed )ill up against the wall, attacking his mouth with a hunger matched eagerly by his own. ?heir tongues battled fiercelyN )ill ground his hips into hers, his arousal evident through his 3eans. $i,,y arched her neck, inviting him to worship the skin below her ear in ways that sent wave after wave of pleasurable chills over her body.

Finally, he broke away, gasping for air, his eyes wild with desire. 7+li,abeth,7 he rasped, 7' have to go, or ''ll be late.7

7)ell, ' won't be responsible for holding up the whole team,7 she managed between breaths. 7All of &oston would be after me, if ' did87 Mh, how she wished she could make them wait8 1e kissed her cheek, and with a final sBuee,e of her hand, turned and hurried down the stairs. 7&est of luck, )ill. 6lay well87 she called after him as the echoes of his footsteps receded down the stairwell. Finally, the door on the first floor opened and then shut again.

7''ll

miss

you,

my

%aptain,7

she

whispered

into

the

empty

silence.

Saturday,

October

27,

7:1(

,0M0

!i"abeth

and

2ane#s

A1art&ent,

ast

%a&brid'e

?he pre"game broadcast was starting the FM[ broadcasters Doe &uck and ?im 2c%arver started the rundown on the upcoming games. 5ed So nation waited in suspenseH &oston 2anager +ddy .iardino would have to bench one of his players either his fast"footed first baseman +d &ertram or the tried"and"true slugger, designated hitter %hris &randon because they were playing in a /ational $eague park. For some antiBuated reason, the /$ didn't have a designated hitter position, and therefore, one less hitter in their lineup most pitchers rarely did much when they had to bat. ?herefore, the So would have to

ad3ust their playing roster, and .iardino was waiting until the very last moment to announce his decision.

Dane listened to the broadcast from the kitchen as she put the finishing touches on the pie she was making. 't was an obscene confection of all"Americanism and 5ed So maniaH (utch apple pie, smothered with %ool whip and decorated with blueberries and raspberries to look like a baseball with the 5ed So 7&7 embla,oned in the middle.

$i,,y threw down the groceries on the countertop and plopped down onto the sofa. 7?hat looks disgusting, Dane,7 she called from the living room. 7't smells fantastic, though87

7%harlotte and 2ary will love it, $i,,y, even if you don't.7 Dane smirked, even if $i,,y couldn't see her. 7' still think you should take a picture of it on your phone and send it to )ill before the game starts.7

71e's busy with the warm"ups8 ''m sure he's nowhere near his phone right now.7 &ut, 3ust in case, she grabbed her cell, flipping it open, and began typing a message.

?oH ?e tH .ood luck8 i

)ill miss u* =kiss= "

(arcy e

She hit 7send7 and waited impatiently for 72essage Sent7 to flash on her screen. She scrolled though her 'nbo , rereading his messages for the hundredth time that day. 1e'd called, as promised, moments after arriving in his hotel room the previous afternoon, but their conversation had been limited. 1e was needed almost constantly for preparations for the gameH he 3oined his team in regular workouts and met with the coaching staff to discuss game strategy he doubted that there would be much time to talk on the phone

in the coming days. 'nstead, they communicated via te t message like a couple of love" struck teenagers. Miss you Li?, wish u were here4 Turned on radio and thought of u4 ;i#e urself a kiss C me4

1er favorite was a particularly long one, composed as he had wandered around 7downtown7 /ampa that morning. Tons of so6 fans here in n' 5aw D with with my uni, reminded me of u' " think each girl i see with brown hair is you, and im sad when its not' +ant wait to call u lEr' =w

?o

her

surprise,

an

incoming

message

interrupted

her

perusal.

FromH ?e tH ?his game

)ill is for you.

(arcy w

7Mh my goodness87 she shrieked in ama,ement. &ut as Dane came running into the room, %ool )hip on her fingers and a worried e pression on her face, $i,,y reali,ed that this was something she didn't want to share with anyone.

7)hatG8

)hat's

wrongG7

Snapping her phone shut, $i,,y plastered on her most innocent face. 7/othing. /ever mind, ' was mistaken.7 Dane was still eyeing her skeptically, so $i,,y cast around for a distraction. 71ey, are you going to send a picture of that pie to %harlieG7

Dane blushed furiously at the mention of the So

centerfielder. +li,abeth knew that the

two had been emailing back and forth for the last week, but hadn't managed to see one another again. Still, things seemed promising, and $i,,y marveled at the thought of the two &ennet sisters from /ew York dating two of &oston's biggest stars.

72aybe,7 Dane replied mysteriously, before disappearing back into the kitchen. +li,abeth could swear she heard the digital shh7kkh of Dane's camera phone over the commercial for &udweiser playing on the television.

?en minutes later, the pie was finished, and Doe &uck had announced +ddy .iardino's decision to play %hris &randon on first base and have +d &ertram sit the games in /ampa. Dane checked her watch. 7)hat time did you ask 2ary and %har to comeG7

7/ot until >H<;. /either of them are big enough baseball fans to sit through any more than necessary. ?hey should be here any minute.7

+ven as $i,,y spoke, the doorbell rang, and she 3umped up to welcome her friends. Dane greeted each of their guests with a hug while $i,,y grabbed the hot wings and seven" layer dip out of the oven. 2ary offered to slice limes for their beers as %harlotte grabbed the 3ar of salsa from the refrigerator and emptied a bag of tortilla chips into a large plastic bowl. Finally, all the game viewing accoutrements were ready, and the party moved into the den.

At e actly five minutes after eight, the game broadcast began. American 'dol country singer %arrie 4nderwood sang the /ational Anthem, her voice echoing through the stadium as spontaneous cheers from the crowd at 2ansfield 6ark broke out at various points throughout the song. )hile she sang, the cameramen panned across the seats, taking wide shots of the crowd that positively vibrated from e citement, before cutting to close"up shots of the members of both teams. =

$i,,y felt her heart leap into her throat when )ill's face appeared, and as if reading her mind, the camera lingered there for longer than it had with the others. 1e looked so calm serene, even confident and reverent. This was e actly what had drawn her to him as a player before she knew him as a person. This was what made her into a devoted fan. And now that she knew him, the Bualities she appreciated in his public persona were so much dearer privately. A small shiver traveled up her spine as she was struck with a thought " could lo#e him' *ot !ust the )layer " adore, but as the man "9m coming to know'

7*

that

right,

$i,,yG7

She 3umped, caught unaware. 7)hat did you ask, 2aryG ''m sorry. ''m afraid ' wasn't here.7

%harlotte 3ust laughed. 71eaven forbid you try to talk to $i,,y when the 5ed So

are

playing87 she retorted, writing off $i,,y's absentmindedness as total concentration on the game. &ut Dane was eying $i,,y with a curious e pression on her face, as if she knew 3ust what thoughts were racing through her sister's mind.

)hen the whole thing was over three hours later, the si,eable gap in the score belied the closeness of the game. %ertainly, the 5ed So had scored si runs in the third inning,

refusing to allow the 6ugs a single run through five innings. +ven then, &oston held a R"# lead through the si th, despite /ampa pitcher 1al %rawford keeping them from scoring again. &ut then, in the bottom of the seventh, the 6ugs made things much more interesting. ?he 6ugs' leftfielder Dohn (ashwood hit a long ball to center, scoring )arren +lliot and ?om &ertram, and bringing the score to R";. +li,abeth took to pacing in front of the ?P between batters, her an iety refusing to calm as the 6ugs threatened to overtake the So 's lead.

&ut then, the une pected heroes came out of the woodwork to save the game. Ferrars walked on five pitches, and &ingley moved him to second base on a single. 5D sent a line drive into the corner, scoring Ferrars, and Freddy )entworth sent another ball the same way, bringing the So to a Y"; lead. $i,,y, an iety turning into euphoria, stopped pacing. 'nstead, she took up dancing a funny little 3ig every time a pitch went the right way.

?hen, in the top of the ninth, (arcy added icing to the cake, singling, and then scoring on Dimmy 5ushworth's sacrifice fly"out to centerfield. )ith a commanding five"run lead, Dames $ucas took the mound against the 6ugs, shutting them down with trademark unstoppable power.

$i,,y continued to watch the post"game wrap"up on ?P for an hour after the game ended. &y the time she finally got up off the couch, %harlotte and 2ary had both gone home and Dane had headed off to her room. She trudged towards her bathroom, yawning, dreamily going through the motions of preparing for bed.

;reat game, she thought sleepily, her body weary from several hours of stressful baseball watching. 'n some ways, she was content, the win buoying her ebullient mood. &ut in others, she was a little wistful. She missed )ill, as e pected, and watching him on television had only e acerbated her longing. For the hundredth time that evening, she regretted needing to refuse his offer. Still, her 3ob was important to her, and she comforted herself with the thought that he would be home in a matter of days, and she would see him again soon. She climbed into her bed and reached to shut off her lamp*

1er

phone

rang.

Chapter

Ten:

+orl*

Series,

Game

'o%r

Touching Oh, ;ood "9#e been times

me, sweet ne#er inclined to

touching

you +aroline

seem belie#e it

so ne#er

good would

7)wwhatG7 +li,abeth mumbled groggily. 1adn't she turned the ?P offG )asn't the game already overG

Touching

me,

touching

==

Mh8 She sat up with a 3olt, flipping the light back on as she groped around blindly for her cell phone. She stared, unseeing at the flashing screen on her phone, da,ed, half asleep. Shaking herself, she flipped open the phone.

71ulloG7

7"9m

so

sorry,

>li?abeth,

did

"

wake

you3 7

7)ill87 ?he last foggy wisps of sleep dissolved in the sunny 3oy that washed over her at the sound of his voice. 7You did, but it's fine8 ''m so glad you called* congratulations87

7Thanks! " ob#iously don9t ha#e to ask if you watched the game! 7 1e laughed, and $i,,y laughed with him. /o, he had no reason to doubt that she had spent her evening glued to the ?P.

7We had a lot of fun out there tonight' The young guys are ha#ing the time of their li#es = with Wentworth )laying so hard out there and Berry really coming through in the clutch, and Lucas! %e9s been unbelie#able! 7 $i,,y grinned. )ill was obviously over3oyed at the victory, and his pride in his teammates shone through with every e cited word.

7You

didn't

do

so

poorly

yourself,

%aptain.7

7@ww

well'

"

!ust

try

to

get

out

there

and

do

my

!ob

the

best

"

can' 7

She giggled. 7)ell, ' guess your best will 3ust have to do, then87 She paused, pursing her lips in a thoughtful gesture. 7(id .eorgi en3oy the gameG7

75he did, although she would ha#e been glad for your com)any4 Li??y, " = 7

7)ill, ' was thinking 7 ?hey seemed to have a habit of speaking over one another, $i,,y mused. 7.o ahead.7

7*o,

you,

)lease'7

7't's 3ust that ' can't decide whether ' want you to win tomorrow, and sweep the Series, or if ''d rather you lose the ne t two games and win it at home. 's that a terrible thing to wish forG7

7*ot really' ,ou9d be sur)rised how often that to)ic comes u) in the clubhouse' Ob#iously, the fans would lo#e a Benway #ictory, but at the same time, why lose games if you can win them3 :ardon my language, but you !ust don9t fuck around with the 5eries'7

7Absolutely.

&ut

'

still

wish

'

could

be

there

to

see

you

win

it.7

1e coughed. 't was a strange, muffled suggestive sound. 7F unny you should mention that47

7)hat

do

you

meanG7

7' reali?e that work ke)t you from flying out with me yesterday for the game, but = 7 1er heart leapt in her chest* would he dare ask her againG 7 = " was ho)ing you might reconsider' That you9d fly out tomorrow morning and be here for game four3 7

As soon as she had reali,ed that it was )ill on the phone, a tiny hope had begun to grow within her breast. 't was the weekend, now, and she was free*

)ill hurried to 3ustify himself. 7" know you already refused me this once, but at the risk of being refused again, you must allow me to tell you that there is no one " would rather ha#e in my seats tomorrow night' " kicked myself this morning when " reali?ed that we could ha#e flown you out here after you finished work yesterday, or early this morning, and you could ha#e been here for tonight9s game'

7Li??y, " know that we9re !ust getting to know one another, but these last few days4 " want to see you again' *ot only that, but " would be honored if you would allow me to bring you out to *am)a' Let me do this for you, >li?abeth' 7

Feeling a fierce 3oy at his words, at his entreaty, $i,,y reali,ed that there was only one possible answer. She would torture him no longer.

7'

would

lo#e

to,

)ill.7

?here was a whoo) of glee Buickly stifled on the other end, and )ill e pressed his pleasure with the fervor of a man well on his way to being in love. 1er chest ached with happiness in knowing that her mere presence was enough to bring 3oy to such a wonderful man.

Fifteen minutes later, $i,,y had in hand the confirmation number for her RH!; A2 flight from $ogan Airport to &oise through %hicago, and the contact number of the driver who

would pick her up from the airport and take her the four miles to 1otel <!, where the team was staying. 7-ust bring your clothingF we can get you anything else you need! 7 )ill had told her, as she laughed at his childlike delight.

As she ended her call, reality hit her in less than four hours, she would leave for the airport to fly to /ampa. ?o the )orld Series. ?o )ill (arcy.

7Mh* oh my .od. 1oly shit,7 she said to the empty room. 7''ve got to tell Dane.7

= 7Sweet %aroline7, by /eil (iamond. ?he song now played every game in the eighth inning. 't's become and integral part of the 75ed So + perience7. 2ost people have no

idea why its played, but apparently, the story is that, in IYY9, the person responsible for choosing the music throughout the game began playing it late in the game occasionally, and it became a bit of a good"luck charm for the team. +li,abeth is the kind of fan that incorporates the So 7&7 all into her daily life in more subtle ways than plastering the &oston over everything she owns.

Sunday, 3oise,

October

2(th, 4daho0

12:1/

,0M0

+li,abeth plopped heavily into the plush seats of the waiting town car in &oise. +ven traveling with only a carry"on bag and her laptop case, the si "hour flying and a two" hour layover had made her cranky and tired, especially since she'd had so little sleep the night before. She wanted nothing more than a bath and a nap in a comfortable bed and )illiam. She smiled gratefully at the driver when he turned around to ask her politely about her trip, and told him honestly that she was simply glad to have arrived.

$ess than ten minutes later, they pulled up to the entrance of 1otel <!, a rather plain" looking new hotel near the heart of the 'daho capital. ?he driver shrugged off a tip as he carried her bag inside the lobby, and $i,,y had to stifle a giggle as she looked around. ?he dQcor was almost absurdly modern and the staff was falling over themselves to assist their guests' every need.

Approaching the desk, she was greeted by a smiling young woman who seemed a little in awe of her responsibility.

7Yes, ''m checking in,7 +li,abeth replied shortly, weary from travel and annoyed by the obseBuious welcome.

7Your

name,

please,

ma'amG7

7+li,abeth

&ennet.7

?he young woman clacked away on the computer, her long nails tapping loudly on the keyboard. $i,,y felt the beginnings of a headache forming.

?he lady turned back to $i,,y, who fought the impulse to shade her eyes from the woman's blinding smile. 7Mk, 2s. &ennet, 2r. (arcy has reserved the suite ad3oining his own. 't's one of our &outiBue -ing 6arlor Suites. 1ere are your keys. )e at 1otel <! hope you find your stay here en3oyable. /ow, is there anything else ' can do for youG &ook a massageG $ocal activity guideG (inner reservationsG7

7/o87 ?he poor woman looked rather shocked at $i,,y's outburst, and she reigned in her annoyance, reali,ing that she was only doing her 3ob. 7''m sorry. ?hank you.7 She moved to shoulder her travel bag, but a bowing bellhop materiali,ed from nowhere and insisted that she allow him to carry it for her.

She sighed, and thanked him, too weary to argue. &oarding the elevator, she leaned her head back against the cool mirrored wall, thankful to be nearing the end of her 3ourney. )ill had said that there was a good chance he'd be hung up at the stadium when she arrived, so she wasn't e pecting to see him for a while* and she missed him more than she thought possible. Still, there would be time for e citement later after a bath and a nap.

?he doors slid open with a ding, and before she could even react, a surprised $i,,y was swept up into )ill's waiting arms. 1e backed her out of the elevator and into the hallway, reacBuainting themselves with the other. $eaning against his solid frame, wrapped in his embrace, $i,,y felt the tension of her morning melt away and become happiness at his une pected appearance. ?hey stood Buietly in the hall for several moments, simply holding one another, until )ill pressed a kiss into her hair and gently tightened his hug before releasing her. She stepped back from his embrace, a contented smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

7''m

so

glad

you're

here,7

she

whispered.

7%ome on, let's get you settled into your room,7 he grinned, drinking in her presence.

She nodded, letting him pick up her bags from in front of her door where the bellhop had discretely left them. 4nlocking the door, she held it open as )ill moved inside, setting her belongings down ne t to the enormous bed in the center of the room. For all the hotel's pretensions, it was a lovely suite elegant linens in desert tones and dark"stained wood accents, plush carpeting and a comfortable sitting area.

$i,,y kicked off her shoes and pulled herself up onto the bed, leaning back on her hands. She took another deep breath, eyes closed, rela ing into the comfortable surroundings. Finally, she opened her eyes to see )ill, leaning against the dresser, observing her with Buiet pleasure.

71i

)ill,7

she

said,

finally.

71ello

yourself,7

he

replied,

and

she

grinned

in

remembrance.

7)as

the

picnic

really

only

four

days

agoG7

7)as itG &ut haven't ' known you all my lifeG7 1e 3ested, but his tone was in earnest. $i,,y patted the bed ne t to her. 1e sat, pulling her into his arms when she rested her head on his shoulder. And then finally, achingly slow, she raised herself up to meet him, her lips pressing gently onto his own. Sighing at the contact, their mouths made the greeting that words alone could not.

$i,,y shifted her legs around, pulling them to the side so that they were nearly sitting chest to chest on the bed. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling them both deeper into the kiss. ?heir tongues met again and again, lungs gasping, needing each other more than air. 1ands tangled into hair, under clothing, across chests, pressed into backs, and +li,abeth found herself on her back, shirtless, braless, with a bare"chested )illiam hovering.

6ropping himself up on his elbows at either side of her head, )ill lowered his body, his hips pressing to hers.

7)hat time do you need to be at the 6arkG7 she gasped against his mouth.

7/ot

until

five.7

7.ood,7 she whispered, reaching for the button of his 3eans. 1e detached his hips long enough to help her slide his pants off his legs before lowering his head to her breast. She arched as he kissed the tip of first her right, then her left nipple. 1e lingered over the left, tracing his tongue around the areola before capturing it within his mouth. As he sucked, gently, then with more insistence, she held his head to her, her hands begging him not to stop. She shivered in pleasure as he gave it one final, savoring tug before moving to the other. As he attended to it with his lips and tongue, his thumb began to trace gentle circles around the sensitive left, and she couldn't help but sigh in bliss.

At long last, she pulled him upwards to her mouth, impatient to reciprocate his pleasure. 1er hips undulated with her breath, and she could feel his erection where it pressed, hard and throbbing, against her leg. 1e hadn't even so much as reached below her waist, and yet, she could feel heat and desire beginning to pulse deep inside. Suddenly impatient for him, she began to fumble at her own clasp, and when she brushed against the outline of his erection as she pushed off her 3eans, he 3erked in pleasure at her touch.

7$i,,y*7 he gasped, his handsome cheeks flushed. 1is hand finally found the source of heat between her legs, and Buickly, discarded her panties so that she lay fully naked beneath him. $eaning on his elbow, he stroked her sensuously, his fingers sliding easily into her. She was already wet with need. 1is breath caught as she rolled her head back, offering her throat as an invitation to his hungry eyes and lips. She allowed him to pay

tribute there for several moments, and then pushed herself up on one arm, reaching to caress the bulging front of his bo ers as he continued stroking.

7)ill,7 she begged impatiently, reaching around his hips and pulling him closer, 7tell me*7

1e stilled his hand, his eyes searching, probing into hers. 76rotection*G ''m clean* Are you*G7 $i,,y knew that they ought to discuss this further, but she trusted him. +ven so, she was hardly coherent.

76ill* clean,7 she managed to choke out, between sighs as his fingers began to dance within her again. 6ushing his hand away, she yanked his bo ers off, her eyes gleaming as he came fully into view. 1e groaned when she took him in hand, guiding him towards her entrance.

?heir voices 3oined in strangled cries as he pushed into her, his eyes screwed shut in concentration. She strained to meet him with her hipsN her hands pressing into his back. )ill began to move within her* in, out* slowly, at first, and increasing in paceN she moved with him, the growing pressure driving her wild. 1is brow was twisted fiercelyN she could see that he was fighting madly for control.

She pulled his head towards her, and managed to whisper in his ear. 7$et go, )ill. $et go*7 Spurred on by her words, he gave in to the ecstasy, thrusting with abandon as she met him stroke for stroke. She wrapped her legs around him, anchoring him to her, as each push of his body into hers seemed to drive him deeper. ?his was complete, utter bliss.

And then, 3ust as it became too much to bear, $i,,y tumbled over the edge, her muscles contracting in divine release. )ill's own pleasure Buickly followed with the e tra stimulation from $i,,y's orgasm. 1is angular hips 3erked against her rounder ones as he throbbed, fluid heat spreading inside her. She floated in a ha,e of Buieting passion, reveling in the lu urious sensations of his rippled chest pressing down on her breasts, the fullness of his softening erection still encased by her body. For a moment, they simply lay there, foreheads pressed together, listening to the harmony of their intermingling breaths.

)ill shifted slightly, and the movement shot a sharp flash of pleasure through her again. She grunted in surprise, eliciting a wry grin from her lover. .ently, he slid out of her, and they both sighed in acknowledgement of the delicious sensations that even that could produce. Snuggling against his chest, $i,,y surrendered to the warmth and comfort of their embrace, soon losing the battle to keep her eyes open as post"coital weariness combined with 3etlag.

?hey stayed, cocooned in one another's arms, floating in that indeterminate space between sleep and wakefulness, until )ill's phone alarm roused them from their rest. 1e reached over her to check the time, sighing resignedly when he reali,ed that he couldn't linger.

7+li,abethG7

he

whispered,

sitting

up

ne t

to

her

in

bed.

72mm,7 was the only reply he received from her sleeping form. %aressing the crown of her forehead, he leaned in closer, pressing kisses along her 3awbone towards her ear.

7+li,abeth,7 he repeated, his warm breath tickling her ear. 1er eyes fluttered open, at first confused, but then her e pression changed to elation when she recogni,ed her lover. 1e brushed her cheek lovingly with his fingers, his smile wistful. 7't's almost four now. ' need to take a shower and head down to the 6ark. ''ll leave your ticket on the coffee table. You shouldn't leave here any later than >H:: if you want to arrive on time for the /ational Anthem and the opening pitch, and ' asked that a car be ready for you and .eorgi to take into /ampa. 1er suite is down one floor ' wrote her room number on the envelope so you can get in touch with her and she knows that this is your room. You two should get something to eat here unless you want a hot dog at the game.7 1e spoke an iously, as if afraid he would forget a crucial detail and ruin the whole night.

+li,abeth hurried to reassure him. 71ow can ' ever thank youG )ill, this trip has already been incredible, though ' would settle for much less if it meant ' got to see you play tonight and spend this time with you.7

)ill looked away in embarrassment, though he was clearly pleased. 7''d better go.7 .rinning as she yawned, he continued, 7You should get some rest. ''ll see you after the game, alrightG7 She nodded, her eyes already starting to droop again. -issing her

forehead, )ill climbed off the bed and headed for the bathroom in his ad3oining suite.

5:3(

,M

)hen +li,abeth woke an hour later, the rooms were absolutely Buiet. ?he light filtering in through the half"drawn curtains, stretching at odds with the pattern in the carpet, waved in time with the gentle bree,e coming through the balcony door )ill had left cracked open. .lancing at the clock, she reali,ed that he must already be at 2ansfield 6ark, warming up with the team. (espite almost two hours of sleep, +li,abeth was still drowsy from her nap, the 3etlag stubbornly clinging to languid muscles.

+all ;eorgi, she thought, pulling herself upright, take a shower, order dinner . )ill had taken care of all the details, making it easy for $i,,y to rela and fully appreciate the

e citement of the weekend. )ith one last yawn and stretch, she slid out of bed and stepped towards her bathroom, gasping as her feet tangled into a pair of discarded 3eans and she nearly fell.

$aughing despite herself, she recalled the hours before her nap with a shudder of pleasure. Se with )ill was everything she imagined it would be, and she hoped that

there would be lots more of it in the near future. /ot only were they madly compatible physically his needs seemed so attuned with hers that they couldn't help but be turned on but something had made this se different than any she'd e perienced before. She

suspected that their deepening emotional connection had something to do with the tender, almost reverent air with which )ill had worshiped her body with his eyes, his mouth, his hands with his bodyN her reaction had bordered on the sublime.

Stepping into the shower, +li,abeth finally began to feel human again. As the water ran over her skin, it massaged away her weariness, and replaced it with the e citement for the evening to come. She shampooed, conditioned, soaped, and rinsed in record time

before stepping out, dripping, onto the bath rug. Standing naked in front of the steamy mirror, she combed out her long hair, sending droplets of water spraying from her comb. She wiped the mirror with a hand towel, and started when she saw the dark blotch on her skin 3ust above her nipple. Although she felt as if she were living in a dream, )illiam had certainly left his mark that afternoon, clear evidence that her fantasies were indeed coming true.

$inking arms with $i,,y, .eorgi nearly dragged her to their seats, several rows back above the first"base dugout. &oth women were nearly bubbling over in anticipation, and their e citement was reflected on the faces of all the red"clad fans that surrounded them. ?rue to form, 5ed So teamH $i,,y and /ation had turned out full"force in /ampa to support the visiting .eorgi found themselves in good company.

)ill had proudly described .eorgiana (arcy as a Buiet, shy, but sweet and incredibly smart young lady, but thus far, $i,,y had only seen the 7intelligent7 part. /ot only was her new friend chatty and e citable, she had a biting wit not dissimilar from $i,,y's. ?hey had hit it off almost instantaneously at their first meeting, and now, they were well on their way to becoming very dear friends. (inner downstairs at the hotel, in %handlers Steakhouse, had been a nonstop back"and"forth stream of banter over fine 'dahoan -obe"style sirloinN the ride to the stadium had been girlish shrieks and loud singing along to the radio.

?hey both removed matching rhinestone"studded So

caps and placed them over their

hearts as ?ricia Yearwood= belted out a flawless rendition of the /ational Anthem, and screamed with half the stadium as the 5ed So were introduced to the field. )ithout any further ceremony, game four of the )orld Series was underway.

= ?ricia Yearwood singing at the real .ame Four of the #::> )orld Series in (enver.

%harlie &ingley started things off with a clean shot to left and beat Dohn (ashwood's throw to second for a double. 1e advanced to third base on a groundout by )entworth and scored when &randon singled to &illy %ollins out in right field. )ith &randon on first and 5D coming up to bat, it seemed like the So grounded into a double play, and were in for another big game. &ut 5D victory wasn't assured.

suddenly,

An unfulfilling first blended into four eBually disappointing innings for both teams. &oston's stellar pitching shut down any 6ugs attempts to advance, but the So get a single hit through three innings. All of 5ed So doubled to left and was driven home by a failed to

/ation sighed in relief when (arcy long single by 5ushworth.

&y the Seventh 'nning Stretch, the mood was bordering on 3ubilant. )ill led off &oston's seventh with a solo home run deep into the left"field bleachers, and the members of the /ation were making their pleasure known loud and clear in the seats of 2ansfield. .eorgi 3umped, arms raised, as she cheered, while $i,,y shook her hips in her favorite 75ed So victory7 3ig.

$i,,y thought she might burst from happiness when, after running the bases, )ill blew her a kiss as he headed back to the dugout, an enormous grin plastered on his face. .eorgi cocked her eyebrow teasingly, but $i,,y brushed her off with a laugh, turning her attention back towards the field.

.oing into the eighth, &oston led game four by a score of four runs to one. ?hey were only si outs away from sweeping their second )orld Series in four years. &ut the 6ugs

weren't giving upN /ampa would make the So

fight for every last out. &oston fans

watched in horror as the 6ugs reduced the lead to one run with only one out on the inning.

Finally, +ddy .iardino pulled the relief pitcher, sending in Dohn $ucas. ?he fiery young closer succeeded in forcing the ne t two 6ugs to hit into outs, and the So eighth inning with their lead escaped the alive.

From the stands, +li,abeth, .eorgi and all of baseball watched the proceedings on the field, taut with an iety. %hewing nervously on her thumb, $i,,y screamed in frustration when (arcy flied out on two pitches in the top of the ninth, and nearly cried when 1enry ?ilney and Dimmy 5ushworth both grounded out to end the inning.

And suddenly, it was down to three outs. 'f the 6ugs scored, the game and the Series would go on. 'f not, and the So managed to keep their lead, it would be all over.

+very person in the stands knew the magnitude of the moment, and fell silent. An eerie calm settled over the stadium as every eye trained on Dohn $ucas as he stared down the line towards DD ?horpe. $ucas hurled one scorcher, and then another, throwing the ball with knife"like precision. ?he first, ?horpe missed entirely, but got a piece of the second, sending it rocketing back into the crowd behind home. &lood pressure collectively rose as he managed to pull the third and fourth pitches foul. ?hen, on the fifth pitch, wood cracked against leather, and the ball bounced hard toward Ferrars in the dirt. Ferry snagged the ball on a bounce and hurled it to &randon at first one out.

%hurchill, on the other hand, wasted no time swinging at the first pitch, sending it long into center. $i,,y gasped a home run would tie the game. She saw the whole thing at half"tempoH the ball e ploding off of %hurchill's bat, $ucas swinging around on the pitcher's mound in horror, &ingley sprinting out from shallow left field towards the centerfield wall. %harlie was on the grass, then on the warning track* and with a mighty leap, slammed into the outfield wall.

As he fell, no one could see where was the ballG For a long moment, 5ed So despaired as &ingley lay unmoving in the dirt. &ut then, as a phoeni

/ation

rises, %harlie

&ingley stood up on shaking legs, hoisting his glove ball safely encased within into the air. ?wo down.

And

then,

in

three

beautiful

pitches,

Dohn

$ucas struck

out

Dack

)illoughby.

&efore )illoughby even knew he had failed, $ucas was three feet in the air. ?he team piled onto $ucas as he landed, screaming and 3umping in unison. Fit,william and ?ilney started to sprint towards the infield, but then thought better of it. ?hey turned to %harlie and hoisted the limping man onto their shoulders, carrying him to the celebration at the mound.

$i,,y hardly knew if she laughed or cried. )illiam, %harlie heck all the 5ed So

had

played an incredible Series. .iardino became the first manager to win his first eight )orld Series games, an incredible feat. ?he So had turned the %urse of the &ambino=

around after eighty"si years in #::<, and then stomped on it for good measure in #::>.

After allowing a few moments of wild festivity on the field, officials rounded up the victors, herding them down to the clubhouse below. A strained hush captivated the crowd as the video feed began on the screen over left field, showing &aseball %ommissioner &ud Selig preparing to present the trophy== to the 5ed So owners. $i,,y and .eorgi

watched spellbound as Selig spoke, passing the trophy into the hands of the proud So leadership.

7Mn behalf of 2a3or $eague &aseball, ' am proud to award this trophy to the &oston 5ed So . %ongratulations on a magnificent season, an ama,ing comeback in the A$%S, and a great victory here in the )orld Series.7

?he two women grinned at each other, each surreptitiously wiping tears of 3oy and pride from gleaming eyes. ?hey saw the trophy get passed off"screen into the waiting hands of one of the players and wondered if the inane FM[ reporter chattering away would interview )ill as team captain. Mnly half attentive to the ceremony, now that the trophy was awarded, they both snapped to attention, as they caught the reporter's ne t words,

7*

congratulate

)ill

(arcy,

Series

2P687

?here was )ill, grinning sheepishly, his new )orld Series t"shirt soaked in champagne, championship hat backwards and askew on his head, cradling the 2P6 trophy in his arms as 2r. Selig applauded him for the honor.

7?1A?'S 2Y &5M?1+587 .eorgi shouted up into the stands, pointing to the screen. 7)MMMM1MMM88 )'$$ (A5%Y, 2P6887 $i,,y laughed, and in truth, she was 3ust as proud.

After several more minutes, the crowd finally began to filter out of the stands and head back to their cars. ?he field officials started allowing family and friends of the teams onto the field to await the players' return, so $i,,y and .eorgi, along with the rest of the 5ed So guests, patiently moved down towards the field entrances. ?hey 3oined Anne

)entworth and %atherine ?ilney near the first base bag, chatting companionably about a number of polite sub3ects the weather, the sights of /ampa, anything simply to pass the time.

?he delay seemed interminable, but in reality was no more than a Buarter of an hour, until the players emerged from the dugout. ?he guests milling around the field stopped in their conversations, cheering and clapping as the champagne"soaked players trooped onto the field to greet their guests and the waiting reporters.

And then, $i,,y beheld a most magnificent sight. ?here, mounting the steps of the dugout, flanked by %harlie &ingley on one side and 5D Fit,william on the other, with the %hampionship trophy aloft in one hand and the 2P6 trophy in the other, came )ill (arcy. 'n that moment, she was sure she had never seen anything so beautiful as )ill. 1e let out a 3ubilant yell, acknowledging the crowd's ovation. 'mmediately, media and guest alike swarmed the trio, vying for the captain's attention. 1e was, after all, the week's hero, and every newspaper and story would surely include a )illiam (arcy Buotation when they went to print.

+li,abeth hung back, watching. 'n his 3oy, )ill had even forgotten to be wary of the reporters. 1e laughed and 3oked, patiently answering Buestions and accepting

congratulations, shaking hands with his 2P6 trophy tucked under his arm. )atching him there, $i,,y felt as if her heart might burst from her own happiness in seeing the man she loved so happy. So content was she that she failed to notice her own startling revelation, that somewhere, between the une pected breakfast in her office and the roar of the victorious crowd at the stadium, she had fallen in love with )ill (arcy.

'n her blissful state, +li,abeth missed the parting of the crowd and didn't see )ill until he

was right before her. ?rophies still in hand, he pulled her into his arms, the dampness from the champagne on his clothing seeping into hers. For a moment they stood together unmoving, surrounded by the noise and the flashbulbs and yet unaware.

?hen, suddenly, as if remembering something long forgotten, )ill broke the embrace. 1e said nothing, only stepped back to hand the %hampionship trophy off to one of his teammates and set the 2P6 trophy on the grass. 'n one fluid movement, she was back in his arms, and they were kissing. /ot even pausing for breath, )ill swept her downwards into a swoon, heedless of the attention they were receiving. $i,,y's mind was in a fogN she could only be grateful for the support of )ill's powerful arm below her back, supporting her, else she would have collapsed from surprise and pleasure.

)hen the kiss finally ended, and they stepped apart, da,ed, the people surrounding them broke out into applause and raucous cheering. )ill blushed but $i,,y, recovering her senses, 3ust grinned, leaning in and whispering,

7%ongratulations,

)onderboy.

You

make

one

heck

of

champ.7

Monday, 2:30

October

2/,

2007 ,M

)hen $i,,y bent down to pick up the copy of the ;lobe on her doorstep the ne t afternoon, she wasn't surprised to see the picture of )ill, both trophies held aloft, on the front page, ne t to the shot of $ucas leaping into the air. ?he headline was simple, yet effectiveH 7+O(L$ CHA13-O2S47 $etting herself into her apartment, she dropped her bag on the couch, absently calling out to let Dane know she had arrived.

.lancing at her watch, she calculated the time before )ill would be home. 1is flight had taken off from the airport in &oise several hours after hers, since the whole team had been reBuired for a press conference in the hotel that morning. She knew they would arrive only to meet a horde of thrilled &oston fans at $ogan, since many of the die"hards who hadn't been able to attend the game in /ampa were determined to make up for missing the winning moment.

Still, )ill had promised to call as soon as they landed. 't had only been a few hours since she had kissed him goodbye at the door to her suite at the hotel, but already, she was

anticipating the moment when she could again fly into his waiting arms. 'n her bed that morning, as they'd cuddled under the comforter, he had begged her to see him again that night with such nervous caution that she could only kiss him and promise to meet him as soon as she could.

Suddenly e hausted, $i,,y trudged back into her bedroom. A nap, she decided, was in order. Sleep had not been high on their agenda the night before, and she doubted there would be much tonight either. She do,ed off, fully dressed, after 3ust a few minutes, and remained there, unmoving, until she woke up with a start at the sound of the doorbell four hours later.

)ell, there's %hapter I:8 ' hope it was worth the long wait ... sorry8 Anyone catch the (isney referenceG For anyone who may have missed this over on the %omments thread, this should help clarify the baseball stuffH So, 6itchers .eorge -nightly, Dames $ucas, ?om &enning %atcher Dimmy 5ushworth First +d &ertram Second Freddy )entworth ?hird )illiam (arcy SS +dward Ferrars 5F 5D Fit,william $F 1enry ?ilney %F %harlie &ingley (1 %hris &randon 3%/s 6itcher 1al %rawford, %ameron Saunderson, Ale (evny %atcher 6hil +lton First ?om &ertram Second Frankie %hurchill ?hird )hitey /orris SS )arren +lliot 5F &illy %ollins

$F Dohn (ashwood %F DD ?horpe (1 Dack )illoughby