Carly Phillips - Hot Property

As his schedule started at ten, he headed back to his room for a quick shower. Then he stopped by the front desk to make his first request of the concierge. His plan? To fulfill a promise he’d made to Amy and show her all the ways he could make and keep her happy. Not just in bed, although he had to admit they’d gotten off to one helluva start.

AMY HAD LIKED WAKING UP next to Roper. She’d liked it too much, so she rose quietly, showered and met up with Hannah at the breakfast buffet. They walked the length of the long table together and Amy filled her plate with at least one of everything.

“I’m starving,” she said, the smell of pancakes assaulting her senses.

“Sex will do that to you,” Hannah said.

Amy choked. “How do you know what went on?” she asked, praying the other woman hadn’t seen or heard anything from the solarium.

Hannah laughed. “Until now, it was only a guess. One based on the fact that I’m beyond ravenous and I know what I was doing all night,” she said with a grin.

“So things between you and Mike worked out?” Amy grabbed one last pastry before heading for a small table in the corner of the restaurant.

Hannah followed. “Let’s say they’re at least moving forward. The only way they’ll be better is if he gets Big Mama’s blessing. All he’s ever wanted was his career and she can make or break him.”

They sat at a table and immediately dug into their food. While she and Hannah ate, they exchanged life stories, Amy about growing up without a father and as the only sane one among two childlike adults. She even revealed her mother’s Lady Godiva episode and what it had cost Amy in terms of not just a job, but a life among her peers, something she hadn’t been able to realize or put into words until now.

And Hannah described growing up with her mother, who lived her own unfulfilled dreams through her talented daughter. Hence the reason for the other woman becoming her manager and directing Hannah’s life, so that music was its only focus.

“You know you have to take control of your mother,” Amy said, stabbing her fork into a piece of waffle and talking to Hannah as if she’d known her forever.

Considering they’d already confided in each other about sex and their men, Amy figured the bond was already there. She liked people and talked to them easily. So this friendship with Hannah wasn’t a surprise, merely welcome.

She missed having someone to talk to. For years it had been her mother and her aunt, but with Hannah, Amy realized how badly she missed the companionship of someone her own age. A best friend.

“Not only do I know I have to take control, but I plan on doing something about it. Mike is going to kill me, but I intend to call my mother and let her know where we are.” Hannah accentuated her decision with a raise of her coffee cup.

Oh, wow. That was a huge step. “What exactly do you plan to do when she gets here?” Amy asked.

“I’m going to tell my mother that she will have to make a choice. Accept my relationship with Mike without any interference or lose not just her place in my life but her position as our manager.” Hannah set her cup down and met Amy’s gaze, not a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

“You love him that much,” Amy said.

“I do. You don’t spend that much time with someone, in the studio, on the road, and not get to know him, the good and the bad, quirks, faults and all. He’s worth it to me.” She nodded definitively.

“You go, girl,” Amy said. She knew what Hannah was risking and yet she approved of her going after what she wanted most in life.

Hannah shook her head, her long ponytail falling over her shoulder. “Yeah, well, enough about me. Once my mother arrives it’ll be pure chaos.”

“When will that be?” Amy asked.

“I need another few days to savor this time with Mike. Then I’ll call Mama. At which point I’m sure I’ll be on your doorstep, begging for you to save me from her,” Hannah said, half jokingly.

“Can I ask you a silly question?”

Hannah nodded. “Of course.”

“I just realized that growing up the way I did and moving into a retirement community left me with few…okay, make that no real friends my age to speak of. Now I’m getting to know people at work, but I’ve revealed more to you than to any of them.” She glanced at her water, feeling ridiculous. “But what about you? Don’t you have a best friend or someone you go to when you need a shoulder? Or advice?” Why would the famous Hannah Gregory confide in Amy?

Hannah laughed. “I can see why you’d want to know, but the truth is I’m more like you than you realize. When I was young, I was tutored so I could take singing jobs, commercials, whatever Mom could line up. Now I’m in the studio or on the road. I’m with the guys all the time. The people I meet are either other performers, in which case there’s jealousy or competition, or they’re intimidated by me. I can’t relate to them. You’re the first woman I’ve met in ages I’d want to call my friend.”

A warm, fuzzy feeling settled around Amy’s heart. A friend. Silly as it seemed, she was feeling more and more complete with each passing day.

She wanted to reach across the table and hug Hannah, but the ringing of Amy’s cell phone prevented her from acting on impulse. “Excuse me. Just for a second.”

“Hello?” The phone number indicated it was Micki even before Amy had answered. “What’s wrong?” Amy asked, because they’d agreed Micki wouldn’t call and risk Roper being around and getting worked up by information from home. Amy would call her if she needed her.

“What isn’t?” Micki asked.

Amy closed her eyes, realizing for the first time just how easily the real world-and Roper’s problems-could intrude on her idyllic time here.

“SO WHAT’S GOING ON?” Amy asked Micki. She held the phone to her ear and mouthed an apology to Hannah.

“Cassandra Lee has camped out at my office and refuses to leave until I tell her where Roper is. I couldn’t believe how attached she is to him until I found out the real reason she’s parked herself at the Hot Zone.” Micki sighed.

“Which has something to do with Harrison Smith?” Not a difficult guess, Amy thought.

“He followed her here and now they are both seated on my couch. Both wearing full-length furs. Cassandra has a matching hat.”

“Oh, Lord.” Amy held her forehead in her hand. She could just imagine the sight. “Do you have a plan? Short of divulging our whereabouts, I mean.”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Micki’s laugh let Amy relax a bit. “Uncle Yank is going to take them out to lunch. Or should I say Uncle Yank and his guide dog, Noodle, are going to take them out. Cassandra thinks he’s going to explain why we have Roper secluded, which he will. And then I am sure she believes she’ll charm him into giving out the phone number.”

Micki’s laughter gave away the fact that her plan wasn’t as simple as Cassandra obviously believed.

“But…?” Amy asked.

“But once they order dessert, Uncle Yank plans to suggest Harrison choose someone more suited to play the role he wants for Cassandra. Someone more worthy. Someone who will come cheaper. Someone named Lola.” Micki snickered.

Amy shook her head, glad she wasn’t anywhere near New York City during this lunch. “Go on.”

“Harrison, who is infinitely wiser and more cunning than Roper’s mother, and who has a stake in the outcome of this lunch, has agreed to agree with Uncle Yank. At which point we expect Cassandra to scream, become offended that he’d give her role away to someone unknown, and then take the role back on principle,” Micki said, sounding pleased with herself.

“But as soon as Cassandra comes to her senses, she’ll walk away again.” Amy massaged her suddenly aching temple.

“Not so fast,” Micki said. “Harrison’s assistant is waiting for the phone call that it’s a done deal and she’ll immediately ‘leak’ the news to the press that Cassandra Lee is back, making it impossible for the woman to dispute it or back out without looking foolish. Especially when Uncle Yank confirms Harrison’s claim that she agreed.”

Amy chuckled at the absurdity of it all. “You know, it’s so crazy that it just might work. Anything else I need to know about?”

Micki exhaled loudly into the phone. “Well, if the role ties Cassandra up the way we hope, she’ll stop booking twelve-piece bands and let her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law plan their own small wedding.”

“Twelve pieces?” Amy yelled loudly until Hannah placed her finger over her lips, reminding her she was in a quiet restaurant.

“Twelve pieces and Barry Manilow, but Cassandra claims he’ll do it for free, as a favor for an old flame,” Micki said.

Amy cringed. “Eew. Too much information.”

“Harrison said she was full of it. And Sabrina isn’t answering her phone until her mother sees reason,” Micki said.

Amy raised a finger to Hannah, indicating she’d only be another minute. “Listen, you need to make sure this plan works or Roper will have a coronary,” she whispered to Micki.

“I know. But I think I have it under control…except for one teensy little thing,” the other woman said.

“How little?” Amy asked.

Micki grew alarmingly silent.

Amy stiffened in her seat. “What is it?”

“The stalker is at it again, except now he’s turned to threats. He sent a generic baseball in a brown box to Roper’s apartment. It was forwarded to the Hot Zone. Untraceable and untrackable, of course. The inscription on the ball read, ‘Whack the ball or you’ll be whacked instead.’”

Amy’s stomach churned. “Did you-”

“Report it to the police? Yes, along with all the other incidents. At least the ones Roper told you about. They want to talk to him, but I managed to stall that for a while. And I let Vaughn know what’s going on. He’s hired extra security for the lodge just in case. The good news is that since the stalker sent the package to Roper’s apartment as usual, we have no reason to believe he knows where Roper is.”

Amy exhaled long and hard. “But the papers are quiet?”

“Just a mention by Buckley that Roper’s lying low, probably hiding out in embarrassment. Roper would be pissed if he knew, but since he doesn’t, all’s well.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said everything’s wrong.”

“As long as you tell me everything is right there, I’ll be happy,” Micki said.

Amy glanced around at the dark wood decor and her peaceful surroundings. “Everything here is perfect. Roper is relaxed, baseball focused, rehabbing and he isn’t worried about home. It’s going exactly the way we wanted it to,” Amy said.

“Excellent! I have to go, but I’ll check in again soon.” Micki hung up and Amy turned back to her breakfast companion. “I am so sorry about that.”

“Hey, I understand when business calls. Everything okay?” Hannah asked.

Amy nodded. “Nothing my boss can’t handle.” Which was true. Except for the escalation in the stalker’s actions, which Roper wasn’t around to deal with, everything was status quo. His family was as needy and crazy as usual, but they had another audience to perform for, at least for a while.

The waiter had cleared the plates while Amy was on the phone.

Hannah leaned forward on her arms. “Then why do you look upset and worried?”

“I do?”

Hannah made a show of studying Amy. “Wrinkled brows, pursed lips, frowning…yup, you look worried.”

Amy laughed. “I guess I’m just preoccupied.” And concerned about how Roper would feel if he found out about the news from home. He’d want to know everything. But as long as she could shelter him, he could continue to relax, something he desperately needed to do. But she couldn’t share his personal troubles with Hannah because he was her client.

So instead she decided to be up-front about her own issues-getting involved with a famous baseball player who came with a load of baggage of his own. She asked Hannah for advice.

“As someone whose life is a media mess, I’m not going to lie and tell you it’s easy. I’m also not going to tell you what to do, because I’ve seen too many celebrity marriages break up because public life interferes.” Hannah signaled for the check.

“You sound older than your years,” Amy said.

“Not older, just more jaded.” She glanced down. “I believe in going after what you want in life, but I also believe in weighing the odds. What’s the point of getting involved with someone if it’s doomed from the start? Or if you think it is?”

A shiver raced down Amy’s arms. She had no answer, nor did she want to think too much about it right now. “For as long as we’re up here, it isn’t something I have to worry about.”