Amelia's Return:

Rewind a few weeks to early November… They had several a long talks about "going public." They were positive they were ready to go public. Before Mike and Ginny went public with their relationship, before they got engaged. It was several days after they won the World Series, but a about three weeks before Mike proposed. They had several a long talks about "going public." They were positive they were ready to go public, or so they thought.

It started when a number of the players from the team had an night out to dinner in a private dinning room at a local high end restaurant. Mike and Ginny arrived separately; they were still hiding their relationship. Their team had just won the World Series, and anytime any Padre was in public, especially someone from the starting lineup, they would be hounded by the paparazzi. They had told the team they planned to go public with their relationship soon, but not yet. Ginny caught a ride with Ev and Blip, while Mike drove himself. Dinner also included Tommy and his wife, Sal, Omar and about five other Padres. Mike ended up sitting at the head of the rectangular table and Blip and Tommy at either side. Next to each of them was their wife and Ginny next to Evelyn.

The conversations around the table were light-hearted and fun. They filled the room with laughter. Ev had been the one to go ring shopping with Mike. She had been dying to get him alone to ask why he hadn't proposed yet. She kept looking at Mike and fidgeting with her own wedding band. Mike must have gotten the message because he looked around and said, "I think we need a bottle of champagne or two to celebrate. Let me go find our server. Ev, you're good with wines and such, come help me…"

There was no valid reason he should have needed to leave their private dining room to find the server, the server would have been back eventually. But Mike could tell Ev was trying to get his attention.

Once they were out of the room, Evelyn cornered him. "When are you going to ask her?" and she hit him on the shoulder. For such a small framed woman, she was rather powerful.

"I have a plan Ev. Trust me, Al is helping me. But I don't want to have to hide our engagement, so we plan on going public with our relationship pretty soon afterwards."

"Blip said you mentioned taking this thing out in the open, but I seriously thought he was kidding. I need to spend more time with my girl... Are you two crazy?" Ev could talk a mile a minutes sometimes.

Just then their waiter walked by. Ev caught his arm, "Can we get a round of mid-range sparkling white wine for everyone? Thanks." Then she looked back at Mike, "They'll never know, everyone at that table has had enough to drink they couldn't tell the difference between a champagne and a sparkling white right now. But back to you two. You're going to need a publicist. Like Amelia level publicist. Like get Amelia back to take the heat off your back. Now."

Mike pulled at his beard… She was right. Why were the Sanders always right? The waiter came back with a tray full of glasses to pass around and they followed him back into their private dining room.

Now Mike need to get Ginny to reconcile with Amelia, find someone else they could trust on short notice, or wait until they could find someone. Mike was done hiding this relationship, so option one or two seemed better. He'd talk to Ginny when they got home after dinner.

That evening he brought it up as they watched TV in bed. "So Ev thought Blip was joking when he told her we were planning to take our relationship public."

"Wow, I didn't realize how little time I've been spending with her lately." Ginny said.

"That's the same thing Ev said to me. But she did suggested we have a publicist to deal with the media for us."

It was like a flash of reality hit her. Ev was right, Mike was right. "Do you know anyone we could trust?"

"We both do." Mike responded.

"Yeah, I need to apologize first. Do you think she'll take my call after all this time?"

"Maybe not, but she'll probably take mine."

- Day Trip -

Mike had texted the Amelia next day asking her for help with a PR matter.

Mike [I'm going to be in LA on Tuesday. Can you meet me at my hotel to go over a PR issue i have? I can text you my rm # when I check in]

Amelia [sure will 2p work for you?]

Mike [y, see you then]

Ginny and Mike drove up Tuesday morning. Mike dropped Ginny off at a Starbucks around the corner, wearing a ball cap and sunglasses to try to stay as unnoticed as possible. They still needed to avoid being seen together. Then he checked in, then texted her the room number and she went straight up.

They had arrived around noon so they ordered room service, a bottle of wine and enjoyed the view of the beach until Amelia arrived. Right on time. She knocked on the door one minute before 2:00. Mike opened the door and she started talking immediately as she walked down the short hall to the living area of the suite.

"Now don't think this is going to be like old times, even though we're meeting in a hotel room, only business today Mike… " She paused as soon as she saw Ginny sitting on a bar stool across the room. "… and apparently Ginny too. Is that why you called me here? No PR work for me, just trying to get us in a room together?"

Mike was sitting on the couch, "Oh, there is PR work… but Gin has to talk to you first."

Amelia made a mental note of how informally Mike referred to Ginny.

"Look, Evelyn told me she asked you to step in with my brother last year. I should have apologized sooner. I tried calling, but you never answered."

"I was screening my calls. You didn't leave a message either."

"It's kinda hard to admit you're wrong in a phone message." Ginny looked sincere. "I haven't hired another manager or publicist since you. I've just kept my head down and stayed out of the media.

"Yeah, I noticed, I almost forgot you were even playing until the playoffs came around. Would have been nice to have you on my client list during the playoffs. Not gonna lie."

"Would you take me on now? And Mike?"

"What like a package deal?" Amelia asked jokingly, having no idea what she was getting into.

Mike's turn… "Pretty much. We're a package deal now." It still wasn't registering with Amelia. "Ginny. Me. Dating."

"Oh!" Amelia took a long pause, and walked a few paces around the room. "Are you trying to keep it from getting out? Spin the relationship as 'just friends'" What? Are there pictures? Who all knows? What are we looking at here? Oh and what the?"

Ginny got up poured Amelia a glass of wine. "Here, I think you need this. Sit and we'll start from the beginning." And Ginny had taken control of the room in a way Amelia wasn't use to, but appreciated. "Mike and I have been dating, and living together for over a year now." Ginny sat on the couch next to her boyfriend and Amelia took a seat on another seat in the living area. "There aren't any pictures we know of, so no damage control on that front. The whole Padres team knows about our relationship, they have since about April and we're now in November. So pretty good team camaraderie we have there."

Mike reached his arm over his girlfriend as Ginny snuggled into his side on the couch with her feet underneath her. Amelia wasn't use to seeing Mike so attached to a woman like this, so domesticated. "We want to take our relationship public and want you to help manage any media backlash. We've already braced Padres management and the team that this is coming soon. We figure once the interest in the World Series win is behind us, we can put it out there. Give the public time to digest it, get over it during the offseason, so Gin and I can get back to work next season."

"A whole year, you've been together a whole year without anyone noticing? Damn."

"So, do you want to take this on? Can you work with me again?" Ginny asked?

"Oh hell yeah. This is gold in my field. We can control how and when this get's out. Do you have any ideas?" Amelia was in.

"Not really, that's why we called you. But we're tired of sneaking around. We just want to be able to show up to practice together, or go to the grocery store and not worry. It's the little things. We were hoping in then next few weeks?" Ginny said.

"I'll put a few ideas together and call you by Friday. My base is here in LA now, but we can Skype, will that work for now?"

"Sure." Said Ginny who got up to give Amelia a handshake, that quickly turned into a hug.

"Well, I have another appointment to get to, and apparently, a new contract to draft."

"I'll walk you out." Mike offered.

Once they were in the hall, and the door was shut, Amelia said, "And here I was afraid you were going to try to start up where we left off in 2016. I didn't see this coming at all. But I'm happy for you two. But I've got to ask, because you know I've always wanted what's best for her, are you serious about this relationship, you know... if you are planning to take it public?"

"I'm in love with her, Amelia. Which is why I wanted a few minutes with you where she couldn't hear. We have team pictures in two weeks. I've worked out a plan with Al to propose to Ginny after the photo shoot. Just thought you should know so you can keep that in mind as you build your timeline."

"I didn't think the great Mike Lawson would ever get married again. Sure she'll say yes?"

"Why does everyone keep asking that?"

"Because she's out of your league Mike. You know it and I know it, she is amazing."

"I know, and I love everything about her. Why I want to marry that woman in there. Before she comes to her senses. She still blows me away."

Amelia leaned in to hug him. "Congrats in advance. I feel like this should be more awkward, but something in me always knew that you two belonged together." And she headed down the hall to the elevator.

Mike went back in to their room. "So, I told you that would go well."

"You were right, Mr. Lawson."

"What was that? Not sure I heard you clearly, did you saw I was right?"

"I did, but clearly your old man ears need hearing aids. Should we head back to San Diego?"

"And waste this room for the night?"

"Mike, I didn't bring any clothes?"

"We don't need any clothes for what I have in mind."