Aside from Ginny's Nike/New Balance situation and her topless photos her Rookie year, it was usually Mike who landed himself in hot water over the things he said on the sidelines. He was great at giving speeches, great at public speaking. He new well enough what to say and not to say when there was a microphone around, but lousy with day-to-day conversation. A grunt, head nod or a comment that ends with him need to apologize was more common for Mike. Things had definitely improved with Ginny's influence, and it hadn't gone unnoticed by those closest to him.
Ginny on the other hand was very calculated when responding to others and the press, but she had done her time in front of the media and preferred to stay out of the limelight. In November when they went public with their relationship, Amelia was their mouth-piece, responding to all press inquiries and having Eliot battle the social media front.
The Amelia/Eliot team had prepared stats and bullet points to combat even Ginny's toughest critics.
Mike and Ginny notified management of their personal relationship prior to Spring Training. Management always had the opportunity to make changes if they were not happy with the performance on the field. Mike and Ginny intentionally kept their relationship a secret from the public to make sure that their performance the first year could be evaluated by their peers first. The Padres won 20% more when Ginny and Mike were paired as pitcher/catcher versus when Ginny was paired with catchers. Once she was moved to relief pitcher later in the season, she successfully closed out 90% of games when she came in to relive and the Padres were tied or winning. Better than any other relief pitcher. Ginny got the winning out for the Padres to win the World Series. (This last one should have been enough to silence all critics.)
Mike and Ginny felt every penny paid to Amelia and Co. was well deserved to not have to deal with the press/media themselves. They kept her on retainer, but hoped they wouldn't have to use her services too often. But in late January Amelia called them, to help again with press related to their relationship.
- Girls Night Out -
Ginny, Evelyn and a few of the wives/girlfirends of the players (you know… WAGS) had decided to go out on a Thursday night in late January. Spring training was just around the corner and they were all about to up and move for the next few months. They guys had wanted to come with them, but it was Evelyn who put her foot down. Ginny may have bonded with the guys, but she didn't have my girlfriends and needed time without all that testosterone around.
A local club was having a ladies night and it seemed like a fun way for Ginny to get to know some of the WAGS better. Now that they knew she was off the market, they were less concerned with having this gorgeous female in the locker room with their guys. Plus, many of them were all too curious to get a little info on Mike behind closed doors.
They started with dinner at one of those tapas places where the food is great but you never eat enough because the food is sooo small. Added with a lot of wine, and the conversation was bound to get interesting.
Omar's new girlfriend, Leti, was the first to ask about Mike, rather make a statement. "So, Omar tells me he use to have a crush on you. That is until Mike told him it was silly and he needed to get over it."
Ginny nearly spit her wine out. "What, I never heard that," and immediately started to blush.
"Don't worry, Omar realize later the next season, Mike was talking him out of liking you, so Mike could have you all to himself. And getting to know you tonight, I get it. You're pretty, but you're also really cool to hang with."
Ginny was still terribly embarrassed. "I've never heard this and I think my sweet fiancé will have a some explaining to do when I get home."
It was Salvi's wife's turn next. Sonja asked, "So we've all heard the rumors about Lawson's, you know, and looked down to the waiter passing-bys mid-section. Is it true how, um… gifted he is?"
"No, I am not answering that." Ginny flatly said. Too late, the ladies were going to continue make their own assumptions, based on her lack of an answer and started giggling. "Next question, maybe a little more PG-13."
The next 30 minutes consisted of questions about their domestic side, that he cooked for her regularly, gave her foot massages, spent a lot of time cuddled up watching Netflix, sucked a playing pool and more. As they got ready to pay their bill, you would think Mike was the ideal man, not the playboy they all had made him out to be.
Sonja asked as they waited for their Uber to the club… "So how did you tame the great Mike Lawson, Ginny Baker? Someone could write this down and make some serious cash off your story."
"You ladies don't get it do you? He's always been this guy. The rest was just for show. I mean, he was married to Rachel for how long? And she was the one who cheated, not him. He was made for marriage. He just married the wrong person the first time out. I mean they loved each other. But Rachel needed someone who didn't travel, and would be there for her all the time. Plus she didn't share his passion for baseball - Mike loves baseball. It's his life. With me, he gets both, we both love each other, and we live for baseball. He's always wanted to find love, get married and have kids." And as soon as she said the kids word, they all gasped, even Evelyn. "Yes, we plan to have kids some day, not yet, many years from now. He's okay waiting on my career and being an older dad."
With that, their Uber pulled up. And they climbed in and headed off to the club.
The chatter quickly shifted to Ev's kid's latest stunt, and what Sonja's kids were up to in school. It didn't take long before they were at the club. There was a line outside to get in and the driver dropped them off at the front door, meaning they would have to walk to the end of the line. This was one of those rare times Ginny was grateful for her semi-celebrity status. The bouncer took one look at her and waived both she and the rest of the group right in. As he did that, he mumbled something in his headset. They were only about five steps in the door, when a tall blond woman approached them and introduced herself.
"I'm Shannon and I'm the manager here tonight. We have a VIP booth left and would like to offer it to you and your friends, on the house Ms. Baker." Ginny was inclined to turn down the offer and blend into the crowd. She was just happy to not stand in line, but didn't need any more perks. Her gal pals on the other hand jumped at the chance, especially Ev, who piped up "Lead the way. Also, Shannon, was it? We have about four more Players wives coming. Anything you can do to help with the line situation out front for them as well?"
"Of course, Mrs. Sanders." Yes, this woman knew who they all were. It also gave Ev a little ego boost.
Shannon took them over to the last VIP booth off to the far side of the dance floor. Each booth looked to host about ten people, they had only four in their group for now, although the rest of their group would be joining them momentarily. They ordered a round of drinks and waited for the rest of the ladies to arrive. They took turns dancing in front of the DJ booth. And while it was ladies night, this particular club definitely attracted some rather handsome men looking to meet women. Too bad all the ladies in their group were spoken for.
They were about 20 minutes in, when Ginny felt her phone vibrate in her jeans back pocket. It was Mike… [Just thinking of you, babe. Love you, Rookie.]
Ginny texted back [didn't eat enough at dinner, may be hung over tomorrow – be warned. Love you too.] With that, Ginny realized she should probably hangout in their booth and drink some water. Food would be good if she could get her hands on any of that. She settled back into the corner of the booth nearest the adjoining booth. Something about the other corner was a little too dark. Her phone buzzed in her pocket again. Expecting it to be Mike, she pulled it out.
It was from Noah Casey [I would have thought a newly engaged beauty like yourself wouldn't be sitting in a bar by herself]
She wasn't sure why, but her heart skipped a beat. It could have been because she was definitely tipsy. Or that it was Noah, who she really never gave a good explanation to when she broke things off with him over a year ago. Or maybe because he was clearly somewhere close enough to see her. She sat up straight and her head darted around the room looking for him. Until she her his voice right next to her. He was in the VIP booth next to them, sitting just inches away, separated by only a curtain made of chains.
"Gin, I'm right here. I didn't mean to scare you."
"You did, seriously. How are you?" She asked. The club was loud, so Noah got up from his busy booth and walked over to her very empty booth. She stood up and gave him a hug. "Wow. Not who I expected to see tonight." And they both sat back down to attempt to talk over all the noise. Because it was so loud, they had to get extra close to each other to hear anything. They were able to get only a few words in, basic pleasantries, 'you look well' 'been busy' 'we should catch up,' maybe 2-3 minutes
Then, several of the WAGS came back. Ginny introduced them to Noah. Most had no clue as to her past with them. They hung out and asked about his firm, they new him by name and were impressed that he and Ginny were friends. Somehow they ladies never put two and two and two together – it must have been the drinking they had all been doing. But Ev did. As they headed back out to the dance floor after a few more songs, Ev leaned down to Ginny, "You're playing with fire, be careful."
Ginny knew she had no interest in doing anything to lean Noah on, or risk her relationship with Mike. She turned to Noah, "Hey Noah, I should get back to the ladies. It was nice to see you." She hugged him and walked to the dance floor with her friends. Her phone buzzed again.
It was Noah. [Meet me for lunch sometime. I spent more time talking to your friends than you just now. I think I deserve a proper breakup] Followed by a wink emoji.
Ginny responded with [I sucked. Sorry. But it's been a year and I'm getting married. What is there to say now?]
Noah [indulge me one last time – please]
Ginny [when?]
Noah [Sunday work? Someplace with a dark corner with no photographers]
Ginny [I guess I owe you that much]
It was hard texting and dancing, and Ev noticed. "That better be your grumpier half" she said in Ginny's ear. Ginny waived her off and went to grab another glass of water.
- Aftermath -
The next morning Ginny's phone exploded with calls and texts from Amelia, Eliot and Ev. She was warm and bundled up next to Mike and couldn't imagine what was so urgent it needed her attention at 7:00 am. She agreed to lunch with a guy she dated for a few weeks. But nothing more. Then Mike's phone began to go off. They both rolled out of the comfort of one another to grab their phone's. Mike looked at Ginny as he scrolled through the headlines and screen shots, "Do we need to talk about what happened last night?"
Ginny was looking at the same image on her screen. Someone had captured a picture of she and Noah sitting in the booth leaning in to talk to one another. But from the angle that person was at, it looked like they were making out. "I ran into Noah at the club. It was loud so we had to lean in close to hear each other. I didn't kiss him. I wouldn't. It's the angle those photos are take from. I promise. I was going to tell you I saw him, but you were asleep when I came in."
"It's okay, call Amelia, clearly she's up, and explain. We'll let her handle it. Retainer – remember." He took her face gently in his hands. They were still laying in bed. "You love me, I trust you. I'm not worried about billionaire boy wonder. It wasn't too long ago I was in some compromising photos. It happens and we'll get past this."
Ginny had a few tears coming down her face. "There's more. Noah wants to meet me for lunch Sunday. I never really broke things off with him. He just wants closure. I told him I don't see why, but in his mind, I was still available until November, when he saw that we were engaged. He felt like I was leading him on all last season. So, I told him I'd meet him."
"You know you can't be seen with him in public now. Not alone anyway. Invite him to lunch here?" Ginny frowned at that idea. "What If I come with you. Shake his hand, head out to do a few errands and give you both some space to talk. Then I'll come back and meet back up with you. That way if there are any papparazi around, they'll see that the lunch has my blessing, but you'll still have privacy."
"I'll call Amelia. See what she thinks." Ginny responded.
"I'll make you pancakes. I think it's a pancake kind of morning." Mike got up to head downstairs.
"I think I'll marry you." Ginny yelled after him.
Ginny's call with Amelia went as well as could be expected for 7ish in the morning. Amelia would do what she does best. Ginny would lie low for a few days. Amelia would release a press statement denying Noah and Ginny were involved and it was a bad camera angle. And Amelia was surprised how much she liked Mike's suggestion for lunch on Sunday.
Then she got a text from Noah. [Sorry about the pics all over the internet. Guess lunch Sunday is off.]
Ginny [Just about to call you. Not your fault. My publicist is all over it. I've learned it will all go away eventually. Mike was understanding.]
Noah [darn, hoping the great Mike Lawson would loose his cool and I might have a glimmer of a chance again with the amazing Ginny Baker]
Ginny [but I need your help. Still want to meet for lunch Sunday?]
Noah [has this California sun made you loose your mind?]
Ginny [nope, Mike's want's to meet you, he won't stay for lunch though, plus if paps are around, it'll show that there are no hard feelings. And we still get a chance to have that talk]
Noah [so you're using me for a publicity stunt? Ha.. ha..]
Ginny [would you rather come over and have dinner at our house with Mike and I. I'm sure he'd like to hear how many times you and I had sex]
Noah [lunch Sunday it is. I may be taller than your fiancé, but he's way scarier. I'll text you when I'm on my way. Again. Sorry.]
- Breaking up is hard to do -
Mike and Ginny stayed hidden most of Friday and Saturday. Not that they minded. They always enjoyed quiet time together. They had to field a few calls from family and friends, and Al… letting everyone know they were perfectly happy, still together. No, don't read everything you see on the internet.
Then Sunday rolled around. Mike had to calm Ginny several times. She'd never really broken up with a guy before. It seemed utterly ridiculous at this point. But apparently he still harbored feelings and Ginny needed to make sure that he was going to stop contacting her.
And as far as Noah knew, Ginny had been single and available for most of the last year. He had reached out to her more than a few times over the past year. Ginny was polite, not wanting to tip her hat at her secret relationship with Mike. When Noah would call and ask her out, she had an early practice but would spend a few minutes chatting. Noah would text when she had a good game on occasion, and Ginny would respond with some sort of emoji and 'Thanks.' When the Padres made it to the playoffs, he sent roses to the clubhouse. Both Mike and Ginny knew that was a little too far. But when he was actually sitting in the stands during the World Series, they knew they would have to address it at some point. Noah had zero interest in sports, but he had somehow scored third row seats near the dugout for one of the games. After the World Series, Ginny stopped returning his texts and calls completely.
Noah had taken Ginny's polite responses as her focusing on her game, but he held out hope that during the offseason, he might have a second chance. He was upset when she stopped returning his calls. She wasn't staying at the Omni, and he couldn't find out where she was living. And then he saw the news, she was engaged. Engaged!? She went from his dream girl, to off the market overnight and he hadn't reconciled it mentally. So when he saw her in the club that night, he didn't want to pass up the chance to try to figure out where he had lost her. What he could have done differently to keep her from leaving him a year ago.
Mike drove them to the restaurant. They left the car with a valet and walked to the entry where Noah, was waiting for them, on cue. Mike shook Noah's hand, and only said "have a good lunch." He didn't feel the need to be possessive or a jerk. He'd been the lead role on that show enough times to know it never ended well. He kissed Ginny on the cheek and walked off to some the nearby shops knowing Ginny would text him when she was done.
Meanwhile Amelia had Eliot sitting on a bench nearby taking a few pictures and posting them to social media as soon as Ginny and Noah went inside. These pictures showed Mike shaking hands with Noah using his right hand while his left was still clearly wrapped around Ginny's waist. Eliot had positioned himself to get the perfect picture.
Noah and Ginny sat down and started with small talk, discussed how the pictures of them at the club had already lost momentum. Then it came… "So I read you and Mike have been secretly dating for over a year. I have to ask. Were you dating him while you and I were together?"
"No, Noah. There was a good month in between our last date and the first time I kissed Mike. Not that you and I have were exclusive, but – No, no overlap. Anything else you want to know? Since we're talking about it."
"What did I do, that drove you away? Did I come on too strong? I really thought you were into it and could handle it."
"I realized I really, really liked you. But I was never going to fall in love with you. I've never had to break up with some one, I've always been the one who get's dumped, so I didn't exactly know what to do. So I just allowed for distance to creep in. You were so sweet and deserved better. I'm so sorry Noah."
"I really thought I still had a chance with you for the better part of the year. Not that I didn't go on dates with other women, I mean I did. But I kept coming back to you. Then I see you're engaged, on the news. My heart sank and I hadn't even spoken to you in a few weeks. So I always wondered if I came on too strong, or what I could have done to be the one to slip that ring on your finger." He took her hand and felt her engagement ring. Ginny pulled back a little.
"There is nothing you could have done. Mike became one of my best friends on the team pretty quickly. I mean he was a total asshat the first week after I arrived. But, there is something about pitchers needing to trust the person behind home plate. But when he almost left for Chicago, I realized my feelings for him were deeper than friendship. Yet, I have always told myself 'I don't date ballplayers' so I pushed those feelings down and kept playing. And you came into my life. And you were happy, and wonderful. And a breath of fresh air. But you weren't my best friend I had fallen in love with. And it wasn't' fair to you. How should I have told you that? Yeah, we had some good sex, a few fun dates, but I'd much rather pine over my forbidden teammate who I'm not suppose to date? I was in a horrible situation and I couldn't bring you down with me. So I let you go, just not gracefully."
"That hurts a whole lot more than I expected."
"I'm so sorry, Noah."
"You are one of the few women I know that hasn't been interested in me because of my fortune or fame. I really liked that about you. Maybe someday we'll be friends."
"Someday. But I think we need to give my hothead fiancé some time to come to terms with the idea I had sex with another guy out of his head and let the press forget we dated."
"Yeah. Until then, lets get the check and call it a day." Noah said.
This time Ginny took Noah's hand. "Are you okay? I want you to find love too. I was just some idea you had in your head. But you are a really amazing guy, without all the money, you are something else. Make sure you find someone who see's past the money, got it."
He squeezed her hand. "You know how to make a guy blush."
As they exited the restaurant, there were a few paparazzi who had seen the pictures Eliot had posted while Noah and Ginny ate. They stood and smiled, and then Mike approached. Shook Noah's hand and asked, "get what you need?"
"Yeah, you've got a great gal here. But you already knew that or you wouldn't have given her that rock on her finger. Take care of her."
"I will, if she let's me. She can be stubborn in her own right." And Mike shook Noah's hand again. Ginny gave Noah a hug, then took Mike's hand. The paparazzi in the area started asking questions about Mike and Ginny's wedding, having decided that the photo's from the other night were nothing to be concerned about. Fortunately, the valet pulled up with both Mike's and Noah's cars.
They didn't hear from Noah again until just before their wedding. He sent them an invitation to use his private jet to get away for their honeymoon. They accepted his offer. It was about that same time Noah found love himself. And then, he and Ginny were finally able to become friends.
I wanted to say a quick thank you to anyone who's followed, favored or left a comment. "Going Public" and this story are my very first foray into fanfiction. So your encouragement and comments have been a huge encouragement for me to continue writing. I also love reading everyone else's storylines as well.
