Crap. Schmoozing the owner was on the top of her list of things to do, and she never turned down an opportunity to hang out with him. “What a nice offer. We’d love to, wouldn’t we, Ty?”
“I’d consider it an honor. Thank you.”
Clyde took them on the standard tour of the ballpark, from the executive offices all the way down to the players’ locker room. Elizabeth opted to wait outside the locker room with Helen and Aubry while the guys went inside, but she was certain Ty would get a kick out of meeting some of the players.
Elizabeth preferred not to see Gavin. In fact she hoped like hell she could avoid it.
“That guy is gorgeous,” Aubry said.
“Which guy? Oh, Ty?”
“Yes. Makes me wish I had a nanosecond of free time to date. The only men I get to hang around with are the other medical students.”
“Well, you do have a lot in common with them.”
“True. My mother tells me I’m destined to marry one. She’s probably right.”
“Or a baseball player.”
She rolled her eyes. “The last person I would ever marry is a baseball player. I’ve been surrounded by them my entire life. I think I’ll stick with doctors. Baseball players have entirely too much ego.”
Elizabeth laughed. “And doctors don’t?”
“Okay. Good point. But I think I’ll take my chances with doctors. Their egos I can handle. Baseball players on the other hand? Ugh.”
“You’re right about that, Aubry. We’re horrible.”
Aubry’s eyes widened. “Gavin. You know I didn’t mean you.”
Shit. Elizabeth turned around. Gavin stood outside the locker room door with Ty.
Gavin grinned at Aubry, didn’t even look at her. “Just teasing you, Bree.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Aubry blew out a breath. “You scared me, dammit. You know some of those guys really have inflated opinions of themselves. I might hurt some feelings.”
Gavin hugged her against him. “Not me. I don’t have feelings.”
She laughed and so did Helen. “Gavin, you played well tonight.”
Gavin shrugged. “Not as good as I’d like to, but thank you, Helen. Clyde said to tell you he’d be out in a minute. He’s giving an inspirational speech.”
Helen rolled her eyes. “Oh, Lord. I’m starving. We could be waiting an hour. Do go move him along, Gavin.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Gavin stepped back inside the locker room. In five minutes, Clyde was out. With Gavin.
Damn. Elizabeth had hoped he wouldn’t come back outside.
“Finally,” Helen said. “I was about to faint. Gavin, are you coming to dinner with us?”
“Apparently. Clyde insisted.”
“Excellent. Let’s go, then. The limo is outside.”
Well, what a big, happy group this was. Gavin skirted a look in her direction as Ty grabbed her arm and escorted her to the limo. She wondered if Gavin thought Ty was her date for the evening. He didn’t seem pleased by that.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was wholly pleased by the idea that Gavin looked a little less than his usual overconfident self.
They ate at an elegant restaurant downtown that afforded them privacy and a superb view of the riverfront. Clyde ordered champagne and toasted the Rivers new season.
“Gavin, was your family there tonight?”
“Not tonight. You know my family runs a bar in south Saint Louis, so they packed the crowds in for opening night.”
Clyde smiled and nodded. “Well done. I like your parents. I hope to see them at our opening month picnic.”
“You will. Mick should be in town for that, too.”
“Excellent. I’m sure he’s on cloud nine after his Super Bowl win.”
Gavin grinned. “Yeah, he was pretty stoked about winning the Super Bowl, but I think he’s more excited about planning his wedding to Tara.”
Elizabeth kept her gaze averted, not wanting to listen in or get involved at all when discussions turned to Mick.
“Now, Ty, tell me about yourself. Getting all settled in?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve got a temporary place I’m staying in right now. Just waiting for the season to be over with this month, then I’m going house hunting.”
“I’ll put you in touch with an excellent Realtor we know,” Helen said. “She’ll be happy to help you.”
Ty nodded. “Thank you. I’d like that. Elizabeth has been helpful. It’s obvious she knows the area.”
She smiled. “I’ve got a few clients here.”
Ty grinned at her. “And now you have one more.”
Gavin coughed. Elizabeth ignored him, glad he was sitting at the other end of the table entertaining Aubry, who was shooting interested glances toward Ty.
This whole dinner would be comical if Elizabeth wasn’t acutely aware of Gavin’s gaze on her the entire time. And okay, maybe she had been shamelessly flirting with Ty, who cast her knowing smirks as if he knew exactly what she was doing because she’d treated him completely professionally from the get-go. Until tonight. So she was being blatantly obvious, and Ty wasn’t the clueless type.
Damn men.
Ty leaned in and whispered in her ear. “How badly do you want this guy?”
She turned her face to him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I mean, do you want me to kiss you, or would just holding your hand be enough?”
“Neither. I’m not playing games here, Ty.”
“Oh, I think you’re definitely playing games, Elizabeth.” He ran his finger up her bare arm. “And don’t look, but the fish is biting.”
She didn’t look, but felt Gavin’s gaze on her. Instead, she lifted her gaze to Ty. “Stop that.”
“You don’t want me to stop. You want him to watch. You want him to get jealous.”
“No, I don’t. Gavin is a client.”
“So?”
“So, I keep my professional life and my private life separate.”
Ty’s generous lips lifted as he raised his glass and took a drink. “Apparently not.”
“You’re a smug son of a bitch, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told. But your boyfriend over there doesn’t care that I’m smug, only that I’m paying attention to you.”