sprang from the driver’s seat of the Corolla behind her. “Hey! Butler! Man, this is awesome—”
“Ah, Jesus.” Charles put a hand to his head, like he had a headache.
Rain dripped from Hara’s bangs onto her glasses. “Can I come in?”
The apartment door at the top of the stairs popped open.
Naomi came running into the stairwell. “Baby, wait, don’t go!” The girl stumbled to a stop halfway down the stairs when she saw Hara in the doorway. And the Uber driver beside her, his mouth hanging open.
“Well, shit.” The young woman laughed, weakly, pulling down her camisole, as if she could morph it into a miniskirt.
“Hi,” Hara said, her feet frozen. If her thighs were that thin, she’d hang out in her underwear, too.
Everyone’s eyes shifted to the ballplayer. Charles laser-stared at the Uber driver until the kid hung his head and returned to his car.
The player chuckled. “Awk-ward,” he said to Hara, then jumped up the steps to Naomi. “Sweet thang, you go on back inside. It’s cold out here.”
Hara felt a lump grow in her throat when she saw the big man put a soft hand on Naomi’s cheek and peer into the girl’s eyes.
Her thoughts shot immediately back to her father, reaching across the table to touch her cheek. She missed him, suddenly, briefly, until she was slammed flat again, remembering his disloyalty.
Charles twisted and swiftly bounded back down.
“Wait, Charles,” Naomi called, a controlled pleading note creeping into her voice. “Please.”
He didn’t turn around, though, or say another word to her. Instead, he pushed past Hara, and went to the Corolla she’d arrived in. “Nice to see you again, Hara,” he said over his shoulder. He pulled open the back door and said to the driver, “Can you take me to West Roxbury?”
With that, the famous athlete climbed into the Uber and was gone. Hara felt bad for the half-naked Naomi, left behind on the stairs, shivering, a light sheen of tears in her eyes.
The girl didn’t seem embarrassed, though. She swiped at an eye and asked Hara, “What’s going on? I thought you were leaving today?” Her cocoa skin broke out in ashen bumps as the wind gusted and pushed a spray of rain through the open door. “Come on, we’ll talk inside.”
Back in the small apartment, Naomi slid into a robe. “I’m going to make tea. Do you want some?”
“Do you have anything stronger?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t. Hot chocolate is as good as it gets.”
“I’ll take it.” They sat at the table, waiting for water to boil. Hara cleared her throat. “I interrupted something I shouldn’t have. If you need to go, to talk to him, I can leave.”
Naomi shook her head, her dark brown eyes welling again with unshed tears. But calmly, she said, “No. Tell me what’s going on with you.”
Hara told her about the canceled flight and her lack of funds. “Of course, if you let me crash here, I can send you some cash in a few weeks, when I get paid.”
Naomi’s mouth dropped open. “Is that how they do things in Oregon? My ma would kick my ass if I didn’t take care of a guest. Whatever’s mine is yours. It’s still early, but when you’re ready, the couch is comfy.”
Relief swept through Hara. “To be honest, I think I’m ready to go to bed now.” She pushed back from the table and stood. “I didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“Can I ask you a question first? Don’t take this the wrong way, but how come you didn’t just go back to the O’Donnells’?”
Hara burst into tears. She dropped onto the couch cushions.
“Oh. Oh no.” Naomi sat next to her, drawing a soft blanket over them. “If you keep crying, I’m going to join you.”
It took a while for Hara to fight back the boiling despair and tears long enough to get it out: how her father, a prisoner, had somehow set up the interview, yet let her believe she was here on her own merit, and how cruel the O’Donnells had been about her connection to her convict dad. And how Derek had first mocked her as a reporter, then later almost kissed her, then completely dismissed her without a word.
And, finally, she explained her fear that she’d made a huge mistake, letting her pride push her down the path to be a sportswriter, thinking not only that she was good enough but also that people wouldn’t recognize her name—but now it was obvious she was going to have to