Stranger in Town (Dundee, Idaho #5)(72)
Author: Brenda Novak

“What do you think Gabe’s doing right now?” she asked.

The dog whined and shifted his eyebrows, and Hannah laughed.

“He’s probably having a great time, being treated like a star by big executives…Meeting women…” The laughter now gone, she took a deep breath and glanced around her office. “But we’re having fun here, right? Just look at all this stimulating work. And now we have Pug’s birthday to look forward to.”

Lazarus obviously didn’t give a damn about the birthday party. And, if she was being honest, Hannah would admit that she, too, was less than enthusiastic.

“How exciting,” she said flatly and went back to work.

ON FRIDAY NIGHT, Gabe sat in an exclusive black-tie restaurant with Phil Hunt, his wife, Tonya, Phil’s boss Harvey Fischer and Harvey’s date, Gigi—who looked about half Harvey’s age and wore what seemed like twice her weight in diamonds. There was a third woman present, who was supposedly a friend of Gigi’s but had to be some kind of  p**n  star or centerfold pinup model. With br**sts the size of watermelons, it was easy to tell she’d had more than one appointment with a surgeon. Her revealing, clingy dress and the way she brushed against him at every opportunity, suggested to Gabe that she was there to go home with him, if he wanted.

Ah, the benefits of being rich and famous, Gabe thought sarcastically. He was back, all right. Back where the money and the attention was. Back where it was possible to be unbelievably self-indulgent. If he wanted to, he could go on a sex and drug binge that would last indefinitely—but he wasn’t interested in drugs or even in sex, at least with Barbie, if that was her real name. Looking at her, Gabe guessed “Barbie” was part of the package, like the implants, bleached hair and collagen-enhanced lips….

“How do you like New York, Gabe?” Phil’s wife asked.

Gabe set his wine on the table. “I’ve always liked it here,” he said. He loved the pulse of the city, the art, the people, the buildings. But only to visit. He couldn’t imagine living here indefinitely. There wasn’t any room to breathe. No pine trees. No place for Lazarus.

Another voice in his head added, “No Hannah,” but he quickly silenced it.

“I’ve always been a big fan of yours,” Phil’s wife went on, obviously hoping to engage him in a longer conversation. “I’m glad you could join us tonight.”

“I’m happy to be here,” he replied, but the happy part was a considerable stretch. He’d only let Phil talk him into dinner this evening because he’d been looking for a distraction. He hadn’t wanted to languish in the company penthouse and twiddle his thumbs while the Spartans were playing. He’d already twiddled his thumbs enough this week, thinking about Lucky, Reenie, his father, Kenny, Brent, the team and, most of all, Hannah.

“This has to be the best restaurant in New York,” Phil said.

“I know it’s one of the most expensive,” Harvey added proudly.

Harvey liked to point out all the great things the station was doing for Gabe. ESPN was pushing hard, trying to get Gabe to sign a one-year contract. But Gabe insisted they give him a few weeks. He wanted to see if he could adjust, which was why he hadn’t let himself return home yet. If he flew home after every show, his heart would remain in Dundee.

Ignoring the crack about the expense of the restaurant, Gabe glanced down at his watch. The Spartans were playing the Rams this week. It’d be halftime by now. He wondered if—

“Gee, are you in some sort of hurry, Gabe?” Barbie asked, her voice slightly pouty.

Gabe shifted to the left so the waiter could set a bowl of lobster bisque in front of him. “No, why?”

“The way you keep checking your watch, I thought maybe you had another date lined up.”

He should’ve gone home for the game, he decided. He should’ve gone home to Hannah….

But he hadn’t given New York a fair shot. What was wrong with him? Hosting NFL Sunday Countdown was a dream come true for a has-been football player who could no longer walk. Now that he knew he’d never play again, what better career could there be?

He remembered holding Brent in his lap, feeling like a father. He remembered sitting on the sidelines long after the Spartan’s win last Friday, so proud of Kenny and the rest of the team he could cry. He remembered losing himself in Hannah—

“You feeling okay?” Phil asked, picking up on Barbie’s question.

“Fine,” he said.

Phil handed around a basket of rolls. “New York’s a rat race. You’re probably a little tired.”

“Bedtime will come soon enough,” Barbie said with a suggestive smile.

Harvey leered meaningfully at his jewel-ridden girlfriend, who twirled her bracelet, then turned back to Gabe. “So, how did you like doing the show last week?”

“I enjoyed it,” Gabe said. That much, at least, was true. He liked talking about football. It made the sting of being unable to play worse, but he was beginning to grow accustomed to the changes in his life.

“I have to tell you, our ratings last Sunday went through the roof,” Phil said. “And you’re the reason. You could go far with us, Gabe. Very far.”

“You have a way of making it all so interesting,” Tonya said.

“I bet you had more female viewers than male,” Barbie piped up.

Gabe thought of Hannah again. “Thank you,” he said.

“We’d like to sign you up for two years instead of one,” Harvey said. “How do you like that?”

Gabe wasn’t sure. He’d left Dundee and the accident behind, as he wanted to do. Maybe he should make the commitment and stick it out, force the issue. But something was missing.

“I’ll consider it,” he said.

Harvey frowned, obviously not pleased with his response, and sent a reproachful glance at Phil that said, “I thought you had this guy.” “When can we expect an answer?” he asked.

Gabe set his spoon in his empty bowl. “When do you need one?”

“In a week,” Harvey replied. “We’ve got to have something secure by then or my ass is on the line. There’re a lot of guys who’d kill to be in your position, you know.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow at the statement, and an awkward silence fell over the table as everyone realized what Harvey had just said. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

“If a week’s too soon, you could have a little longer,” Harvey said, backing off, probably because of the unyielding tone of Gabe’s voice.