Read Online Rivals (2010) by Tim - Baseball 02 Green - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tim - Baseball 02 Green
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for life.”
The director narrowed his eyes, then shook his head with a sigh. “I can’t see banning two kids from the Hall of Fame for life, Ms. Simmons. This isn’t a movie set, and that’s not how we operate.”
“At a minimum,” she said, scowling at the director, “their parents need to make sure they stay away from Mr. Mullen for the rest of the week. I have several events planned, and I don’t want these little stalkers showing up everywhere I turn.”
Josh appealed to the director. “We just wanted to get our pictures with the statues of Hammering Hank and the Babe.”
The director sighed and picked up his phone. “You want to give me your parents’ number, son?”
Josh considered lying but thought about Sandy Koufax’s scowling face and knew he’d only dig himself deeper. If this went on much longer he’d miss dinner, and his dad would come looking for him anyway and that would only make it worse. He said his father’s number and the director began to dial.
“Wait,” someone said.
Josh turned his head toward the doorway.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“MR. MULLEN,” THE WOMAN said.
The director put the phone back.
In the doorway, looking remarkably small next to his twelve-year-old son, stood Mickey Mullen. His craggy face was deeply tanned, and his dirty blond hair fell in shaggy waves nearly into his striking bottle-blue eyes. He smiled with perfect teeth as white and gleaming as the stretch limo that got Jaden. The muscles in his arms looked tight beneath a short-sleeved white polo shirt. On his wrist hung a gold watch big enough to belong in Josh’s dad’s toolbox at home, and his fingernails had been carefully cut and polished to reflect the light.
When Mickey Mullen stepped into the room, Josh felt a current of excitement rush through his body. This was the man he’d seen in old sports clips andmore recently on the big screen with nerves and fists of steel, defeating villains, and always ready to flash his knowing smile or crack a joke even in the face of serious danger. Josh felt like he knew Mickey Mullen, like Mickey Mullen was part of his life. Then he realized that Mickey didn’t know him from twenty million other kids. Josh choked with a flush of words he wanted to use to impress the famous man, to show him all the ways in which he and Josh were exactly alike.
Mickey Mullen stepped into the room as if it were a stage and delivered his lines.
“You’re our event planner for the week, right? Felicity, right?” Mickey Mullen said. “I think that means ‘beautiful.’”
Felicity blushed. “Actually it means ‘happy.’”
“Which is the same thing, isn’t it?” Mickey Mullen said with a grin he now showed the director. “These boys are my son’s new friends.”
Mickey Mullen nodded toward Mickey Jr., who stood now in the doorway. When Jaden peeked around him to give Josh a thumbs-up, he knew that bringing Mickey in to save them had been her idea.
“I think this whole thing is just a misunderstanding,” Mickey said. “Heck, it was my shindig, and I don’t care that they got in.”
“But Mr. Mullen, you said—”
Mickey Mullen smiled that smile and the woman froze, blinking just once before melting into a soft puddle of good humor.
Mickey turned to Josh, pointed at his cheek, and said, “Ouch. Hope you got the license plate of that truck.”
“What truck?” Josh asked, baffled.
“The one that ran over your face,” Mickey Mullen said, then laughed. “Only kidding, son, but what happened to you?”
“He got hit by a beanball,” Benji said, breaking in on the conversation.
Josh scowled at Benji for answering the question that belonged to him.
“Sure,” Mickey Mullen said. “Threw a couple beanballs myself back in the day. Part of the game, right, son?”
Josh didn’t know what to say, so he touched his healing face, nodded lamely, and said, “I’m here for the tournament.”
“I bet you are,” Mickey Mullen said, turning to the two elaborate
The director narrowed his eyes, then shook his head with a sigh. “I can’t see banning two kids from the Hall of Fame for life, Ms. Simmons. This isn’t a movie set, and that’s not how we operate.”
“At a minimum,” she said, scowling at the director, “their parents need to make sure they stay away from Mr. Mullen for the rest of the week. I have several events planned, and I don’t want these little stalkers showing up everywhere I turn.”
Josh appealed to the director. “We just wanted to get our pictures with the statues of Hammering Hank and the Babe.”
The director sighed and picked up his phone. “You want to give me your parents’ number, son?”
Josh considered lying but thought about Sandy Koufax’s scowling face and knew he’d only dig himself deeper. If this went on much longer he’d miss dinner, and his dad would come looking for him anyway and that would only make it worse. He said his father’s number and the director began to dial.
“Wait,” someone said.
Josh turned his head toward the doorway.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“MR. MULLEN,” THE WOMAN said.
The director put the phone back.
In the doorway, looking remarkably small next to his twelve-year-old son, stood Mickey Mullen. His craggy face was deeply tanned, and his dirty blond hair fell in shaggy waves nearly into his striking bottle-blue eyes. He smiled with perfect teeth as white and gleaming as the stretch limo that got Jaden. The muscles in his arms looked tight beneath a short-sleeved white polo shirt. On his wrist hung a gold watch big enough to belong in Josh’s dad’s toolbox at home, and his fingernails had been carefully cut and polished to reflect the light.
When Mickey Mullen stepped into the room, Josh felt a current of excitement rush through his body. This was the man he’d seen in old sports clips andmore recently on the big screen with nerves and fists of steel, defeating villains, and always ready to flash his knowing smile or crack a joke even in the face of serious danger. Josh felt like he knew Mickey Mullen, like Mickey Mullen was part of his life. Then he realized that Mickey didn’t know him from twenty million other kids. Josh choked with a flush of words he wanted to use to impress the famous man, to show him all the ways in which he and Josh were exactly alike.
Mickey Mullen stepped into the room as if it were a stage and delivered his lines.
“You’re our event planner for the week, right? Felicity, right?” Mickey Mullen said. “I think that means ‘beautiful.’”
Felicity blushed. “Actually it means ‘happy.’”
“Which is the same thing, isn’t it?” Mickey Mullen said with a grin he now showed the director. “These boys are my son’s new friends.”
Mickey Mullen nodded toward Mickey Jr., who stood now in the doorway. When Jaden peeked around him to give Josh a thumbs-up, he knew that bringing Mickey in to save them had been her idea.
“I think this whole thing is just a misunderstanding,” Mickey said. “Heck, it was my shindig, and I don’t care that they got in.”
“But Mr. Mullen, you said—”
Mickey Mullen smiled that smile and the woman froze, blinking just once before melting into a soft puddle of good humor.
Mickey turned to Josh, pointed at his cheek, and said, “Ouch. Hope you got the license plate of that truck.”
“What truck?” Josh asked, baffled.
“The one that ran over your face,” Mickey Mullen said, then laughed. “Only kidding, son, but what happened to you?”
“He got hit by a beanball,” Benji said, breaking in on the conversation.
Josh scowled at Benji for answering the question that belonged to him.
“Sure,” Mickey Mullen said. “Threw a couple beanballs myself back in the day. Part of the game, right, son?”
Josh didn’t know what to say, so he touched his healing face, nodded lamely, and said, “I’m here for the tournament.”
“I bet you are,” Mickey Mullen said, turning to the two elaborate
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