Mitchell's Power Play

Maria

MITCHELL

Sammy and Kennedy left for the airport in the morning. Nash, Bryce and I went for a run and then we spent some time in our rooms catching up on work stuff. I called my agent, and then I spent a decent amount of time with Nash's lawyer. While he wasn't familiar with Michigan law, he made recommendations on what I needed to do.

I met the guys for lunch and then I decided to walk over to the daycare to see if Maria was there, which she was. If she was surprised to see me, she didn't show it. She smiled along with the other employees when they asked me how I was doing and how I enjoyed living in New York City. 

She even laughed when one middle-aged woman - with hair so bright red it was clearly dyed - asked if I could introduce her to Nash.

After signing some autographs, I got a couple of minutes alone with Maria. I gave her my number and told her to call me at any time if she needed something, and asked her to let me know once she heard anything about the will. Because let's be real, there was no way Marshall was gonna do it.

I'm not sure what exactly I'd expected, but I was very surprised when she called the following day and asked if we could meet. I invited her over to the hotel and after talking it over with Nash and Bryce; I borrowed one of the small conference rooms downstairs, because it felt a little weird to invite her up to the hotel room.

"I know you can handle this, Mitch," Nash said. "But Bryce and I will be right over there," pointing towards what the hotel called the coffee shop, but was nothing more than a couple of commercial coffee pots between the front desk and the restaurant.

Maria arrived on foot. She wore her blonde hair down, and it was longer than I thought it would be. She had a pair of sunglasses on and was casually dressed in a cute cotton dress.

She had already met Nash, so they greeted each other before I introduced her to Bryce. It surprised me to see the same shade of pink appear on her cheeks when she shook Bryce's hand, as it had been the day before when she met Nash for the first time.

Interesting.

I gave Bryce the same warning glare I'd given Nash. He was as much of a player as Nash had been, with the big difference that he was still single.

"Go talk," Nash said. "We're gonna get some coffee."

"Do you want a cup?" Bryce asked Maria.

"Yes, please," she responded, and I narrowed my eyes and glared at him even more.

Nash chuckled and patted my shoulder while Bryce, ever the gentleman, poured coffee for all of us.

Once we had our coffee, and were settled in the conference room across from each other, I asked if Marshall knew where she was.

"No. He's at work."

I nodded because that was what I'd expected.

She took a sip of the coffee and placed the cup back down on the table. After crossing and uncrossing her arms a couple of times, she finally said, "Marshall went to the bank and spoke to the manager."

"Okay."

I leaned back and watched her as she continued to nervously fidget around.

"She gave him the transaction history, and it showed a thousand dollars coming in every month, just like you said."

"Marshall showed you the paperwork?"

"Um, no." She shook her head and her eyes dropped to the table. "I looked at it after he went to bed."

"Maria," I sighed. "Is it safe for you there?"

Her eyes snapped up. It was a bit strange to look at a pair that was identical to mine, except that she had makeup on hers.