Binding Arbitration by Elizabeth Marx Page B

are.”
    Although, it wouldn’t hurt for Aidan to see Cass once, his curiosity would be quenched. I reconsidered. “I’ll let you meet him, but you need to consider the seriousness of his condition. I don’t want to do anything that would upset him.”
    “I’ve thought of little else since I saw you. Every boy needs a father, and I want to be a real father to him.”
    “But someone who’s playing at fatherhood out of a sense of guilt can do more damage than good.” What little food I’d been able to get down, rolled in my gut, threatening to come up. I brought a shaking glass of water to my mouth. “You haven’t had a lot of time to think this through. The hardest part of being a parent is doing what’s right for your child, even if it’s not easy on you. Maybe you’ll discover that letting him go will be the best for him. It might even be the best for you.”
    “This is going to turn my life into a circus. Granted, it’s one of my own making, but I’m willing to pay the price of admission into the fun house. You don’t like the idea of having to deal with me. This time you can’t disappear. I know where you live, where you work, and I will track you down, if I need to.”
    “I can deal with you. It’s all the other stuff. Be realistic. You’re a public figure. You’re contract negotiations are a feature story on TMZ. You’re personal life is fodder for Twitter and FaceBook. I don’t want Cass put on display. And I won’t permit anyone making him part of your byline. He’s a little boy who’s been sick for several months, and he wouldn’t understand the sudden media glare.”
    “People are going to find out as soon as they see us together. For crying out loud, he looks exactly like me. My mother said that, first thing.”
    “Your mother?” I gulped.
    “I showed them the photo you gave me. They offered to be tested. They want to get to know their only grandchild, too.”
    “Why did you have to tell your parents? You didn’t even know if I would let you see him!”
    “I knew you’d be sensible enough to give me what I want, since I am more than willing to give you what you want.”
    “Cass thinks you’re dead,” I blurted out, keeping my eyes focused on the table.
    “What?” The angry furrow in his forehead pinched.
    I had seen him do that on the evening news, and once in the middle of a game, when he got a questionable call from a crusty umpire. Maybe the ump deserved it; I didn’t.
    “Don’t you dare preach to me. As far as I was concerned, you were dead and buried. I would’ve never seen you again, and you would’ve never known anything about us, if Cass hadn’t gotten sick. I’m already sorry I brought you into this.”
    His voice strained, deeper as he spoke in clipped tones. “Whether you like it or not, I’m going to know my son. You need to find a way to resurrect me immediately.”
    “You would garner more cooperation, if you learned to ask me rather than demand.” I moved before he had a chance to put his talons on my skirt. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you.” I pulled out a few bills and dropped them on the table before making my way through the dining room.
    But apparently, Aidan still had the ability to silently stalk his prey. I didn’t know the vulture was hunting, until the elevator chimed open and he circled in right on top of me. He held the doors open for two older ladies already on board. He smiled at them all charm, before saying, “Ladies, would you mind letting us ride downstairs alone? I need to flesh a few words out with this gorgeous gal, and they might not be something you could stand hearing.”
    “Aren’t you that baseball fellow from the Cubs?” The lady with the blue-grey hair cackled.
    “Yes, I am.”
    Both of the ladies eyed me. I prayed they wouldn’t leave me alone with the human time bomb. They shuffled off. “You aren’t going to hit her are you? Cause you look madder than Hell.”
    The other cawed, “It takes two flints to