Joey didn’t even look up from her laptop as her cell phone rang, her brown hair held behind her head with a pencil after it’d gotten annoying to have it in the way all the time. One of the thin straps of her white tank top fell off her shoulder and she didn’t notice, didn’t even bother to glance up from the screen. She reached out her hand and grabbed the phone from where it was ringing beside her and brought it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Um, hi.” A middle-aged woman’s hesitant voice came through the line. “I’m looking for a--Joey Potter.”

Joey continued typing. “Speaking.”

“This is Tamara Ritmueller, I just now got your message.” Her voice hinted for some sort of explanation as to why a woman she’d never heard of was calling her.

“Oh...” Joey paused typing for a second. Tamara? She asked herself. She nearly dropped the phone when she remembered. “Oh, yes. I remember now. Thank you for getting back to me.”

“Can I ask what this is in reference to?” The older woman asked politely.

“Did you teach at Rostberg High School in Michigan under the name of Tamara Jacobs?” she questioned lightly.

She felt the nervous edge of excitement she usually got when she was on the verge of something big. Ever since her interview with Andie, she’d been able to pry small details out of the blond. Enough that it led her to question other people that knew Pacey when he was growing up. When Kenny Reiling, one of the guys that had went to high school with Pacey, mentioned that there was some sort of lurid scandal that involved Pacey and one of his English teachers, she couldn’t help but pursue it.

This had been back when she’d first started on the assignment and came up with a sure fire way to make this assignment more interesting. The trail had been cold, mostly unsubstantiated rumors but there was enough to keep her curiosity piqued and she’d been able to trace Tamara Jacobs to Rhode Island where she now resided with the name of Tamara Ritmueller.

“Um, yes, for a year before I got remarried,” she answered hesitantly. “Why?”

Joey knew she had to tread carefully. “This is actually in reference to one of your former students. Pacey Witter.”

Her voice was hard when she spoke again. “I don’t know a Pacey Witter.”

Joey continued undaunted. “Well, it was a while ago. Perhaps, I can refresh your memory. I believe he was in your first period English class. Does that help any?”

“There were a lot of kids in my first period English class.”

“Yes, I’m sure there was but I’m also sure you weren’t accused of sleeping with all of them. Unless, I’m wrong, and if I am, feel free to correct me.”

“Who are you exactly? And why are you trying to pry into events that occurred ten years ago?”

Joey raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I’m sorry. Where are my manners? I’m a reporter doing an article on Pacey for the Boston Globe.”

“Goodbye.” The next thing Joey heard was a click and then the phone going dead.

Joey set her phone down curiously. That was definitely the actions of someone with something to hide. One would imagine if the rumors were untrue, she’d do anything in her power to disprove them. Joey bit the inside of her cheek, mulling the newfound information over and began to type again wondering exactly what she was going to do with it.

~*~

Will finished jotting down some notes on his ever-present clipboard. Jordan needed to tighten his swing and stay in front of the ball if they were even going to consider keeping him as a starter. He turned around to head back in the building to share that information with Martin and noticed Joey sitting on a chair near the building in a patch of shade staring out at the field as a large majority of the team ran drills.

“Good afternoon, Miss Potter,” he greeted her, pausing at her side.

Joey glanced up at him and smiled. “Good afternoon, Mr. Krudski.”

He watched her eyes focus again on the field. “Funny, I thought you had a thing for AJ.”

She looked back at him startled. “What?”

“The first few days you were here...you were always watching AJ,” he told her.

“Oh...”

“I’m not a batting coach because I’m unobservant.” He smiled wryly. “So, what’s put that troubled look on your face?”

She shook her head distractedly. “It’s nothing important.”

“Article not going as planned?”

She shrugged one of her shoulders. “Kind of.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“No. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Okay,” He touched her shoulder lightly, “Just be careful when it comes to these baseball players, Joey. Their love for the game is stiff competition.”

She bit the inside of her cheek. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Have a good evening, Miss Potter,” he said as he walked into the building, heading for the offices.

Joey sighed and settled back in her seat, still not close to figuring out what she was going to do with her new information about Tamara.

Half an hour later, Pacey and his teammates got a break and the collective group of them jogged in her direction towards the refreshments. Pacey stopped at the canteen before approaching Joey a chocolate chip cookie in one hand and a cup of Gatorade in the other, “A sweet for the sweet,” He held the cookie out to her on the palm of her hand. “I know, that was lame, but you’ll have to forgive me, I’m slightly delirious from the dehydration.”

“Oh yeah, blame it on that.” She smirked and took the cookie from him. “Thanks.”

He downed his paper cup of liquid in three gulps. “I’ll never understand why the major leagues insist on doing spring training in the southernmost portions of the country.”

She shrugged. “Like I would know.”

“I wasn’t asking,” he said simply. “How’s your day been?”

“Interesting.”

“That’s different from your normal ‘boring’,” he teased, sitting down on the ground beside her chair.

“Yeah...” She bit into the cookie and chewed thoughtfully.

“So, ya gonna share what interesting thing happened to you today?” He wondered.

“It’s not really that interesting.”

He chuckled. “Okay. So, Potter...”

“Hmm, what?”

“What are your plans for this evening?”

“I was planning to wash my hair.”

He made a face. “Oh well, then. I’ll just have to ask the receptionist at the hotel if she’s free.”

“I guess you’re going to have to.”

He frowned. “And she’s not even that pretty.”

The corner of her mouth turned up slightly. “She probably has a great personality though.”

“Hmm.” He tapped his chin. “That’s probably true. Too bad I wasn’t exactly looking for conversation tonight.”

“That’s just too bad.”

“I suppose she might enjoy a night on the town anyway. We won’t have to do all that much talking.”

“Probably.”

“Well, I hope you have fun washing your hair, Jo.” He gave her a once over, as he stood. “It looks like it needs it.” He winked at her before turning back to the refreshment table and getting himself another cup full of Gatorade.