“Nope. He didn’t see it that way.”
“What if we were married? Then would you want to have a baby?”
“Sure. Whenever you want to, because I’d have you to teach me how to treat it right. But marriage is so far off, it’s not even a thought to me right now.” His chest was so comfortable, she moved the rest of her body off his, but kept her cheek close to his heart. “I love lyin’ here.”
“I do too. Think they’ll notice me in here?”
“It’s your house and you’re the boss, remember?”
“No, you’re the boss. If they give me a hard time, I’ll tell them you’re keeping me in line.”
She chuckled and closed her eyes. It’s the last thing she remembered from that night.
~~~~~
Her human pillow must have moved some time during the night, because when she woke up, she was alone. The sun was just rising, and she knew it was a special day for John. She had to keep her distance, and after the night before, she knew it was going to be tougher than ever. Nothing could happen until they were married, even though she loved him and wanted to show him how much. She didn’t want to make the same mistake her parents made, but wanted her life to work out right. She wanted to get married before she had any children, and wanted to make sure her husband was the right man before she even married him.
Was John the right man? He made her feel so wanted and loved, she couldn’t think of a better man she’d ever want. No one would ever compare to how John made her feel.
As soon as she looked at the clock, John walked into the room with a tray.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Want some breakfast?”
“You brought me breakfast?” She sat up. “In bed?”
“Sure. I’ve been up for hours, and am ready for the match.” He put the tray on the bed and took one of two plates. “I brought mine up here, too. I figured you probably wanted company.”
“I love havin’ your company.” She lifted a plate and started to eat the eggs and toast. “Protein, huh?”
“Yeah. Fred’s rules. I just follow it and do what I’m told.”
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
“Actually, I did. I slept better than ever, and have you to thank for it.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Did you know you fell asleep on my chest?”
“Not really. I’m sorry.”
“You also had another nightmare, but were worried about me. You kept calling my name, and yelling at your father to leave me alone.”
“Oh, I’ve had that nightmare before. I’m not surprised.” She kept eating. “It turns out okay, and he doesn’t hurt you, I think.”
He took a sip of his juice, then put it back on the tray. “Good. I don’t like being hurt, even in nightmares.”
“Are you ready to win?”
“Yep. You’re going to be there, right?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have a ticket.”
He started to laugh. “I’ll get you in. Just wear a nice dress for me, and I’ll make you proud.”
They finished breakfast, and while Melody got a shower, John went to the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows. Ted and Dawn drove Melody to the same place a few hours later, and she entered the building with them, while reporters surrounded her, yelling questions at her. She was glad she’d chosen a dark blue dress, because it was very conservative and she hoped she’d photograph well. She was getting used to the reporters, just smiling at them, realizing they weren’t too tough…unless they carried things to throw through windows.
Ted and Dawn protected her the best they could while other security kept the reporters away. They escorted her to the stands, where she sat with Rob and Art, both making notes about John and final strategies.
John was practicing with his opponent, Aleksey from Russia. She watched him play, noticing the logo on his shirt. It was the silhouette he’d signed when she first got to New York, surrounded by the names of his sponsors. The logo was also on his shorts and his wristbands. He was nuts. She almost laughed when she saw the same logo sewn on Art’s and Rob’s polo shirts.
After a short time, John’s parents both walked in, together, and sat in the stands. They were talking and his father even leaned over and kissed Nancy’s cheek. It was good to see them working things out.
Melody had turned her attention to John practicing against Aleksey, when John’s parents approached her.
Nancy thrust out her arm and shook Melody’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re…sorry?” Melody asked. She was sure this woman had never apologized to anyone for anything.
“Yes, I am. I’m sorry for treating you badly and trying to sue you. I don’t want us to be enemies, and hope that someday we can even be friends.”
Tom smiled, then put his arm on Nancy’s back. “And I’m sorry for the hotel bill. I was so busy I’d forgotten to tell them to comp the room.”
“But I shouldn’t have stayed there for free,” Melody said. “It’s not right, and I shouldn’t have even been in that room.”
“It’s fine and you were our guest,” he answered. “John picked a good woman, and we’re happy to have you with him.”
What were they talking about? Rob chuckled while reading over his notes, and Melody was sure he was laughing at her conversation.
“Oh, and we know that picture wasn’t of you on the greeting card,” Nancy said. “My father wants to take on the case himself, to prove his abuse idea in congress, if you’ll let him.”
“Sure,” Melody said. “But they had fine print that they could use pictures of my head. It might be tough.”
Nancy grinned. “You don’t know my dad. He’ll make them fold. He’s really good at it, and since you’re in the south, he may even start to repair problems down there he didn’t even know he had. Thank you for telling me everything you did.” She glanced at Tom. “It made me realize I don’t want to lose what I have. Family is much more important than a social circle.”
“We’ll see you later,” Tom said. He wrapped his arm around Nancy’s tiny waist and she leaned in toward him as they walked away.
“Amazing,” Melody said.
“That’s all thanks to you,” Rob whispered. “They really needed a kick in the butt, and you helped them more than you know.”
Melody stared across the court to see the full stands, and saw Brandi enter the stadium and sit in a seat in the middle of the arena. She whistled, then put her hands around her mouth. “John! I’m here for you!”
John turned, and the ball he’d been hitting for practice with Aleksey sailed right past him. People in the stands started to laugh at the woman, while Melody just stared at her. How rude could she be? Would she hurt John?
Ted motioned to security, and they all descended on Brandi, taking her out of the stands, kicking and screaming. John glanced at Melody and smiled, then winked. She chuckled, shook her head and watched as he went back to hitting the ball with Aleksey.
After a coin toss, the match began. John missed a few balls in the beginning, and Melody was worried. Every camera was trained on him and he looked nervous. She couldn’t watch, because she was on pins and needles every time the ball came his way, but forced herself to keep an eye on him.
To make it less stressful, she pulled some paper out of her purse and started to draw. She drew John playing tennis, Aleksey missing the ball, and some of the fans watching the game.
At one point in the first set, Aleksey was on fire. He kept hitting the ball to different sides, and John barely hit them back. It didn’t look good, and Melody was worried that John wasn’t going to be able to endure. She leaned over to Rob, worried for him.
“Is this normal?”
“For Aleksey it is,” Rob whispered back. “He tries to wear down his opponent by psyching them out with major volleys. John knows about it, and it always happens sometime in the first set. Don’t worry; he’ll be fine. He knows Aleksey’s weaknesses and is just letting him get this out of his system.”
Sh
e hoped he was right. She continued to watch, and John finally began to hit balls that Aleksey missed. By the end of the first set, the score was seven to six, and John was losing. Melody couldn’t watch him as he sat down and drank some water, because he was so upset. She couldn’t go to him, or she’d distract him from the real goal, so she bent her head and continued to draw, looking up at him frequently.
John glanced back at her with a smile, and she gave him a thumbs up with a grin. He nodded, smiled and got back on the court. She hoped he finally remembered what Aleksey had been doing, trying to break him psychologically.
She half-watched the next set, and even though the men were evenly matched, John won the second set, six to four. He was back in his true form, and Melody couldn’t be happier.
While the men took a break, Rob and Art compared notes. John glanced back at Melody and she gave him a thumbs up and mouthed the words, ‘make me proud.’ He smiled, winked and returned to the court.
As they got into the third set, Aleksey started to get tired and make mistakes. John looked like he’d gotten his second wind, and won, six to three. If he’d win the next set, he’d win the match.
During the break, he pulled his knee to his chest. Something was wrong, and Melody knew it.
“Rob, is he in pain?”
“He does that when he gets a cramp sometimes. He’ll be okay. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Melody watched as John bent over his thighs and studied the ground while still seated. She was worried about him. She looked into the crowd and saw the camera pointed right at her, so she looked down at her papers and started to draw again, trying to watch John without being conspicuous.
John finally stood up and played what she hoped would be the last set of the match. It was exciting, with long volleys between the players, each trying to win the coveted awards. Melody couldn’t watch, but from the noise in the stands, she knew John was winning. She glanced up just as he smashed the ball down the side of the court, making Aleksey have to run and miss the ball for the winning point.
John had won the U.S. Open.
John raised his racquet and smiled at the crowd, who started to cheer and clap. He then turned toward Melody and she gave him a thumbs up, making him smile and blow her a kiss. He’d finally done something to make his father proud, as well. The crowd was cheering and yelling his name while he shook Aleksey’s hand and stared at Melody. He walked over and shook his parent’s hands. Tom slapped him on the back and Nancy whispered something into his ear.
As he turned, his gaze went back to Melody. She smiled at him and winked, not knowing if the camera was on her or not. It was frustrating, because she couldn’t run to him and congratulate him right away. He’d won the U.S. Open but she couldn’t share in his victory. She figured he’d probably have interviews after the game, and she wouldn’t see him until that night, at least. It was his day, and she was very proud of him.
After congratulations were given, John signed autographs, then threw signed tennis balls into the stands. The crowd calmed down and Aleksey was given his awards. Melody kept her eyes on John, who was watching her intently.
It was finally John’s turn, and he approached the judges in charge of awards. Melody just watched him, tuning out the cheering crowds and the judge’s voice. She wasn’t interested in anything but John.
After he was given a check and a big silver cup trophy, he finally took the microphone from the judge. “If I might have a word?”
The judge grinned, nodded, and glanced at Melody. The crowd went completely silent, many of them looking toward Melody.
What was going on with these people? Why would everyone want to see her, when it was John’s day? He’d won the U.S. Open, not her. She didn’t want to be the center of attention, and certainly not after what had happened with the greeting card fiasco.
Ted walked over to John and handed him something then whispered into his ear. John put his hand into his pocket, grinned, then turned toward the crowd.
“I’d like to say thank you to everyone who’s helped me get this far. My coach, manager and practice players have been great. My parents and supportive friends have always been there for me. And I’d also like to thank someone very special for making sure I got here today. Without her, I don’t know if I’d be standing here with this cup or check.” He turned toward Melody with a grin. “Melody Gray, will you join me?”
She felt her face heat up, her eyes get huge, and terror strike her from inside. He’d mentioned her name? He wanted her to join him? What was he thinking?
“Go on,” Rob said, nudging her. “He needs you one last time.”
“He doesn’t need me,” she said. “He just got his trophy and huge check!”
Art helped her to her feet and out of the stands. All eyes were on her, so she squared her shoulders, smoothed the sides of her dress and took a deep breath. That John was going to hear about this when she got him alone.
She walked toward him and the crowd started to cheer for her. John began to laugh and put the cup and the check on a chair, then reached into his pocket, holding something in his hand holding onto the microphone. He reached out and took her hand in his, while she looked all around the court at the people cheering. They were so loud, but she was utterly confused.
“You gonna strip for us?” some man yelled from the stands.
She shook her head and John put the microphone up to her mouth. “No, sir. That wasn’t me. They put my head on someone else’s body.”
“You heard the lady, and it’s the truth,” John said, then turned to her, the microphone up to his mouth. “But I have something to ask you, Melody.”
“You do?”
John grinned, got down on one knee and opened a box in front of her. She stared down at a huge diamond ring, unable to put it all together in her mind, hearing all the people in the stands whisper.
“I know you’ve had a tough life,” John said. “I admire you and the way you handled it all. You’re my biggest hero. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
She felt her mouth fall and her face heat up as he stuck the microphone up to her mouth. “You want to marry me?” She glanced around at the crowd. “But I’m a nobody!”
Everyone started to laugh. “Some nobody with your picture everywhere,” the same man yelled. She was ready to hunt the guy down and punch him out.
“You’re hardly a nobody, and I do want to marry you,” John said. “I have for a while now. What do you think?” He smiled at her and she looked into the stands for an instant, seeing Dawn nodding. Dawn was right. Grab the gold ring and don’t second-guess herself.
She turned back to his face and smiled. “Yes, I’d love to marry you.”
He got to his feet and, after putting the ring on her finger, gave her a huge hug and kiss. The fans went wild while Ted walked over and took the microphone from him.
“Thank you so much,” John said into her ear. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too. You’re more than I could ever ask for.”
“Two wins in one day is more than my limit. Want to go to Vegas tonight after a few interviews and get it over with?”
“Yep. Whatever you want. You’re the boss.”
“But you’re in charge. Always remember that.”
She leaned up and gave him a big kiss.
He backed off then gave her another hug, cupping his hand to her ear. “Oh, and I threatened Mom with never being able to see the grandchildren or either of us if she didn’t drop the law suit. I want you to go to college so you can start a logo business for athletes, if you want something to do.”
“You do?” she asked, facing him once again.
“Yep. I know it’ll work, with me as your lawyer, unless you just want to have fun, instead.”
“You? A lawyer?”
“In a few years, but we’ll talk about it. Now, let’s get this show on the road. I have some dancing to do tonight with my wife.”
She started to chuckle as he waggled his eye
brows. He finally waved to the cheering crowd, then grabbed the check and the trophy. Ignoring all reporters, he walked off the court, hand in hand with Melody, to start their new life together as husband and wife.
###
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Love Means Nothin' Page 25