Chances for Serendipity

by Natalie Chung

  “But—”

  “I was a coward. You saw it before I ever wanted to see it for myself. Sorry it took me so long to realise.” I shot him a sad smile. “You were right. We only get one life, and I want to spend it doing something I like.”

  “You… You’re actually quitting then?”

  “Yep. I already handed in my resignation letter and everything.” I squinted up at him. “It’s hard for me to tell your reaction when you’ve got those huge sunnies on.”

  Aiden laughed, adjusting his sunglasses so that I caught a glimpse of his eyes, crinkled in amusement, before he moved them back into place again. “Sorry. Precautions. I don’t want anyone to recognise me.”

  “Oh, right.” He probably didn’t want fans to recognise him, or for the media to take photos of us together like last time; not when he was dating someone. That made sense. Him not wanting to make his girlfriend jealous, that was. Not the whole him getting a girlfriend after our awkward kiss. My lips pursed at the remembrance of Isabelle, and a burning sensation ignited in my chest.

  “So.” Aiden scuffed his shoe along the concrete, drawing my attention back to him. “Are you ready to open up your catering service, become incredibly successful, and retire early?”

  I tried to laugh, but it came out half-hearted. “Not that fast. I’m going to take it one step at a time.”

  Speaking of early retirements, was he still going through with that? I hadn’t heard a peep about it from the media. Questions desperately bubbled up inside me, wanting to escape. Are you still retiring after the Australian Open? Or did you change your mind? Who was that guy you practiced with? Is he your new coach? Have you talked to your dad yet? Has he stopped bothering you?

  But the question I wanted to ask him the most would hurt me too much if I heard the answer. How did you move on so quickly?

  I’d thought he’d liked me as much as I liked him. Or had it only been a fleeting spark of attraction that had dissolved the moment a pretty, blonde tennis player had shown him more interest? I hadn’t thought of him as that type of person after getting to know him, but…

  A tap on my cap made me look up. I stared at my reflection in Aiden’s sunglasses, my confused face blinking back at me. “It’ll be fine, Sere,” he said. “I know you’ll do great, however you plan to tackle it.”

  What? Oh, right. He was talking about my future plans. My neck grew hot at his unabashed belief in me. “What if I plan to tackle it by hiring you to work for me?” I joked. I was no longer certain I could be serious. If I let myself acknowledge the truth of him moving on, my heart would break into a million pieces.

  “Then I’d say thanks but no thanks,” Aiden said, “and maybe question your eye for baking talent.”

  A real laugh burst out of me, even as I hurt on the inside. “But I thought you said I’d get anything I wanted as my prize for winning the challenge.”

  He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “True. You could ask me for anything. To invest in your business, or even give you money. But you would rather hire me?”

  “Those other ideas honestly never crossed my mind.” And I didn’t need or want his money. “Also, I’m only joking about hiring you.”

  “Hah. Yeah, I thought so. What do you want as your prize then?”

  What did I want? That was simple. I wanted another chance. A chance to tell him how I really felt. But because that opportunity had already come and gone, and I couldn’t change that now, I would ask for the next best thing. “Do you want to spend the day together?”

  Aiden stood there, silent, the slight parting of his lips the only indication he’d heard me.

  Crap, crap, crap. That came out more horrible than it had sounded in my head. “I mean, as friends.” Then, because I couldn’t help it, I had to dig a deeper hole. “If you want to be friends. You don’t have to. I can enjoy the Australian Open by myself. I just thought that…” That it would be my last chance to spend time with him, potentially, before he quit tennis. That if I didn’t ask for this, I would soon be long forgotten in his life. “That my dad would want me to have fun with a friend,” I finished lamely, immediately wincing.

  Way to play the sympathy card, Sere. Surely he wouldn’t refuse me now, but the guilt would torment me for the rest of the day for putting this on him.

  As expected, a look of concern—or was it pity?—touched Aiden’s face. It was easy to tell, even with the sunglasses on. He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. “Of course I want to be your friend, Serendipity. I thought we already were.”

  My heart shot up to my throat, and my body couldn’t help itself from feeling the silly, fluttery butterflies when he grinned at me. “All right, then. Your reward is my command.” He jabbed his thumb at Melbourne Arena. “Let’s go enjoy the Australian Open.”

  Chapter 29

  “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, oi, oi!” the crowd cheered inside Melbourne Arena, and I joined in on the catchy, patriotic chant. “Aussie! Oi! Aussie! Oi! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, oi, oi!”

  When the shouting finally subsided to excited murmurs at the end of the match, I took the opportunity to guzzle down a mouthful of cold water, soothing my parched throat. Ah, that hit the spot. Thank goodness for the existence of water refill stations at the Aus Open.

  “Hey.” Aiden’s breath tickled my ear, eliciting shivers down my spine. “Having fun?”

  “Yeah,” I whispered. I shifted around to face him, my eyes taking him in. He currently had his hoodie and sunnies off, but the cap on his head still cast the top part of his face in shadows. Seeing as we were sitting toward the back of the stands, he probably deemed himself safe enough from the prying eyes of potential fans.

  “That’s good.” He smiled, then turned to look at where Vincenzo Monetti, the winner of the match, was being interviewed on the court.

  I leaned closer to Aiden. “How about you? Did you have fun? Or was it boring and made you wish you were on the court yourself?”

  He chuckled. “No, thanks. I’m already scared about potentially going up against Monetti later. He’s a tough opponent.”

  “I’m sure you could beat him again.” Although Monetti was seeded higher in this Grand Slam, Aiden was still the overall better player, having won three out of five of their previous matches.

  A thoughtful look settled over Aiden’s face. “It’s hard to say who would win. I’m still coming out from a slump.”

  That was true, but he was playing really well in comparison to the second half of last year. “Don’t write yourself off yet. You’re into the fourth round. That’s not an easy feat.”

  “I’m just lucky I haven’t faced any of the top seeded players yet. I could go down in straight sets next round.”

  “Don’t say that. You’re not giving yourself credit where it’s due. The way you’re playing now, I bet you could take out a top ten player.”

  Last year, his US Open run ended in the second round in straight sets to a qualifier. I hadn’t seen the match, but I’d looked at the statistics. More than forty unforced errors. So far, his Australian Open matches were much better, statistically speaking. It made me wonder why he was doing a lot better. Was it because he was playing without the pressure from his dad? Or because this would be his last Australian Open, like he’d suggested on social media?

  As much as I wanted him to keep playing, I understood his situation more now. He deserved to choose his own future. And if he’d prefer a normal life, away from the spotlight and the gruelling demands of this sport he’d grown up with, then so be it. I knew more than anyone that not all jobs were as glamorous as they appeared to be.

  Aiden flashed me a smile. It wasn’t the cheerful, confident smile he wore in public. It wasn’t even the usual amused smile he showed me. Nope. This was an entirely unsure smile, half hesitant, half grateful, but one-hundred percent sweet. “Thanks, Sere. I’m glad I met you.”

  Heat crept up my neck, making my face flush hot. I couldn’t even blame the summer sun for this. “I’m
glad I met you too.” Even though there were other things I wasn’t so glad about.

  You messed things up. You can’t blame him for moving on. I made sure to repeat that to myself as the day went on. It didn’t do much to dull the aching pain, but it did stop me from starting my own pity party.

  We ended up staying in Melbourne Arena for almost six hours, watching the women’s match next that lasted for three sets. It didn’t feel that long though. Time passed so quickly to me, and spending time at the Australian Open again made me realise how much I loved watching tennis live. The anticipation of not knowing who would win the next point, the next game, the whole match… Sure, a part of me would always hurt when I thought about Dad’s absence, but another part expanded until I felt fuller than life itself.

  “Ugh, I’m so tired.” I covered the yawn that escaped from my mouth, trudging alongside Aiden as we exited Melbourne Arena after the women’s match.

  “Oh yeah?” Aiden rolled his neck in a semi-circle motion. “I guess it’s been a long afternoon.”

  That was definitely an understatement. How did he not look as tired as me, if not more? His third-round match yesterday had been a four-setter, and he’d also practiced in the heat today. I mean, in terms of how hot it could get during summer, he’d probably experienced worse, but it still must have had some sort of toll on him.

  “Do you want to call it a day?” I asked, even though I never wanted this day to end.

  He slipped the top of his hoodie off his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah. I’m fine. Just feel a bit stiff. What do you want to do now?”

  A giddy feeling shot through me at the knowledge that he also didn’t want to leave yet. “Are you sure? I feel bad that I took so much time from you today. Don’t you need to be well-rested for your match tomorrow?”

  Eyeing a cluster of people passing beside us, he adjusted his cap and pulled his hoodie back up. “It’s fine. I only practiced for about an hour today, and it wasn’t even that hot.”

  Um, had we been standing under two different suns? “Seriously? I thought I would die in this heat.”

  His lips quirked up in an amused smile. “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “You’re crazy,” I muttered. Or I was weak.

  At least the heat had thankfully waned to an irritable, but more bearable, temperature. The sun cast a vivid orange glow on the horizon. Sunset soon. Eventually, I’d have to find the hotel I’d booked for the night. My stomach gnawed at my insides.

  Okay, and I would find a cheap meal too. It took all my willpower to resist asking Aiden if he was hungry. As much as I wanted to spend more time with him, I had to draw the line somewhere. I wasn’t going to torture my heart any more than I needed to. “You know, I’m actually feeling quite tired, so…” I pointed in the direction of the nearest exit. “I think I should probably get going.”

  His eyes widened, the smile wiped clean off his face. “Oh, okay. Where are you off to? I’ll walk you.”

  My stomach did a little happy dance. Why did he have to be so nice? “No, you don’t have to do that. I’m just going to a hotel in the city.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll walk you,” he said. “Come on.”

  Before I could refuse again, he draped an arm over my shoulders, urging me forward.

  Panicked thoughts overtook my mind as we slowly made our way toward the exit. Why was he being so touchy with me? In fact, why was he going beyond what a guy would do for another girl when he was already seeing someone? Maybe I was overthinking it, but I didn’t want to be that girl. The one who tore a relationship apart. Even if I did really like him.

  Decision made, my sneakers screeched to a stop. I spun around so his hand fell off my back. “I’m sorry. This was a mistake.”

  “A mistake?” His voice came out in a husky rasp. “What’s a mistake?”

  “This.” I gestured between the two of us, my heart feeling like it was caving in on itself. “I shouldn’t have asked you to spend the day with me. You’re dating someone now, and I—”

  “Wait.” Aiden clamped a hand over my shoulder. I jolted, looking up at him. “What makes you think I’m dating someone?”

  “I, uh,” I stammered, averting my eyes. “I thought you were seeing that tennis player, Isabelle.”

  “You thought what?” He exhaled loudly and let go of my shoulder. “You should know me better than that, Sere.”

  My heartbeat stuttered. He wasn’t seeing Isabelle then? I had thought it was weird. But then, weirder things had happened to me before. Weirder and more hurtful. And it wasn’t like Aiden had been my boyfriend to begin with, so he hadn’t owed me anything.

  “Come on.” He angled his head, looking around us at the people ambling about. “It’s too crowded here. Let’s go somewhere else to clear things up.”

  He took my hand in his, and I just about internally combusted. I numbly let him pull me along, his hand enveloping mine. I didn’t dare let myself hope, but…

  Chapter 30

  A couple of tram stops and a short walk later, we arrived at what appeared to be a small park, concrete pathways paved on an area full of greenery. The smell of nature mixed with the greasy scents of what smelled like a barbecue nearby. It seemed like the perfect place to have a picnic or walk your dog. Or in our case, have a conversation without anyone else listening in.

  “How did you know about this place?” I asked.

  Aiden’s eyes swept over the area before landing on me. “I found it one time when I went out to get some fresh air during the Australian Open. It’s kind of been my go-to place ever since, when I want some quiet time to myself. There’s usually hardly anyone here.”

  He steered me to an empty bench in front of a thick cluster of trees. I collapsed onto the wood with a solid thump, and he sat down beside me. As he took off his sunglasses and the hood of his hoodie and cap, I took deep, steady breaths through my nose. Calm down, Sere. Calm. Down.

  Sure, I had already spent most of the day sitting next to him in a loud arena, but having him sit beside me now in a quieter and more secluded area felt ten times more intimate—especially without him having to hide his face.

  I made the mistake of locking eyes with him as he swivelled around to face me, preventing me from escaping his sharp gaze. “Okay, now where were we? Do you have something to confess? Something like reading fake gossip articles about me?”

  The slight upturn of his lips cued me in that he wasn’t angry about it if I had, so I mumbled, “I might have accidentally read something like that.”

  “I knew it.” He shot me a look of exasperation. “I’m not seeing Isabelle. Or any other person I happen to meet up with. One lunch together and the media thinks we’re dating?”

  I winced, realising that I’d jumped to conclusions when I should have known better. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed without asking you first.”

  His expression softened. “It’s okay. I just don’t want you to get the wrong impression of me.”

  “So you don’t like her?” I blurted out.

  “Not in that way. She’s just a friend.” His eyes narrowed on me. “It’s funny. You almost sound…”

  “S-sound like what?” I stopped to heave in a lungful of air as he continued to stare at me.

  But then he shook his head. “Never mind.”

  Jealous? Had he been about to say jealous? If only he’d finished that sentence. All I would’ve had to say was, Yes, I am jealous. A simple, four-worded response that would have made my feelings crystal clear to him.

  But of course it hadn’t worked out like that. It was like I was being punished for lying about how I felt. Stupid me had believed if I avoided a relationship, that my heart would be safe. Nope. Wrong. Even without a relationship, my heart had already been stolen by Aiden Andale. It wasn’t because he was famous. Not at all. If anything, his fame had been a turn off, had made me mistakenly believe that he would be stuck up or fake. Someone belonging to a different world. But I’d been wrong. Completely wrong. He’d
proven to be the opposite. He’d surprised me, again and again, going as far as publicly challenging me, of all things. Which reminded me…

  “Hey, Aiden.”

  “Yeah?”

  I fidgeted with the hem of my tank top. “I’ve been wondering about something you said in that interview you challenged me in. You said that I had some kind of impact on you.”

  He hummed thoughtfully. “You don’t know?”

  “No. What did I do?” I didn’t remember doing anything life-changing for him or to him on that day, besides our obvious awkward first meeting.

  He sighed, a glazed look in his eyes as he stared off into the distance. “That day we met, I wasn’t in a good place. I’d lost myself somewhere. Had thoughts about whether tennis was something I actually wanted, or if my dad had pushed the idea onto me.” He paused, his throat bobbing.

  “Winning the junior boys Australian Open that year made it worse. I rode on the high of that win, but it also made my dad think I had a shot at being a top professional player. Like the top of the top. He kept saying how I’d soon be winning a Grand Slam. I know I said that winning a Grand Slam had always been my childhood dream, but…” His chin dipped low. “That sort of changed as I grew older, and my dad kept pushing me to train harder. Honestly, I don’t even know how I managed to convince him to let me stay at my mum’s that December when we first met. But even then, he wouldn’t completely let up on my training.

  “So there we were, practicing some boring drills, when all of a sudden…” His eyes fixed on me. “I’m whacked in the head by a stray tennis ball. And when I turned around to see what in the world had happened, this pretty girl started apologising to me.”

  My face grew hot at the memory. To me, it would forever be imprinted in my mind as one of my most embarrassing moments, but to him…

  “It was like fate. No, not fate. It was serendipity.” Aiden grinned, his cheeks puffing up. “You made such a lasting impression on me. You were my good thing that happened by chance. That’s why I think your name is perfect for you. I think you pretty much proved it for real when I found out about you by chance again.”