“Definitely.” Excitement sparked in Hank’s eyes. “It’s not just two-person tennis. There’s more strategy, quicker thinking, and fast— oh you can’t even believe how fast the game moves, but those are all plus attributes for Des. They’re all things she could bring back into singles with her. Especially if we pair her with someone who will balance her out in more than just the physical arena. She needs someone older, with more experience. Someone who can mentor her on and off the court.”
“I take it you’re not talking about a hypothetical person.” She leaned forward, holding up her mug. “I’m also starting to suspect you got me liquored up to drop a very specific name on me. Should I go ahead and down the rest of this?”
“Maybe one more sip.”
She did as instructed, then braced herself on the arm of the desk chair.
“I already asked Jay Pierce.”
Sadie choked on the whiskey and somehow managed not to spit it back into her mug despite the fact that the devil’s brew burned considerably more on the way back up than it had on the way down. Jay of the dancing blue eyes. Jay of the infectious laugh. Jay of the easygoing smile. She shook the images and echoes from her mind to focus on the only thing that would really matter. “Destiny will kill you.”
“Don’t worry. Jay said no.”
“Oh.” Sadie frowned. Disappointment flooded her chest in a rush. She’d barely had time to consider the possibility in the first place, but hearing the potential had been undercut before she’d had a chance to warm to the idea made her disproportionately sad. “I guess that’s probably for the best.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Destiny doesn’t like her.”
“Destiny’s seventeen. You’re the mom. Stubborn or not, you can bring her around.”
Sadie had her doubts but decided to work with the premise anyway. “Can Jay be brought around?”
Hank’s smile faded. “It’s not impossible, but once again, you’d have to do the bringing.”
“Me?” Sadie rose and paced in front of him. “I barely know her. She probably couldn’t pick me out of a lineup.”
“Oh no,” Hank said, “she totally could.”
She paused, uncertain what to make of the comment, or the little tinge of pleasure it caused in her stomach. “But you know her so much better than I do.”
“Which is why it has to be you. Just trust me.”
“I trust you have your reasons, but I also think you’re putting way too much trust in me. I’ve had, like, two real conversations with her, and neither was profound. Now you want me to go ask her to play tennis with my kid?”
“Honestly, I don’t think it’ll be all that different than talking to Des. They’re in the same predicament with the same few options left on the table. I suspect Jay is broke and hurt and feeling pretty insecure.”
Her stomach clenched even tighter. “Insecure about what?”
“Sorry, that’s not my story to tell. I’m probably already pushing into territory I shouldn’t have.” Hank shook his head. “I hope you can respect that I’d say the same thing to anyone asking about you and Des. There’s a kind of confidence that goes with coaching as much as counseling.”
She sighed. How could she argue with something so noble? And yet he’d still asked her to take a shot in the dark based on a cryptic endorsement. She and he could take their own risks, but Destiny’s career, and maybe even her happiness, was at stake here, too.
“Jay seems like she’s got some baggage, and I’m not sure I want my daughter mixed up with someone you can’t fully vouch for.”
“I can,” he said quickly. “I do. Jay’s got her history, but she’s a good person. She just needs to be reminded there are other good people out there who still care.”
“And what makes you think I’m the right person for the job?”
“Just a hunch,” he said, but one corner of his mouth curled up in a wistful sort of expression she’d never seen on him. “Think about it.”
She didn’t hate the idea. In fact, she sort of liked the prospect of spending more time with Jay, from a business standpoint, of course, because she really did think the doubles connection could help financially. From a parenting standpoint, Jay also appealed to her as a role model for Destiny, who had a lot to learn from Jay’s easygoing attitude and off-court acumen. Sadie could probably learn a thing or two about brands and marketing and making a dollar stretch, too.
Still, no matter how she tried to justify her logic, she couldn’t stop coming back to those blue eyes, the way they filled with mirth, the way they crinkled at the corners, the way they could swirl from pensive to playful in a blink. Their image weighed on her mind as much as the finances, but couldn’t do anything to sway the odds in their favor. If anything, the fact that she was considering a player’s physical attributes only highlighted the absurdity of Hank’s request.
“You want me to go to a professional athlete I’ve barely talked to and ask her to play doubles with my daughter because you have a hunch she’ll think I’m a good person?”
Hank downed the rest of his whiskey and set the mug on the desk. “Does that sound like a terrible plan?”
“It really does,” Sadie admitted, feeling more than a little disappointed.
“Hey,” Hank said, sitting up a little taller, “you could mention that Des is good on clay.”
“You think that’d really make the difference?” Sadie asked hopefully.
He laughed. “I doubt it, but right now, it’s all we’ve got.”
★ ★ ★
A knock on Jay’s door roused her long before she actually wanted to be aware of her surroundings, or her right knee, or the outcome of yesterday’s match. Another second-round loss. Another morning with nothing to do but rearrange travel plans. Another five days to sit around and worry before the next tournament began. She would rather have slept away a few more of those empty hours, but whoever was knocking wouldn’t allow her to do so.
She sat up and looked at the clock. Nine a.m. seemed a little early for housekeeping, but the knock came again. If she didn’t answer, they’d likely let themselves in and get a visual of her naked in bed. Not even the most intrusive of tabloid reporters had seen quite that much, so she rolled off the bed and pulled on a pair of shorts she found on the floor. Then, groaning only a little, she straightened and glanced around for a shirt.
Another knock sounded on the door a few feet away.
“Just a second,” she called, her heart rate accelerating at the thought of a hotel employee letting themselves in. She grabbed frantically for the nearest covering, snapped a sports bra tightly into place, and dove for the doorknob.
She cracked open the door slightly and said, “I don’t need any shampoo or towels or . . . Sadie?”
“Hi.”
She was so surprised, she dropped her hand, allowing the door to open more. She didn’t even realize what she’d done until Sadie’s eyes flickered down over her torso.
“I, um.” Sadie looked back up, then away before lifting two Starbucks travel cups. “I brought coffee.”
Jay bit her lip at the adorableness of the offer. “Thanks. Want to come in?”
Sadie seemed torn between wanting to accept and wanting to run as she looked anywhere but at Jay’s body. “I hoped you and I could talk before I leave for Germany, but I think I may have woken you.”
“You did,” Jay said cheerfully, “but you brought coffee, so all is forgiven.”
“Oh good.” She wore khaki-colored linen pants and a gauzy turquoise top that flowed loosely around her waist as she shifted awkwardly from side to side. “I just had a proposition for you.”
Jay smiled. “I don’t know what you’ve read about me in the press, but propositions from beautiful women generally don’t come around before noon in my world.”
Sadie’s mouth formed the most perfect “o” to match her wide eyes. “I didn’t mean, that’s not the kind of proposition, I didn’t even think about you being . . .”
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“Gay?” Jay leaned against the doorjamb, the cool metal pressing along the length of her bare arm. “It’s not a secret in the sports world, or any world for that matter.”
“Right, no. I guess I knew.” Sadie frowned slightly, as if maybe she hadn’t, actually.
The reaction caused something to clench in Jay’s chest. Was it possible that Sadie hadn’t considered her sexual orientation until this moment? She probably should’ve felt let down, but she actually liked the idea of her past not being on the forefront of someone’s mind. She decided to let Sadie off the hook.
“I’m just teasing you. Come in. We’ll have some coffee and discuss this purely platonic proposition of yours.”
Sadie smiled gratefully. “Thank you. I can wait if you want to change clothes or anything.”
“I’m good,” Jay said, then turned to walk back toward the bed, enjoying the idea of her body flustering Sadie, regardless of the reason. Either she didn’t want to be alone with a half-dressed lesbian because she didn’t trust Jay, or she didn’t want to be alone with a half-dressed lesbian because she didn’t trust herself. And while Jay would prefer the latter, she’d also learned the best way to deal with the former was by proving that the only person who’d make any passes this morning would be Sadie.
Sadie set the coffee on the desk and glanced around the room. Jay wondered if she and Destiny were staying somewhere a little nicer than the Days Inn. Then again, maybe she was simply trying to find a place to sit down, but Jay’s tennis bag took up the only chair in the room, and the rumpled bed probably didn’t seem like a valid option either.
“Feel free to move the rackets if you want the chair,” Jay said, hopping back onto the bed and propping herself up against the headboard.
Sadie’s dark eyes took her in once more before she shook her head. “I’ll stand, thanks.”
“All business— got it. But if you’re going to ask me any serious questions, I suggest you pass the caffeine.”
Sadie obliged, her fingers grazing Jay’s as she handed her the cup. She didn’t jerk away from the touch, but neither did she let it linger, and Jay wondered if Sadie was warring with her instincts or merely tap dancing around whatever she’d come here to say. Part of Jay would’ve enjoyed drawing out the tension if only to spend time together, but she’d lost her stomach for games years ago. She took a sip of the java and laid her cards on the table.
“I don’t play doubles.”
Sadie sighed. “Well, there it is then. I suppose I should thank you for putting me out of my misery quickly.”
“Yeah,” Jay said, pleased by how easily Sadie had accepted her verdict. “Thanks for the coffee, though.”
“No problem. I was at Starbucks already.” She yawned, and Jay noticed faint circles under her eyes. “It’s been a long few days paired with too-short nights.”
“I know the feeling. You’re headed to Germany now?”
“Yes and no. We leave Charleston today to drive to Atlanta to take a flight tomorrow to Germany, overnight of course.”
“The cheapest airport paired with an overnight flight to save you a hotel stay. I know the drill.”
Sadie sipped her coffee slowly, her full lips leaving a faint press of maroon lipstick against the white lid. “Glad to know I’m not the only one working the system. Sometimes I think everyone else is better at it than I am, though.”
“No,” Jay said, the warmth of the coffee doing little to loosen the tightness in her chest. “We all jump through the hoops to make ends meet at some point in our careers, but they’re rarely the same hoops. Some people do bad Japanese commercials. Others take out loans or offer private lessons. Some of us sleep in hostels or even rental cars.”
“Some of you play doubles,” Sadie said lightly.
“Touché,” Jay said. “I take it that’s the rub of the visit, then? Sad story about finances, you figure I’m in the same boat, we can both row together to try to fight the tide of money slipping out to sea?”
Sadie nodded slowly. “That was the plan of attack, but it doesn’t seem to have much chance of working, so would you mind if I just took a few minutes to drink my cappuccino and collect myself before I go face my daughter?”
“Take all the time you need.” Jay shifted on the bed to take the pressure off her lower back. “I get the sense Destiny’s a little intense.”
“Little bit,” Sadie said, as if that were a massive understatement.
“She really does have a great return. She’ll hit her stride eventually.”
“Thank you, but it’s not the tennis stride I worry about most,” Sadie admitted, sounding almost embarrassed.
“No?”
“You don’t have kids, do you?”
Jay’s laughed came so fast and sharp she had to cover her mouth.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Sadie said, dryly. “So, you’ll just have to trust me when I say the money worries are piddly compared with the emotional responsibilities that come with throwing a seventeen-year-old girl into the shark tank of professional sports.”
“No, actually, I don’t need to have kids to get it. I lived it,” Jay said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
“That’s right,” Sadie said. “I keep forgetting you’ve been around this business as long as you have. I didn’t really follow the sport until Des got serious, and even then, I really only watched the level she played. I’m sorry I don’t know more about your career.”
“I’m not,” Jay said, honestly. “It’s kind of refreshing.”
“Why’s that?”
“It’s an unforgiving game, and I’m not just talking about my knees. Sometimes I think people in the stands and the front offices watch me on the court and still see my seventeen-year-old self.” She shook her head. “That’s not true. They see my twenty-two-year-old self, as painted by someone else.”
“I don’t know what that means,” Sadie admitted. “I’ve always sort of liked how tennis players change over the years. From what I’m told, Agassi went from an angry young kid to such a thoughtful sportsman. And Serena used to be so divided in her attention, but she became such a steady force. I want that for Destiny. I want to watch her grow into a better person as she becomes a better player, not that there’s anything wrong with who she is now, but she’s young and stressed out, and she’s struggling so much with the transition.”
Jay shifted on the bed again, only this time her back had nothing to do with her discomfort. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s got good people by her side.”
“I wish I could be so certain. I don’t know this game. I don’t know the agents or the officials. I don’t even know the other players. I thought we’d spend these years taking driver’s ed and arguing about curfews and dishing about boys. I never expected to be the mother of a professional athlete.”
Jay’s heart ached for all the fear and the love pleading through Sadie’s voice. “That’s why you’re going to do right by her. You never set out to make her a star. You just wanted to raise a good, kind, well-rounded human. That’s really rare in this sport. Tennis parents can be a terrible breed, pushy, angry, backbiting, jealous and manipulative, so their kids learn those lessons about life. You’re none of those things.”
Sadie smiled wearily. “Maybe not most of them, but I did track down your hotel room and your favorite coffee order to try to catch you off guard in the hopes that you’d play doubles with my daughter.”
Jay laughed. “Wow, it was too early in the morning for me to process through that chain of events. I should’ve been way more creeped out to see you at my door this morning, shouldn’t I?”
“You really should have!” Sadie exclaimed, her face lighting up again as humor lines softened the ones from worry. “Why did you even let me in here?”
“I am very gullible,” Jay said, without a hint of teasing. “And while we’re being completely honest, I have a soft spot for your smile.”
“Oh.” Sadie did a poor job hiding her pleasure. “I
didn’t know.”
“Well, now you do,” Jay said, “but don’t let it go to your pushy tennis-mom head that you can use my weakness against me. And for the love of all things holy, don’t tell Hank I told you that, or he’s going to get all smug.”
“Hank? Why?”
“Because he thinks he knows me so well, and he thinks he knows what’s best.”
Sadie’s eyes went wide again. “Doesn’t he? I mean not about you, but about tennis, because he’s Destiny’s coach, and I lean on him for everything. If he doesn’t know how to do his job—”
“Oh no, I mean he does know everything about tennis,” Jay said quickly, trying to soothe both Sadie’s worries and her own sense of betrayal. “He’s a tennis genius. You can trust his instincts about all aspects of the game.”
Sadie’s smile returned, this time slightly more superior as she took her time pulling another long sip from her Starbucks cup. The expression took Sadie’s appeal from sweet to sexy in .02 seconds.
“What?” Jay swung her feet off the bed as her heartbeat kicked up a few notches.
“It’s just that you said I should trust Hank’s instincts about all aspects of the game.”
“Yeah, I was there for that part of the conversation.”
Sadie’s smile widened. “But his instincts said that the best thing for both you and Destiny would be to play doubles together. So, by your own logic, shouldn’t you listen to him?”
Jay flopped back onto the bed and pulled a pillow over her face as the genius of that play rolled over her. Sadie had painted her into the perfect corner, or rather, she’d let Jay do the painting. She probably should have been angry, but all she felt was a mixture of admiration and amusement with a hint of foreboding. It had been a long time since anyone had been able to tie her in knots. Her laughter subsided; then she tossed the pillow in Sadie’s direction. “I take back everything I said.”
“About Hank?”
“No, about you,” Jay said, not knowing if she should smile or cry. “You are a total tennis mom. You set me up like a ball on a tee.”
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