“I understand,” Sadie said, and she did. As much as she wanted the whole world to know she was sleeping with Jay on a regular basis, that impulse was selfish. A revelation of that magnitude, three weeks before Wimbledon, would put everything at risk, right when everything was going exceedingly well. “Which is why you’ve got to go.”
Jay looked past her at the clock on the bedside table. “Oh, shit. It’s after seven.”
“I told Des to come down at eight.”
“Right. Des, your daughter.” Jay tossed back the sheet. “And Des, my doubles partner.”
“Yes, we’ve met.”
Jay snorted as she pulled her jeans from the floor. “I don’t want to meet under these particular circumstances.”
Sadie smiled at her bare back, visually tracing the line up her spine to the place where white skin met the tan neckline both she and the sun kissed frequently. “No, I admit. When the time comes for her to find out, I want all of us to be fully dressed.”
“And in neutral territory,” Jay added. She stood and zipped up her pants. “Rather than your bed.”
“Hmm, I do so like you in my bed, but I agree it’s not the place for a discussion with my daughter.”
Jay gave a little shudder as she walked around the bed, eyes fixed on the floor. “Have you seen my sports bra?”
“On the desk.” Sadie giggled. “Remember you had me up there for a while last night?”
“How could I forget?” She extracted the bra from a disheveled pile of paperwork. “Sorry about your travel vouchers.”
“Totally worth the extra work. I think I’ll try to get those done today, though, in case we want a repeat performance tonight.”
Jay found her shirt on the dresser and pulled it over her head before turning back to smile at her. “I like the sound of that, but I’ll see you before then, right?”
“I’m not going down to singles practice today, but I’ll meet you before the photo shoot on the beach.”
“Oh yeah, it’s advertising day. What are we selling again?”
“Double Dutch chewing gum.”
“Right,” Jay said, then laughed. “I’m glad we just have to play some beach tennis and say our lines. ‘Double the flavor, double the power’ is a much better slogan than I would have written for them if I’d had to do the concept work, too.”
“Dare I even ask what catch phrase you would have chosen?”
“Probably something along the lines of, ‘smells like an air freshener, and tastes like one too.’”
Sadie shook her head.
“Or maybe ‘try one piece and give the other one to your worst enemy.’”
Sadie threw a pillow at her. “Come on, it’s not that bad.”
Jay walked back over to the bed. “No, I’m only teasing because I know it’s Destiny’s first big ad campaign.”
“It’s my first one, too, you know.”
Jay kissed her atop the head. “I do, and you did a great job, for her and for me. I promise to show my gratitude as soon as we get back here tonight.”
She hummed contentedly. “Promises, promises. Any idea what time that might be?”
Jay frowned. “I thought you had a handle on all the schedules.”
“You’ve got practice, then the shoot at eleven. Then doubles practice at four, followed by dinner with some kids from Nadal’s academy.”
“Want to come with me? You know, in a purely business sense.”
“We’ve got a pretty good cover to travel together, but if I show up to things Des isn’t invited to, we’ll probably raise eyebrows.” She hated the flash of sadness in Jay’s eyes, so she rushed forward to finish the statement on a high note. “Besides, you love working with the kids, and they deserve your full attention.”
“I see your point.” Jay eased down onto the side of the bed. “If you’re there, I won’t be able to look at anyone else.”
“And that’s why you’ve got to go.” Sadie shoved her away for fear if she didn’t, they’d both end up back under the sheets.
“Okay, okay,” Jay said, heading for the door, but just as she reached it she turned and said, “I love—” Her face flamed red, and she quickly finished, “waking up with you.”
Sadie’s breath hitched, and she nodded mutely several times before managing to say, “Me too.”
As soon as the door clicked quietly closed behind Jay, she fell back to the bed, resting her hand above her beating heart. For a second, she’d been sure Jay had intended to drop the L-word on her, and she had— in a way. And yet not in the way she’d . . . what? Feared? Hoped? Reciprocated?
She sighed exasperatedly and got out of bed. Why couldn’t she just relax? She was having the best time of her entire life. Why did she always have to worry about where they were headed or what would happen next, or what would happen in response to whatever happened next?
She snatched her oversized nightshirt off the floor and slipped it on before drawing back the curtain to her room. Sliding back a glass door, she stepped onto her balcony and stared out over the glittering Mediterranean horizon. She was in one of the most beautiful places she’d ever seen. She had a gorgeous, kind woman in her bed every night. Her daughter was happy and successful. Money was no longer a pressing issue for the foreseeable future. It didn’t really matter what anyone else knew or thought. She had everything she could reasonably dream of, and then some. The few wishes she had left outstanding would come in time. Or they wouldn’t, and that would be okay, too. Sure, she would like to hear Jay say the word to her, maybe even in front of the other most important people in their lives, but for now she knew what she felt, and that was good enough.
★ ★ ★
“Por favor, Miss Pierce. Por favor. Peeese I can have you signat . . . signa . . . sign the ball?”
Jay glanced apologetically at Sadie. “I’m sorry, but how can I pass up a request like that?”
“If you did, I would think less of you,” Sadie admitted.
Jay fought down the urge to kiss her on the cheek before she jogged off toward the little girl holding an oversized tennis ball against the railing to the players-only entrance. She had dark hair and fair skin. When she grinned, Jay noticed two missing teeth right up front, making her even more adorable than she would’ve been with them.
“Hola,” Jay said, taking a marker from the child’s tightly squeezed fingers. “What’s your name?”
A man standing beside her leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“Maite,” the little girl said excitedly.
“Nice to meet you, Maite,” Jay said, as she scribbled her name across the fluffy yellow ball.
“Thank you,” the little girl blurted out, as if the phrase had taken a great deal of effort.
“She’s still learning the English,” the man explained.
“Your daughter?”
He nodded. “She just started playing tennis. I wanted her to see you and Ms. Larsen play, to give her something to aspire to.”
Jay’s face warmed even more than the sun overhead warranted. She’d been so focused on winning their semifinal match that she hadn’t given much thought to the crowd, beyond noticing it was bigger than usual. “I hope we lived up to that tall order.”
“You did,” he said seriously. “I think she fell in love with both of you today.”
Jay looked at the little girl again, her eyes watering slightly. “I’m glad.”
“Thank you,” he said again, before nudging the girl off down the line.
Jay shouldered her bag once more and headed for the car Hank had already secured to take them back to the hotel.
They rode the short way in silence, the little girl’s dark eyes still in the forefront of her mind, but as soon as they hopped out, a young man rushed up to them.
“Hi, Ms. Pierce. I’m Billy Thomas. I work for an English language paper here on the island. Sorry to bother you, but could I get a quick quote?” He was young and lanky in a dress shirt and khakis, but his tie was askew, his face flushed. The disheveled qu
alities endeared him to her more than any amount of professionalism could have.
“I’ve got an event to get ready for, but if you work fast, I might be able to come up with something brilliant.”
“I’m doing a piece on you and Destiny Larsen as a multigenerational team.”
She fought an eye roll. The story angle wasn’t exactly original, but people had kept coming back to it over the last month, so it must sell papers. She tried not to look too deeply into the implied surprise that Destiny would play with someone so much older, or that her value on the court came mostly in the form of her past experience.
“Do you see yourself as a sort of bridge to the next generation of women’s tennis players?”
Jay pictured the little girl with the missing teeth, and her scrawny arms that barely reached around her souvenir. “No. Not in the way you mean. Not with Des. She’s not what’s next. She’s a big part of what’s now. She’s here. She’s thriving, and I’m happy to be part of that present with her.”
“I notice you said, ‘not with Des.’ Does that mean maybe you do see yourself in that role of mentor or torchbearer in other circumstances?”
She shifted from one foot to the other. She had a standard answer to the question and all the pressure it implied. She generally said she could barely decide what to wear most mornings. How was she supposed to think about sending messages to tennis stars of the future? It’s what she’d told reporters for years, ever since the press and Katia had worked so hard to paint her as a terrible role model and she’d decided she didn’t want to be a role model at all.
“Um, yeah, I guess so,” she started haltingly. “I love the game of tennis, and I want girls to grow up knowing that, on the court, they can be judged for what they do between the lines, for their skills and their drive, not their age or race or the language they speak.”
“Or who they love?” the man asked sympathetically.
Jay stiffened slightly, then forced herself to exhale. “Yeah. That too.”
“Thank you,” he said, with so much sincerity she suspected someone somewhere had judged Billy for who he loved.
The remaining tension slipped from her shoulders. “You’re welcome.”
As they got into the elevator, Hank gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “Well done.”
Sadie nodded in silent agreement, and Jay quickly changed the subject in order to hold her emotions at bay. “So, Destiny’s having dinner with Viktor again? Is that a thing now?”
“No. Not a thing,” Sadie said lightly. “He came by to do an event at Nadal’s academy.”
“I thought Nadal’s place was on the other side of the island.”
“It is,” Hank said flatly.
“Isn’t this the fourth time they’ve gone out in two weeks?”
“The fifth,” Hank practically growled.
Jay laughed. “Yeah, totally not a thing.”
They both gave her a glare that said they’d forgotten about her emotional interview, and she grinned contentedly until the elevator dinged on Hank’s floor.
“Dinner in or out tonight?” he asked.
“In.” They said in unison, and perhaps a bit too emphatically.
He raised his eyebrows, but the door closed, saving them from having to make their usual excuses. Jay turned to Sadie, intending to make a joke, but no sooner had she opened her mouth than their lips were pressed together. They kissed feverishly, bouncing off the elevator like a pinball as they clutched and swayed around each other.
Jay couldn’t breathe and she didn’t care. God, this woman set her on fire, and she wanted nothing more than to burn for her. Running her fingers through dark locks, she tugged hard enough to pull Sadie’s head back, exposing her throat. She kissed along the curve and down across her shoulder before the elevator pinged again. They jumped guiltily apart as the door slid open, then giggled like schoolgirls as they surveyed the empty hallway.
“I know people always say to take the stairs because it’s good for heart health, but I’m pretty sure none of them have ever taken an elevator with someone like you.”
Sadie shook her head. “I’ve never been someone like the woman I am with you. It’s not fair, really.”
“Not fair?” Jay put the keycard into her door.
“You’re this together, professional athlete who wins tennis matches like most people fold laundry.”
“Most matches aren’t as easy as the one we played today.”
“And you make little girls stare at you with stars in their eyes.”
“She’s, what, like, seven? She doesn’t know good tennis yet.”
“She knows good people, and you were very good with her. You’re good with everyone, really. Kids, the press, you even won over Destiny. You have a gift.”
Jay’s chest ached, and she tamped down the urge to run. “You want to order some paella? Maybe some sangria from room service? We could eat on the balcony tonight.”
“Sounds lovely, but don’t think I don’t realize you changed the subject.”
Jay didn’t respond. Instead she picked up the room phone and dialed down to the hotel restaurant. She took her time placing her order while she watched Sadie kick off her shoes and unfasten her earrings. She was stunning in so many situations, but Jay preferred these moments over all the others. Her life had been so complicated, so fraught and lonely for so long. The simplicity of watching a beautiful woman unwind after a busy day satisfied a longing she hadn’t acknowledged for years. Then again, once she opened the door to one kind of fulfillment, she worried her heart might try to assert itself more fully in other areas as well.
“Please charge it to my room,” Jay said, as Sadie came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Gracias.”
“You’re welcome,” Sadie murmured, as Jay dropped the phone back onto its cradle.
Jay turned in the circle of her arms, and Sadie snuggled closer. Jay breathed in the now familiar scent of tangerine and talc that always encircled Sadie, even after a full day of sitting in the hot sun.
“It’s okay, you know?” Sadie said, resting her cheek on Jay’s chest.
“What is?”
“Being nervous about the attention you’re getting.”
“I’m not nervous.”
Sadie squeezed tighter. “I used to think you dodged questions in the press conferences because they annoyed you, or because they were dumb, or because you didn’t want to have to explain your bad play on any given point.”
“All of the above,” Jay said, not sure she liked where this was going.
“Then when I found out about Katia, I realized you were also protecting yourself from people who had hurt you before, and that made sense, too.”
“Um, good?” Jay said, feeling certain there was a but on the end of that sentence.
“Lately, though, I’ve noticed you also dodge a lot of people who want to adore you.”
“I let you adore me.”
Sadie chuckled. “And I appreciate that greatly, but other people want to be close to you, too.”
“Are you saying you want me to date other people?”
Sadie pushed her away. “Only if you want me to cut a bitch.”
“Whoa.” Jay raised her hands. “I’m kidding.”
“I know,” Sadie said with a smile.
“And you’re kidding, too?”
Sadie pursed her lips. “Not really.”
“Okay, cutting a bitch is a great relationship policy.”
“You’re doing it again.” Sadie sounded exasperated now. “People want to know you. They like you. They look up to you. There’s nothing wrong with embracing their goodwill. You’re asking people to give your career a second chance. Maybe you should think about giving the public a second chance, too. You don’t have to panic every time a kid asks for an autograph anymore.”
Tears stung her eyes again. Sadie saw her, and saw through her. The realization both comforted and terrified her.
“Hey.” Sadie ran the back of her
fingers down Jay’s cheek. “It’s okay. It’s not going to happen overnight, but your strength, your love, your kindness make you special. I don’t think you should shy away from letting other people see that specialness, too.”
She kissed her again, this time more slowly, soaking up the intimacy between them in the way that not only curled her toes, but also wrapped around her heart. Sadie cared about her. She thought she was good and beautiful and strong. She didn’t dare let herself believe that might last forever, but knowing it now, in this moment, was enough.
★ ★ ★
Sadie held a shrimp on the end of her fork, just out of the reach of Jay’s mouth. “Say it again.”
“Camarónes,” Jay repeated, her voice carrying a low, seductive timbre.
“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.”
“I don’t,” Jay said, surging forward and snatching the shrimp with her perfect teeth. “But when I was younger, I decided to make sure I learned a few words in the languages of each of the countries I visited on tour.”
Sadie laughed. “And you thought, of all the words in the Spanish language, ‘shrimp’ was one of the most important ones.”
“Yeah. ‘Hello, thank you, bathroom, and shrimp.’ You’d be surprised how many times those have covered all my most pressing needs in Spain.”
Sadie felt so light and free, she might have worried about drifting away into the endless blue sky if not for the equally azure eyes holding her right where she wanted to be. Staring out over the balcony railing to where the coral sun dipped into the Mediterranean Sea, she said, “This is my first trip to Mallorca, but if it’s always like this, I think I’ll want to come back often.”
“It’s never been like this before,” Jay said almost wistfully. “I see the world differently with you. I was alone so long I got locked up in myself. I always felt alone, even in public with Katia because she was so guarded. On the court she was all business, and I’d always loved her intensity, but it never quite included me. Then, at our events or clubs or restaurants, she worked hard to appear neutral, or maybe what I’d read as self-protection was honestly neutrality toward me. I don’t think I’ll ever know.”
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