Chapter 17
After the victory against Chrissy and Shay, Jess and Tania had found a bit of a groove, winning three out of four matches through the end of July. Then August arrived, and with it, the specter of playoffs.
“Last year the cutoff for playoffs was four games above five hundred.” Jess screwed the cap onto her nail polish. She and Tania were sitting on the rug on Jess’s floor painting their toenails a matching seashell pink. “And right now we’re seven under.”
Tania shrugged without taking her eyes off of her toes. “All we can do is play our best. Also, you know I hate Playoff Math.”
“I know.…” It was well-documented that Tania’s soul began to shrivel every time Jess started running playoff scenarios. “Sorry.”
“We still have so many games to go. Let’s just win as many as we can. How’s that for math?”
“Not that we have much of a chance against Vivienne and Lee tomorrow,” Jess mumbled.
“Whatever.” Tania blew on her wet polish. “They’re human. They can’t win every game.”
“Well, they’re sure giving it a go.”
“So are we.” Tania wiggled her toes. “And our feet are gonna look sexy as fuck while we do it.”
“Looking sexy is important,” Jess agreed.
Her very helpful brain immediately delivered an image of Vivienne on the court in her bikini, brushing sand from her ass and smirking at a smart comment from Lee.
Sweat glistened on her forehead, trapping a few wisps of black hair, while other strands lifted in the ocean breeze.
“Jess!”
“What? Sorry.”
“I said, are you done with the topcoat?”
“Mm-hmm.” Jess slid the bottle over to Tania.
“Let’s hope you’re a little more focused tomorrow, yeah?” Tania gave her a look, half reproving, half joking.
“I’m focused,” Jess insisted. “I was just thinking about … smashing Vivienne.”
Not exactly a lie.
It was not that beating Vivienne and Lee was impossible. As Tania pointed out, they were just people, and no one was perfect. But they were pretty damn close. They rarely made mistakes, and every point against them had to be earned.
Jess wiped the sweat off her brow after a long rally—she’d chased down an errant dig, jumped three times for a block and twice for a hit, and dove for a ball … and they’d lost the point. They were down 7–12 in the first game.
Tania called a time-out. They huddled on the sideline. “Lee is blocking line and Viv is digging cross. You need to make her work harder. Go deep, go short, go for the far sideline.… She’s cheating inside, you’ve got to keep her honest.”
“Right.” Jess sucked down a gulp of water. “On it.”
“Let’s go.” Tania smacked her butt. “You’ve got her.”
On her next hit, Jess tried to act like she was winding up for a huge swing, staring hard at the far line, then she pulled up and doinked it sharp crosscourt, just over the net.
Vivienne tore after it in an impossibly fast blur. She dove, body stretched into one long line of muscle and speed, but the ball hit the sand a split second before she could get her fist under it.
Tania crowed. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
Jess grinned and couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Vivienne.
Vivienne was dusting sand off her abs, giving Jess a cool look of indifference … until a corner of her mouth twitched. “Nice shot, Jess.”
Jess almost fell over. Vivienne never spoke to her opponents during the game. Never. “Thanks.”
Vivienne pointed at her. “If you can pull it off again, I’ll buy you a drink.”
Jess lifted her eyebrow. “I’ll take a margarita, please.”
“We’ll see.” Vivienne raised a matching eyebrow and snapped her bikini bottom into place. Jess thought she got a glimpse of Vivienne’s smile growing before she turned to slap Lee’s hand and get ready for the next serve.
The battle continued at an even keel, until it was game point for Vivienne and Lee, 17–20. Tania called another time-out.
Jess tugged out her hair elastic and hastily fixed her ponytail while Tania chewed her lip. “We gotta keep doing what we’re doing. Make it tough for them.”
“We’d need five points in a row to win,” Jess pointed out.
Tania glared at her. “So let’s get five points in a row.”
“I don’t think—”
“Jessica.” Tania’s tone shut her down. “Oozing confidence. Remember?”
“Right. Okay, let’s get five fucking points.”
They slapped hands and got back on the court.
They scored one point, then another, thanks to flukey shots that hit the tape and just barely made it over, but Vivienne and Lee weren’t having it. On Jess’s next serve, Lee crushed a second ball that they had no chance of digging. First game done, 19–21.
Tania shifted her weight from side to side as she devoured a protein bar at their bench. “So close. So fucking close. Jess, we can beat them.”
Jess nodded, gaze drifting over to Vivienne and Lee. Vivienne nodded and rolled her eyes at Lee. It looked like she said “I know.”
Jess wondered what it was like in Vivienne’s head. Did she feel unbeatable? Or did she go into games rife with self-doubt? Did she give herself pep talks? Or was it all easy for her, instinctual?
Either way, they’d have to find another gear to beat her and Lee.
Back on the court, the second set began with the same even back-and-forth.
Down 10–11 after losing another marathon rally, Jess rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. “Goddamn.”
Tania came over to pat her back. She was breathing hard, too. “We’re holding them. We need this point.”
Jess nodded and settled in to pass the next serve.
Lee sent a rocket of a jump serve over to Jess.
Tania set her. Jess went in hard like she was going to crank it crosscourt, hoping Vivienne would think she was actually planning to doink over an itty-bitty roll shot again.
It worked … Vivienne crept forward a couple steps as Jess swung and she hit it hard and deep, aiming for the back corner.
Vivienne was too far in and had to let the ball go over her, hoping it would be out. It landed just inside the line.
“Fuck, yes.” Tania pumped her fist. “Just like that, Button. Keep her honest.”
Eleven all.
At nineteen all, Lee called a time-out before Jess’s serve.
Tania continued to rock back and forth on the sideline. “Make this serve. Don’t let her get to you.”
“I know.”
Jess put her serve in, even if she had to take a touch of heat off it to make sure. Nothing worse than missing after the other team tried to ice you.
Vivienne passed it to Lee, then tried to chip her hit in short.
Jess dug it, then peeled off the net to have enough room for a spike approach.
She hoped she was messing with Vivienne’s head enough to make her second-guess herself.
Jess tried to telegraph that she was planning to just tap it over the net.
Vivienne didn’t move from her spot early this time and Jess’s scheme worked.
She rolled a tiny hit and Vivienne couldn’t get there. Point.
Jess and Tania were up 20–19 … and Vivienne owed her a drink.
Jess served again. Lee attacked another second ball off of Vivienne’s pass. Tania dug it this time. Jess set her, but Tania hit it long. 20–20.
“Fuck,” Tania spat.
Jess slapped her hand. “It’s okay. Next one.”
They didn’t get the next one, but they did get the one after that, and tied it at 21.
They hugged quickly while they tried to catch their breaths. “Guess we’re doing this the hard way,” Tania said grimly.
Jess nodded. “Yup.”
They won a point, then lost a point. Twenty-two all.
Jess’s serve. She held the ball in front of her, arm quivering. She was tired. Her serve was a lollipop and Lee had a monster hit off it for a point.
Vivienne’s serve now, for the match. She crushed a jump serve.
This is why she’s a champion, Jess had a fleeting half second to think before the ball crossed the net.
Tania’s pass wasn’t great, heading out the back of the court.
Jess chased it down and bumped it back in.
Not the best second ball, but Tania was able to get a good swing at it.
Lee blocked her. The ball hit the sand. Point. Game over.
They lost.
Jess bent over to catch her breath again.
Vivienne and Lee slapped hands and congratulated each other.
The crowd cheered, the league fans fully on board Vivienne and Lee’s winning train.
“Fuck,” Tania said.
“Yeah.” Jess hugged her. “Good game, T.”
“So fucking close.”
“I know.”
“We had them.”
“Yup.”
Tania sighed and wiped her brow. “Fuck.”
“Yup.”
They went to shake hands.
“Good game,” Vivienne said, extending her hand for Jess.
Jess took her hand and met Vivienne’s eyes. No pity. No derision. There was nothing there but respect. The other thing missing was the prickle in her stomach that usually came with a loss. “Good game.”
After a few greetings and autographs in the stands, they rinsed the sand off and headed into the locker room. It was a busy place. Chrissy, Shay, Billi, and Raya were playing against each other next and were all in there getting ready.
“Hey, great match, guys!” Chrissy said. “You all going to Maggie’s after?”
Jess had to work opening tomorrow. She was about to turn down the invite, but—
“We’re going,” Vivienne replied. She pointed her chin at Jess. “I owe this one a drink.”
It was true. There was that drink. “Yeah, I can go for a bit.”
Jess, Tania, Vivienne, and Lee trooped into the stands to watch the next match once they were dressed. Vivienne was in the cute tie-dyed pink romper she had worn for the drive to Horny Beach.
Billi and Raya edged Chrissy and Shay in the third 15–12, then once the four of them were changed, they collected a few other players and partners who were hanging around and headed to Maggie’s.
Vivienne dissolved into the crowd as soon as they were in the door, then materialized again at the bar. Jess went to sit with the crew. When Vivienne reappeared, she handed Jess a margarita on the rocks and tapped their glasses together. “Can’t believe you got me again.”