Chapter 19
YOU KNOW STARING AT YOUR PHONE ISN’T GOING TO MAKE a text magically appear, right?” Indy gazed into her dorm closet, positive nothing inside of it was appropriate for Paris. “And you’re supposed to be helping me pack.”
It was another surreal thing about her life in the last few weeks: Penny Harrison was, somehow, becoming… not just a friend, but a close friend. The kind of friend who waited for her after training and had no problem helping her find something to wear to the Roland-Garros Players Gala.
The dress had to be elegant and sexy and strike Jack Harrison speechless.
Not that it would be much of an accomplishment.
He hadn’t uttered so much as a word to her since the day she won the Classic.
Even when he’d jumped in to stop Jasmine from tackling her on their practice court, he’d barely spared her a glance.
Indy couldn’t figure out what his deal was. He was attracted to her for sure and he definitely felt the connection that she did. He seemed determined to stay away, though, and she wasn’t going to chase him. She didn’t play games like that.
Penny sat on Indy’s bed, laying her phone down beside her.
“I’m sorry. Things were so weird before Alex left for London.
We barely had a night together and then he was so mad when I spilled about that medication.
It’s… it’s making it almost impossible to focus on training.
And Jack’s an okay hitting partner, but he’s not even close to the same level of play. ”
Another completely unhinged thing, her new friend hooking up with… in a relationship with… was definitely something with Alex Russell.
Indy sighed, sitting next to her. At least Penny had someone who wanted her or would admit that he wanted her. “He’s busy. He’s probably got a lot on his plate, and besides that, he’s got to train.”
“I know,” Penny said, flopping back on the bed. “I know you’re right, but everything happened so fast.”
“Please, like you two haven’t been circling this thing for months,” she said, leaning over Penny with a wicked smile.
Penny grabbed a small pillow and smacked her in the head with it. “I know, but I barely had time to catch my breath after we hooked up this time, and now it feels like none of it happened, like it was some dream.”
“You could always check out what the gossip accounts are saying about you if you need proof.” Penny chucked the pillow at her this time, but Indy caught it before it could hit her.
“You’re leaving for Paris tomorrow. You’ll see him there, and after you kick Zina Lutrova’s ass in the final, you two can figure things out. ”
“Third round,” Penny corrected. “If we play, it’ll be in the third round.”
“Third round, then,” Indy said, and as she did, Penny’s phone vibrated against the bed.
Indy grabbed it and held it out of Penny’s reach.
“You don’t get to talk to him until you remember that you’re Penny Fucking Harrison and he’s lucky you’ve allowed him to breathe the same air as you, let alone everything else you let him do.
As much as I appreciate the knowledge that you are in fact human and not a tennis bot put on this earth to destroy the rest of us, you gotta get it together. ”
“Fine, you’re right,” Penny admitted, but a little too quickly.
“Say it.”
“You’re kidding,” Penny said, gazing longingly at the phone.
Indy just raised an expectant eyebrow.
“Fine, I’m Penny Fucking Harrison and he’s lucky I allow him to breathe the same air as me, let alone everything else I let him do.”
Nodding in satisfaction, Indy said, “And I still don’t understand how he was able to do that thing with his hips. How—”
“Indy!” Penny cut in.
With a sigh, she handed the phone back to her desperate friend. “Fine. Here.”
Penny’s thumb raced over the screen and her shoulders slumped as she read the text. “He says he’ll see me in Paris. That’s it, nothing else.”
“You will see him in Paris tomorrow. Now, come on, you promised to help me find something to wear.”
“You’re right, and we’ve got to get back to training. Forget the dress. Jack’s going to have some sent over to the hotel for me—you can wear one of those.”
“Ah, you’re the best!” Indy said, dumping her clothes back into her closet before following Penny outside.
“How’s it going, by the way?” Penny asked as they walked. “It can’t be easy training with Jasmine.”
“It’s awkward and uncomfortable and really hard, but when I’m locked in, I can kind of see why Dom thought it was a good idea.”
“Your styles are incredibly different. It’ll make it hard for your opponents to adjust mid-point.”
“Exactly,” Indy said.
“Well, try not to commit murder in my absence,” Penny said as she veered right, toward her personal court.
“I’ll do my best.” Indy smiled, turning to the left. When she arrived at her court, she found Dom and Jasmine already there.
“Indy, glad you’re back,” Dom said as she approached, waving her over to where he and Jasmine stood just outside the court’s gate. “I was about to tell Jasmine, your draw has been confirmed and it looks like you’ll be playing Lutrova and Grishina in the first round.”
“Wow, that’s—” Jasmine started, but Indy cut her off.
“Scary as hell.” Indy looked at her doubles partner and smiled, all thoughts of homicide gone. She could see Jasmine fight it for a moment, but then a bright smile spread over her face as well.
“Go big or go home, ladies. Now, let’s get started,” Dom said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Indiana, I am glad I have found you.” Caroline’s voice ricocheted through the locker room.
“Yep, this is usually where I am after practice,” Indy said, tightening the towel around her. “Do you want to turn around? I have to get dressed.”
Caroline waved off the request and Indy shrugged, dropping the towel and grabbing her underwear. If her agent didn’t mind, then neither did she.
“I have fantastic news,” Caroline said.
“You’re a little late,” Indy said, pulling her OBX T-shirt over her head and then buttoning her white jean shorts. “I know it’s really exciting, Caroline, but we did already kind of know this was going to happen.”
Caroline breathed a dismissive sound through her lips. “You are speaking of the doubles tournament?”
“Of course. What else would I be talking about?”
Her agent smiled. “An old friend of mine is the assistant tournament director.”
“Old friend?” Indy asked, raising her eyebrows. “The same way Dom is an old friend?”
“No,” Caroline said, examining the clear sheen painted on her nails, which made Indy believe she was right.
“Sure, okay, what about him?”
“He has managed to procure you an entry into Bari. Dom was unfortunately correct about your lack of experience hindering a spot in Paris, but this is most certainly the next best thing. I expect, after how you destroyed those other girls in the Classic, that you will have no problem winning that tournament as well. There are sponsors who will be very interested to see these results.”
Indy pulled her hair into a ponytail and tried to keep her excitement down.
The truth was, she was beyond ecstatic at this news.
It was a solid next step, a lower-level tournament, but it was on the actual tour and it made so much more sense than playing doubles with a girl she could barely stand.
Dom probably wouldn’t see it that way, though, she realized with disappointment.
“Dom is supposed to be making all the tennis decisions.”
“He will be thrilled, of course. This will bring more exposure for both you and this place,” Caroline said, spinning away on her stilettos. Indy followed slowly, dreading the explosion Caroline was about to ignite.
“Absolutely not,” Dom said, leaping up from the bench beside a practice court, making the tiny ten-year-old boy he was coaching literally jump in terror. “Didn’t we just have this conversation, Caroline? It’s not your place to go looking for tournaments for my athletes.”
Caroline laughed off the reprimand. “Do not be ridiculous. Of course she will play.”
“No, she won’t. It’s too much too soon.”
“You are angry because you were unable to give her this yourself.”
“How do you know that?” Dom asked, arms crossing over his chest.
“She is more than capable. You know this.”
“She isn’t ready.”
“She is right here,” Indy cut in, pretty fed up with them forgetting it was her career they were fighting over. “Or should I leave?”
Dom turned to her, his face apologetic, or at least as close as it ever got.
“Indy, it isn’t as simple as your agent would have you believe.
Your game is up to scratch, and I have no doubt that you would do well, but your endurance level simply isn’t where it needs to be for your first pro singles tournament, even if it is a lower-level tournament. ”
“C’est n’importe quoi!” Caroline said, moving closer and nearly bumping chests with him.
“It is not bullshit, Caroline, and you know it. You’re so desperate to find the next big star, you’re willing to put this girl’s career on the line.”
The volume of their argument grew with every insult, and Indy rolled her eyes. She hated when adults who were supposed to have their shit together acted like this, which was a lot more often than any of them would ever admit. “You two let me know when you’ve worked it out.”
Her words went unacknowledged and she spun away from the court, practically running down the pathway to get away from the shouting. It was like she was seven years old again and her parents were screaming at each other over whatever crap they were always fighting about.