Aphrodite #2
Since I’d spoken on something she wanted for me, there was little my mother could say against me speaking with my coach. Her only goal for me seemed to be to get married and she could not care less about my professional goals. Even though those goals meant she got to live the life she wanted.
“Talk to her, but make sure she schedules you some more practice time. I’m going to be sending over those notes based on the last match and what I saw today.
Give me a few days and then be ready to implement them.
” He leaned over and gave my mother a kiss on the cheek that I’m sure she took as affection but I saw as manipulation.
“I’m about to shower, and then I’ve got to head out. Come on upstairs before I leave.”
It was sad watching her face light up knowing he was only appeasing her now so he could leave her later.
“I’ll be downstairs if y’all need me.”
I didn’t wait to hear their response, but grabbed my stuff and headed to the entrance of my floor.
Their relationship was the main reason I felt so jaded at the thought of love and my only experience reinforced how fucked up it could be.
Making history was at the forefront of my mind and I would never be like my mother and let a man knock me off my square.
“You’re the latest Australian Open winner and it looks like you’re going to take all the majors this year, how does it feel to have that type of year laid out for you?”
The interviewer was a young woman who had a quirky reporter look. Big, wide glasses were on her face with the Clark Kent rims and multi-colored hair I was sure she only got to rebel against whatever staid version of herself that her parents wanted her to be.
Been there and done that, can’t blame her.
I put a smile on my face cognizant of who was sitting next to me and their negative energy. “I’m just grateful that I can play the game I love. The Australian Open was difficult but I could power through. I have an amazing coach in Teresa Sabors and—”
“Aphrodite knows that if she wants to sweep the majors this year she has to work harder than she has so far. Making history isn’t for those who don’t want to put in the work to be excellent at every aspect of their craft.”
My father had to sprinkle his negativity in order to draw attention to himself. Why he felt as though he couldn’t get the same attention from them by being supportive was something I would never understand.
The interviewer, named Ashlei with an i, as she informed us, looked surprised at my father’s ease at downplaying what I’d done so far this year.
Sensing that she might be onto something deeper than what she thought was a fluff piece, I saw her face brighten like a shark’s would when it smelled blood in the water.
She turned to look at me and that smile was far more genuine than it had been before but for all the wrong reasons.
“Have you been playing it safe against your opponents and not giving your all to your trainings this year, Aphrodite? Is it that you feel that the sport has gotten too easy for you or that your opponents just aren’t on your level?”
Oh, this bitch was gonna be messy and I channeled all my media training to keep the smile on my face despite her disrespect.
“I put my all into every avenue of my life. From training to competing, it is all about having the right mindset and I never take my position in rankings or any of my competitors for granted. Everyone who plays Aphrodite Harper is getting her all. I haven’t been able to compete for almost a decade by being lazy or not treating this game with the reverence that it deserves. ”
She looked impressed by my answer and nodded her head but I knew she wished I’d said something far more arrogant or telling.
I had to silently thank Billy, for the excellent media training I’d undergone when I was younger.
After winning my first grand slam, everyone wanted to be in my face with offers and questions.
Her agency back then had been small and very boutique but she was thorough.
Her hands on method of helping me curate answers to fall back on until I got mature enough to parse out what was genuine and what was seeking negativity helped me curate my image as not only a powerhouse on the court but someone that was being called a role model for girls everywhere.
That wasn’t necessarily my aim, but I would take that and a controversy-free life over one that was marred with bullshit that meant I was hounded by paparazzi wherever I went.
I’d left that life behind when my father started being more discreet with his side chicks and I wasn’t going back for anyone.
“That’s good to know. We’d hate for the crown your father is trying to pass down to be marred by your lack of desire for excellence simply because you feel that you have a genetic advantage.
I’m sure his name alone already opened up far more doors than say someone just getting started in the sport for fun. ”
I grit my teeth through her digs and visualize slapping this bitch in my head to keep me grounded.
“I would never do that. My father has been a shining example of what can come from hard work and I don’t want to rest on that, I want to take it to the next level so that I too can be someone’s good example.”
“Speaking of. Mr. Harper—”
“Call me Ashe.”
I kept my face impassive as I heard my father turn on the charm that he only reserved for people he wanted to fuck.
The sad thing about this was, this girl knew the game and still looked like she was interested.
Her kissing his ass when she’d talked about my good genetic advantage was spot on.
I thought for sure fraternization on these types of shoots were a no go but from the way she perked up when he spoke she either didn’t care, knew she had the complexion for protection, or knew someone high enough up that her job wasn’t in jeopardy.
She angled her body toward my father as if I was no longer a part of the conversation and I wanted to get up and leave.
I was so tired of him doing this. Of making me uncomfortable with his actions because he wouldn’t respect my mother enough not to fuck around.
And he wouldn’t respect me enough to keep that shit away from me.
It was one reason I tried my hardest to stay away from people like him.
Especially after I had gotten away from one.
“So Ashe, how does it feel to have a daughter that people are calling a protégé?”
“I mean she’s a little too old to be a protégé don’t you think?”
They shared a laugh that was clearly at my expense and I knew for sure I’d be relaying to Billy everything I could about this chick so that she was blackballed from ever being able to interview me again.
I had pull and none of it was because of my father.
In the past, I had been remiss in exercising it because I didn’t want to be labeled as difficult or someone who thought she was too good.
But now? I’d use everything I had to make sure this chick was covering high school athletes if she wasn’t fired.
“I think the word you’re confusing is ingenue. I’m not young enough to be an ingenue, at least not anymore.”
They were not about to clown me like I wasn’t part of the conversation and my words let them both know they hadn’t bothered me at all with their dig. Trying to call me old at twenty-five was in fact laughable. Especially since Ashlei with an i had to be around my age.
Folks don’t understand hypocrisy at all.
“Well, you’re not my protégé. My style of play was far more aggressive. I saw the ball and attacked it like I would do with any other aspect of life: with vigor and the stamina to go for as many sets as needed in order to secure the victory.”
This shit was so fucking inappropriate and even still, after all these years, I wasn’t desensitized to how he flirted.
My skin always crawled when he behaved this way, whether it be an interviewer, a server or a teacher at one of my schools.
There wasn’t a female tennis coach within the entire state who hadn’t either been hit on by him or fallen to his charms.
Thank God Terri isn’t like that.
“That sounds incredibly promising. Maybe it is something that we can delve into a bit more later.”
From the grin on her face, I knew that she was going to be the next notch on his unenviably long belt of conquests and I had to stifle a sigh that threatened to break through watching the two of them.
I shifted slightly and Ashlei, with an i, had the good sense to remember I was in the room.
My father had no qualms and continued to flirt with her despite my being here.
The large warehouse space had been sectioned off, with some families being interviewed and others jumping straight into the photo portion.
My father canceled the car I’d ordered at the last minute insisting that he drive into the city.
My mother, of course, was thrilled since she bought his bullshit about wanting to spend time together.
Our time would’ve been far more quality if we’d had someone driving so he could focus on me and not the road, but common sense went out the window a lot with her.