Match Point Read online

  “Oh, what? I don’t think I was sleeping, was I?” Miranda sat up straight, shaking her head and blinking widely. She ran her hand over her mouth, praying she hadn’t been drooling or something else hideously embarrassing.

  “I think I heard you give a little snore.”

  Miranda felt her face flush. “I don’t snore!” she whispered emphatically. “It must have been Jase.”

  They both looked over at Jason who was hunkered down in his chair with his arms folded across his chest, trying in vain to keep his eyes open. As they watched, his eyes drooped and his head slipped slowly forward, before suddenly jerking back up, startling himself awake. Miranda snorted a laugh, covered her mouth and pretended to cough; she felt Jodi shake with silent laughter beside her. Jason looked around and caught them. He hauled himself up straight in his seat and glowered across the table at them.

  “They really shouldn’t serve wine at these dos if they want people to stay awake during the speeches,” Jodi whispered.

  “What are they even talking about anyway?” Miranda whispered back.

  “If you’d been awake, you’d know,” Jodi teased. “It’s just been all the usual blah-blah about the community and the incredible caliber of this year’s events. I tell you what, if we weren’t sitting all the way across the room from the exit, I would have left ages ago.”

  “I know. We’re kind of trapped over here, aren’t we? Why didn’t Jase choose a table by the door?” Miranda gazed around her, looking for an alternative way out of the room. “Hey,” she said, leaning closer to Jodi. “What about the balcony doors? Do you think we could get out through there?”

  Jodi followed the direction of Miranda’s gaze.

  “I don’t know, I didn’t go out there, did you?”

  “Nope. I was trapped with Craig half the night. I’d be willing to try it though. These guys sound like they’ll be going on forever. I don’t think anyone would notice if we snuck out those doors from here.”

  Jodi pulled her purse from under the table and slipped the straps over her shoulder.

  “Lead on, Macduff,” she murmured. “I can’t bear any more of this.”

  They both caught Jason’s quizzical look as they quietly pushed their chairs back, smiling politely at the strangers on either side of them, and slid out from behind the table. Jodi gave Jason a thumbs-up and followed Miranda to the side of the room, where they snuck unnoticed out onto the balcony.

  “Oh, that was priceless,” Jodi whispered, laughing quietly as they stepped out into the cool night air. She eased the function room door shut behind them. “Jase looked so confused. He is going to be so peeved that we left him behind.”

  “Well, what could we do? He was all the way across the other side of the table. And he was basically asleep anyway.”

  “I know!” Jodi giggled, leaning back against the balcony railing. “Poor man,” she said, her face all of a sudden serious. “He’s actually just exhausted, I think. Sal’s been struggling to sleep with the pregnancy and he’s worried about her so he’s not sleeping either. I told him he’s not going to be able to help her, or the baby, if he’s falling to pieces with tiredness but he refuses to listen.”

  “That’s tough,” Miranda agreed, stepping up onto the balcony railing and leaning out slightly toward the view. “Caring for someone can be hard work,” she said with feeling. Jodi had the sense that Miranda was speaking from experience, but didn’t want to pry. They were both quiet for a moment, each lost in their own train of thought.

  “Hey, so I guess Sal will be due in about four months, right?” Miranda asked, breaking the silence.

  “Yep, that’s the plan.” Jodi turned around to gaze out at the view.

  “So that’s what,” Miranda ticked off the months on her fingers, “July, September, October, November. She’s due in November?”

  “Correct again.”

  “So what will Jase do then do you think?”

  “I imagine he’ll take some time off to be at home with Sal and the baby. We’ll be ready to take a break from the circuit by then anyway. I’ll just keep up some light training until he’s ready to come back to work.”

  “You might be getting ready for the Australian Open by then.”

  “God, I wish.” Miranda could hear the barely hidden yearning in Jodi’s voice. “Wouldn’t that be awesome? I don’t like to think about it though,” Jodi added. “Don’t want to tempt fate.”

  “Fair enough.”

  They both fell silent again, considering the view before them.

  “That’s probably your hotel over there.” Miranda pointed out into the darkness toward a group of tall, well-lit buildings.

  Jodi inclined her head to follow the direction she was pointing and Miranda caught the fresh lemony scent of her shampoo as Jodi leaned gently against her.

  “Which one?”

  “Here, follow my arm.” Miranda stepped down off the railing to stand behind Jodi, pointing over her shoulder. “See the big tall building with the red flashing lights?” She let her other hand rest lightly on Jodi’s other shoulder, gently facing her in the right direction.

  “Um…oh yes, I’ve got that one.” Jodi leaned back slightly into Miranda’s arms. She hoped Jodi couldn’t feel the sudden racing of her pulse. What was happening to her tonight? She swallowed shakily and allowed her hand to drop gently down from Jodi’s shoulder to her waist.

  “Well, start there, at the tallest building straight ahead,” she said, “and then move over three buildings to the right.” Their heads were close, cheeks almost touching in the darkness. Miranda shivered at the brush of Jodi’s hair against her face. “See, the one with the big blue light on the top. Then go two buildings back,” Miranda continued, her voice dropping to a murmur, “and that’s your hotel.”

  “But how can you tell?” Jodi’s voice seemed to float through the darkness. Miranda found herself wanting to tighten her arms around her, to pull her close against her. She was intensely aware of the lightest touch of Jodi’s back against her chest, Jodi’s arm against her arm. Miranda tried to stay very still, not wanting to interrupt the moment by shifting in any way.

  “It’s the archways,” Miranda replied. “Your building has rounded archways over the tops of the windows which make the lights look rounder than the other buildings at night. I noticed them the other day when I dropped you off and thought they would have taken a lot of work to put up.” She dropped her arm down on to the railing, no longer needing to point at anything, but neither of them moved away. Miranda realized she was holding Jodi, ever so lightly, in her arms. A breath of wind could blow us apart, she thought. What am I doing here? But it was hard to think with Jodi so close.

  The balcony doors suddenly swung open and the sounds of the party spilled out into the night. A group of partygoers stumbled, laughing merrily, toward the view.

  Miranda stepped back quickly, feeling almost like a guilty child sprung doing something she shouldn’t. She stepped back up to the railing, leaving a wide space between them.

  “I guess the speeches are finished,” Miranda said awkwardly, her heart still beating erratically in her chest.

  “Yeah, I guess,” Jodi replied quietly.

  “Hey!” a nearby voice called as a figure skipped across the balcony toward them. “Jodi Richards? Is that you?”

  Jodi swung around toward the voice. Her face broke into a smile of recognition.

  “Em! What are you doing here! I thought you were in Florida!”

  “I’m back, baby,” the bouncy redhead replied, flinging her arms around Jodi for a warm hug. “Who’s your friend?” she asked, as they broke apart. The woman smiled warmly at Miranda.

  “Miranda’s just joined my coaching team,” Jodi added. “Miranda, this is my friend Emily Hawkins. She used to be the tournament director for the Sun Oaks tournament in Redding and then she ran away to Florida to live in a tropical paradise. Now, what do you mean you’re back?” Jodi asked, turning her full attention to her friend. “Fill me
in please, what’s happened to Stacey? Is everything okay there?”

  Miranda’s thoughts whirled frantically. Am I attracted to Jodi? She couldn’t deny the almost palpable connection they had just experienced, but God that would be awkward. She had a job to do. She was pretty sure her job description was supposed to be “hitting with the player,” not “hitting on the player.” She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. This just can’t be happening. Taking a deep breath, she brushed off her thoughts, tuning back in to the conversation.

  “Hmm, well, Stacey.” Emily was saying, her face twisted in distaste. “Stacey decided there were greener tropical pastures to pursue. She found a horridly young and perky waitress and followed her around like a lovesick puppy until I couldn’t stand it anymore and called her out on it. And thus we are,” she said, with a pained pause, “henceforth, no longer an item.”

  “Oh, Em, I’m so sorry.” Jodi rubbed her friend’s arm, sympathy filling her voice. “That sounds awful.”

  “It was. And I don’t know which was more awful—that she was disgustingly young or disgustingly pretty. Or maybe it was just both. I mean, how can I fight that, right? I’m getting older, it just happens, and I don’t want to pretend that I’m not. I want to celebrate my age and enjoy the tiny gifts of wisdom that come with it. I don’t want to be one of those women who has to get surgery to stay young in order to keep their partner happy.”

  “God, no,” Jodi agreed, “anyway, you’re still completely gorgeous. Stacey is mad.”

  “Gorgeous yes. Young and perky, not so much. Things are starting to droop a little, if you know what I mean. But you’re right. Stacey is mad.” Emily guffawed loudly.

  “Hey, er, so I might leave you guys to catch up properly,” Miranda said, suddenly feeling like a third wheel. “I think I’ll call it a night. It was lovely to meet you, Emily. See you Tuesday at the airport, Jodi,” she said. Jodi smiled gratefully at her, tucking her arm around her friend’s waist. “I’ll get my ticket from Jase and catch you there.”

  “Sounds good,” Jodi replied, catching Miranda’s eye for the briefest of moments. “Thanks for showing me the hotel.”

  “Pleasure.”

  “Now, maybe we should start from the beginning,” Miranda heard Jodi say as she headed back into the busy function room. She needed to get out of here. Her heart was still hammering away and the last thing she wanted was to be baled up by any more of the likes of Craig Simmonds. Making her way around the edge of the party, studiously avoiding eye contact, she slipped thankfully out of the front door and into the night. She didn’t know what to make of herself. She was clearly overstepping boundaries left, right and center and it just wasn’t like her. She was going to muck it all up if she didn’t rein herself in now. Assistant coaches do not endear themselves to the pro circuit by developing ridiculous crushes on their players, Miranda lectured herself sternly as she let herself into her car.

  Sinking into the familiar seat she laid her head back against the headrest, relieved to be in quiet and solitude.

  “Damn it!” she said out loud, banging her palm against the steering wheel. “What the hell are you doing, Miranda?”

  She closed her eyes, brushing away hot tears. I will not do this, she thought. This is not on. I’m going to be a professional, and I’m not going to mess up this opportunity.

  “So get it together,” she mumbled to herself, running her hands through her hair and taking a deep breath. “Just get it together,” Miranda said more clearly, resolve coursing through her. Jodi’s determined face on the court flashed before her eyes and she sat up straight. I just need to focus on that, she told herself as she started the car and pulled slowly out of the parking lot. Just focus on the tennis and everything else will fall into place.

  I can also be very determined.

  Chapter Nine

  “There’s a lot riding on this one.” Jason’s voice sounded concerned on the phone. “Jodi’s still rattled from Carson and we need to get her confidence back up.”

  “But this one doesn’t count toward the wild card right?” Miranda asked, checking the package on her lap one more time to make sure she had all the documents she needed for the tournament.

  “Right, but it’s still very important. She needs to settle in to winning. She needs to feel like she can do this, because you and I both know she can, and she almost knows it, but she’s still a bit shaky.”

  “Right. I know. We’ll be okay, Jase. Try not to worry.”

  “I know you will.” He sighed, clearly frustrated. “I’m just sorry I can’t be there.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll be here. Now you just focus on Sal and making sure she and the baby are all right. How is she this morning?” Miranda asked.

  “The same.” Jason’s voice was tense. “The hospital has her hooked up to a thousand machines monitoring her and the baby, but they can’t seem to work out why she’s having the pain.” His voice cracked. “It’s scary actually.”

  “Of course it is. Poor Sal.” Miranda could only imagine how worried Jason must be. She had seen that worry in her own family’s eyes when she had been in the hospital, hooked up to complicated-looking machines that beeped and whirred inexplicably. She had wanted to comfort them, to let them know she was all right, but there were times when she had felt so sick from the chemotherapy, and so weak from the surgery, that she couldn’t do much to alleviate their fears. “Keep me posted okay? Let us know how she goes.”

  “Yeah, of course. Jodi’s already asked me for hourly updates. I don’t want her worried and focusing on us when she should be focusing on her game. She’s got enough going on without stressing out about us.”

  “I don’t think you can help that, Jase. She loves you guys. Of course she’s going to be thinking of you. But don’t worry, I’ll be there to support her and try to help her stay focused.”

  “You have all the registration papers I sent over? That packet has the passes, the itinerary, the hotels and flights—everything. Everything you need should be in there.”

  Miranda patted the packet in her lap reassuringly. “I’ve got it right here. It looks like it’s all in order. I’ll call you from Texas to let you know when we’ve checked in to the tournament.”

  “Great, you can call anytime. If Sal’s asleep I’ll have my phone on silent so you don’t need to worry about waking her. I know you won’t need it, but good luck anyway.”

  “Thanks.” Miranda felt a jolt of nervousness. “I’ll take it.”

  Hanging up, she wondered how Jodi was taking the news. She’d be worried about Jase and Sal, but she’d also be anxious about not having her coach with her for the tournament. Miranda would have to pull out all the stops to fill Jase’s shoes.

  * * *

  Jodi tossed her racket bags angrily across the room. “I can’t believe I just blew that so badly. I am such an asshole.”

  Miranda shifted nervously in the doorway behind her. Jodi had been ominously silent in the cab from the tennis center back to the hotel, but it was clear from the deep frown carved across her face that she was not happy.

  “Hey everybody,” Jodi ranted, pacing the small hotel room. “Roll up to watch the washed-up old lady blowing her tennis comeback.”

  “It wasn’t that bad, Jodi,” Miranda said gently. “You made some errors, but in general, you actually played really well.”

  Jodi turned and glared at Miranda.

  “Please don’t just stand in the doorway,” she said coldly. “I don’t need the whole hotel to know I’m having a shitty day.”

  Not sure whether she should leave Jodi to let off steam, or support her through this moment, Miranda hesitated, but decided to stay. Jase wouldn’t want me to leave her like this, she thought, making up her mind to stay for as long as it took, as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Looking about for a place to sit, she chose the writing desk, making room amongst a mess of magazines and papers. She perched on top of the desk, pulling her feet out of the way as Jodi mov
ed erratically around the room.

  “What do you think went wrong?” Miranda asked tentatively.

  “Wrong?” Jodi glared at her again before resuming her pacing. “The whole thing was wrong, Miranda. I played like an asshole from start to finish. Laurent had me pegged from the beginning—it was as if she knew every move I was going to make, even before I did. I was ridiculous.” She bit out the words as she kicked off her shoes and stripped off her socks. “What was I thinking, trying to surprise her with those stupid drop shots?”

  Miranda grimaced, feeling responsible. Those drop shots had been her idea and if she was honest, Jodi really hadn’t pulled them off today. God, how she wished Jase was here right now to smooth this out.

  “It’s okay though, right? I mean this one doesn’t count toward the wild card points, so it’s not like it’s all over. And your ranking will still have gone up because even though you lost, you made it all the way to the semifinals.” She tried to come up with something positive to help Jodi shift her focus. “And we can keep working on the drop shots. You’ll get there, and when you do, you’ll have a formidable weapon to add to your arsenal on the court. You’re handling your serve beautifully, and you actually played really well. I guess Laurent just had the edge today.”

  Jodi sat down hard on the bed, grabbed the pillow and hugged it tightly against her.

  “Thank you, but I don’t need you to pretend to be all coachy and whisper sweet nothings in my ear here. I need to have the edge, Miranda. I need to be the one nailing ass to the court and yes, this doesn’t officially count, but it counts unofficially, in people’s minds—in my mind. I can’t be the loser this quickly. I’ve only just come back. I don’t have time to build up a new arsenal. I need to be the winner now.”

  “You’re not the loser and I’m not just pretending, Jodi. I am your coach right now,” Miranda said quietly, trying to keep her tone even in the face of Jodi’s onslaught. Inside she felt shaky and far from the calm she was projecting. “Yes, you lost this match, but it happens sometimes. You’ve won all the others and we’ll be working our asses off to give you the best shot at winning the rest of them. I believe we can do it.”