Love Match Read online
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everyone of their impending arrival into the Miami airport.
She went down the
list of connections so those continuing on would know what gate to head for
once they deplaned. "So ladies and gentlemen, if you would bring your
seats to their full upright position we should have you on the ground in about
ten minutes. Again thank you for choosing Virgin for your flying needs and we
hope to see you on board in the future."
"The Nike shoot is scheduled in three days so you are going to have to hit
the gym starting today. If your naked ass is going up in Time Square we want it
to look pumped up," said Gary. The schedule book had come out of his bag
twenty minutes ago so that they could review upcoming events. Having Parker
trapped in a plane helped him make it through the end of the month.
"Whose idea was this again?" The sponsor had approached her with the
idea before Wimbledon to add her to the list of athletes that had appeared in
the ads clad just in their shoes illustrating that the footwear and the body
were all that were necessary to succeed in sports.
"It was Nick's idea, and I forbid you to give him a hard time about it.
You know how sensitive he is and I'm the one that has to live with him. All the
shots will be from the back and he got Annie and her all girl crew to do it, so
quit complaining." Gary pointed his finger at her to make his point. The
last thing he wanted was both of the people he cared most about giving him a
hard time for weeks to come.
"I just asked a question, Gary, I hardly see how that could be construed
as complaining. Are they coming to the house or will it be done in a
studio?" She put away her book and stood to pull her jacket back on. The
crew had been surprised that besides her initial hot chocolate and sandwich,
Parker had stuck to bottled water. The fourteen she had consumed kept her
hydrated and active with constant trips to the bathroom. No amount of free
alcohol was worth jet lag in her opinion, so while most of the other passengers
fought fatigue, Parker would be lifting weights for the rest of the afternoon.
"You get to stay home, kid. Annie thought the court at home that overlooks
the gulf would make for good shots. Now let's hope we didn't miss our
connection. You know how Nick hates waiting around in airports."
"Now who's complaining?" asked Parker. She was pulling her hair into
a ponytail when they both felt the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac once
followed by three hard bumps before the engines were thrust into reverse to
kill their speed. Not expecting it, Parker came close to smashing her head into
the seat in front of them despite having her seatbelt on the jolt of the landing
was so rough. Aside from the earlier announcement it was the first time the
blonde captain crossed Parker's mind.
Parker and Gary waited as everyone got off before standing up from their seats.
Their patience was usually rewarded by an empty waiting area as passengers
where claimed by family and friends or were running toward baggage claim.
Parker finally looked up from her book to find an empty plane and Willy waiting
at the door with her large bag of rackets and a pen. Alicia and Gary hadn't
been the only avid fans in the stands, and the attendant saw this as his
opportunity to get his program signed. When she got up he handed the bag over
and held the booklet up with a pleading look.
"Willy, my man, I didn't know you were interested in tennis."
She accepted
his pen and sat down in the first set of first class seats waiting to hear his
answer before writing something in the glossy book in her hand.
"I had to trade some really bum flights to be able to go and watch you
play. The final match was awesome, though I wish it had lasted longer. Had that
first ace you rocketed over the net hit Jill, I think the match would have been
over because of a chipped bone. Having you on our flight home was just an extra
added bonus." He stopped his babble of hero worship when Parker started
writing. She handed his program back with a thank you note for his hospitality
then took the time to sign some of the other souvenirs the rest of the crew had
produced.
Emily watched from the door of the cockpit as Parker entertained her crew
acting very unlike the person most of the press had written about. The tennis
player never looked impatient as another item was pressed into her hand for
signing and finished by unzipping the large black bag sitting at her feet and
sliding out one of the rackets. With Willy's pen she signed Parker 'Kong' King
and the date along the grip.
"Sorry you didn't get to see more play, Willy, but I was anxious to catch
my flight. You might get your wish at the Open since it seems to be my
Achille's heel." On the other side of her name Parker wrote
'first ace
racket Wimbledon.' "I hope this makes up for your shitty schedule. That
means a lot to me when people go so out of the way to come see me hit some
balls." The rackets were custom made for her by the sponsor and were a
valuable collector's item for the few fans that had gotten one as a gift. The
one she had used for the majority of the match would rest along side the trophy
at home. Both she and Gary laughed at the squeal Willy let out at her gift. Parker
could only imagine the hardships the man had endured in his lifetime because of
his obvious sexuality preference. She respected people like Willy who had a
real survivor's spirit and let it shine through.
"Oh my god, thank you. This is the best gift I've ever gotten, Parker,
thank you." Willy hugged her as she stood up and almost fainted as Parker
hugged him back. "I know all those tabloids were full of shit," said
Willy.
"Thank you, Willy, that means a lot." Parker squeezed him one more
time and smiled at the sentiment. "Don't play with that one.
Save it for
your next vacation, at auction it should get you to Hawaii if you hit it on the
right day."
"No way, this one's a keeper," said Willy. The crew bid them safe
travels as Parker shouldered her bags and stepped off the plane noticing the
cockpit door was closed as she stepped out. The impromptu autograph session had
let her escape without having to confront Emily again.
"Is Nick going to pick us up?" asked Parker. The next leg of their
trip to Tampa was less crowded and they finished their calendar review without
interruption.
"Yep he is. Some of your contracts were coming up so hopefully he's
resigned everyone and is over having to miss this trip." Gary sighed; Nick
Spoli was a sweet man but could whine for days given a reason to. He and Gary
lived together as well was worked together at keeping Parker both happy and
ranked.
"Like you said, you're the one that has to live with him, buddy, not me.
Just remind him of his commission if it gets out of hand. The smallest one
alone should get him that new sports car he wants along with a new wardrobe to
go with it." Parker wiggled her eyebrows at him and laughed when Gary
scowled at her. Nick and the flight attendant they had just met, Willy, could
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compete on the flamboyancy scale in Parker's opinion.
The two men were Parker's role models when it came to a loving relationship
having been together for fifteen years. They had built their home close to her
on Press Cove, a mostly deserted stretch of beach near Clearwater Florida. Her
house had everything she needed to train for upcoming tournaments while giving
her the solitude she needed to prepare for the weeks on the road. Gary looked
forward to these trips home as much as Parker did in that it gave he and Nick
the time they needed to strengthen Parker's mental state as well as her body.
Having every vice imaginable at your fingertips would have ruined her career
had it not been for their influence along with that of Parker's two sisters.
Parker seldom complained about the schedules, knowing her career wouldn't last
forever. There was a small window of opportunity to get all her goals
accomplished before she either retired to her house, or to the commentator's
chair. At twenty-two she had plenty of time to contemplate her future barring
any injury. What happened to her coach was always with her, driving her to
train harder in case her time on center court was fleeting.
"You know how much he loves to watch you play, so cut my boy some
slack," said Gary. They moved onto the gate where their connection was
boarding both anxious to get home. The woman that followed them on board
couldn't believe her luck when she saw the two tall athletes go on ahead of
her.
Don't tennis superstars live in New York or something? Emily asked
herself as she slowed her pace not wanting to be noticed.
The pilot had been
looking forward to her own first class leather seat for a quick nap before
meeting Gail. The thought of having to share the space with Parker King made
her veer into the cockpit in search of an empty seat. Emily would settle for
some mindless conversation with the crew instead of her nap.
Parker had apologized but something about her still rubbed the pilot the wrong
way. Maybe it was the way she apologized. Emily couldn't help but think
that Parker was one of those people not used to being wrong in any situation,
or at least admitting she was wrong.
The young woman's assumption of her position on the earlier flight had just hit
a raw nerve with the pilot negating the instant attraction Emily had felt when
Parker had turned the corner. Emily was used to the cracks from men, but when
it came from successful women it was even worse to her.
No, Parker King could
keep her wise cracks and good looks to impress someone else she wasn't
interested. What she needed now was some time in the sun with Gail, but with
out permission, Emily's brain drifted back to the sleeping tennis player on the
other side of the cockpit door.
Chapter 2
"Over here, guys," said Nick. The tall Greek stood at the gate with
two dozen roses in his arms. After kissing them both hello and taking their
bags, he handed a dozen to Gary and one to Parker. "Come on, I have the
car parked outside and the Terminator down waiting for your bags."
"Kimmie's here?" asked Parker. She hadn't seen her sisters in six
months due to conflicting schedules. While Parker dominated women's tennis, her
sisters Kimmie and Gray did the same in the sand playing volleyball.
"Yeah she and Gray are here for today. They are heading out in the morning
for a tournament in Palm Beach, so they're cooking you dinner and crashing in
your guest rooms tonight." Nick pointed them toward the exit knowing that
he and the King sisters had more than exceeded their welcome outside, then again
they didn't call Gray the Viper for nothing. One look had sent the young
security guard back to his booth for the hour they had been waiting.
"Remember workout first, then family reunion," said Gary knowing the
reprimand was unnecessary but he said it anyway.
"Yes, master, I remember."
By the Suburban outside stood two women that looked almost exactly like the
tennis pro except for the hair. Kimmie and Gray both kept theirs cut short for
easier maintenance when they played, but all of them had the same powerful
build. They where all two years apart with Parker being the baby of the family
and Gray being the oldest. For each, sports had been an escape from overly
conservative parents that wanted prim ladies and lots of grandchildren to show
off. Instead they had gotten three of the most famous lesbians in sports, which
had been more than enough for their parents to disown them. With Nick's careful
management all three had no more money concerns, just the heartache that came
from their parents' rejection.
"Is that the Wimbledon champion we see?" asked Gray as she stepped
out of the driver's seat. The surprise for Parker was cutting two days off
their training schedule but had been worth it to see the smile on her little
sister's face. It killed the older two not to be there for any of the matches
Parker had played in, but hopefully in September they would be in the stands
for the entire Open.
The family caught up on the happenings in their lives since they had seen each
other last, having Gary write down some dates when Parker could go and watch
her sisters play. From inside the airport Emily arrived at the exit in time to
see Parker get into the vehicle right before it drove away.
Gail as usual was
running late and Emily waited inside in the air-conditioning not wanting to
brave the heat until she was wearing a bathing suit.
Emily ended up leaning against the glass wall by the entrance for forty minutes
before she saw Gail get out of a rented car outside. By the way she was
walking, Emily could tell where she had been since she had arrived. When the
broker made it inside and bent to kiss her, the scotch on her breath only
confirmed it for her. The blonde got behind the driver's side while Gail loaded
her luggage and wondered if the dent in the front fender she had seen was there
when Gail picked up the car. The passenger door slamming shut made Emily look
at the woman she had spent three years with as she closed her eyes and fell
asleep instead of talking. If it hadn't been so sad, Emily would've found it humorous
that they'd been away from each other for almost a month but neither of them
could find anything to talk about as Emily pointed the car in the direction of
the place they had rented.
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The three sisters made the circuit of the workout room as the older two gave
Parker a hard time about Alicia. The two tormentors had mentioned every tabloid
headline before Parker changed into her running clothes and hit the beach. This
stretch of paradise was what she missed most grueling tournament play kept them
away for months at a time. The pristine white sand and blue green waters were
like a blanket of calm in an otherwise busy life. Coming back here, Parker was
convinced she could walk away from tennis and not miss the crowds or the
action.
Parker's house was built on a large parcel of water front property in Press
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Cove. In the opposite direction from Nick and Gary's house there were only a
couple of houses along the beach for miles. After that there wasn't anything
really until you hit the more populated stretch that marked Clearwater. Parker
didn't mind sharing the space close to her since all of her other neighbors
were weekenders that mostly came in the fall to enjoy the still warm but cooler
temperatures.
Leaving her sisters in the kitchen, Parker stood on the shoreline and
stretched. The usual route she took brought her five miles down the beach
before turning around and heading back. Her dedication to roadwork, as Gary
called it, kept her legs fresh during grueling matches. The women on the other
side of the net were usually cursing by the second set when Parker used the
same speed to chase down balls as she did in the first game.
In the summer Parker's usual companions were the gulls flying past her and the
sandpipers that ran ahead of her to escape the oncoming surf. It was one of the
reasons she ran without the usual headphones most people used during their
runs. The sound of the waves and her feet hitting the sand were Parker's form
of meditation. The enjoyment of her surroundings and the joy of being home
almost made her trip over the couple locked in a heated kiss on a red blanket
laid out on the sand.
Parker could see that the bigger of the two had her hand firmly ensconced in
her partner's bikini bottom and the blonde on top of her seemed to be enjoying
the attention. Returning her gaze to the water, Parker ran past them without
saying anything not wanting to embarrass the two lovers any more than she
already had. That is if they even noticed me. She thought as her pace
put her far away enough to miss the ensuing argument she had unwittingly
caused.
"Goddamn it, Gail, when I tell you to stop, I would appreciate it if you
did just that. I told you I heard someone coming and I was right. I don't much
enjoy being a floor show for anyone," said Emily in a heated voice. She
had pushed off Gail as soon as she heard the footsteps fading with the surf.
Any of the good feelings of seeing Gail again after three weeks evaporated like
the foam on the sand near the water.
"Funny that, Em, three years ago it wouldn't have mattered where we were