Tennis in Heels

by Sophie Kaye

“You're back,” she said.

  “I just arrived.” He smiled at her. “You're even prettier than I remembered.”

  Jessica blushed.

  He came in. “How have things been here?”

  “Fine. Maggie keeps switching camps between nothing bad will happen, and they're definitely closing the bank.”

  “I'm afraid I have nothing comforting to say about that yet.” He took a few steps closer.

  “Did the meeting go well?”

  “As well as can be expected.” He was almost by her side. “There were too many people trying to get their opinions across for anyone to stand out.”

  His hand was touching her shoulder. Jessica inhaled.

  He leaned forward. “I missed you.”

  She turned her face up to meet his. “I missed you-” Her words were drowned by a gentle touch of his lips.

  He smiled at her. “Do you want to have that date tonight?”

  She nodded and tried to calm her heart.

  “Oh, no.” Jessica closed her eyes. “I have a benefit gala tonight.”

  He softly touched her lips with his. “Then we'll do it some other time. Friday?” Jessica smiled. “Perfect.”

  “I should go.” Michael slowly backed up.

  Jessica glanced at him as she made her way to the front room.

  “There she is.” Cory beamed at her. “I was just telling your friend about our big date tonight.”

  Jessica looked at Maggie's stern expression behind the counter.

  “Cory. You're back.”

  “I couldn't stay away from you.” He walked up and put his arm around her shoulders. “You know.” He turned toward Maggie. “I'm going to marry this one.”

  Jessica froze. “That's not true.”

  “Well.” Maggie's tone could have frozen the ocean. “I hope you have fun tonight.”

  “Oh, we will.” Cory let Jessica go and hurried to open the door for her.

  With a deep breath and burning cheeks, Jessica hurried to catch up and leave before he said more inappropriate things.

  “You forgot your bag.”

  The dry voice rivaled Maggie's in frostiness. Jessica's hands shook as she turned around and met Michael's gaze.

  “You're the guy from the club, right?” Cory stepped up to Michael.

  Michael's eyes were steady on Jessica. His lips pursed and his posture stiff.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “I thought you looked familiar.” Cory pounded his back. “Hey, thanks again for taking Jessie up to the main house.”

  “No problem.” He held out Jessica's bag.

  She inhaled shakily and took it. Her mind was racing to find the words to explain Cory's behavior. None came out as she opened her mouth.

  “Have a nice date,” Michael said dryly and walked away.

  “Thanks, man, we will,” Cory shouted after him. “I'm in a great mood today,” he said as he held the door open for her again.

  Jessica's stomach was a tight knot as she hurried out to his car.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jessica arranged her pink dress so it would hide the cast and held the crutches behind Cory's back.

  “Smile for the camera, Jessie.”

  Jessica smiled as Cory pulled her closer and they posed for the photographer.

  “You two make a beautiful couple,” the photographer said before he hurried on to immortalize the rest of the event.

  “Don't do that, Cory.” Jessica freed herself from his grip.

  “What's wrong? You've been in a mood all day.” Cory grabbed a drink from a passing tray. “You know, you're ruining the whole evening.”

  “I'm sorry. But the way you acted at the bank-”

  “It was a joke. Besides, what's the harm? It's only a temporary job for you.”

  Jessica bristled. “I like those people, and now they think we're a couple.”

  “What's so bad about that? Your mom thinks we would make a great couple. And I know your mom. She wouldn't set us up unless you told her to.” Cory winked at her.

  “I didn't.” Jessica smiled at the people around them as they made their way to the table.

  Cory sighed. “I know you think you need to play some sort of game to catch me, but really, you don't.”

  “I'm not playing a game.” Jessica took a deep breath to calm down.

  “You're a woman, all women play games.”

  “Not this one.” Jessica turned to the woman at the table next to theirs. “Hi, Honor, enjoying the evening?”

  “We are,” Honor said and clung to the man next to her. “Sorry about your leg. Bummer.”

  Jessica grimaced and continued to her place.

  Cory sat down next to her and threw back the rest of the drink.

  “It's fine,” he said. “You can play your little game. But I want you to stand next to me when I give my speech.”

  “What?” Jessica stared at him with an open mouth.

  “So that people will know we're a thing.”

  “We're not a thing.”

  “You know, this routine is getting a bit old.”

  “It's not a routine.” Jessica hesitated. How could she make him understand? “I'm in love with someone else.”

  Cory sat up straighter.

  “You're lying.”

  “No, I'm not. I have no interest in you because I'm in love with someone else.”

  “Who?” He squinted.

  Jessica hesitated.

  Cory relaxed and laughed. “I knew it, it's another of your games.”

  “It's Michael, from the bank.”

  “Tennis guy?”

  Jessica closed her eyes. “Yes, tennis guy.”

  Cory didn't say anything.

  “There you are,” Priscilla said and slid onto one of the other chairs. “Your dad is here somewhere.” She looked around and waved at him. “The speeches are about to start, dear.”

  Jessica sat quietly while the rest of the table settled down and the toastmaster announced Cory.

  Cory held out a hand toward her, waiting for her to join him. Jessica ignored it.

  AFTER A FEW TOO MANY speeches and a delicious seafood dinner, the rest of the table was moving about, leaving Jessica and Cory alone.

  “You're a selfish brat,” Cory said.

  “What?”

  “You could have told me straight up that you weren't interested. I gave up a lot for you. I even stayed with your parents so we could get to know each other.”

  “I never asked you to. And I said from the start that I wasn't interested.”

  “Well, I have to leave tonight, so I should get going.” Cory tossed the napkin on the table.

  “Wait, aren't you going to say goodbye to my parents?”

  “You can do that for me. I'm very busy. I have banks to close.” He stood up.

  Jessica's chest tightened. “You don't mean that?”

  Cory shrugged. “I see no reason to keep a bank that barely breaks even.”

  “Cory.” She struggled to get her crutches from under the table.

  “Cory, wait.”

  He stopped.

  She scrambled after him.

  “Don't close the bank because of me.”

  She tried to keep up as he walked past the tables and groups of people.

  “I'm not.” He didn't look at her. “I was going to keep it open for you. I don't need to do that anymore.”

  “You can't be that petty. We're talking about peoples' lives, here.”

  “I see no reason to change my decision.”

  “Please.” Jessica stopped.

  They were out of the main room and in the less crowded foyer.

  Cory turned and came back to her.

  “You played me, Jessica. You strung me along in your twisted game to save the bank. Well, it backfired. I'm not playing the part of the duped fanboy anymore.”

  Jessica stood watching him leave. Tears rose faster than she could blink them away. She had ruined everything.

  Chapter Sixte
en

  “Good morning, Maggie.” Jessica smiled.

  “Right.” Maggie disappeared into the back without holding the door open.

  Jessica took a breath and closed her eyes. This was bad.

  She made her way to the kitchen where Maggie was hanging up her coat.

  “Maggie, listen to me. There is nothing going on between me and Cory. He's an old family friend with a weird sense of humor.”

  The voice behind her made her freeze.

  “You didn't have a date with him?”

  She turned slowly. Her stomach somersaulted. Michael had on a dark gray suit that emphasized his shoulders and narrow waist. She wondered if the dark circles under his eyes had something to do with her.

  “It was a cancer benefit gala,” she said.

  “I know.” He tossed a newspaper on the kitchen table and left the room.

  “It's one thing to lie to me,” Maggie said. “But you had him believing you cared about him.” She stormed after Michael.

  Jessica looked at the paper. A beautiful couple. The photographer was right. She stood next to Cory, looking happy with his arm around her. 'Millionaires mingle at cancer benefit gala' was the headline. Jessica held her breath and read the caption under the image. 'Heirs to the throne Cory Higgs and Jessica Sangold, daughter of Priscilla Davenport, were spotted cozying up to each other at the gala in honor of Grant Higgs.'

  With a determined grip on her crutches, Jessica marched to Michael's office. She didn't bother knocking.

  “We are not a couple. Cory is a member of the board at Davenport-Higgs and I was trying to get him to not close the bank.”

  Her heart almost melted at the hurt look in Michael's eyes.

  “And how did that work out?”

  The hardness of his voice made Jessica back up.

  “N-not good. He said he won't vote to keep the bank open.”

  Michael stared at her. “I have a phone call to make.”

  “I promised him I'd go to the gala with him before... you and I... kissed. I couldn't break that promise.”

  “Seems he took it as more than a date.”

  “What?” Jessica wrinkled her forehead.

  “You didn't read the article? The secret is out. Apparently, you two are engaged.”

  Jessica stared at him. Michael stood up and walked around the desk.

  “You could have said you were engaged. That you've been engaged since you were teenagers with both sets of parents thrilled to unite the business in one big, happy family.”

  “That's not true.” Jessica shook her head.

  Michael moved closer. She backed up, the hate in his eyes scaring her.

  “Maybe you should tell him that. Or your mom, who is thrilled to be planning the wedding of the century.”

  “What? There is no wedding.” Jessica backed up again.

  “Tell that to the first-class catering firm that's preparing taste sensations out of this world.”

  Michael closed the door in her face.

  Jessica turned around and faced Maggie.

  “Are you telling me all the stuff in the article was a lie?”

  “It is. I'm not engaged to Cory and I never have been.” Jessica blinked away a tear.

  “I want to believe you.”

  The bell in the front room jingled.

  “I'll swear on anything you want. It was just in Cory's head.”

  Maggie squinted at her for a bit. “Did you mean it when you said he's going to close the bank?”

  “Hello?” someone shouted from the front room.

  “In a minute,” Maggie shouted back.

  “You should go.” Jessica indicated the waiting customer.

  “We'll talk more later.” Maggie squinted at her a final time before she attended the man in the front room.

  Jessica closed her eyes and sighed. Her office was full of papers that still needed sorting. Part of her had hoped she would find a goldmine, something that could help the bank stay open. But among the boring and useless notes of old loan payments and foreclosures from fifty years ago, papers that had been photocopied and put aside, old books that cracked at the spine when she opened them, nothing was of any help.

  “I PUT THE COFFEE ON.” Maggie popped her head in.

  Jessica covered her face with her hands.

  “Are you finding anything useful?” Maggie came in and sat down.

  “No. I keep thinking I could find something that could save the bank, but there's nothing here.”

  “I don't think there would be. We've been through these papers before.”

  Jessica sighed. “We have to do something.”

  “Is the bank really going to close?”

  “My evening with Cory didn't end well.” Jessica leaned back and studied Maggie. “Cory wanted more than I was willing to give him. When I rejected him, he said he won't even try to keep the bank open.”

  Maggie lifted a stack of papers deep in thought. She placed it on Jessica's desk before slowly turning towards her. "So what can we do?"

  “We have to be able to do something.” Jessica perked up. “Come on, let's have a meeting.”

  “I'll get the others to the kitchen,” Maggie said.

  A few minutes later Michael sauntered into the kitchen with a sullen look.

  “What's this about?” Rita asked and sat down with her coffee mug.

  Jessica stood up and took a deep breath. Maggie and Rita were eyeing her with interest. Michael was leaning on the counter with his arms crossed, staring at his shoes.

  “Last night, I went to the cancer benefit gala with Cory.”

  Michael clenched his jaws and moved his shoulders.

  “Cory is the son of Grant Higgs. I've known him since I was little. My mom and Grant formed Davenport-Higgs before I was born.”

  Michael shifted his weight but still wasn't looking at her.

  “Recently, Grant died and Cory took over his part of the business. Besides my mom and Cory, there are other members of the board with smaller shares.”

  “The board of Davenport-Higgs?” Maggie chewed on her lip.

  Jessica tried to calm her heartbeat. “That board decides the fate of the Bellfrey Bank. My mom voted to keep it, Cory voted against.”

  Michael peered up at her.

  “I thought, if I went to the gala with Cory, I could make him change his mind.”

  Michael snorted. “And did you?”

  His voice cut right through all of Jessica's defenses. She cleared her throat and blinked.

  “No.” She swallowed, worried that her voice might break.

  “So it's all over?” Rita said.

  “I'm not willing to give up yet.” Jessica steeled herself. “I know there has to be a way to keep the bank open.”

  Michael dropped his hands and stood up. “How strange that you can't convince your long term family friend and fiance to do you one favor.” He walked up to her. “Now if you don't mind, I'm going to try and do something that might actually work.” He glared at her as he passed her and left the room.

  Jessica closed her eyes. She wouldn't cry. Not now, not here.

  The kitchen was silent. Jessica imagined the two women holding their breaths, wondering if she would break down. She cleared her throat.

  “Before I started working here, I never gave the bank much thought. It was a quirky old building where people who hadn't caught on to internet banking went to stand in line. That's what I think many people think. They don't see past their preconceived notions.” With every sentence, Jessica regained composure.

  “But then I came here, and I saw the people. Rita, I've seen you stay late to make sure the terms for a loan are the best they can be for the customer. I've heard you make phonecall after phonecall to learn the best way to serve the people of Bellfrey. You put in so much of yourself in the work. It's admirable.

  “And Maggie, you always talk to the customers like they're people. You make them feel like this is a safe place where we care about them. You remember
birthdays and ailments. I've seen you pick up tea in Langford because you knew it was Irene's favorite and she hadn't been able to get it for a while. You make this bank personal.

  “And I've seen the customers who light up when they come here because they get seen. The bank is more than just a bank. It's where they come for financial advice. It's where they can find out about insurance and anything they wonder about. They come in here with questions and leave, if not with an answer, then with a way of finding out.

  “The Bellfrey Bank is the lifeblood of Bellfrey, and if we lose it, we'll lose the essence of Bellfrey. I've seen what it means to the people and I know we need to save it.”

  Maggie stood up and walked over to her. With bated breath, Jessica waited. Then, Maggie threw her arms around her and hugged her tight.

  “You're absolutely right. We need to save the bank.” She helped Jessica steady herself on the crutches and stepped aside.

  Rita stood up and took a step towards Jessica.

  “I'm not a hugger. So I won't do that.” She wrung her hands. “But I appreciate that you've seen me. A lot of what I do happens behind the stage, so to speak. I don't expect to be acknowledged, but it's nice to hear that someone has seen how hard I try to serve Bellfrey.” She nodded at Jessica.

  “Now we just need one more person to join the team,” Maggie said and raised an eyebrow.

  Jessica inhaled. Nobody moved.

  “I think it has to be you, Jessica,” Rita said.

  “Oh.” Jessica's palms were sweaty.

  “You need to at least call a truce.” Maggie squeezed her arm.

  Jessica swallowed. “I'll do my best.”

  She was painfully aware of them watching her as she walked down the hallway to Michael's office. She raised a shaky hand to knock.

  “Yes?”

  With a deep breath, she opened the door.

  “I know you hate me right now.” She hesitated. He said nothing. “And that you don't trust me. But I do want to save the bank. I hope you know that.”

  “I just don't understand how you could...” He turned away.

  “I was never interested in Cory.”

  “You went on a date with him.”

  “I shouldn't have done that. To me, it was just a date, just an evening. But to him, it meant more. I didn't see that.”