by M. B. Gerard
Sasha had been watching the match between Luella and Amanda. From high in the stands she had followed every point. For once Luella had played for herself, Sasha was sure of it, and she had won. Or rather, Amanda had lost. For the whole match she seemed to be on a mission to break her own record in shanking balls. She even hit one of the linesmen in the second set. Sasha snorted while skittering through the mass of spectators but still keeping an eye on the players’ box where Gabriella Galloway had been sitting for the match. Sasha would face one of the Galloway in the final tomorrow. Which one, she didn’t know yet. That’s why she had to be quick now. Swiftly, she followed Gabriella when the Galloway twin left the stands and headed to the locker room to meet her sister. Hiding behind a corner outside of the locker room Sasha waited for the defeated Amanda Auster to leave the room, then silently opened the door and entered.
She had by now become a master in the art of tip-toe walking. From restaurants to hotels and stores, Sasha had been following them and even though this occupation was becoming seriously exhausting the Czech player couldn’t stop. Every day had its very own surprise concerning the American girls and since they were twins, the surprise came in two. Following them and wearing her spy outfit filled her life with an excitement Sasha had grown addicted to. And she wasn’t a bad spy at all. She had already found out a lot about the twins but now she had the chance to be absolutely certain who she will play tomorrow.
In the locker room one voice came from the very far right and soon enough, the other girl’s laughter echoed through the rows of lockers from the same direction. With the grace of a gazelle, Sasha got a few steps closer. To her surprise they didn’t talk about the just won match but instead threw themselves one more time in a debate over their good-looking fitness trainer.
“But I tell you he is not useless. He is just a little bit slow,” one of the Galloways said. Was that Gabriella? Sasha wasn’t sure. Their voices were so hard to tell apart. The Czech rolled her eyes but restrained a sigh. She couldn’t afford to attract their attention now, as she had nothing to do in the locker room, since her afternoon practice was long over. All of a sudden, one of the twin’s voices got louder and Sasha saw the player’s shadow on the floor coming closer. One of the Galloways was approaching.
Her mouth wide open, Sasha swayed her arms in panic, ready to rush one way or another, and looked around for a place to hide. Without thinking twice, she noticed an open locker and thankfully large enough for her to fit in. She slid in and closed the door behind her only a few seconds before hearing one of the twins walking past the locker, with only the thin wooden door separating them. Something brushed her back in the darkness of the locker, and stifling a scream Sasha swallowed hard and realized that it was just a shirt. She sniffed into the dark of the locker. The shirt was used and sweaty. Oh, the things a spy had to bear! But thankfully she hadn’t accidentally chosen one of the trash lockers where inconsiderate players abandoned their candy wraps, used strings and duct tape or she would have probably made them rustle which would have certainly caught the twins’ attention.
All of a sudden, the ring tone of her cell phone invaded the way too quiet room. Damn! Why hadn’t she put it on silent mode?
“I think someone forgot her cell phone,” Sasha heard one of the twins say. “We should turn it in.”
Trying desperately to reach the inside pocket of her jacket in time, she heard one of the twins approach the locker she was sitting in. Sasha froze and held her breath. With a quick movement the locker door was opened and she came face-to-face with one of the Galloways. Was this Gabriella or was it Luella?
“Hurry up and change the ringtone, for god’s sake. This is horrible!”
Sasha was sure it was Lulu’s commanding voice piercing in the background. So this must be Gaga in front of her. They remained still for what seemed like an eternity, staring at each other silently. Then, and against all expectations, Gabriella smiled at her, in surprise at first, then in amusement and after another silent moment, kindly. She slowly shook her head while looking at the crouched Czech girl, who had finally turned off the tone of her cell phone.
“It’s not ringing anymore,” Gaga finally said over her shoulder addressing her sister. “I wasn’t quick enough and now I can’t find it.”
And without saying another word, Gabriella gently closed the door of the locker again. As if nothing had happened.
Paris, France
Ever since she was little Elise Renard loved the sound of smacked tennis balls when they made contact with the racquet. And ever since she was given her first racquet she loved the fact that she could produce that sound over and over again. She didn’t mind hitting and practicing the same shot for hours at a time even though, she had to admit, it was a little bit autistic. But moreover, it was relaxing, as the required concentration took her mind off everything else.
But not today. Even though the clay courts at Roland Garros were perfectly prepared for the second Grand Slam of the year, she wasn’t. Her timing was off, and her movement sluggish. Concentrating on a little yellow ball suddenly seemed almost impossible. She also knew why. The whole situation with Amanda had become utterly confusing because her feelings for Amanda had become confusing. Only one week ago she had been crystal clear about her emotions for the Australian. There was no denying that she was head over heels in love with the redhead. It hadn’t even mattered that Amanda seemed unavailable as she was in a relationship with Aussie singer Felicia Del Castro. The successful week in Stuttgart and the time they had spent together had sparked her adoration even more.
But now? At the challenger tournament she had played the week before she had overheard British girls Gemma and Robyn chat about the long-time affair Amanda was having with Natsumi and that they were back together again. The relationship with Felicia apparently had ended a while ago due to Amanda cheating on Felicia.
Elise had to admit that the new facts hadn’t really changed the situation at all for her. Amanda was still unavailable to her, but it had changed the image she had of the Australian player. Amanda always seemed so wholehearted and earnest. It didn’t suit the perception Elise had of her to have multiple affairs one after another. Elise had to admit that she was disappointed and appalled. After hearing the troubling new revelations, Elise refrained from texting Amanda in the morning. But just when she had decided that it was a good move to keep her distance from the Australian it was Amanda who had called her. This was even more confusing, as Amanda never revealed the reason for calling. Elise had been taken so by surprise that she had forgotten her good intentions and had promptly asked Amanda to play doubles again. It had been a mistake and Amanda’s immediate rejection had cut like a knife.
Lost in thoughts, Elise smacked the ball into the net unable to string together more than four or five shots. It was terribly frustrating. She really needed to get the Australian out of her mind, out of her system. Her thoughts wandered to the chairs at the sideline, to her racquet bag lying on the ground, to the small plastic bag that was buried within it, to the little souvenir wrapped in paper. It was a braided blue bracelet she had bought in a small shop last week before she had learned about Amanda’s affair with Natsumi. She had taken a while looking through the bracelets and in the end had chosen carefully. Blue suited Amanda, Elise had thought when buying the accessory. Standing in the small shop and thinking about Amanda’s smile when Elise would have handed her the little gift had made her heart jump. But now, her stupidity made Elise angry. Why would she like someone like that so much? But then again, who was she to judge someone else’s two-facedness? She herself was lying to everyone every day. Yes, it was terribly confusing. Her own feelings had deceived her. And no, she would never give Amanda the blue bracelet. Amanda probably received little presents every day from each of her girlfriends! No need to have another admirer.
With clenched teeth Elise hit the ball as hard as she could. It was going in. She hit it again. The stroke was perfect, the angle breath-taking. She hit another heavy
top-spin shot. After it bounced on the court it sped forward unreachable for her hitting partner at the other side of the court.
She let out a quiet “Come on!” to herself. That was the way to get Amanda out of her head.
***
Looking through the window of her hotel room, Gabriella bit her lower lip as she saw Sasha leaving the hotel in what seemed to be her new favorite outfit – a large straw hat and a pair of sunglasses. Ever since she had discovered Sasha hiding in the locker in Rome, Gaga hadn’t stopped wondering about the Czech player and why she was constantly sneaking around. The encounter had confused Gabriella so much, that she had lost the Rome final against Sasha. And since the draw had come out for this year’s French Open it was clear they had to take on Sasha again, this time in the second round. But the tennis wasn’t really what drove Gabriella nuts. Could the Czech really have a crush on Lulu? Luella was always the one who received all the attention – and now it seemed not only from the guys but from the gay girls as well. It wasn’t fair. How did she do it? They were identical twins! But last night, thanks to the thin hotel walls, Gabriella had a front row seat again for her sister’s not so private training session with Rafael. Things had to change. They had to change now. The Galloways had to talk.
Storming out of her hotel room, Gaga went to knock on the next door. Luella opened the door and smiled brightly at her sister. She looked nonetheless surprised to see her.
“May I help you, honey?” Usually, Lulu opened the door wide but not now.
“Can I come in?” Since when did she have to ask? A bit taken aback, Gaga made her way inside her sister’s room only to come face to face with Rafael. Of course, he was here. She should have known. A single, frosty look at the Latino and he left the room without saying a word.
“I was thinking about something, Lu.” Crossing her arms against her chest, Gaga made a step forward and smiled at her sister.
“What’s so urgent?” Luella asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
“Listen,” Gabriella said as casually as possible. “I have been thinking over and over about the upcoming match against Sasha and I think that I should play it.”
Luella frowned. They had agreed that this time Luella had to play for herself in the match against Sasha as Gaga already had to play two singles matches in two days and possibly another doubles match together with Luella if they reached the next round. It had been a gutsy decision as Sasha’s game didn’t suit Lulu but on the French clay the Czech lacked the brilliance she usually displayed, so the twins had figured that Lulu had a chance against the mighty player.
“You want to play three matches in two days? We might end up playing doubles, too, you know?” Luella looked at Gaga with a questioning look on her face, but Gabriella knew that her sister was intrigued. She certainly wasn’t keen on playing against Sasha.
“Well, think about it, Lu,” Gabriella purred. “I feel good right now and after all, I am the one who played against her last time. Even though I didn’t win the match in Rome, I did win against her before and now I know much better how to play her on clay. It will be easier for me. Besides, it will give you some more time to pop Raffaellos into your mouth.”
Gabriella held her breath. She couldn’t believe that she just said that. For a few seconds she observed Luella who had raised both eyebrows. Would Lulu throw a tantrum? That was the last thing Gaga wanted. But then Lulu threw herself onto the bed cracking up in laughter.
“Sis, you surprise me! Love that filthy new mouth of yours,” she blurted out. “But you’re right. I just love these little balls.”
“Let’s not go into details, alright?” Gaga grinned back at her twin sister who was still rolling on the bed. “So, do you trust me with Sasha? I did win Indian Wells against her, you remember?”
Luella bit her lower lip. Sure, she remembered Indian Wells. Shaking her head, she finally abdicated.
“Okay,” she growled. “But you better not mess up. It’s Roland Garros.”
***
“Can I ask you girls something?” Dan Metic emerged from the kitchen. He was carrying a pan with fried potatoes and lamb chops putting it down in front of Amanda and Natsumi. The two players nodded absentmindedly while staring at the delicious meal.
“What about Elise?” Dan asked. Amanda looked up. The three had met Elise and her dad in the players’ café this morning and Dan and Elise’s dad had stopped to chat while Natsumi had tried to engage Amanda and Elise in a conversation – to no avail. Amanda had blushed and even though she had tried hard to find any reasonable words for a harmless chat, she had turned deaf and dumb, while Elise on the other side seemed unable to make up her mind whether she wanted to talk to a voiceless Amanda or run away as quickly as possible. The whole scene had been incredibly awkward.
“What about her?” Amanda didn’t like the amused look on Dan’s face. What was he up to? He began serving the two girls his home-baked dinner.
“Well, is she gay?”
“See, I told you. I told you,” Natsumi yelled, addressing Amanda. The Japanese turned around to Dan. “I say yes! One hundred percent sure.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” Amanda mumbled. Dan shrugged while piling up two lamb chops on Amanda’s plate. “Well, if you don’t know it, I surely have no clue. It’s just the way she looks at you and hangs on every word you say.”
“But I didn’t say anything –,” Amanda started but was interrupted by Natsumi.
“Exactly. That’s what I’ve been telling Amanda since Stuttgart,” Natsumi complacently stated. She pierced her fork into a potato. “Did Amanda tell you that Elise was waking her with little morning messages? Too cute.”
“Oh, please. Elise was just eager to learn some doubles skills,” Amanda said, however not very convincingly. “Besides, she stopped doing that. The messaging, I mean.”
“Plus, in my opinion, this was a classic setup by Monica,” Natsumi continued, not even listening to Amanda’s argument.
“Your assumptions are just ridiculous.” Amanda was almost shouting across the table.
“The way you’re handling this is ridiculous.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? The way I’m handling this? What is there to handle?”
“Well, I definitely would give it a try,” Natsumi chuckled.
“Yeah? Then why don’t you?”
An awkward silence followed Amanda’s outburst. Amanda took her time to slice the lamb and taste it. It was delicious but she couldn’t enjoy it. She suddenly felt terribly lost. These were her friends and they only wanted to cheer her up and put her mind at ease as they knew how much pressure there was on Amanda this fortnight. She had to defend a lot of ranking points having reached the final last year. And after her mixed results over the last months the predictions were not particularly good. But she was an excellent clay court player and the expectations were still very high for her to have a good run here at this year’s French Open.
Amanda swallowed the piece of lamb.
“I’m sorry,” she said to Natsumi. “The last months weren’t exactly packed with golden moments to remember.”
“I know, darling,” Natsumi nodded. Nobody had to mention the name to understand that Amanda was not only talking about her performance on the court but also about the disaster with Felicia. Amanda shrugged. She had been so happy to have someone who was able to travel with her, at least at times and who seemed to understand the strenuous life of a tennis player. But she had been wrong about Felicia. She had been carried away by the happiness, creating illusions about their future, while Felicia herself had never talked about any plans for a shared life. Natsumi gave her a little pat on the shoulder.
“I didn’t want to push you,” she said to Amanda. “I just had the feeling that you and Elise are really getting along. It seems she is able to take your mind off all the other stuff.”
Elise. Simply the mention of the young German’s name brought up all the awkward situations Amanda had encountered with the blonde girl,
along with her own hopes and heart flutter which had showed up for a brief moment in the hotel corridor in Stuttgart until she had shoved it away again.
“Yes, she does and I don’t like it,” Amanda quietly said. “I don’t like the way she occupies my mind. I don’t want another misadventure of that sort.”
“So, you do like her then?” Dan gave his player a knowing smile.
“She’s nice.”
“And she is totally into you,” Natsumi added.
“She’s a bit hyper sometimes.”
“She’s absolutely adorable,” Natsumi said matter-of-factly. “And she’s absolutely adorably into you.”
Here we go again, Amanda thought with a sigh. But then she had to laugh at Natsumi’s blatant attempt at persuasion. “You really keep going at it, don’t you?”
“Sure,” Dan chuckled. Even he took Natsumi’s side. “Give it a go!”
Amanda couldn’t believe it.
“Is that coaching advice?”
“If you like.” He seemed serious.
Shaking her head, Amanda at last smiled at her two friends.
“Can you also come up with an executable game plan?”
***
“Lapurée didn’t have any table left?”
Barely hiding her disappointment, Sasha looked over to the other side of Les Champs Elysées. The green tea room was just there, only a few feet from her on the famous avenue, but she was stuck in some awful French fast food chain instead. Morgana had decided so.
“This is a better place to meet for our mission and it has bigger croissants!”
The French pastry at this restaurant looked extremely greasy, too, Sasha found when the French player sat down on the little bench with the croissant in front of her. But instead of answering she simply smiled politely before raising an eyebrow questioningly. The less time she spent there, the better.
