Double Fault

Chapter 24

5 points later I put the match away on my service game, the set closing 7-5. The crowd erupted in cheers while I put my hand to my ear, causing the stadium to feel electric. Something in this tournament was stacking up differently, and I was confident and enjoying myself. The announcers were terming it my villain era, out for revenge. I personally liked it.

I walked to the net and shook Aryna's hand. She leaned into my ear, "you were my nightmare today, it's yours to win." We chuckled as I complimented her pace in the game, it was truly unmatched.

The rest felt like a blur, launching tennis balls into the crowd, signing some autographs by my bench, then the post game interviewer was in front of me.

"Florence Bonsee, you're moving on to your second grand slam semi in a row, you are a woman on a mission."

"Thank you," the smile emerging on my face. "Aryna played lights out as expected, and it resulted to some incredible tennis."

"Can you tell us your match plan, it was clear you had to adjust your tennis tonight?"

I chuckled shaking my head, "yeah, definitely made adjustments due to our previous meetings. The prep going into this weekend was intense, but it paid off. I have my team to thank..."

I looked to my box finally, ready to acknowledge them, and I had been in the zone the third set that I hadn't looked up there for the last hour or so. My dad was there of course, my trainer, and Laurie, but applauding next to my dad was a new addition. He was hard to miss clapping his hands, green eyes shining, hair going in every direction, with a large smile... Charles. I lost my train of thought, a smile threatening to take over my entire face.

"Your team?" The announcer's voice drawing me back, I could hear her amusement.

"Yeah, just. I'd say, well. Jeez... Their incredible, thank you as always," my tone exasperated while I fumbled over my words. The crowd was growing louder, so I pulled my eyes away from the box, "and thank you New York, you were electric as always," I said acknowledging the crowd with a wave.
-
Monday night was an incredible reunion for Charles and me. He truly surprised me, and I was thrilled to have him here. My dad even seemed pleased by his presence until Tuesday morning at recovery. He asked where Charles was staying, so I decided to bluntly tell him the truth, he was staying with me. My dad was quite unsure of it and clarified that was him speaking as a coach, but I could also tell he was a concerned dad.

I assured my dad it wouldn't take away from tennis, and offered the quick explanation I would sleep better, my dad covering his ears and walking towards his paperwork.

The rest of Tuesday had been fairly busy, so I was a little surprised by Charles at Tuesday's prematch dinner. I hadn't seen him all day, and he was glued to his phone the entire time. I watched while he would even miss people trying to start conversations with him, but he kept up being distracted the entire dinner. I knew he was probably handling something important, but I would have genuinely preferred he skipped dinner to care of business versus ignore everyone on my team tonight. I was very ready to talk about it as we entered the hotel room, Charles head still buried in his phone as he sat down on the couch and I took the chair across from him.

"Earth to Charles," I sang out, his eyes popping up.

"Sorry," he sighed. "One second." I watched as he tapped his phone a couple more times before he put in on the table.

"You know if you ever need to take care of business, I completely understand," I offered up.

"You understand, yeah," Charles said quietly as an immediate response. His tone weighed heavy, and it caught me off guard. "You're right," he added trying to cover up what just escaped.

I studied him, his eyes were on his hands. His body language for the first time unwelcoming. "Is something wrong, I'm not mad. I'm just letting you know I'll support you if business gets in the way, I get it."

Charles scoffed, looking off to the side. His reaction made me defensive, I had no idea where this was coming from. "Or I'll just let you piss off a whole dinner table ignoring the world," my voice desperate to figure out what set Charles off.

"You're super supportive Florence," his eyes shot back at mine, his tone rang with sarcasm.

"Fuck Charles, please explain. I don't know what has you so pissed. You're the one who flew here early, I'm sorry if that inconvenienced you," my voice rose challenging him.

"Don't bring up me flying here, that has nothing to do with it." Charles snapped, his tone turning to angry as well.

"Then tell me," I yelled! My body postured forward challenging his response.

"Do you have any idea I was in a race car this weekend?" Charles shouted back. My body fell back against the couch, disbelief washing over me. I had completely forgot about his race. We had texted over the weekend some, but I was so focused on my match I completely checked out from anything else. "That's what I thought," his voice coming down as well.

I looked up to his waiting eyes, "Charles I don't know what to say," was all I could choke back.

"I thought maybe you were just busy and didn't acknowledge it, but I realized since I've gotten here you genuinely had no idea," his voice steady now. His eyes were glued on me, I didn't know what to say. He sighed running a hand through his hair. "I know our schedules will collide, and I don't expect us to be at every event or be able to watch every event. But I need us on each others side regardless of what's going on."

"You're right," I mustered up the courage to respond, but I could tell Charles was still working up to say something. While he had calmed as well, he seemed to be getting worked up again. This time it wasn't frustration though, it was fear. His hands were glued together, knuckles turning white from the force of his hands pushing together. His eyes seemed lost as he desperately searched my face.

"I can't get into a car without everyone knowing how I feel about them, or a conversation they can look back... knowing what can, knowing. What can happen."

He couldn't finish, his voice panicked, his face full of fear, virtually all the color drained. I shot up from my seat to go beside him, his breath was catching and he couldn't talk. Charles was having a panic attack.