“All right, let’s go,” Jack said, calling the elevator again. The door opened immediately. They all stepped inside. As the door closed and the car started moving, Alex slipped his hand around Penny’s and squeezed.
It was going to be a good night.
“Penny! Alex!”
“When’s the wedding?”
“Look this way!”
“Give her a kiss!”
Alex stepped out of the car and then offered her his hand as the camera flashes assaulted them. Penny steadied her heels against the cobblestone street, feeling his arm slide around her waist. Indy, Jasmine, Jack, and Dom followed behind, but the reporters were in a frenzy for tennis’s new golden couple. No more unsubstantiated rumors. They were clearly together. And as if to emphasize the point, Alex’s hand slid a little lower. Penny bit her lip and glanced up at him through her lashes.
He winked at her and then nodded at the red carpet. The flashes were blinding and it was almost impossible to understand anything in the cacophony coming from the camera pool.
“You okay?” Alex muttered into her ear about halfway down the line.
“This is wild,” she said through her teeth, keeping hersmile firmly in place, but moving closer to him, pressing her side into his.
He exhaled into her hair and then brushed a kiss against her temple, his neatly trimmed five-o’clock shadow scraping lightly against her skin. The paparazzi went wild. If it hadn’t sunk in that her life had changed forever when she’d arrived at the hotel earlier to a sea of cameras, the point was hammered home now. She couldn’t just be Penny Harrison, tennis player, anymore. She was a celebrity, whether she wanted to be or not.
WOW,” JASMINE SAID AS SHE WATCHED PENNY AND ALEXfinish their red carpet walk and head into the party. Next to her, Jack, Indy, and Dom were all gaping at the reporters going nuts for the couple ahead of them, but Jasmine started making her way down the line. That jump-started the rest of the group.
The reporters weren’t quite as enthusiastic as before, but she and her new doubles partner got plenty of attention from the cameras.
“Stand together for some,” Dom muttered to them as he passed behind them about halfway down the carpet. “Present a united front.”
Their united front would probably last as long as their doubles run did.
Indy didn’t look any more thrilled than Jasmine felt, but they smiled for the photographers’ pool together. As if theirpersonalities didn’t clash enough, the tangerine sheath dress and funky purple belt Jasmine was wearing up against the green metallic fabric of Indy’s dress didn’t really make a pretty picture.
They finally made it to the end of the row and immediately stepped away from each other and followed Dom into the party. The music was loud, but the buzz from the crowd was louder as people mingled in the dimly lit room. Jasmine looked around for a familiar face and couldn’t find one. Things had changed a lot since her dad retired. Back then she would’ve known half the party before stepping through the door. Now she was in a crush of strangers, people who were supposed to be her peers, but none of them knew who she was and never would unless someone pointed her out as John Randazzo and Lisa Vega’s daughter.
“Screw this,” she mumbled, and turned back to the entrance. She’d have one of the staff call her a car, go back to the hotel, and order some room service. She didn’t need this party or these people. The only thing she needed was to get some rest and train well tomorrow. If she wanted to prove everyone wrong, she had to be at her best.
“Wait, where are you going?” Indy asked, grabbing her arm.
“Let go of me,” she said, pulling free. “I’m going back to the hotel. This is such a waste of time.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re at the French Open. This is… You shouldn’t miss this,” Indy said, sweeping a hand at the party.
“Do you know how many of these I’ve been to?”
“Yeah, but how many of them because you were playing?”
Jasmine’s shoulders dropped and she looked back out into the sea of partygoers. “But I don’t know anyone.”
Indy bit her lip. “We know each other.”
“Yeah, me and you,” Jasmine said, crossing her fingers and holding them up for Indy to see. “We’re like that. Why don’t you go find Penny, she’s your new best friend. Or is she too busy for you tonight?”
“She is my friend,” Indy said, “and she’s obviously a little busy, but you’re my doubles partner.”
“Save it,” Jasmine said, trying to push past the taller girl, but Indy stood her ground.
“No. Every time we take a step forward, we take like ten back. We have a couple of days of training to get past it before we have to go out in front of the whole world and compete together. We’re both professionals. We should be able to put the personal stuff aside and be…” She waved a hand through the air.
“Professional?” Jasmine finished for her.
