“Exactly. Look, I know you don’t like me, but I mean, look around, we’re at the French Open. How many people can say they’ve been here? We should soak this in. Who knows if it’ll happen again? We should have fun and enjoy the whole thing.”
She made a good point. Jasmine didn’t know when she would be back at a tournament like this, especially if doubles didn’t work out. If Hodges was right, she was probably headed to the Challenger circuit, the minor leagues of tennis, or maybe even to a college team. Maybe she could go to Duke with Teddy. They could rule the ACC together. That was what everyone expected of her now. They didn’t thinkshe should win just because her parents won all the time. Indy was right. There was no pressure… at all.
The constant weight of expectation she’d been carrying for years suddenly fell away. It didn’t matter. None of it did. She had to live in the moment. She could worry about the future and other people’s expectations later… or maybe never again.
“Jasmine?”
She looked back at Indy, and for the first time, she didn’t see the girl Teddy thought was hot or the girl who beat her at the OBX Classic. She saw her doubles partner. “Maybe we can find a table or something.”
“Great,” Indy said, standing on her tiptoes in the five-inch heels that made her tower over most of the crowd even more than she already would have. “I see an empty one, come on.”
Jasmine struggled to keep up with Indy’s long strides, but they got to the table and slid into the small booth with a perfect view of the entire room. As soon as they were seated, Jasmine lifted her hand to call over one of the passing waiters. She was going to enjoy this party and that meant she wanted some champagne.
“Won’t Dom mind?” Indy said as Jasmine took her own glass from the waiter’s tray and then one for Indy as well.
“It’s one glass of champagne and we’re of age here,” Jasmine said, and took a long sip.
“Yep,” Indy agreed, but she still pushed her glass away as her eyes focused on the crowd, darting from group to group. Then her gaze locked and Jasmine followed her line of sight straight to where Jack Harrison was standing, talking and laughing witha few party guests, including several really gorgeous women. Despite that, he seemed to be constantly searching the room but unable to find whatever he was looking for.
“So, it’s Jack, not Teddy, huh?”
“What?” Indy said, snapping her eyes away from the group and staring at Jasmine wide-eyed. “No.”
“And yeah, that confirmed it.” Jasmine leaned forward in her seat. “He doesn’t know?”
“Oh, he knows, at least I think he does, but he’s too… he’s too Jack to do anything about it.”
Jasmine giggled. “Too Jack?”
“It’s what I’ve decided to call it, because he seems super into me one second and then just completely shuts down the next.” Indy took another sip of her champagne, longer this time, nearly draining the glass.
“Maybe he sees it as a conflict. You’re a player, he’s an agent. You’re friends with his sister. It could make things complicated.”
Plus, his little brother made it clear he liked you when you first showed up, Jasmine added silently because, despite everything, that wasn’t her secret to tell.
“Maybe, or maybe he’s just a tease,” Indy said, rolling her eyes.
“I’m just saying, it’s not as simple as ‘I like you, you like me, let’s make out.’”
“Right,” Indy said, “but it still sucks.”
“I know,” Jasmine said. “Believe me, I know.”
They sat in silence, a much more comfortable one now, and watched the party swirl around them, people dancingand flirting and lots of fake smiles followed by eye rolls behind backs. They drank their champagne slowly but never let a waiter pass without grabbing another glass.
“So, what do you think?” Indy said, nodding at a short, extremely buff man in his forties with an orange tan and way too much hair gel. His arm was wrapped around the waist of a girl nearly a foot taller than him, but probably half his age. “Still lives with his mom, right?”
Jasmine nearly spit out her champagne, but then smiled wickedly. “No way, he has a huge penthouse apartment to compensate for his other deficiencies.”
A man stopped in front of their table and Jasmine looked up, her smile fading. “Hi, Dom,” she said, cringing at their table of champagne glasses, some still full, but most of them drained.
“Ladies, I see we’re having a good time,” their coach said, a massive crease between his brows as he frowned down at them.
“We were,” Indy muttered, “but I’m guessing that’s over now.”
“Damn right,” he said, shaking his head. “Let’s go.”
They followed him through the party and to a side door, where Dom had one of the tour officials call them a car.
