“What kind of business?”
“A tennis business. Putting people in touch withcoaches, building new courts, finding sponsorships and scholarships for players from low-income families.” His face is flushed, but I don’t think it’s from embarrassment this time. “You know, things like that.”
“Maybe you could even start an academy?”
His eyes widen. “Yeah, that’s the plan, I mean … we’d like to. One day.”
“Sounds good.”
I take a stool at the counter and study an apple in the fruit bowl, holding it up to ask if I can take it. He nods.
“Where are you going to start?” I ask before taking a bite.Yum, not bad.
“Well, we have everything set up for the online database, that’s relatively easy, but for the courts and everything, we’re still scoping out space.” He leans against the counter now, his trousers tightening around his thighs. I force myself to look at his face, which isn’t hard. He has a nice face. That chubby ‘babyface’ thing I saw when I first looked at him was a misinterpretation. With that shaggy brown hair and big, sparkly brown eyes, he could pass for a very young Alain Delon—one of Mama’s favorite actors. She loved those old black and white French films.
“We can get volunteers easily from the team.”
“What for?”
“To give free lessons to kids.”
Something flutters in my chest and I’m half ready to offer to help. But that voice that’s always telling me I’m not here to make friends, that everyone is competition, reminds me that it’s stupid to volunteer your time to teach kids anything when you could be practicing, making your own game better. You can give back once you’ve taken care of yourself.
“That’s a good idea,” I say instead.
Ben lights up. “Well….” He plays with his keys on the counter, getting shy on me again.
I give him a nudge. “I’m guessing you’ll have to wait until after graduation to get everything off the ground properly?”
“Yeah. Though Nate and I both major in business, so we can use what we’re doing towards credit for our final major project.”
I’m suddenly intimidated. Ben is in his final year of Princeton, already setting up a business, and multitasking. He probably has a car and everything. And a trust fund.
I only realize I’m staring at him when I see that he’s staring at me, too.
He snaps out of it first. “I’ll order you an Uber, shouldn’t take too long to get here,” Ben says, running one hand through his hair. Did I make him nervous? “They tend to linger around campus on weekends.”
4
BEN
After Elias left in his Uber last night, I sat at the kitchen counter dissecting our conversation. He’d surprised me. All that cockiness he’d shown in the locker room was hiding a deep perceptiveness I would have never imagined. He’s still cocky, sure. The way he just walked in and made himself comfortable. Ate a freaking apple from the fruit bowl! But there’s something more to Elias underneath.
I went to bed before the guys got home and listened to them coming upstairs, a little giddy and excitable. I briefly wondered if they all had a good time before drifting off to sleep.
I wakeup to the sound of a full house with a bunch of very young guys milling around the kitchen. Usually I make the smoothies, but when I step into the kitchen, Nate has beaten me to it.
I try to apologize for oversleeping, but he brushes it off.
Evan’s at the counter, wearing one of Nate’s varsity sweaters. I have to paint on my best smile to greet him.
“Did Elias get home alright last night?” Nate asks, his back still turned as he pours another smoothie for one of the pledges. I hope no one notices how red I’ve gone.
“Yeah, I put him in an Uber.”
He turns to face me. “I wonder if he’ll be at practice today?”
“Why wouldn’t he be?”
