I end up putting down my racquet and pulling out my phone to show him one of my favourite pictures, which Milly took of her in the South of France.
‘She looks like her dad,’ I tell him.
He examines my photo then raises his gaze to settle on me.
‘But she has your eyes.’ He says it in a voice that’s so soft and low that it makes something erupt behind my ribs. I open my mouth to reply, but whatever I planned to say dissolves on my lips.
His phone rings.
He backs away and picks it up from the arm of the bench. I put my own device into my bag and go back to serving, as I catch snippets of his conversation.
‘Hey, not a problem. Honestly, don’t apologise. I just hope it all gets sorted.’
‘Have you been stood up?’ I ask, when he ends the call.
‘Wouldn’t be the first time.’
Liar, I think.
There’s a loaded pause as I slide a ball into my leggings pocket.
‘Well, I’ll leave you to it,’ he says.
He slaps his hands on those quads and rises to his feet.
‘Enjoy the rest of your day, Sam,’ I say pleasantly.
‘And you.’
He zips his bag, picks it up and starts walking. He’s only taken a few steps before he stops and turns around.
‘I couldn’t tempt you to hit a few, could I?’
Chapter 27
I tell him that I don’t have long on account of a Zoom call at 9am. I don’t know why I say this because it’s completely untrue. And it isn’t as if I need an excuse to leave anyway. But for some reason I want to put a flag in the ground, forme, not him. Because, why on earth would I be doing this? I don’t know the answer to that question beyond the fact that my discomfort around him is only one half of the story. The other half is something else entirely.
We rally for a little while before he suggests a game.
‘What, with actual points?’
‘I believe that’s how it works,’ he grins.
‘I’mnotgoing to play against you.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I’ve seen the way you serve and I’d like to keep both of my kidneys, thanks,’ I say.
‘I wouldn’t dream of patronising you by saying I’ll go easy on you. Unless of course...’
‘Oh, feel free,’ I interrupt. ‘Patronise at will.’
We play just one game, in which he does indeed go easy on me, but I still lose. Though not hopelessly. There is one long rally and a Hollywood-style winner that I clinch near the end. But watching the way Sam moves on a court suddenly makes me realise I could be making better use of this situation.
‘Okay, I give up.Howdo you serve like that? Please tell me. Spill the beans.’
He raises an eyebrow. ‘Are you asking me for tips?’
