Page 48 of Long Shot

Taylor waved off her concern. “No worries.”

“Dinner will be served in just a few minutes.” Darla smiled as she left the room.

Taylor polished off her room temperature champagne. “Good timing. I worked up quite the appetite.”

19

Mac

The restof the flight was quiet and restful. Mac had even managed to get a few minutes of sleep. But she had been gently woken up by a soft kiss on her cheek and Taylor’s voice, “Macky, we’re landing soon. You don’t want to mess up your sleep schedule.”

Even now, as Mac stood at the check-in desk of the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, all she wanted was to close her eyes and rest her head on Taylor’s soft chest.

The hotel manager behind the desk, Georgia, came out to the lobby and smiled at Mac. “Welcome to Park Plaza. Your suite is ready for you.” The British accent that came out of her mouth was still an adjustment for Mac.

Mac smiled. “Great, thank you.” She followed the manager’s lead to an elevator bank.

Clicking the up button, Georgia turned to Mac. “We hope you enjoy your stay here. The staff is always enthused to have Wimbledon players staying with us.”

The elevator dinged just as Mac answered, “I’m sure I will. It’s a serious upgrade from my past stays.” Unlike in Paris, Mac’s bags were taken upstairs for her. Tommy had arranged all the travel with Mac’s new sponsors. All she had to do was show up and give them her name.

Quickly enough, the elevator opened to a hallway with bright red carpets. Georgia moved down the hallway without a second thought. Toward the end of the bank of rooms, she slowed and pulled a keycard from her pocket. She swiped it over the mechanism and the handle unlocked.

She held open the door, gesturing for Mac to head inside.

“Holy shit.” Mac gawked as she walked inside, a view of London stretching out before her. Once she was inside, Georgia followed behind – ready to explain the available amenities.

“Your sponsors insisted on a room with a view. They also requested that your coach and mother be just down the hall.” Georgia turned on the lights as Mac stumbled toward the view.

As she approached the windows, Mac noticed a handle. “Is this a door?”

Georgia smiled, trying not to laugh at her sweet question. “It is. This is a terrace room. Private.”

Mac nodded. “That’s awesome. Thank you.”

Taking a cue, Georgia bowed her head. “I’ll leave you to get settled. If you need anything, please call us.”

The door closed with a solid thud, leaving Mac in silence. She took a deep breath, staring out at the London Eye. It was still surreal. How she’d ended up in a luxurious suite in London was a wonder to her. But it was everything she’d dreamed of.

… Including the private jet flight with Taylor. Sneaking off the plane hadn’t been quite as fun, given that there was a goodbye attached. They knew they’d have to keep to themselves for the next fourteen days. Neither Kim nor Babs would wantthem anywhere near each other. But Mac wasn’t so sure she could actually stay away.

Setting her racket bag down in the closet, Mac walked around the room. She took a peek in the bathroom, a light wood vanity and a porcelain countertop sat opposite the shower. It was well lit and spacious.

Mac ran her hand along the counter, her ass tingling from the plane ride. She was almost certain there would be a bruise on it from her and Taylor’s time together. But the thought alone made Mac’s sensitive center pulse.

Just as she was getting lost in thought, her phone rang. Tommy’s name appeared on the screen. She swiped to answer the call. “Hey, Tommy.”

“Got there alright?” Tommy asked.

Mac’s forehead wrinkled.Her timing is… impeccable.

Nodding, Mac walked back to the bedroom where just one, fluffy bed waited for her. “I did, how’d you know?”

Tommy cleared her throat. “Lucky guess. So listen, you should be all set up across the pond. If you need anything, call the hotel and if they don’t answer, call me. You’re the star, okay?”

“Got it.” Mac leaned back onto the bed.

“In other news,” Tommy continued, “I’m setting up a photoshoot for you here for the U.S. Open. If your streak continues at Wimbledon, we’re going to want to hype you up for U.S. Home turf and all of that.”

---