Page 82 of Long Shot

The match flew by with little fanfare. Akira was tired, mostly likely from the insanely difficult jet lag and two weeks of tough matches. But her forehand was killer, still making Taylor fight for her place in the finals.

Under the glaring August sun, Taylor served the final point. She gave it everything she had, launching it at 125 miles per hour.

Akira stretched her arms out as far as she could but just missed the bounce.

“Game, Miss Young.” The umpire called out.

Taylor’s face was taken over by a beaming smile, waving her racket to the crowd. But the celebration faded quickly, her smile dropping.Now I have to face Mac. In the U.S. Open final.

The thought repeated in her mind as she shook hands and packed her bag.

Only the anchor’s words shook her out of it. Anna smiled. “So, Taylor, you’ve done it again. This is your third Final of the Grand Slam season. How are you feeling?”

Taylor swallowed the lump in her throat. “Good. The competition is steep but who doesn’t love a good match?”

Anna nodded, her face turning more serious as the crowd died down. “You’ll be facing Mackenzie Bennett tomorrow. We’re told that the two of you were quite close at summer camp when you were kids. Is that true?”

Trying not to stammer, Taylor shrugged. “We went to camp together for some time.”

“A source told us that the two of you had a nasty falling out, how do you see that playing out on the court?” Anna held the mic in Taylor’s face.

Taylor looked up to the stands, scanning for Kim. Her eyes landed on her mom, in her familiar Gucci sunglasses.That fucking bitch. She leaked it.Clenching her jaw, Taylor lookedat her feet. In the stands, Kim lowered her glasses enough for Taylor to see her eyes.

She knew exactly what Kim wanted her to say.

Steeling herself, Taylor exhaled. “I think Mackenzie is an incredible player. We faced off earlier this season and I’m excited to see how this one plays out. Nothing but the best for her and her team.”

Anna raised her eyebrows. She quickly disguised her surprise with a smile. “We are all looking forward to tomorrow at noon, to watch these two Americans duke it out on the courts.”

Taylor shook Anna’s hand and headed back to her bag. She signed her game balls and hit them into the audience. It took all of her self control to finish out the game with dignity. All she wanted to do was run into the stands and give Kim a piece of her mind.

Clenching her fists, Taylor slung her bag over her shoulder and walked off the court. It wasn’t until she got to the locker room that she let her rage out.

She checked each aisle, ensuring that it was empty. Once she knew it was, Taylor threw her bag on the ground and released a blood-curdling scream. “Fucking bitch!”

Hours later, Taylor stood in her hotel room and tossed her tennis ball at the wall.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

She couldn’t think straight. All she could picture was Mac, disappointed that her heartbreak could be public knowledge.

A ding from Taylor’s phone stopped her methodical unraveling. It was a text from the hotel manager, Simone.

Food coming up.

Taylor licked her lips and typed out a quick “thank you.” While she waited for a knock at her hotel door, Taylor twirled the felt ball in her hands. A part of her couldn’t believe that Kim was stoking the fire.I thought she wanted all of this to be quiet.

But Taylor laughed to herself.She wants good viewer ratings more.

The knock at the door stopped her from spiraling any harder. Taylor knew she needed to calm down. The Final was just over twelve hours away and she needed to recenter herself before she walked onto the court at Arthur Ashe.

She swung open the door, tilting her head at the familiar face. “Dad?”

In his hands, a paper bag full of fast food was presented to her. “Delivery.”

Taylor facepalmed. “No one is supposed to know about this.”

Gerald pushed past his daughter and into the room. “I hope you know I’m stealing some fries.”

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