Page 82 of Drop Shot
She stifles a yawn and reaches up to tighten her ponytail. The gesture reveals the tanned skin of her belly and my throat catches. Her tiny shorts with blue and white stripes leave little to my imagination and her blue top is doing nothing to obscure the curve of her breasts and the gentle press of her nipples against the fabric.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I jerk my gaze away, focusing on the eggs before I burn another pan’s worth.
“Did the place have groceries already? I didn’t arrange for a delivery yet.” She pulls out a chair at the table by one of the large windows. One leg curls under her as she sits.
The shutters are open, revealing the creeping of daylight on the horizon. The Eiffel Tower is shockingly close, but I told her there was no budget so I’m sure it’s costing me a pretty penny.
“There’s a little market down the street. Google said it was open, so I went. I got fresh croissants, too.” I point to the paper bag.
Whimsy gasps and hops out of the chair. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?” She opens the bag and inhales the scent. “Don’t judge me,” she says when she catches me staring. “French croissants are unmatched. I wait all tour for them.”
I slide the eggs onto two plates and Whimsy adds a croissant for each of us.
“This looks delicious.”
She carries both plates over to the table and I join her after I’ve poured each of us a glass of fresh OJ.
Whimsy crosses one leg beneath herself like she had been seated before, and inhales the smell of the croissant when she breaks it in half.
“Mm,” she hums. “It’s still warm.”
“I haven’t been back long,” I explain.
“This was nice of you.”
My mind flashes back to the woman on the plane and what she said. I hadn’t thought twice when I woke up early this morning and decided to make breakfast for Whimsy. I just did it.
Do I say that, though? No. Instead I say, “I needed to stretch my knee anyway. It just made sense.”
“Of course,” she says with a playful smile that has me worried that I don’t have her fooled at all.
Whimsy is probably well aware of the feelings I’ve been developing for her. She probably thinks it’s hilarious—she gets paid for the job and manages to make me fall for real. I realize as soon as I’ve had the thought, though, that it isn’t like Whimsy to be that way. Though, after her being my assistant for the past few years and taking care of everything, I threw at her, it’s probably erased any spark of attraction she might feel on her part.
Then again, I remember the little noises she makes the few times I’ve kissed her and maybe she’s not so immune to me after all.
“I’m going to expect this treatment every morning you’re not at practice or a match. Just so you know.”
I sigh like it’s such a burden when it’s not at all. “I’m sure I can manage that.”
“Ebba should be here by late afternoon. Maybe we could all get dinner together?” she suggests. “Keaton is supposed to arrive in a few days.”
I bristle at the name. Fucking Keaton.
The guy hasn’t done anything for me to outright hate his guts—but I hate his guts. He cares more about his work than my sister and it’s obvious she’s not that into him.
“I take it you don’t like him?” Whimsy asks, peering at me over the juice glass she has raised to her lips.
“Not at all. You?” I shovel a bite of eggs into my mouth, waiting for her response.
“No.” She picks up her fork and sets it down again. “She doesn’t seem that happy with him, but I think she’s just a little bit lost right now. I don’t think he’s an outright horrible person, but he’s selfish and that doesn’t bode well for a future.”
Her words cause me pause. “Do you … uh … think that I’m selfish?”
She stares at me as if weighing whether or not I can handle what she has to say.
“No, I don’t think that you’re selfish. Someone selfish would’ve never noticed that I get a little sick on planes or gotten me a stuffed animal because you know how much I love dinosaurs. But I do think you prioritize your career over everything else. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. You’re playing a professional sport—something your body can’t keep up to forever. It makes sense to pour your all into it while you can, but you also can’t forget to live.”
