Page 12 of Serve
Tyler
“Oh God, I forgot about your aunt. She’s here to do a few things for me today. You can either try sneaking out, or you can face the music. I doubt she’ll give you a hard time about it.” Tyler said. They could both hear her whistling as she worked in the kitchen.
“Maybe I’ll get lucky and she won’t notice anything. She is getting up there in years.” Chip said wistfully.
“Dixie notices everything. You should know that better than anyone. Oh, and I doubt she missed your truck in the driveway.” Tyler said, holding the bedroom door open. They headed straight for the living room as quietly as they could. Dixie ambushed them as soon as they got there.
“Good morning, sunshine. What the hell are you doing here so early?” Aunt Dixie said to a blushing Chip. She placed a hand on his chin and lifted his face. She took a hard, long look into his eyes and smiled. “Say no more. You know what, Tyler? You’ve got great taste in men. Want some coffee?” She hustled back to the kitchen, leaving both men speechless.
Tyler gazed at Chip, who somehow turned an even deeper shade of red. “Dixie’s priceless. It runs in the family, huh?” He winked at the younger man, then checked his phone for messages. Several were from Sania, who seemed frantic. He’d neglected to answer her texts last night, so he tapped out a message letting her know he’d be at the hotel at eleven. “I wish I could stay here all morning, but I have to meet with my agent.”
Dixie emerged with the pot and poured the two of them a cup each. Her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying. Tyler looked at Chip, who hung his head, a guilty look on his face.
“Dixie, you know you mean the world to me, and if I’ve hurt you by being with…” Tyler began, but was interrupted with a teary chuckle from her.
“Tyler, it took me and Sue years to find each other. Seeing the two of you happy is…” She put the pot of coffee on the table and swiped at her eyes. “Ignore this silly old woman.”
She picked the pot back up and started to leave when Chip spoke. “Aunt Dixie, can I get a to-go cup? I’ve got to be at work in a couple of hours, and I’m trying to get there a few minutes early. Seems I have a problem getting anywhere on time.” His face was still red, but now his eyes were a tad moist, too.
“No problem. Be right back.” She took his cup and hustled into the kitchen. As soon as the door closed, Chip crossed over to Tyler. He leaned down and kissed him, running his fingers through his thick, blond hair.
“Thank you for last night.” Tyler whispered. “Will I be seeing you again soon?”
“You’ll have a hard time keeping me away.” Chip said.
“You want to learn how to play tennis? I need to get back on the court, and teaching you would help me get my focus back.”
“I’d love to.” He kissed him full on the lips, then backed away when he heard footsteps.
Dixie emerged with a thermos and a knowing look in her eye.
“Will you just kiss him goodbye and get out of here. Damn, now I have to see my nephew being mushy with my boss.” She shook her head in mock disgust.
“I’ll swing by after work.” He waved his fingers at his aunt, then leaned in and kissed Tyler on the cheek.
Once she heard the front door shut, Dixie spoke again. “Well, you know if you hurt him you’ve got to answer to me?” She stood in front of him, hands on her hips.
“I would never hurt him, I swear.” Tyler blushed and took a sip of his coffee. “Plus, this is new, and we don’t know where it will go.”
“Just understand, I’ve got to say the exact same thing to him, too. This is either going to be fantastic, or an utter disaster.” She shook her head and went back to the kitchen.
“I was in a car accident, which has been investigated by the police, and I’ve been cleared of any wrong-doing. I swerved to avoid hitting a dog and ran into a picnic shelter in Moore Wood Park. As a result, I had a very mild concussion, and my ribs were bruised thanks to the air-bag. It’s that simple, ladies and gentlemen, just a simple accident.” Tyler stated to the reporters. They were both his friends and his enemies. Many of them he’d come to know well over the years, and mostly they were okay people. Despite the casual friendships he’d cultivated with a few of them, he never forgot the most important thing. They could destroy his career.
“Are you retiring from tennis?” Steve from the Cable Sports Network asked. The one thing Tyler enjoyed about reporters was how direct they were. He took a deep breath, and proceeded to make the announcement. He’d only told Sania of his decision this morning, much to her relief.
“I will return to competition soon. I’ve got my sights set on the one slam I’ve not won before, Wimbledon.” He leaned back in his chair, pleased to see a few smiles at his decision.
“Why do you think you’ve never won Wimbledon before?” A reporter shouted, much louder than necessary.
“Because, I’m not very good on grass?” He laughed. The court at Wimbledon was grass, and it was a surface best suited for an attacking game. He excelled at defense, playing at the baseline near the back of the court. Those two styles were diametrically opposed, and few athletes could play both ways. The reporters laughed along with him, then he answered the question more seriously. “Grass is better for attacking players, who can serve and volley at the net. As all of you know, I grew up on the hard courts, which favors a distinct style of tennis. I learned to love clay courts, so I don’t see why I can’t make grass my bitch too.” The reporters gasped at his language. He should have toned his words down, but he meant business.
“Have you hired a new coach yet?”
“I’m looking at a few prospects. My primary focus is Wimbledon, and achieving a career grand slam. It’s the only tournament I need to win to achieve it, so I’ll be looking at coaches with success there.” Now that he’d answered the primary questions, he signaled Sania with his eyes that they should wrap things up. The journalists would start asking stupid questions just to keep him talking, and his patience for that was slim to none. Sania walked in front of him and spoke.
“Folks, thanks for coming to our press conference. Please help yourself to the food and drinks in the back of the room.” Sania announced.
“That went well. Thanks Sania. Sorry I was such a pain in the ass yesterday.” He hugged her, then they sat down. He smelled smoke in her hair, and wanted to say something, but thought better of it. He’d come up to her hotel room to discuss strategy, not her bad habits.
