Page 47 of The Heiress
I focused on the game and clapped at appropriate times, not making eye contact with Phoenix again.
It was another win to the Covington Club ladies. As Taylor had a break before her next match, Laura suggested we go to the Grille Room for lunch. But Taylor had brought her own sandwiches and wanted to watch her next opponent play. Phoenix said he wasn’t hungry yet and stayed with Taylor.
Funny how that was like a kick to the stomach, my heart sinking, but I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be seen with me. And he and Taylor had so much in common, their love for tennis. For a crazy moment I regretted that I’d never carried on with my tennis lessons.
Not wanting to be the third wheel, I made an excuse to Laura and Mr. Frank that I’d go back and watch the tennis and wait for Phoenix.
“Are you sure?” Laura said.
“Yes,” I nodded frantically, but as soon as they’d gone into the restaurant, I headed for the exit. It was a bit of a walk down to the Covington Main Street, but I could stop at the cafe and grab some lunch before wandering back to the Carter’s house.
I’d check on the school’s website to see when the boarders could return to their dorms tomorrow, but I assumed it would be early afternoon. Phoenix would be pleased to see the back of me.
The Covington Kitchen cafe was busy, and I’d intended to sit down at a table but there was a group of girls I recognized, Siri amongst them, so I asked for my food to go.
Izzy was working the counter. “Hi, how are you? Back again?”
“Yes, I can’t get enough of your pumpkin spice lattes. A large one, please.”
“Of course. Do you want a table? I can get one cleared for you.”
“It’s okay,” I said, “and I’ll have an apple donut, too.” I hadn’t meant to ask for an apple donut—that was hardly a proper lunch—but Phoenix had infiltrated my mind.
“Hope you’re having a great weekend,” Izzy said.
“Thanks, I am,” I said, though at that point I couldn’t have felt more miserable.
“I’ll see you at school on Monday,” Izzy said when she handed me my coffee cup. “Have a nice day.”
I smiled, but remembered that her kindness was probably because of the tip I’d left her. I fumbled in my coat for some notes and stuck them in the tip jar. At least I could make someone happy.
If walking along a leafy suburban street sipping on coffee and eating a donut out of a paper bag was regarded as normal, my parents couldn’t have been more proud. Though considering I was the only person out walking, I highly doubted it was. People in Covington didn’t walk anywhere, no they drove in their fancy cars.
The garage doors at the Carter house were closed so it was hard to know if anyone was home yet. I rang the front doorbell but got no answer. Going around to the side of the house, I was relieved the gate had a latch and not a code. At least I would be able to sit on the patio until someone came home. I had an excuse all ready for Laura—I didn’t feel too good and needed some fresh air, then I’d realized I’d walked so far that I was almost home so I kept going. It was totally far-fetched, but perhaps she’d fall for it. I only had to survive one more night and if I feigned sickness and said I couldn’t eat, then I could avoid Phoenix totally.
The tennis cart was where I’d left it earlier and there were several rackets stacked behind the outdoor couch, not Phoenix’s good ones, but I guessed I could fill in some time. I selected the yellow and black one and pushed the cart out to the wall. Dropping the ball on the ground, I swung at it—and completely missed.
Embarrassed, I picked up the ball, checking my grip. How had my coach taught me to hold the racket—put it on the ground, and pick it up by wrapping your hand around it, like holding a frying pan. A strange analogy when, as a ten year old, I’d never held a frying pan. With a better grip on the handle, I dropped another ball, this time making contact and hitting the ball at the wall. It came right back to me, but I was too shocked and missed it. I tried again, the muscle memory of those sessions with Coach Zack coming back. He’d coached Mom too, the lessons we took together had been a lot of fun. But when it was just me, I remembered hitting hundreds of balls each lesson. Coach would set up the ball machine which suited me because I had no interest in playing against anyone else, but a machine I didn’t mind. It was the same for my riding coach and my swimming coach. I could ride well and I could swim well, but I didn’t want to compete against other kids.
As my hits got stronger, I fell into a rhythm, and it became strangely addicting keeping the rally going, trying hard not to miss a shot.
“Elisha!” There was a shout of my name and the ball went flying past me as I looked across to see Laura flying down the patio steps toward me—in her heels. She took me in a hug as if I’d been missing for a month, phone up to her ear. “It’s all right. I found her. At home,” she panted, releasing me to check me over. “She’s hitting tennis balls against the wall,” she said into the phone, beaming at me. “Okay. See you soon.”
Laura huffed out a relieved sigh. “Sweetie, you had us worried.” She drew me in for another embrace. “We had no idea where you’d gone.”
My rehearsed response sounded weak, even to my own ears. “I wasn’t feeling well and went out for some fresh air. Then I thought I may as well walk back home...I mean to the house.”
“Phoenix was worried. He went driving into Covington to search for you,” Laura said.
“Oh,” I said, genuinely shocked. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, he said you don’t use your phone, so there was no way of knowing what had happened to you,” Laura said. “Gosh, for a moment I worried you’d been kidnapped!”
“Kidnapped?” I said, thinking her reaction was a little extreme.
“I imagined having to tell Barb I’d lost my homestay student. Goodness, Elisha! We were all in a panic.” She hugged me again, like she was making sure it was indeed me in the flesh and not a hologram.
Phoenix came through the patio doors, no sign of his crutches, taking the steps two at a time.
