Page 65 of The Heiress
I scouted the tables in the cafeteria as I served myself a helping of macaroni and cheese for lunch. I couldn’t see Elisha anywhere.
“Mac and cheese?” Max pushed his tray in beside mine. “That’s not the diet of a top athlete,” he mocked me.
“Just as well I’m getting it for you,” I joked. I usually ate sandwiches or sushi for lunch, but there was something about eating a hot meal that could pick you up. With Elisha avoiding me, I needed picking up.
“Funny,” he said, punching my arm. “It smells good.” He took the serving spoon from me and scooped a heap onto his plate. “Hey, Tay wants to talk to you.”
“Why?” I’d moved along to the salads, and feeling guilty, piled a bunch of lettuce leaves next to the mac and cheese—balanced nutrition.
“Tennis stuff,” Max said. He grabbed a slice of pizza, and before I could make a sarcastic remark, he said, “I can have it! I’m working after school.”
“Hey, I was hoping to see you,” Taylor said as I sat down beside her. “How’s it going?”
“Yeah, good,” I said, a little bewildered. We’d worked out together in the gym this morning, like a few hours ago.
“I wanted to ask you a favor,” she said as Max sat on her other side.
“Sure,” I said.
“Uh, well, Mrs. Stephens asked if I’d run a tennis clinic for beginners as an after school club this term. Kind of like an introduction to the sport. It’s apparently part of my scholarship conditions, you know, to promote tennis in the school. I wondered if you could help?”
“Wouldn’t Max be—?”
“I have to work,” Max butted in before I could finish the question. “You’d be perfect.”
I shrugged. “When is it?”
“Today after school.”
“I have chess club,” I said.
“It doesn’t start till four thirty. What time does chess finish?”
“Four thirty.”
“Perfect,” Max said. “You really joined chess club? Man, those kids will eat you alive! Like they are seriously good.”
I flicked a leaf across the table at him.
“Mrs. Stephens booked an indoor court at the Country Club,” Taylor said.
“How many kids will there be?”
“I’m not sure,” Taylor said, “not too many, I hope.”
“How long is it?”
“Just an hour. Will you meet me there?”
“Yeah, okay, but I might be a few minutes late.”
“No problem. You’re a life saver, Phoenix!” She cast a sideways glance at Max who smirked and sent a piece of macaroni flying in my direction. I scraped it off my tie and flicked it back at him.
Taylor picked up her tray. “I want no part of this juvenile behavior,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I have to catch up with Millie,” she said, taking her lunch over to the next table where Millie and Tennessee were sitting.
“You can wash this tie for me,” I said, wiping at the cheesy mark with a napkin.
“And your shirt?” He aimed another piece which hit my shirt collar. He laughed as I swiped it onto the floor.
