Page 56 of Risky Match
Still dazed, we shake hands with our opponents and return to the bench. I take a breath, soaking in the win. Blake and I made it to the next round. I’ll be here to continue my mission, and my dream of playing at Wimbledon continues.
Tears of joy and relief threaten to fall, but I press a fingernail into my palm to stop them. My nanny taught me that trick. It comes in handy. I don’t need the press twisting the facts and printing a front-page photo of a crying princess.
Blake nudges me, signaling it’s time to pack my gear.
That done, we sign autographs and take selfies with fans leaning over the stadium railing. A few minutes later, an official escorts us to the on-court interview.
Adriana, a former tennis-star-turned-reporter, greets us with a cheery, “Congratulations!”
“Thank you. It was such an honor to play before this wonderful crowd,” I say, waving to the fans.
As I’m talking, Blake slips an arm around my shoulders, giving me a gentle squeeze.
Adriana grins. “That was a stunning performance, particularly given it was your first tournament match as doubles partners. What makes you two play so well together? Have you been practicing in secret?”
We both laugh. If she only knew how little we’ve practiced, she wouldn’t believe it.
“Brianna is an excellent player. I’ve watched her play for years now. That made it easy to mesh our games,” Blake says, beaming with pride as our eyes meet.
“Blake’s a fantastic partner. Who wouldn’t play well with one of the top players in the world?” I add.
“Your Highness, what was it like to play at Wimbledon for the first time?”
“It’s a dream come true. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and it won’t be real.”
“I promise that you aren’t dreaming. You played and won your first match at Wimbledon. Do you plan to play singles here in the future?”
“If I’m invited, I’d love to. For now, I’m concentrating on making it as far into the tournament as possible in mixed doubles. I’m leaving the singles to Blake this year.”
Turning to Blake, Adriana says, “Blake, you don’t normally play doubles. What’s different this year?”
“This is my first opportunity to play doubles with Bri. I wasn’t going to pass up that chance.”
That’s not exactly true. In fact, he tried to talk me out of it. At least he’s playing the role of loyal partner for the press.
Adriana asks, “Are you concerned this will take away from your chance to finally win Wimbledon singles this year?”
“Of course not. Being around Bri brings out the best in me. You saw how we played today. That will only help me in singles.”
I’m shocked. Does he mean it? Or is he just hiding his real feelings from the press?
Turning back to me, Adriana says, “You two seem to have joined each other’s fan clubs. I’m sure everyone here wants me to ask you this question. Are you two dating?”
I cough. Her question surprised me but it shouldn’t have. She probably saw the video of us holding hands in the tunnel.
“No. We’re only tennis partners,” I say. But with Blake’s possessive arm around me, it probably wasn’t very convincing.
I can only imagine how this will escalate speculation by the tabloids.
Blake adds, “While I’d be lucky if she saw me as dating material, I’m sure there’s a long line of more suitable bachelors looking to gain her attention.”
Ariana says, “We’ll leave it at that. Congratulations again. We’ll see you in Round 2.”
Wow. What makes him think he’s not dating material? He’s hot as sin. He’s a multimillionaire. Our chemistry is off the charts. Is his statement further proof that he’s a criminal and knows I could never date someone who breaks the law? Or was everything he said merely for show?
We’re approachedby a staff member as we exit the court and enter the tunnel.
“Excuse me, His Royal Highness Prince Adrian requests you join him so he can congratulate the two of you personally.”
