Page 18 of Breakpoint
“Thanks, but it’s still hard. Especially because I have so much to live up to. My mom has eighteen Grand Slams; hell, my dad even has nine. Everyone around me is a champion in this sport, and my name carries all thispressure because I’m compared to that.”
“Comparison is the thief of joy,” Jaz spat. “Don’t compare yourself or your game to theirs. Or hell, even mine, useyourstrengths to your advantage, and then things will come.”
“Thanks, you don’t know how much I needed to hear that. I really appreciate it.”
Jaz quickly added, “I don’t say anything that I mean. Despite what others may think, I know how to admit when someone’s got real talent and not just a media sensation.”
She turned to look out the window to hide her blush at Jaz’s words, because they were definitely doing something to her. Because for the first time, she was seeing a woman who was beautiful, kind, and surprisingly… captivating. Something she never thought would be possible with the Ice Queen of the tennis court. Maybe Jaz Mason wasn’t as cold-hearted as she thought.
Dani plopped down on the bed in the guest bedroom in Jaz’s house, the temporary sanctuary she’d claimed for the duration of their training time together. A plush, king-sized bed dominated the room, adorned with layers of high-thread-count sheets and an assortment of decorative pillows in varying textures. The moonlight filtered through the gauzy curtains, the scent of lavender a soothing balm to her racing thoughts.
Today was definitely unexpected. The unexpected shift in a long-held belief, a seismic crack in the foundation of a bitternessshe’d nurtured. In her mind, she’d built up this story and painted Jaz as the villain in her personal narrative, a figure of smug arrogance she delighted in disliking. She thought she knew Jaz based on media reports and limited interactions. And even though things had been semi-pleasant for the last week, her overall contempt hadn’t really waned.
But today...today had been different. They’d talked, really talked, for the first time. They continued to chat the rest of the sixty-minute ride back to Boca Raton. Dani kept the conversation topics neutral about tennis and family as not to push Jaz back into the hard shell she normally resided in. She learned about how Jaz met Mike and Kira and how she would hustle people at tennis as a teenager.
When they returned to Jaz’s house, she thought they would retreat to their respective rooms like normal. But again, Jaz shocked her.
“I think the chef left some salmon and veggies warming for us for dinner. Want to join me?” she asked with less confidence than Dani was used to hearing from her.
Dani was honestly riveted by what she got to know of Jaz today and wasn’t going to turn down this offer. “Sure. I could eat.”
She saw the side of Jaz’s lips crinkle just a smidge, like she was holding back a smile. “I’ll go grab everything from the kitchen. Take a load off.” Jaz retreated into the massive kitchen, and Dani sat down in the sleek but comfy dining room chairs. She looked around the room at the modernist art and a few photos, mainly of Jaz holding trophies, adorning the walls trying to get a sense of Jaz’s personality.
“Jazzy!” Dani jumped at the bellow that echoed through the house.What the fuck was that? Jazzy?
She turned to see Brandon entering the side door. Dani had completely forgotten that Brandon lived in the cottage on Jaz’s property. Though calling it a cottage was an understatement because the place was almost three thousand square feet. Brandon hadn’t been around much in the last two weeks, but the fact that he was her manager and lived on Jaz’s compound, the siblings were likely very close.
He finally spotted Dani sitting at the table. “Oh hey, I didn’t realize that Jaz had company.” He recovered with a smile that showed off deep dimples. He was tall, and his skin was the color of mocha like Jaz’s. He gave off a warmth about him immediately. “I just stopped in to see what Chef left for dinner.”
At that moment, Jaz walked in with two plates of food. “Dani and I were just about to eat.” Jaz didn’t even seem shocked that Brandon had walked in. Like him popping by with no warning and scrounging for food happened often.
Brandon gave Jaz a smile that showed he often got his way with her. “So obviously, that means there is food and enough to feed your favorite brother?”
Jaz rolled her eyes, but a small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “You’re my only brother.”
“Semantics. You love me, Jazzy. Besides, I’m always on the hunt for a good meal. Especially when it’s free, or at least, heavily subsidized by my baby sister.”
“Ugh, you are the worst,” Jaz declared without a hint of malice in her voice. “Go get aplate.”
“I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” Brandon smiled widely as he rushed through the swinging doors.
“Sorry about that. He does this,” she explained, pointing towards the door, “all the time. Just drops in. No warning.”
“No worries. I’m good. It’s your house.” Dani, far from being put off, found herself smiling. There was a charming, almost childlike audacity to Brandon that was hard to dislike.
“Well, tell him that. The guy’s got no boundaries.” At that moment, Brandon came out of the kitchen and plopped down at the table right beside Dani. “Hey, I didn’t say you could eat with us.”
“Why not?” Brandon asked around a mouth full of salmon. “Who else am I going to talk to?”
Jaz rolled her eyes. “I don’t know someone else.”
Brandon gave Jaz a wink, ignoring her words, and turned to Dani. “So, Dani, have fun today with Jazzy?”
“Actually, I did,” she admitted honestly. “Those kids are awesome.”
He nodded his head towards Jaz. “It’s the one time I completely agree with this one’s notion about the types of sponsorship events she’ll do. She’s a good egg, that one.”
“Shut up,” she shot at him, though a faint blush touched Jaz’s cheeks.
