Page 4 of A Follow-Through in Faking
That jerk.
He’s also already won three Grand Slams while I have won… none. Not a single one. I’ve won most of the other small ones like the Monaco Open, Cincinnati Open, and more, which has pushed me into the number two spot. But winning one of the big tournaments is something I have yet to accomplish.
I’ve come second twice, but I’m hungry for the win.
It’ll happen this season, I’m sure of it. Even if Santi will be sitting in my box while it happens.
“You’re thinking about Santiago, aren’t you?” Charlie asks, and I cock my brow at them.
“Why the hell would you think that?” I ask as I grab my towel and water bottle from the ground, a sea turtle painted on the side of the bottle I take with me everywhere.
“Your cheeks are all flushed in the way they always are when you think about him,” they reply, making my eyes go wide.
“That’s disgusting,” I blurt out, raising my hands to my cheeks to feel how hot they are. Charlie snickers at my behavior before nudging me with their shoulder. “They don’t actually, do they?” I ask, but Charlie walks away, adding a skip to their step.
I run to catch up to them, jumping onto their back, but Charlie was expecting me, so their hands lift to catch my legs and secure me against their upper body.
“This season is going to be fun,” they say.
Chapter 3
Santiago
Todayisreunionday.
Whoop-de fucking-do.
Papá is in the passenger seat while I’m driving us to the tennis court that he and Charlie, Catalina’s manager and coach, agreed to meet us at. He’s grinning like he’s never been happier, and I feel like punching him in the arm.
“Having a great time, are we?” I ask him, and he turns to smile at me.
“If you're asking me if I'm enjoying the irony of Catalina being the one who is perfect for this ruse when you two have disliked each other since childhood, then yes. I'm having a phenomenal time,” he replies.
I roll my eyes and focus on the road ahead of us to ignore the fluttering of my heart.
“You know, you have another child you could focus all this energy on,” I point out, but he gives me an unaffected shrug.
“Manuela’s reputation is flawless. She and her doubles partner of five years are playing well, and she’s making her way to the number one spot in the women’s doubles players ranking. I’m very happy with her,” he explains, although he doesn’t have to. I know my sister is perfect. She does everything right. “So, the only headache-inducing child I have will receive all of my attention, especially so I can make sure he behaves around Catalina.”
Ever since Papá told me she'd be my “girlfriend” and hitting partner this season, I started digging to find out why Catalina would have ever agreed to this. She despises me, can't stand even being close to me for longer than a minute, and the feeling is mutual.
Turns out, she was caught “having a fling with two men in a hot tub.” I almost burst into laughter when I read the article becausewhat the fuck? These media empires have nothing better to do than spin stories out of nothing, and anyone with a little common sense would have seen they were strangers. Catalina was on the far end of the tub, on her phone, and her body closed off from them.
At one point, I knew her better than most people. I watched the look of desire in her eyes when she wanted someone, wantedmeeven when she hated me, and the men in that hot tub were far from being on the receiving end of her lust.
“One season,” I remind myself, my hand gripping the steering wheel a little too hard.
“Unless, of course, you enjoy yourself,” Papá replies, causing me to snort.
Yeah, right, like that’s ever going to happen when I’m “dating”mi enemiga.
The rest of the drive passes in complete silence.
Minutes later, we’re walking onto the indoor tennis courts, and I’m trying my best not to suck in a sharp breath at the sight of her.
Catalina is half-English, half-Spanish, and all gorgeous. She has a pale skin tone, blue eyes, and long, straight brown hair. Her face and curves are a distraction, her thighs all thick with muscle. I can’t tear my eyes from the scowl on her lips, the dip of her hips, and the curve of her neck.
It’s infuriating to be attracted to someone you can’t stand being in a room with, but strangely exhilarating at the same time.
