Page 81 of Courting Trouble
But she didn’t say them.
And then she saw something. James Rourke, moving across the room, all restless gestures and easy charm, talking to someone.
That someone else was Lena Dalton, a very famous actress. The same Lena Dalton who had been the frontrunner for Tamsin Rowe before Delilah got the part. According to Ashley, Lena had priced herself out, which left the bargain-bin newcomer a chance to swoop in. Not that it mattered for Lena. She could afford to lose roles. She was cushioned by a trust fund and a surname that opened every door in the business.
But now she was here, talking to James. A coincidence? Not likely. Was Lena prepared to drop her fee to get in this movie?
This was bad.
Seventy-Eight
Cassie had been avoiding this. Years of keeping her distance, telling herself she was better off with the middle-aged accountants who wanted to keep their knees moving. They didn’t remind her of what she’d almost had.
But here she was, courtside of an exhibition match between Santos and Fujimoto, close enough to see the strings bounce on impact, close enough to feel the air shift when someone went for a big forehand.
She was waiting to see if there was going to be a panic attack or some kind of meltdown. The jury was still out.
Delilah sat beside her, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, eyes fixed on the rally. ‘Bet you’d still wipe the floor with them,’ she muttered to Cassie.
‘I could wipe the floorforthem, but that’s about it,’ she said as dryly and unaffected as she could manage.
They watched in silence for a while. Eventually, Cassie’s eyes drifted to Delilah, noticing the way she leaned in,completely absorbed, and felt herself drawn along. Every volley, every grunt of effort from Santos or Fujimoto, passed through her, passing to Cassie.
Cassie shifted a little closer, enough to feel the warmth of Delilah beside her, and let herself just be there. For the first time in a long time, she found herself able to simply watch. And then, eventually, to Cassie’s shock and astonishment, toenjoy.
Delilah, ever observant, gave her a light nudge.
‘I know this is weird for you, but… is any part of you glad to be here?’ she asked cautiously.
Cassie didn’t answer right away. ‘Maybe a bit,’ she said at last.
‘A bit,’ Delilah echoed, as though she understood the weight packed into the word.
They went back to watching. Santos missed a short forehand, sending the ball skidding wide, and Cassie’s hand twitched almost reflexively.
Delilah leaned in close, her lips not quite touching Cassie’s ear, but making her shiver anyway. ‘You’re into this, aren’t you?’
‘Just watching,’ Cassie said.
‘OK,’ Delilah said, her gaze returning to the court. But her knee bumped Cassie’s lightly, a small touch that stayed for a beat before she shifted again.
Cassie had a thought. And the thought was that thiscouldbe a moment to ask Delilah if she would miss Cassie when this was over. She could phrase it casually, not some desperate plea. It could be easy.
But she kept her eyes on the match instead.
The crowd let out a collective gasp as a player made a ridiculous drop shot, the ball spinning just over the net.
The final point came with a clean winner down the line, Fujimoto doing a little fist pump in celebration. The crowd broke into applause. Players shook hands at the net, the chair umpire climbed down, and the announcer’s voice floated through the tannoy, thanking sponsors and inviting everyone to get shitfaced at the clubhouse.
Cassie felt the tension in her shoulders ease as she stood with the crowd, just a fraction. She’d made it through—her first time this close in years—without falling apart. Better than that, actually. Maybe even feeling…
Yes, there it was. Just the smallest sense of homecoming.
Delilah shifted beside her, standing, straightening that knockout dress she was wearing. The movement brought her arm against Cassie’s for a moment. Then, without looking, Delilah’s hand found hers.
‘I’m glad you’re here.’
It was nothing, really. The kind of thing people could miss if they weren’t paying attention. But Cassie felt it through her entire being. The world felt tilted. She didn’t know if it was the tennis match or Delilah. Maybe it was both.
