Page 53 of Best Year Ever
I won’t lie, I’m not really sure where to go next with our situation this morning. With “no label” attached—how do we say goodbye? Should we make more plans while we’re both in Florida?
Landon seems untroubled by such uncertainty, as he drinks half the smoothie, and says simply, “tastes great, babe.” The “babe/baby” thing is new after our talk. I kind of like it.
“Aww, thanks. My blender skills are legendary,” I joke.
Landon looks at his watch. “Oh man, I need to get going.”
Okay, no surprise there. Should I ask when we’ll talk next?
Turns out, there’s no need.
Landon kisses my forehead and wipes away all of my questions. “Let’s talk tonight. I want to hear all about your first day practicing onthe grass.”
Within three minutes, he’s grabbed his stuff, said another quick goodbye, and left.
My first two hours at the courts this morning start with a workout with one of my trainers, followed by a quick set of drills with a local hitting partner to get in the groove.
We use one of the two grass courts at Pinnacle so I can start adjusting. Most of the courts in the U.S. have a hard surface, but Pinnacle gets enough action that the owners have invested in grass and clay courts too. It’s made the cottage an ideal place for me to settle, only ten minutes away.
Julie is scheduled to arrive around ten. Only, when she arrives, she’s not alone. I notice that my dad is walking with her too. This is unusual—he hasn’t come to my practices regularly in years.
“Hi, Dad,” I say as they approach. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi sweetheart,” he says. I notice he looks a little disheveled, at least for him. “I came over to Julie’s complex yesterday afternoon for a tour. I’m looking at a couple of properties there to move into once the house sells.”
I nod my head. “I remember.”
“Anyway, she invited me out to dinner, and she mentioned she was meeting you here for practice at ten, so I thought I would stop by and say hello too,” Dad explains, rushing his words.
Dad has no game, and I can tell he’s hiding something. None of this makes sense. Why did Julie and him come at the same time? Why do his clothes look crumpled?
OH MY GOD.
“Well, hi Dad,” I say again, not quite sure whether to laugh or cry. I mean, I’m all for my dad having a real life, but I don’t want to know about it. “How were the condos?”
“Oh, yes, the condos. They were nice. One was a little bigger,a two-bedroom. I thought that might be smart in case you ever needed a place to stay,” he explains.
“Who’s watching Buster?” I ask, feeling like I am grilling Dad, like he’s the kid and I’m the parent.
“Oh, the Hesters next door help out on nights when I need it,” Dad says, not seeming to realize what he is revealing to me. Our long-time neighbors love dogs, so I’m not surprised at his answer, just the reasonwhyhe needs help.
Julie interrupts me before I can get another question out. “Well, Michael, if you don’t mind, I’m going to claim Rori now. We want to take advantage of all the time we booked on the grass court.”
“Of course, of course,” Dad says. He walks over and gives me a half-hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Bye, sweetheart. Call me later and tell me how it goes.”
Julie ushers me right into our first drill together, but that doesn’t keep my mind from churning at what I just witnessed.
Our first break has me texting Maggie.
RORI: I think my Dad is hooking up with Julie!!!!!!!!
CHAPTER 19
Landon
For the next two weeks, I alternate driving down to Rori’s cottage and staying in Orlando roughly every other night.
My time in Orlando is filled with two-a-day workouts, a couple of local event appearances, and a smattering of press obligations. I’ve also started working with our defensive coaches to learn the schemes for the coming year, and have met some of the rookies on the defensive side.
