Love Match (21 page)

Nails and the medical team ran onto the field.

Jake wasn't getting up.

No one would let Maya into the locker room.

It had nothing to do with the fact that she was a girl.

Nails had banned her from the area, according to the trainer who stood guard in the hall. The man didn't actually tell Maya she was banned, but he'd made it pretty clear that she, specifically, was not welcome inside while the doctor examined Jake.

On the bright side, Jake had walked off the field on his own power. No one carried him or brought out a stretcher. He didn't even lean on his dad for support. He just popped up, waved to the crowd, and walked to the sideline. Nails made him keep walking off the field.

Travis followed as well. The assistant coach took over for the Academy team, shuffled a few positions around, and restarted the game. Someone had decided to take a page out of the soccer team's playbook and instructed the guys to start playing it
for laughs. The downside was that it looked like they were making fun of Travis now that he was no longer on the field.

It had been killing Maya that she had to sit in the stands to watch the last few minutes of the game. All she'd wanted to do was run out to check on Jake's physical health and Travis's mental health. But that would have sparked more photo opportunities and more stories for the Wall.

So she waited. She sat through every agonizing play. She stayed much longer than she should have, since she needed to get ready for her own match. That didn't matter. She had to find out what was happening.

When the final buzzer sounded and everyone jumped to their feet to cheer and try for a photo op with a celebrity, Maya made her move. She said good-bye to Renee and Diego, then ran for the locker room.

Then she waited some more.

The locker room door finally opened and Nails Reed came out into the hall. With a nod of his head, Nails dismissed the trainer who had been guarding the door.

“Maya, I thought you'd be at the tennis court by now,” Nails said.

“I wanted to see how Jake was. And Travis.”

“Jake is fine,” Nails said, filling her with immense relief. “The medical staff is looking after him, but there doesn't appear to be a concussion. He was just a little dazed.”

“That's good.”

“Travis is another matter,” Nails said. “I've never seen him play this poorly. I realize it was just an exhibition game, but he was erratic, unfocused. At first, I thought it was the press
coverage. But he's been in the public eye since
US Weekly
paid us six figures for his baby pictures. No, the only new element in the mix is you, Maya. I thought teaming the two of you together would enhance my son's public image. I was wrong.”

“But … but I didn't do anything!” Maya protested. “I stayed away from him all week.”

“I appreciate that,” Nails said. “But it doesn't matter. Image is about public perception. Travis has done a lot of damage to his image this afternoon. Whether you like it or not, you're tied to that image. This is going to impact both of you in a negative way.”

“What if I care about my friends more than I care about my image?” Maya said.

“I'd say that makes you a very nice person,” Nails replied. “But not a good businessperson. I have to look after my son's interests. I'm concerned with yours as well. I'm not saying that you can't be friends. I just want you both to think about your careers as much as your feelings.”

Maya clenched her teeth. “I'll take that under advisement.”

“Good,” he said. “Now, I think you need to get to the tennis courts. I'm hearing something about Nicole King and a press conference that I don't like at all.”

“Press conference? What press conference?”

“I don't know,” Nails said. “Find out.”

Nicole had already proven once in the past week that pairing her with cameras was a dangerous thing. Putting her together with the press before the big match that was the grand finale to the Expo? Maya didn't want to think of the ways this could
blow up in her face. She also didn't want to think about how many different ways Nails could blame her for it.

Maya reached the courts just as Nicole stepped in front of the cameras. She wore an outfit from Esteban's line, another tennis dress that could be worn on the court or out on the town. At least it wasn't an ensemble from Maya's photo shoot.

Nicole had her wrist wrapped in a bandage the same shade of purple material as the dress. It matched perfectly, but it stood out like it was in bold colors with flashing lights.

She'd gathered the press together for the impromptu conference on the patio of Slice, placing herself in front of the sign for an energy drink the store had recently stocked. Maya suspected that an endorsement deal was probably in the works. Oddly, Jordan was nowhere to be found.

It was too late to stop what was about to happen. All Maya could do was watch.

Nicole flashed the crowd her highest wattage smiled. “Thanks for stopping by, everyone. I know you're all expecting the big matchup between me and Maya Hart, but I'm afraid that won't be happening today.”

As shocked as Maya was to hear this, she couldn't help but be a little amused that Nicole didn't mention Primrose at all in her announcement. As far as Nicole was concerned, everybody had come to see her, not some pop singers who coincidentally had the most popular album in the country.

“It's time for me to come clean about my injury,” Nicole said.

The cameras went crazy. This wasn't major world news,
but it was big to the gossip-hungry group that had collected for the Expo.

Nicole's smile faded. She looked down at the ground as if willing herself the strength to go on. Again, Maya was amazed by Nicole's acting chops.

After the appropriate moment had passed, Nicole looked up at her audience. “You've all heard the stories. I suspect one or two of you may have written a few of them as well.” Another pause. She raised her wrist so everyone could get a good shot. The cameras went wild again.

“It's true,” she continued. “I did injure myself in my match against Dona. My wrist has been in pain for the past few weeks. And I did finally consult a doctor. It's nothing major. And with a little bit of physical therapy, I should be ready for the Skyborne Cup next month.”

Shouts rose from the gathered press. The loudest was: “Why did you hide it?” That came from several reporters.

“Stupid pride.” Nicole almost looked embarrassed even though that was an emotion she probably never felt. “I didn't want it to look like I was making excuses. Dona played a great game. And she deserved her time in the spotlight again. I didn't want the story to become about how she'd only played so well because I was injured.”

Maya was both impressed and disgusted. Nicole managed to come across as humble and noble at the same time.

“But my friend Maya Hart was right to out me,” Nicole said to Maya's shock.

One camera swung around to find Maya, and others soon
followed. Great. Her image was going to be linked with Nicole's from now on as well.

“It's time for me to heal.” Nicole's eyes locked on Maya through the crowd. “So that I'll be ready to kick my friend's butt if we happen to face each other in the Cup.”

The raised voices in the locker room could easily be heard through the closed door. Maya couldn't make out what was being said, but she was fairly certain she knew who the speakers were. Nicole and Jordan were going at it. They weren't yelling, but the strained conversation was at a level of volume that a simple door could not contain.

It only took a brief second of debate before Maya said, “Screw it,” and pushed the door open. The voices immediately fell silent. Both eyes turned to Maya as she strolled in.

“Hi,” she said, as if she hadn't interrupted a thing. She dropped her tennis bag on the bench and pulled out her tennis gear.

“Oh, Maya,” Nicole said. “I thought you were at the press conference. I had to cancel our match.”

Maya laughed. Nicole knew very well she was at the press conference. “I was there. But the game isn't canceled just because you forfeit. We have a school full of students more than ready to replace you.”

“Oh, I know.” Nicole's smile broadened. “But, let's be honest, it's not going to be as big a draw if two nobodies play against Primrose.”

“I actually agree,” Maya said. “That's why I called in a favor.”

The door clicked open behind Maya. She didn't have to turn to know who it was.

“Hi, Nicole!” Dona came in carrying a plastic bag full of clothes and equipment she and Maya had just bought at the pro shop. “So sorry to hear I hurt you when we played against each other. Maybe you need some extra practice before taking on more mature players.”

Maya stifled a laugh. If this were a cartoon, steam would be coming off Nicole's head.

“Thank you for your concern,” Nicole said through clenched teeth. “Jordan, we can talk later.” Nicole left the locker room without uttering another word.

Maya, Dona, and Jordan watched her leave in silence themselves.

“Can I speak with you for a moment?” Jordan asked Maya once the door closed. “Privately?”

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Jordan wanted to talk about. Conveniently, Maya finally had an answer. She followed the agent to the far end of the locker room. She was about to thank Jordan for her interest, but she never got the chance.

“I'm assuming Nicole's latest stunt probably soured you on working with me,” Jordan said.

“I didn't think for a second you were involved in that,” Maya said. It was the truth. Jordan wouldn't risk her own reputation by letting Nicole host a press conference without her.

“Thank you,” Jordan said. “But she is my cross to bear.”

“You don't
have
to represent her,” Maya said.

Jordan sighed. “Oh, Maya. I
want
to represent her. Once you strip away all the melodrama, there's a star in there. She's going to get bigger and bigger until she self-destructs.”

Maya knew that it was true. All of it. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“You let me drag this decision out for weeks,” Maya said. “You got me a job pro bono. You even helped me keep the job when you didn't have to.”

“There wasn't a question in that,” Jordan said.

Maya tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. They both knew exactly the question she was asking.

“I like you, Maya,” Jordan said. “You're going to be a star someday yourself. I'd be lucky to represent you.”

“But it would drive Nicole insane.”

“Absolutely.”

“So … ?”

“Sometimes Nicole needs to be driven a little insane,” Jordan said. “If only to teach her not to leave me out of the loop and not to fake injuries to milk media attention.”

“You think …”

“Maya, it's my job to know my clients better than they know themselves,” Jordan said. “If I don't see it, it isn't happening. Do you really think the one person to witness her having problems with her wrist was the last person she'd want to know about it?”

Just when Maya thought Nicole could no longer surprise her, she pulled another trick out of her tennis bag. Of course it made sense for Maya to see the injury. Once Nicole pushed
her far enough, Maya would have to do something about it. And then no one would question whether the injury was real if Nicole had been forced to reveal it.

Jordan might think that the business world was not high school, but Nicole was going to do everything in her power to prove her wrong.

Maya had never met a celebrity before coming to the Academy. Not unless she counted the guy who played the grapes in the Fruit of the Loom commercials, which she didn't. In the few months since she'd moved, she'd met a huge football star, two of her biggest tennis idols—with drastically different reactions—and the most famous guy in film. None of that compared to the pure star power she experienced the day of the Expo.

Of all the stellar talent she'd met since the opening ceremony, no one was bigger at the moment than Primrose. And no one had impressed Maya more than the sisters Vanessa and Miranda.

The twins had no egos, no entourages, and no attitude. But, better than all that, they could
play
. It was the first thing Maya learned when they introduced themselves. The sisters had been playing tennis for years. It was how they relaxed on
tour and how they solved their arguments—also, often while on tour. Neither of the twins played at the level of Dona and Maya, but they managed to keep up fairly well.

They were on the third and final set. The day's finale didn't run as long as the other events of the Expo and it certainly wasn't anywhere near as long as Maya and Dona's match at the Open, but they still put on quite a show.

The four of them were all over the court, smashing the ball back and forth with impressive skill until Vanessa slammed a scorcher past her sister and the crowd exploded in cheers.

The twins pantomimed a fight across the court, but their smiles and laughter made it clear it was all for the crowd. Dona picked up on the act and pulled Miranda away from the net while Maya joined in, pretending to calm Vanessa. By the time they were done, they and the audience were laughing so hard, they had to take a short break. It was the most fun Maya had ever had on a court.

Once the game faces came back on, they took their positions on the court. They'd reached match point. Maya and Vanessa were in the lead. If they won this point, they'd win the game.

Even though it was Maya's turn to serve, she handed the ball to her teammate. Vanessa was the one most of the crowd had come to see. It was only fair that she get to give them the show they wanted.