Not So Snow White (21 page)

Gaby's eyes lit up. "You think I can be a giant killer?"

"I think you gave both the Williams sisters a pretty good scare."

Gaby's lips quirked with just the right amount of cockiness.

"True."

"Exactly." Tess beamed. "Now you want Davina. And whomever else you can beat here."

"I haven't told Max this, but when the draw came out and I saw my chances, I made myself a promise."

"Which was?"

"To do whatever it takes to make it to the second week."

"Pretty tall order for an unseeded player."

"You don't think I can do it?" She didn't look crushed so much as defiant.

Tess smiled. That was exactly what she wanted to see. "I didn't say that. Big goals are good to have. Mandatory, in my book. Just don't be so busy looking at the big goal that you lose sight of all the little ones you have to make to get there."

"I haven't," Gaby assured her, then smiled a bit slyly. "Why do you think I did whatever it took to get you to stick with me for the tournament?"

That got a laugh out of Tess. "God, what am I going to do with you? If I didn't know better, I'd think the tennis gods are punishing me by saddling me with a mini-me."

Gaby scooted to the edge of the bed. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Tess stood. "Yeah, well, be careful what you wish for."
She reached for Gaby's hand and hauled her upright. "How's the stomach?"

Gaby paused for a moment, as if she had to think about it. "Fine." She laughed. "I guess maybe it was nerves."

"And now?"

"Now I want to go kick some Russian butt.''

"That's my girl."

Gaby was at the door, then turned back. "Yo
u are going to be there, right?
In the players' box? With Max?"

Funny, all this time, and Tess hadn't really thought about that part. She wanted to watch her play, of course. But she hadn't really thought about actually sitting in the box, looking down across the court. A court she'd played on, won on. How was that going to feel? This mo
rning she'd been too busy think
ing about how the rest of her day might be shaping up to let her thoughts go in that direction.

"I'm heading over there soon to see Bobby, catch some of the early action." Which was the truth, only it wasn't necessarily just the action taking place on the court, so much as around the courts, in the media room, the p
layers' lounge, and the sports-
casters' booth. It was possible she could be in all those locales today if she played her cards right.

Sentiment aside, she hadn't considered that, as Gaby's supposed coach, she'd be seated in the traditional spot, the players' box, which typically afforded one of the best views of the court. The very public, very high-profile players' box. Everyone would see her sitting there. And the cameras would certainly take advantage of such an easy photo opportunity. The papers reached a limited audience. Tess could make sure the entire world knew of her association with a new, young tennis phenom. "I wouldn't miss it," she told Gaby, sincere in more ways than one.

"Max will make sure you have a pass." Then she ran back across the room and engulfed Tess in a bear hug so tight she swore something might have cracked a little. "Thank you," Gaby whispered fiercely.

Just when Tess felt something akin to a lump forming in her throat, Gaby bounced back, a grin plastered ear to ear across her pretty face, eyes shining. "I won't let you down," she told Tess. "And I'll avenge your loss to Davina. Win-win."

Tess smiled easily in the face of her enthusiasm and confidence. This kind of emotion she knew how to deal with. "Just play your kind of tennis. Stick to your game. And remember what we've gone over. Use it when you need it."

"I will. I'll see you this afternoon. Oh! I almost forgot. I want Aurora to come, too. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't be my coach. I have to go tell Max to make that happen."

"I'm not a coach," Tess said, but the words echoed in the empty room. She slumped against the door, then realized she'd better get moving if she wanted to get down to the grounds with enough time before Gaby's match to make the rounds. If Gaby didn't beat Davina, today could be Tess's only day to make as big a media splash as she could.

She glanced at the papers she'd shoved under the pillows when she'd thought it was Max at the door. A lecture from him was the last thing she needed or wanted today. It was bad enough she'd have to sit next to him in the players' box. Her lips quirked. If she played her cards right, she could squeeze Aurora in the middle between them. Which was exactly where Aurora liked to be in all things, anyway. Problem solved.

She debated at least scanning headlines, but the shower beckoned. She could read them in the limo on the way to Wimbledon, return a few calls, see what she could set up. She hadn't given much thought—okay, any thought—to what she'd wear today. Something eye-catching, of course, but what exactly
…

Tess was mentally sorting through the limited remains of her wardrobe. It wouldn't pay to be seen in something she'd already worn and been photographed in, but she didn't exactly have the funds for a quick shopping trip, either. What to do. She was tapping her lip, mulling as she headed toward the bathroom, when a rather rude tapping erupted on the other door to her suite.

"Hold on a second," she shouted, changing paths and going through the door adjoining her bedroom to the sitting room
next door. Probably Gaby with some new crisis. "Don't tell me," she called through the door as she grabbed the knob. "You can't find just the right shade of eye shadow to go with all white. Let me tell you, you've come to the wrong"—she opened the door—"place," she finished lamely.

Max filled the doorway.

"To what do I owe this honor?" She pasted a bright smile on her face. "No, let
me guess. I talked to Gaby this morning—who was, by the way, convinced she was dying from some rare malady, known to you and me as anxiety stress—and convinced her not to quit the tournament before her first-round match. And you're here to thank me." She leaned on the doorframe and looked at the vein bulging quite impressively in Max's forehead. "No need, really. All in a day's work."

"Have you seen these?" Max asked, slapping the papers she just now realized he held in his hand.

She'd gotten all caught up with that popping vein. And maybe a little bit with the way his jaw went all rugged and square when he clenched it like that. It wasn't quite as sexy when he was mad like this, but it made a person wonder how sexy it would look, you know, if said person could make that jaw clench for other reasons. Hmmm. "What?" she asked, vaguely recalling he'd asked her something.

"These!" He unfolded one of the papers, a gossip rag called
Good Day
, and snapped it open in her face. "We're front-page news, Tess."

Tess grabbed the paper he was waving in her face so she could see the front-page photo. "What are you ranting about? You knew Gaby and I might make a little splash after our public practice session yesterday."

"
'A little splash'? Is that what you call this?" He shoved the rest of the papers at her. "And who said anything about Gabrielle?"

Tess sat down on the edge of her bed and smoothed out the papers he'd given her. "Oh. Wow."

"Oh? Wow? Yeah, oh. Yeah, wow." Max was pacing the length of the room. He turned to face her. "What are we going to do about oh and wow, Tess?"

She wasn't listening to him. She was too busy looking at the
grainy, blown-up photo of her…
and Max. Chin to chin over the table in the players' lounge. Someone must have had a cell phone with a camera. Bravo to them, because they'd snapped that one moment in time when she'd been taunting him. Of course, no one else would know that she'd been faking it. There was enough sexual chemistry sizzling in that picture she was surprised the pape
r
didn't spontaneously combust right in her hands.

Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, trying to absorb this latest turn of events and what it would mean. How she might use it to her—their—best advantage. She wouldn't do anything to jeopardize
Gaby's chances here. But this…

She glanced up at Max and something about the way he was looking at her sparked the imp in her. And it was becoming an increasingly naughty little imp. Which wasn't bothering her nearly as much as it should, all things considered. He was awfully fun to tease. "I don't know why you're so bent," she said casually, perusing the picture at length. "We give great cover photo, you and me." She looked at him and flipped the picture around so he could see it. "You have to admit, in the words of the oh-so-complex and brainy Paris Hilton, we're hot."

His eyebrows threatened to leave his forehead entirely. He was cute when he was riled. Which was basically all the time. Or all the time he was around her, anyway. She wondered what he'd do if she just got up, crossed the room, grabbed him, and kissed that indignant look right off his face. Of course, she wouldn't actually do that. But it didn't stop her from spending a moment or two visualizing it. A girl had to get her fun somehow.

"We need to fix this," he said, voice all deep and edgy.

I know
how I want to fix
it,
Tess thought, but she doubted Max would see it her way. When had he ever? She sighed a little and tossed the paper to the bed. "There's nothing to fix."

"But people will think—"

"So what if they do? Is that such a horrifying thing? Let them speculate. Because that's all it's going to be. But it's press, which isn't a bad thing for Gaby. And it's not directly focused on her, which is a good thing, too. She can play, stir up a buzz, and pretty much stay above the actual gossip."
If she wants to,
Tess thought. Hmm. She'd have to work on that part.

"So nice that you've thought about Gaby in all this."

"Hey!" she shot back, not liking the tone that had crept into his voice. "It's not like I planned that."

"You didn't seem to mind much yesterday when you were taunting me. You didn't care who was watching."

"Neither did you, if I recall. You gave as good as you got."

"You have no idea what I'm thinking. But even when you do, it doesn't stop you. I know you think that media attention and tennis success go hand in hand, but I don't share that philosophy. She plays her first professional match at Wim
bledon in less than six hours…
and now we have to go out there and deal with this? Are you kidding me? It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me. And it will be to her, no matter what she says. These are people's lives here, Tess. This isn't some game for us like it is for you. We don't find this amusing."

"
'We'? Has Gaby seen these?''

"Not yet, but seeing as she'll probably get bombarded with a few questions on our way in, I have to tell her something."

Tess looked back at the photo. The cover caption read: Is T
ess mad for Max? Kind of cute, r
eally. She recalled Gaby's comments this morning, about how she wished Max and Tess got along better, sort of pumping her brother up to Tess. And
she couldn't help but think this latest turn wasn't going to bother Gaby all that much. "I'll talk to her."

"Thanks, but I'll handle it."

"So why did you come to my room, then? To blow off steam? I didn't do anything to deserve this.'' She flicked the paper with her fingers. "There wasn't any press in the players' lounge."

"Would it have stopped you if there were?"

"Of course it would have. We went up there to get away from the press."

He simply stared impassively back at her.

"In this particular case," she amended, "yes, it would have. I know you don't believe me, but this isn't a game to me, either. Not in the way you mean. I do know those people, I know how they operate, yes. And as I know they're going to be out there doing their job whether I want them to or not, yes, I do try to make them as useful to my cause as possible."

"And what exactly is your 'cause'?"

"I care about Gaby. I want her to have a good chance here." That much was absolutely the truth. "But you're naive if you think she isn't going to gamer attention with or without me. Her game is huge. In this world, playing this game, being successful, and more important, staying successful, that spotlight is going to be a constant home for her. Whether either of you like it or not. And the only one who doesn't is you."

"If you want to help her, then stay away today."

Tess's mouth dropped open, then immediately snapped shut. "She specifically came in here to ask me to sit in the box with you. And Aurora."

"It will just feed all these rumors."

"So? You can't start letting the press dictate what you will and won't do. First rule."

"I'm asking you to stay back. If she makes it through today, we'll see."

"It's the wrong way to play this. And she wants me there. That should count for more than anything. Sit Aurora between us. Don't give
me the time of day. I could car
e less.'' She threw the paper on the bed and stalked over to him, poking her finger in his chest. "But don't make her pay for your stupid insecurities. She'll be fine. Trust me." Of course, Tess knew nothing of the sort. After all, Gaby had just been in her bathroom, tossing her cookies, less than a half hour ago. But one way or the other, she was going to have to go out there and face down whatever fears she had. And if she wanted Tess in h
er corner to help her
do that, then by damn, that's where she was going to be.