Love Game - Season 2011 (43 page)

              Morgana nodded. She was already concentrating on her research again. Gabriella figured the French woman didn’t want to waste time with chatting. Too much information was boiling in her head now and she was probably afraid to forget some if she didn’t write it all down immediately.

              “Would you mind if I borrowed a novel?” Gabriella nonetheless asked. “I’m done with the last one and I have nothing to read right now.”

              Morgana followed her friend’s gaze to the several
Tennis Nurse
books put down on the table near the bag the French player took everywhere with her. Morgana shrugged and grabbed one before handing it to the American.

              “Sure. Take this one. It’s a new one,” she said absentmindedly.

              Gabriella smiled brightly. She was about to leave when Morgana suddenly leaned back, looking at the American.

              “So, you are Gabriella,” she stated thoughtfully, more to herself than to the Galloway. Shooting Gabriella a last look she turned back to her novel.

***

Waiting for Natsumi, who was chatting up a girl at the entrance of the sushi restaurant, Amanda and Mint looked at each other and grinned.

              “I can’t believe that of all girls, the one your stepmother trusts is Natsumi,” Amanda snorted. “Just look at her!”

              Mint chuckled. She had her hands in the pockets of her jeans, was leaning against the wall and looking in Natsumi’s direction. She was sure that within a minute the player would come back with a new phone number in her directory.

              “What can I say? Natsumi played the role of the sweet Japanese girl to perfection.”

              Amanda laughed, still shaking her head in disbelief. Natsumi said good-bye to her new acquaintance and turned around. 

              “Alright, ladies. I’m starving!”

              It was time for a traditional Japanese dinner, as Natsumi had advertised it when she had invited Amanda. With her usual exuberance, Natsumi pushed the door open and entered the restaurant followed by Amanda and Mint. The lobby, like the rest of the place from what they could tell, was plunged in semi darkness and traditional music. While Natsumi was giving her name to the hostess, Mint turned towards Amanda. She was looking at the menu on the wall.

              “What is this Nyo-thing? It seems they have nothing else,” she wondered. “I only know California rolls.”

              Amanda shrugged her shoulders. As much as she loved Japanese cuisine, she couldn’t remember having seen any Nyotaimori on a menu before.

              “She told me we would get a very special sushi. Perhaps a local fish?”

              Natsumi turned around to them and gestured for them to follow the hostess, who led them to their table. As she looked around, Amanda recognized that it was indeed a strange restaurant. Besides the lack of light that made it hard to see the slightest thing, heavy curtains seemed to separate every table in a way that prevented her from seeing customers and dishes.

              When the hostess stopped at one curtain, Amanda grew uncomfortable. Natsumi’s big grin implied that Amanda would probably be unable to tell anyone about this evening. The Japanese girl lifted the curtain and motioned for the group to step inside, and one look at the table confirmed for Amanda that she had been right. Taking her eyes off the inimitable sight, she glanced at Natsumi who overlooked the scene with pride and a delighted grin, and then to Mint whose mouth had literally dropped to the floor. Lying on the table was a naked Asian girl, pretty and young, covered by sushi and flowers in some strategic places.

              “What on earth?” Mint stared at the girl and grinned. Amanda blinked twice. Then she looked back at Natsumi.

              “
O shokuji o o tanoshimi
kudasai
,” Natsumi said and gestured for them to sit down at the table. Amanda hesitated. “There’s a naked girl on the table. With sushi on her body.” As if Amanda’s remark couldn’t have been dumber, Natsumi rolled her eyes and shrugged.

              “We’re having Nyotaimori. It’s body sushi,” Natsumi explained. “A body serve, if you like.”

              Natsumi pushed Amanda towards the girl lying on the table. The Australian almost tripped over and grabbed the table at the last minute, losing herself in a mumbling of apologies to the Asian girl for brushing her wrist.

              “Oh, Elise won’t hold it against you!” Natsumi sighed observing her friend’s awkwardness. “You won a Grand Slam. It’s a celebration!”

              Swallowing hard, Amanda stared at the sushi placed on the girl’s belly button. She tried not to look left or right. Mint on the other hand had overcome her initial surprise and dug in.

              “Great idea,” she said across the living table to Natsumi. “Now, where is the wasabi? You can’t have enough hotness, right?”

***

Anastasia had been surprised to see Sasha when she had opened her hotel room door, but she had invited her in nevertheless.

              “I wanted to say sorry for my rant. I don’t know what got into me,” Sasha said while sitting down on the chair.

              “You didn’t play very well,” Anastasia remarked matter-of-factly. She had opened the little fridge and had begun to pour them a G & T. Sasha wanted to protest, but then stopped herself. She was here to reconcile not to be impolite again.

              “No,” she admitted. “No. I was thinking about a photo.”

              “A photo?”

              “Yes. And for a moment during the match I thought that maybe you were the one who had given it to me.”

              “Me? What photo are you talking about?”

              “Nevermind,” Sasha replied. “Just a picture. I know it wasn’t you. I don’t know what got into me. As you said I played badly.”

              Anastasia sat down opposite Sasha and handed her the glass. She watched Sasha carefully.

              “Is it a photo of you and me? From Eastbourne?”

              “No,” Sasha shook her head, trying to give the worried umpire a smile. “Just me and someone else.” She sighed.

              “In a delicate situation?” Anastasia took a sip of her drink.

              “No, not really,” Sasha said. She hadn’t touched her G & T yet. “It’s just the look on my face suggests there might be something going on. But there is nothing.”

              She looked up at Anastasia, suddenly glad she had come here to apologize.

              “That’s the most worrisome thing about this picture, you see. There is no note on it. I don’t know whether this is an attempt to blackmail me or just an attempt by that other person in the picture to get my attention. Or maybe just a joke by someone.”

              “Let me get this straight,” Anastasia said, waving her hands to slow Sasha down. “This other person is a girl and you look at her in an affectionate way?”

              “Basically,” Sasha nodded.

              “That’s not enough to blackmail someone,” Anastasia stated.

              “That’s what I thought,” Sasha said. She finally sipped a bit of her drink and relaxed. “So it must be the other reason.”

              “You think she is in love with you and wants to convince you that you are in love with her?” Anastasia was bemused by the thought. “Are there no better ways for you girls to show your affection?”

              Sasha snickered and looked at Anastasia who winked back at her. Sasha was sure the umpire had witnessed many delicate scenes at player parties, in hallways and lounges. Anastasia knew the girls were not exactly shy as soon as the cameras were gone.

              “You’re right. That’s why I’m not sure it’s her who gave me the picture,” Sasha replied. “Besides I think I know who
took
the picture.”

              Anastasia leaned back eager to hear the new information.

              “This guy who does all the pictures and some little stories on us has showed up every now and then. I know it doesn’t have to mean anything, but he always seemed to be where I was. It’s his job to be around us and take pictures so I never thought there was anything wrong with it. But he appeared when I was shopping or when I went for walks. I forgot about it, because it was only during the European swing. But now that I think about it, I’m almost sure it was him, as the picture is half a year old.”

              “Why would he do that?”

              Sasha shrugged. She had no idea why Tom was stalking her. Of course, he could be madly in love with her. She had had crazy people following her in the past. But usually they would eventually try to approach and contact her but Tom had never tried that.

              “Do you want to stay for the night?”

              Anastasia’s question came out of nowhere and it caught Sasha off guard. Yes, she wanted to, and even though she couldn’t remember their last time in Eastbourne there must have been something good about it, if Anastasia had asked for a rematch. On the other hand there was a dark-haired girl who was perhaps waiting for her. Sasha hesitated. Or perhaps not. She looked into her glass. Anastasia must have sensed her indecisiveness because she leaned forward.

              “I’m not in love with you, Sasha,” she smiled and waved her hand at Sasha’s boobs. “I just appreciate one or two things about you.”

              Sasha had to laugh. “Good,” she said. “Same here.” But she still wouldn’t make a move toward Anastasia.

              “So, you
are
in love with that girl?” Anastasia smiled at her, and Sasha knew if she said yes, Anastasia would probably be happy for her and let Sasha go. She waited.

              “No,” she finally said. “I don’t even like her.”

              She gulped down the rest of her drink, leaned forward and slipping her hand behind Anastasia’s head she pulled her forward. No, Sasha thought while kissing the umpire. No, she don’t even like Luella. That was the truth.

***

Gabriella Galloway sat on the broad windowsill of her fancy hotel room and overlooked the Tokyo skyline. Maybe she should have accepted her sister’s offer to go out tonight, but after dinner she had felt like going to bed soon. She had gone up to her room and had begun reading the
Tennis Nurse
novel Morgana had given her but soon her thoughts had wandered off to something else. Something that was more intriguing than
Tennis Nurse and the Girl from Hollywood
. A real story that gave her thrills whenever she thought about it. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that she didn’t know how the story ended. It would depend on her, on what she did. Or what she didn’t do. Should she do anything at all? Or perhaps just wait for the story to unfold?

              She had met Sasha briefly outside of Candice Crantz’s office in the morning and had said hello. They were on speaking terms but that was it. Gabriella had to admit that it was the best thing that could have happened to her. Sasha thought it was Lulu who had kissed her in Cincinnati. And because Sasha was even more afraid of her cover being blown than Gabriella she anxiously stayed away from the Galloways. She would never talk to Luella and accidentally let slip something thereby unveiling Gabriella’s secret.

              She put the novel away and got up. The streets of Tokyo were bustling with lights and colors. But there was no sound reaching the 15th floor of Gabriella’s hotel. She touched the huge glass window, feeling like a fish in a tank. How often had she analyzed her peculiar situation with Sasha? And every time she had come to the conclusion that the situation was perfect. But every time she thought about it she also felt lost. She had kissed Sasha and it had been a clever move.

              But what made her uncomfortable was the fact that Sasha had kissed her back. Passionately, she should add. It confirmed what she had always suspected. That Sasha Mrachova was into girls and that she was pretending with Jaro, her fiancé. More worrisome was the fact that she was obviously not uninterested in the Galloway twins. Sasha’s recent avoidance could also mean that she was not only trying to maintain her cover but she was trying to avoid what she wanted most. Her, Gabriella. Or Luella. Gabriella moaned in frustration. What did Sasha want? Who did she want? But all the intimate encounters had been with her, Gabriella. So Sasha Mrachova wanted her, right? Gabriella looked outside the window but all the blinking signs and colors of the city couldn’t give her an answer.

              The truth was Gabriella wanted Sasha to want her. And yes, Gabriella wanted Sasha. But how could she make it happen? She couldn’t. Unless she wanted to give up her cover, which she didn’t. She was not like Elise, who didn’t seem to be affected at all by the rumors about her and Amanda that were mounting higher than Fuji by now. While picking up her badges two days ago she had passed two umpires who had openly discussed the relationship. Apparently, Amanda and Elise were the new favorite couple who would win the umpires’ Year End Award for Cutest Couple.

              Gabriella sighed. She really had to talk to someone about it. The situation was driving her mad. The only person who knew that she was gay and to whom she ever talked about it was Elise. But Elise didn’t like Sasha. Moreover, Elise wasn’t supposed to know that Lulu and Gaga used to switch matches.

              The only person whom she used to trust was Luella. They used to be one. But Lulu wasn’t supposed to know that she wanted Sasha. In summary, Gaga had two secrets to deal with. Two too many for her liking.

              She went back to bed again. Looking at the
Tennis Nurse
novel on her bed stand she quickly decided against picking it up again. Compared with her life this book was a bore.