“No, it’s too recent. People are going to assume things. If I thought I got a lot of tests before then this… Fuck!”
“Wait, wait!” I called after her as she started dialling someone. “Toni, wait! You can’t say anything to anyone, not yet.”
“What?” She turned to look at me as though I had lost my mind. I pulled my phone from my pocket.
“Wait, please. Anything you say is going to be public record from now, so no calls, no conversations about it. Not even with me. Your only comment is through press releases and prepared statements.”
I hit Parisa in my favourites list and was glad she picked up in two rings. “Hey, I need a PR genius. Do you know any?”
“I can block your number any time I want, you know. What did you do in Mexico, Elin? You’ve been gone five minutes.”
“Not me, but I need a favour for my friend. Can you talk to Toni about something if I hand her the phone? She needs some advice. And probably a lawyer, but we’ll get to that.”
“Great, you’ve found someone more trouble than you are. Put her on.”
I handed the phone to Toni, who seemed set on refusing. I pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. “Please, let me help.”
“Hi, Parisa,” she said. She listened for a moment. “I’ve heard a lot about you as well.”
A flurry of calls, a bunch of e-mails, and one room-service order later, Toni and I were finally left alone in front of a standard competition-week meal. That meant lots of steamed vegetables and salmon that seemed to be measured by the slab.
“Sorry,” she said as I uncovered the plates and poured the sparkling water. “What the hell happened to the day, huh?”
“Well, a bomb got dropped on your head right after a match, so…”
“And then there was our interesting development.”
I sipped at my water. “Is that what the kids are calling it now?”
Toni rolled her eyes, just a little, but it seemed affectionate. “Listen…”
Ah. I saw what was coming as surely as I could have predicted her serve coming at me. “I know.” I took her hand and rubbed my thumb gently over her knuckles. “This is no time for what would hopefully be a really fun distraction. It’s going to be hard enough to focus on your tennis. But Parisa will help, anything you need. And I’ll hang out the rest of the week. Non-distractingly.”
“You don’t have to do that. What about your training? Indian Wells is around the corner.”
She, unfortunately, had a point.
“I’m still hitting the gym. Know anyone who could loan me a racquet to keep my swing up to speed?”
“Elin, I want to say upfront that I had nothing to do with anything. It’s going to be a pain in the ass for a while, but—”
“Hey, hey, come on. I know you don’t. You’ve worked so hard to come back from injury. Maybe I don’t know every little thing about you, but I know you’re not doping. You don’t ever have to explain yourself.”
“You’re the best, you know that?” Toni came around the table to lay another kiss on me. “But yes, you’re right about the distraction. We’ll call that one for the road and see how things are in California.”
“Sure.”
“It’s not going to be easy though, I’ll tell you that. I’m getting impatient already.”
“Then get back over there and eat your food,” I suggested, although I would much rather have put the table to more interesting use. “Or we’re never going to stick to the no distracting rule.”
“Fi-ine,” Toni said, groaning as she pulled herself away. “But you’d better find something really boring to talk about for the next little while.”
“How interested are you in Swedish history?”
“Not even slightly?”
“Then Antonia, sit back and relax. Because I am going to bore you senseless.”
Training with Toni that week in between her matches was a particular kind of hell. I certainly wouldn’t have traded my usual prep for it, especially when Mira was there to coach one-on-one. It made me nostalgic for the worst of my mother’s moods when coaching me through one of my slumps.
The freedom was pleasant, though. I got used to doing things for myself again—shopping when I needed something, making my own calls, and generally being in charge of my own day. I worked out for the same number of hours and spent time with Toni until one or both of us felt that line approaching, and then I would retreat to read or watch bad movies in my own hotel suite.
So when she made it to the final, I knew the self-restraint had been worth it. Even if the thought of ‘restraint’ in the same sentence as Toni made me worry, I’d need yet another cold shower. At this rate, I’d be fine to go scuba diving in the Antarctic.
There was a short line to access the VIP section; typical for any final with all the first-timers and day-trippers. I scrolled through my phone as I waited, only to feel the distinct chill down my spine that only one person caused.
“Hi, Mira,” I said without looking up. “I hope you’re not hiding a camera and microphone.”
“Shouldn’t you be heading back for Indian Wells?”
“Tomorrow morning. It’s not such a long flight. Toni’s playing well.”
She gave a little huff. “Yes, I worked that out when she made it to the final. She’s a talented player.”
“You’re helping her. You could take the compliment.”
Mira ignored me until we took our seats. Since we were both from Toni’s allocation, of course we were sitting next to each other. My disappointment at that discovery was wiped out by seeing my other seat mate. “Maria! You made it!”
Toni had organised everything, but her grandmother had been ill and the plans were up in the air. I knew this final boost would ease the last of Toni’s nerves.
“Elin, guapa! It’s so good you came back to Mexico.
