My mother turned on me, and I’d rarely seen her so angry. It stopped the rest of my rant right there in my throat, like something I might choke on.
“Enough! Why have you chosen this year to become a crusader? You don’t usually stand up for yourself, never mind your competitors.”
“They’re my friends too, Mamma.” I folded my arms in disapproval, standing my ground.
“From someone Sarah Harrow’s age I might expect it. Hell, you were a handful then too in your quiet way. But I have put up with everything from the retirement talk to fighting off new coaches, and now to the girlfriend hidden in the bathroom. Now you’re picking fights with the people who decide if you play this game, and if you get to win prize money.”
“She’s not hiding. You just showed up unannounced.”
With perfect timing, Toni chose to open the bathroom door, emerging in just a short towel and a cloud of steam. She barely flinched on seeing my mother. “Morning, Mrs Larsson. I hope Elin isn’t late for training.”
“No, no, now that she’s out she gets a day or two off,” my mother replied, back to being perfectly pleasant as if a switch had been flipped. “Have you girls had breakfast yet?”
Toni shook her head. “I’ll just get dressed real quick, if you have plans.”
“Join us,” my mother insisted, full charming Britta mode like Toni was some big sponsor. “Elin, get yourself together too, and I’ll see you both downstairs.
“Lobby or terrace?” I asked, since both those restaurants served breakfast.
“The private dining room,” Mamma replied. “Parisa will meet us there too.”
With a brisk wave, my mother left the suite and Toni just smiled at me.
“Man, I never quite realised what it must be like having your mom in charge of your professional life. Mine would love this much involvement, if only she gave a damn about tennis.”
“Not even now you’re winning stuff?” I hadn’t mentioned her mother’s absence in Mexico, since it was a small tournament and a hell of a journey there from Spain.
“Maybe I can talk her into Paris or Wimbledon, if I stay fit for them.”
“That would be nice. Now, as much as I’d rather you dropped that towel, we’ll get no peace until my mother gives me her lecture over breakfast. I’ll make it up to you after, I promise.”
Toni dropped the towel anyway, revealing all that bronzed, toned skin that would make a professional sculptor weep with anticipation. She grinned as she saw my newly stunned reaction. This wasn’t going to get boring anytime soon. I was a hopeless lesbian, and she knew it. By some stroke of luck, she seemed just as into me, and I hoped harder than I ever had before that I wasn’t wrong about that.
“You know, if we’re really quick, people will just assume we were slow picking out clothes.”
“You’re a terrible influence,” I pretended to complain, but she silenced me with a searing kiss, minty-fresh from just brushing her teeth.
She had a point. Breakfast could wait a little longer.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I should have been annoyed that Parisa and my mother were conspiring by calling a meeting, but they had still invited Celeste to join us for breakfast, and she showed up despite being in preparation mode for another final.
The private dining room meant we could all talk freely, but it didn’t take long for tempers and voices to rise.
“I agree with Elin,” Celeste finally told the room, sipping at the coffee my mother had poured for her. “So what if they want to rap her on the knuckles? If anything, it shows they’re rattled for a reason. And this wussy non-threat is only happening because of who she is. Anyone else and it would be a full disciplinary. If they can’t come after her, I say she tells them to kiss her ass. Respectfully, ma’am.”
Celeste had handled racism, sexism, and homophobia her whole life. She had gone toe-to-toe with some seriously tough people and always held her own. But she was unfailingly polite, and I maintained that some small part of the fearless woman was actually scared of my mother. Certainly about cursing in front of her.
“Mamma, the worst they can do to me is issue a press release saying they disagree. They could do that without a meeting, so they clearly don’t want to make a big deal.” Toni’s fingers grazed my thigh under the table and my breath caught in my throat. “If I don’t make myself available, they’re not going to chase me on court, are they?”
“You might be lucky, if they’re more interested in this ex-coach of yours, Antonia,” my mother said. “If that story keeps blowing up, you can all say what you like and no one will mind. But out of interest, were you all tested after your semi-finals?”
I shook my head, but Celeste and Toni both nodded. The door opened then, and Mira entered. For a moment, I was surprised to see her, but that was years of avoiding her interviews at work. Of course she should be here if this affected Toni’s career.
Parisa and my mother greeted Mira warmly, since they’d always been on good terms. It was just difficult me who didn’t like the media side of it all. Parisa took over the informal presentation.
“Toni, you’ve been a blast to work with and I’m happy to do it as a favour as long as Elin asks me, but your federation should be supporting you through all this. I know a lot of women on the tour don’t get full-time assistants or publicists until they’re secure in the rankings or have a couple of slams. I don’t think you’re going to have the luxury of waiting that long.”
“Well, the federation handles all my paperwork and press releases,” Toni replied, squeezing my thigh now through my track pants. She was going to
