Prologue

“Westwood Racquet Club, Emily Simpson speaking. Yes sir we offer private lessons. How old a person are we talking about?

“Seven, that’s the perfect age to start learning tennis. I was eight myself. Yes sir I’m one of the instructors. How old? I’m twenty-two. I recently graduated from Riverside College.

“That’s all right sir I don’t mind. I’d want to know who was going to teach my child that is if you want me as her instructor. We have four instructors. There’s Harry the owner who used to be on the circuit and three assistants, two men and me.

“Yes sir I’m the only female.

“Harry is the most expensive but personally I would start with an assistant. If the child doesn’t want to continue lessons or has no aptitude for the sport you will cut your losses with an assistant. If your child proves to be someone with a future in the sport then is the time to move up to Harry and it will be money well spent to have him.

“Oh I’m so sorry to hear that sir and you have our condolences.

“Yes I understand that she is in a bad place.

“I don’t know if this will pull her out of it but I can tell you that tennis has helped me with some of the bad times in my life. Nothing as traumatic as the loss of a mother but unsettling nonetheless.

“Yes sir I can do Wednesdays at three. Yes you can sign up when you come or I can take the information over the phone.”

Emily met Joe and Kathy Lee on the day of Kathy’s first visit. She and Joe chatted for a few minutes then she took Kathy to get a loaner racquet and they started hitting balls. The first few sessions Emily was more of a therapist than a tennis instructor but with time Kathy became more interested in tennis than her troubles and the two of them became fast friends.

Initially Joe and Emily spoke almost every day when he picked up Kathy. He was very concerned with Kathy’s state of mind more than her tennis progress. Emily was attuned to Kathy’s emotional wellbeing and was very good about easing Joe’s concerns. After the first three months Emily and Joe talked less and less about Kathy and more about things in general. Thrown together as they were in their weekly conversations about Kathy they became friends.

Emily was a statuesque beauty with auburn hair and deep sparkling green eyes. She was five feet eight inches with long slender legs, 36 C breasts and a prominent derriere from the development of the gluttonous maximus which came with the territory for tennis players.

Emily had lettered all four years at Riverside College and had hopes of joining the pro circuit. Harry was working with her to get her to where she needed to be.

Over the next year Emily was the closest thing to a mother and a friend Kathy had. Emily spent time with her before and after lessons. They talked about boys and what Kathy wanted for her birthday, how she and her dad were doing and all kinds of girlie things.

Joe was taking Kathy to Vail for a week as reward for doing so well in school and asked Emily if she would go as kind of a companion for Kathy. He told her he didn’t expect her to do it for free and offered to pay her salary for the week plus a bonus.

Joe asked Harry and he agreed to let Emily go. Years later Harry would say the world lost a great tennis player that week.

Joe had rented a lodge for the week. There were three bedrooms each with a private bath, a great room with two story stone fireplace and large kitchen. There was a huge picture window in the great room that looked out on skiers traversing down the mountainside.

Joe was thirty-six and handsome. He had dark hair with touches of gray at the temples, blue eyes, a ready smile and a flat stomach

At night after Kathy had gone to bed Emily and Joe sat drinking wine and watching the fire and talking or listening to music. It felt like they were the only people in the world. Joe thanked Emily for how well Kathy was coming along and how Kathy had pulled out of her emotional tailspin. On the forth night they danced to the soft lover’s music and Joe kissed her. On the fifth night they fucked. On the sixth night they fucked a lot and on the seventh night Joe proposed and Emily accepted.

Joe sold the house that he and his deceased wife had bought and built a new one for his new family. It included a pool and tennis court. Emily taught Joe how to play tennis. Joe was a natural athletic and was a quick study at tennis. Kathy continued with her steady progress. Emily would tease that Joe had only married her to save money on tennis lessons.

After twenty-six years of marriage Joe died of a massive heart attack. Kathy was and is married living in Washington state where she and her husband own a tennis club and she is an instructor.

Chapter 1 »