Love Match Read online

  To my father and mother

  for letting me dream big

  and follow those dreams

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  About the Authors

  By the Same Author

  Chapter 1

  Thump-pop.

  Thump-pop.

  Thump-pop.

  The rhythm was erratic. Most people couldn’t dance to the beat. But Maya Hart reveled in the sound. The music filled her body as she moved across the court, striking the ball and sending it back at her opponent. It hit the ground with the deep bass of a thump followed by the stringy twang of the pop as Donata Zajacova sent it back over the net at her. Maya was exactly where she was supposed to be.

  There were occasional breaks in the rhythm when Maya or Donata hit the ball before it struck the ground. A few pop-pop-pop volleys brought a staccato intensity to their play. Occasionally silence followed a thump until the crowd broke out in a mixture of cheers and groans as the score increased.

  This wasn’t Maya’s first competition. She’d been playing the junior tennis circuit for years, but this game was different in so many ways.

  The Ontario Open was her first international competition. True, the venue was just over the border into Canada, but Maya had never even had a passport until she started at the Academy. Getting that passport was one of the prerequisites for admission to the school.

  The Open was also her first tournament since deciding to go pro. Playing with professional status meant she’d be ranked against all the other female tennis players on the circuit. She could now call her idols peers. She could also win some serious bank if she took this all the way.

  “OUT!”

  Maya glared at the line umpire. He was right, of course. She couldn’t challenge the call. But he didn’t have to sound so happy about it.

  Maya didn’t expect anyone on the court or in the crowd to be on her side. She was just some sixteen-year-old nobody playing way out of her league. Donata Zajacova was the star. The phenom had been breaking records since Maya first picked up a racket. But Donata had started getting noticed at sixteen, too.

  It still amazed Maya to think she was on the same court as someone she’d been a fan of for years. Never mind the fact that she was holding her own. More than holding her own, actually. She could win this. Maya could win this. Sure, she was behind a point, but this was the first time Maya actually believed she had a chance. She’d been too shocked at making it into the semifinal to entertain the thought that she might actually win.

  Focus, Maya, she warned herself as Donata prepared to serve. It was finally match point. The score had been tied for what felt like forever. If Donata scored, she’d win. Maya had to make sure that didn’t happen. Then she needed to score three times to tie it again and then advance. It would be difficult, but not impossible. All she needed was a rally.

  Pop.

  Thump.

  Pop.

  Serve. Bounce. Return.

  Maya’s body ran on instinct. All thought suspended as her reflexes kicked in. Two months of training at the Academy had brought her to a level of play she’d never experienced before. The extra work she’d been putting in on her own strengthened her game.

  She’d been completely free of distractions the past two weeks. No drama. No diversions. No guys. If she could hold on, she’d advance to the finals.

  She’d take on Nicole King.

  Thump-pop.

  Thump-pop.

  Thump-pop.

  Whiff.

  Thump.

  Inches. Maya swung her racket and missed by inches. The ball hit the ground and bounced toward the back wall.

  “In!”

  Maya’s knees nearly gave out. The energy drained from her body.

  She lost. She’d come so close. But that was it. The tournament was over for her. Time to pack up and go back to the Academy, where she’d start her training over again.

  Maya walked to the net to meet Donata. The court seemed much longer than it had during the match. Her legs were heavier now than when she was running all over the clay.

  For the first time in the tournament, Maya felt totally alone. No one had come to see her play. Her parents couldn’t afford the airfare, hotel, and tournament tickets. Her friends couldn’t make the trip. The only person in the stadium who even knew her was Nicole. Having her there to witness Maya’s failure was even worse than enduring it by herself.

  Maya had to put all that aside. People were taking pictures. She needed to smile. It had to be genuine. The last thing she wanted was a shot of her with a scowl on her face going viral. It was time to suck it up and be gracious in defeat.

  She reached a hand over the net to Donata. “Congra—”

  “Congratulations!” Donata yelled over the cheers and over Maya. “That was a great game! You really gave me a run for it there.”

  “Um … thanks?”

  “We certainly gave them a show!”

  “We did?” Maya wasn’t used to this “we” stuff. Most of her tournaments ended with a quick handshake, then the victor smiled for the crowd while the loser skulked off in defeat. Donata refused to let go of Maya’s hands as they posed together for the cameras with the net between them.

  “Look at the clock,” Donata said over the crowd that was still cheering.

  Maya glanced at the scoreboard and did a double take. Their game had lasted almost four hours. Four hours! No wonder her legs felt like concrete.

  Maya knew they’d been running long when she checked the clock between sets, but four hours was an incredible marathon of a women’s match. Now Maya understood why Donata wouldn’t let her leave. They had put on a show.

  Once the cheers started to die down, VIPs in expensive suits descended on the court. Donata held on to Maya’s hand even tighter, pulling her toward the exit.

  “Time to go,” Donata said.

  “But I think they want—”

  Donata shook her head, cutting Maya off. “Always leave ’em wanting more!”

  Donata raised a hand to wave to the crowd as they walked off the court. Maya did the same, even though she wanted to stay and bask in the applause. People were calling out her name. People knew her name! Why would anyone ever leave that?

  Pausing at the exit, Donata turned to face the crowd one last time. Maya did the same. The tennis star must have seen the disappointment in Maya’s eyes as they both smiled and waved. “Don’t worry,” Donata said. “It’s not over. There’s still the press conference.”

  Press conference?

  Maya was so glad she’d listened to Renee. She’d spent so much of her time over the past two weeks preparing her game for the Open that she hadn’t thought for a second about her look. Thankfully her friend had that covered.

  “Hope you don’t mind. I picked up a few things from the pro shop.”

  That’s what Renee had said as she breezed into Watson 26, Maya’s dorm room, the day before she left for the tournament. “Few things” was the biggest understatement Maya had ever heard in her life.

  Renee had been loaded down with plastic bags with the Academy pro shop logo emblazoned on them. The bags were filled with outfits for every day of the competition—as well as things to wear off the court—all charged to Renee’s parents’ credit cards.r />
  Maya had fought her, of course. At the time, she never imagined she’d be playing through most of the tournament. She also didn’t like other people spending money on her. It only reminded her that she didn’t have the money to spend on herself. But Renee had insisted and she was difficult to fight when it came to fashion.

  “You’re stepping onto the world stage,” Renee had said. “You can’t debut in some ratty old tennis skirt that was clearly bought before your last growth spurt.”

  Walking into the small reception room of the tennis club with rows of reporters watching her every step, Maya was glad she wore a brand-new, perfectly fitted, robin’s egg–blue polo shirt with cream linen Bermuda shorts. It was the right combination of casual and sporty for the event.

  Maya had never been in a press conference before, but she wasn’t too nervous about it. Donata had won the match. The reporters would probably save all the questions for her. They’d just humor Maya for a few minutes before the tournament publicist announced that time was up and the real show was about to begin.

  Maya searched the room to see if anyone was looking at her like they wanted to know her story. It would be totally embarrassing if she sat up there in silence for her allotted time because no one cared about her.

  The reporters had their heads down, texting or talking on their phones. They seemed blasé about the whole thing. They’d probably been through dozens of these. Hundreds. Press conferences happen at every professional tournament. It gave the media some sound bites to fill out their stories. Nothing Maya said was going to be on TV. Not even on the Sports News Channel. The Ontario Open wasn’t a big enough event. No matter how big it was for Maya.

  The reporters’ heads rose in unison as the publicist tapped her microphone and brought the room to order, opening the floor to questions. Maya was thrilled to see almost every hand rise. They weren’t straining to get out of their seats, tumbling over one another to get a word out, but there was at least some interest in her.

  A woman who introduced herself as a writer for the Sports News Channel website got the first question. “Maya, your match today was the longest women’s match in the history of the Ontario Open—”

  “It was?” Maya blurted out. She knew it had been a long game, but that was news. At least to her.

  The SNC writer smiled. “It was,” she confirmed. “It beat the Mendal/Kunich match by five minutes. Did you think you had that in you to play at that level of intensity?”

  “Ask me tomorrow,” Maya said, wondering herself how much her body was going to ache the next day. It caught her off guard when the reporters laughed at her comment. She’d made a joke! And they laughed!

  “But seriously,” Maya quickly added. “I’ve been training for this for years. Just like everyone else here. We’ve all spent endless hours on the court. So in that way, I kind of hope I’d be prepared. On the other hand, I don’t think anything can prepare you for this level of competition. And to play a match against one of my idols—Donata Zajacova—who could ever be prepared for something like that?”

  The hands rose again. Everyone in the room had a question for Maya. Well, everyone but a grumpy-looking reporter in the front row. He was clearly listening, but he didn’t seem all that engaged.

  The publicist called on a guy in the back of the room.

  “What’s your takeaway from the tournament?” the reporter asked. “How was it playing against your idol?”

  “I’m mostly glad I didn’t go home the first day,” Maya said. “Having the chance to play against Donata is more than I could have asked to get out of this tournament. She’s such a powerful competitor. I learned more on that court today than in any training session in my life.”

  The conference continued, with Maya getting more and more comfortable with each question. At one point, Maya stopped being nervous and started talking like she was with friends. She could see herself doing this more often. A lot more often.

  Maya never forgot where she was, of course. She wasn’t with friends. She was in a room full of reporters who liked to make stories out of nothing. She was careful to keep her comments focused on the game and praising her opponent. Maya even managed not to cringe visibly when Nicole King’s name came up.

  All in all, the press conference wasn’t nearly as horrible as she’d been dreading. In fact, it was kind of fun. By the time the publicist wrapped things up, Maya was surprised to see that they’d run over by five minutes. And people still had questions for her.

  Maya gave an apologetic smile, thanked the reporters, and threw them a wave as she was escorted to the exit at the back of the room. Before she even reached the door, she heard cameras clicking over Donata’s entrance from the front. With all heads turned that way, Maya decided to hang back and watch a bit. It probably wasn’t appropriate, but she didn’t care. She wanted to hear what Donata had to say.

  This time, no one waited to be called to order as the reporters started throwing out questions before Donata even sat in the chair that Maya had just vacated.

  “Now, now,” she said. “There’s enough of me to go around. One at a time, please.” Donata gave them a sly smile and called on the gruff-looking reporter in the front row who hadn’t been interested in asking Maya any questions.

  “Donata,” the reporter said, “your performance so far in this tournament has been your best since your win at the Australian Open over a year ago. Do you think today’s victory will stop some of those articles about you being past your prime?”

  The rudeness level of that question shocked Maya. It was bad enough that people had been writing that about Donata before the match, but to actually call it out to her face was tactless. Maya wasn’t the only one to notice as people shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

  Donata’s laugh broke the growing tension in the room. “Oh, Maxie! I think you’re in a better position to answer that question. Will my performance today stop you from writing those articles?” Her infectious smile had everyone in the room laughing along with her, including the obnoxious reporter, Maxie.

  “And before you all decide that my showing today was because I had a weak opponent, let me stop you right there.” Donata looked to the back of the room, flashing Maya a warm smile before turning her attention back to the press. “Maya Hart is one of the most intense players I’ve gone up against since I first set foot on a court. She has a slice serve that draws you out to the doubles lines like I have never seen before. When you start up those boring stories again about my potential ‘successor,’ you be sure to include this girl’s name on your lists.”

  It was an incredible endorsement. Reporters had been writing those “boring stories” about “the next Donata Zajacova” for years, but this was the first time the world-famous pro had actually commented on any of it.

  Maya wanted to run up to the front to thank Donata. She didn’t care if it stopped the press conference. It was the single best thing anyone had ever said about her ever. Maya must have looked like she was about a half second from making that run up to the dais, because the publicist’s assistant politely, yet firmly, pulled her out of the room with an offer of something almost as exciting as Donata’s endorsement.

  Maya had to force herself to stop replaying the press conference over in her mind. She’d drive herself crazy second-guessing her answers and wondering what else Donata might be saying about her right at that moment. There was no point going over it all, since nothing could be done about it now. Instead, she focused on more important things, like calling her parents.

  The publicity assistant had been kind enough to let Maya use the phone in his boss’s office. Maya had wanted to stick around to talk to Donata after the press conference, but she was told that the tennis star had to rush to some one-on-one interviews. The trade-off was that Maya finally had the chance to call home.

  Not having an international calling plan on her cell phone meant that Maya hadn’t been able to speak with any friends or family since she arrived for the tournament. Toronto was
about a thousand miles closer to Syracuse than she was when she was at school in Florida, but she couldn’t afford to make a simple call home because of the invisible line separating the United States from Canada.

  None of that mattered now that she had an actual phone tied to someone else’s bill. She dialed the familiar number that she’d learned in kindergarten. It was one of the few numbers she had memorized without having to look it up on her phone.

  “Maya!” her mom’s voice yelled as soon as she picked up.

  Maya looked down at the unfamiliar phone on the desk. “Mom? How did you know it was me?”

  “How many other people would be calling from a Canadian area code?”

  “Oh, yeah. Right.” Maya gave herself a mental slap in the head. “Guess what?”

  “You and Donata Zajacova had the longest women’s match in the history of the Ontario Open!”

  Maya looked down at the phone again. Caller ID couldn’t possibly have told her all that.

  “I’ve been following the tournament online,” her mom explained. “You made the front page of the Sports News Channel website. Well, only Donata’s mentioned on the front page, but you’re in the article that follows after the jump.”

  Maya hadn’t even had a chance to see what people were writing about her. Like the surprise press conference, Maya hadn’t actually thought anyone would be writing about her.

  Maya’s mom relayed the highlights of the articles she’d read so far. It was only basic information on the game, since the reporters and bloggers from the press conference hadn’t started to post their stories yet. Even before Donata complimented Maya, people had already been touting her as “the Next Big Thing.”

  After ten minutes of catching up, Maya heard her father’s voice in the background trying to interrupt. Her mom reluctantly said her good-bye and handed over the phone.

  “Hey there, Ace!”

  “Dad!” Maya practically yelled into the phone. “You would have loved it. Donata Zajacova knows my name!”

  “Of course she does,” he replied. “Pretty soon everyone will.”

  Maya’s dad was even prouder than her mom, if that was possible. She’d really won the prize when it came to supportive parents. Maya suspected that there weren’t many others who would let their teenage daughter move to another state to pursue her dream and travel the globe with only minimal adult supervision.