Love Match Read online

  “Maya?” Travis asked. He’d have to be blind not to notice her looking away like that.

  “Sure,” she said tentatively. “We can be friends.”

  “Great!” He put a casual arm around her. “As friends, I think we need a round of drinks to celebrate your not victory.”

  “Yeah,” she said as they headed for the bar. “To my not victory.”

  Travis ordered cocktails for Maya and the girls. The Underground specialized in nonalcoholic concoctions that were just as tasty, but without the hangover aftereffects.

  Following a toast to the nonvictory that was tastier than her earlier cupcake toast, Maya pulled Travis into a private conversation. “I’m glad you came over,” she said. “That took some guts knowing how things have been.”

  “I wanted to give you time,” he said. “And I hoped that with some distance you’d realize I wasn’t part of Nicole’s plan to break you and Jake up. Not a willing participant, at any rate. I’m sorry I put you in that position and I’m truly sorry that Nicole was able to use me to get to you.”

  “I know,” Maya said, even though she still didn’t know for sure. “And thanks. I’m glad you came over to say that. It was … brave.”

  Travis looked unusually shy. “Well, in the interest of honesty in our friendship, I should admit there is an ulterior motive. I have a message to deliver from Dad.”

  It was never a good thing when Nails Reed had a message for her.

  “He wants to see you in his office first thing tomorrow,” Travis said. “Didn’t tell me why.”

  Of course, the only thing worse than a message from Nails was a request for a face-to-face meeting. Once again, the Academy was beginning to feel like home. Except this time, she was afraid of being grounded.

  Chapter 4

  At her old school, Maya had only seen the principal when it was time for an assembly. Maybe she ran into the woman once or twice in the halls, but she’d never actually spoken with her. And she’d certainly never been called to the principal’s office. Maya had only been at the Academy for a few months and she’d already logged more face time with this principal than she had in all her schools combined since kindergarten.

  It probably wasn’t right to think of Nails as the principal. He was more of a “headmaster.” Whatever the correct terminology, he was the head guy in charge and it was never a good thing to be summoned to his office. On the bright side, she didn’t have a security escort this time. That was an improvement.

  The door opened and Nails flashed her the smile that used to gleam with an extra CGI sparkle in toothpaste commercials. “Maya!”

  “Hi, Mr. Reed,” she said as he ushered her into his office. Maya still wasn’t quite comfortable in there, no matter how plush the smooth leather chairs were. And they were pretty plush.

  “Congratulations on your showing in Toronto,” Nails said. “It’s impressive to see how much of an impact the Academy has had on your game.”

  Maya blinked twice. That sounded a lot more like a compliment to himself and his school than it was to her and her accomplishments. “Thanks?”

  “Nothing makes me happier than seeing a student making the most of her time with us,” Nails added. “To think how far you’ve come in such a short amount of time, I expect you’ll be giving Ms. King a run for her money soon enough.”

  “I’m just here to play,” Maya said. She didn’t want to give him any ammunition to use against her by letting on that she had issues with Nicole.

  Nails nodded. “Yes, that’s how we all start out. Only thinking about the game. But I’m sure you’ve come to see by now how much work it takes to play these games.”

  Maya honestly had no clue what he was talking about.

  “Just look at my son. He puts in more effort than the average student. Not because he’s my son. Because he knows that’s what it takes to succeed.”

  Maya didn’t have to ask which son he was talking about. Nails rarely brought up Jake as an example, unless it was a bad example. That was one of the things that drew her to Jake in the first place. Maya felt like she was the only one who saw him for who he really was instead of the guy his father made him out to be.

  Nails still had to drive his point home. “Travis is there for the school every time I ask. Heck, he’s there before I ask: leading tours for prospective students; mentoring younger classmates; standing in for me at events when I’m unavailable.”

  Maya nodded along with the list of Travis’s accomplishments. She already knew most of it. Travis worked his butt off. There was no doubt that he did it to make himself a better student athlete all around, but Nails was fooling himself if he didn’t realize Travis did it mainly to please his father.

  “With those things in mind,” Nails continued, “your school needs a favor.”

  Finally, he’d come to the point. It must be a doozy of a favor, considering all the lead-up. Did he want her family to make some kind of donation? He knew better than anyone that she was at the Academy on a scholarship.

  “We have a new student,” Nails said. “Someone you’ve already met. Diego?”

  Maya had almost forgotten all about Diego and the whirlwind trip to Rio with Travis. So much had happened between then and now. It was weeks after Diego said he’d be ready to start at the school. But what could Nails want from her? Diego played soccer. Did he want her to give him a school tour?

  “I’m hosting a small reception to welcome him tomorrow night,” Nails continued. “Just a few faculty members, the soccer coaches, nothing major. I was hoping to have a familiar face there for him. Would you be free to join us?”

  That was it? That was what he’d called her to his office for? To invite her to a party? “Sure,” she said.

  Nails’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. A brief look of surprise crossed his face before he regained his composure. He was smart enough to realize that Maya caught the expression and it now hung between them like an unanswered question. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m accustomed to negotiating these kinds of things with the students. With Nicole it usually takes several rounds of offers and counteroffers before she agrees to help the school. I don’t often get a yes on the first try from anyone who is not my son.”

  “It sounds like fun,” Maya said. Actually, a stuffy reception with the faculty sounded like the exact opposite of fun, but she looked forward to seeing Diego. It wasn’t that long ago since she was new at the Academy. She still remembered how overwhelmed she’d felt. It would have been nice to see a familiar face when she arrived.

  She also would have liked a small reception in her honor, if she was being completely honest.

  “Kicked out again?” Cleo sat curled up in a ball on the edge of the fountain outside of the Administration building. Her eyes remained focused on the screen of her phone as Maya stood over her.

  “You can’t get a single that easily,” Maya replied. “You’re stuck with me, roomie.”

  Cleo finally looked up. “So what was it about? Did he bring you in for a meaningful conversation about his sons?”

  Maya let that one go. “He invited me to a party.”

  “No. Seriously.” Cleo read the look on Maya’s face. “Seriously? He wants you to go to a party? He couldn’t just text you?”

  “I guess he wanted to make me feel obligated to go before he asked.”

  “That sounds like a Reed.”

  Maya filled Cleo in on the invitation as they walked to class.

  “Sounds boring,” Cleo said.

  “Yeah, but if the biggest favor the school is going to ask for is for me to attend a party—”

  Cleo stopped on the walkway so suddenly that she nearly took out a skateboarder who’d been maneuvering to slip around them. “What makes you think that’s the only favor he’s going to ask for? Maya, you’re not even anybody yet and Nails wants stuff from you. I hate to say this, but imagine what it’s going to be like when you’re at Nicole’s level.”

  “But you’re already at Nicole’s level
,” Maya reminded her. “You actually won your tournament.”

  “A junior tournament,” Cleo reminded her right back. “It’s not about wins and losses. It’s about being the whole package. Look at you! You’re the package. I’m just … me.”

  “Cleo—”

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Cleo quickly added. “I like my particular package. But the school won’t be trotting me out for any photo ops. Not the Wicked Witch of the Green.”

  “Don’t say that about yourself!”

  “I didn’t. Grant Adams did.” Cleo handed her phone to Maya. That stupid blog was up on the screen. The headline of the latest post was the exact line that Cleo just quoted. The article went downhill from there.

  Maya shut off the phone, as if making the blog disappear from the screen would take it off the Internet. “What has that guy got against you?”

  “Probably broke his heart to find out I was into girls and would never give him the time of day.”

  “Cleo, I’m into guys and I’d never give that jerk a second glance. He’s probably some loser who lives in his mother’s basement watching the Golf Channel all day.”

  “I was thinking he’s locked away in the attic,” Cleo said. “Where he’s forced to be quiet when his parents have friends over so nobody knows he exists.”

  “No, they keep him in the doghouse, where—”

  “Maya?”

  Maya was horrified to think someone had overheard their conversation. She was even more horrified to turn and see that it was Nicole’s agent.

  “Jordan?” Great. Nicole must have complained about Maya slipping into the locker room after the final. Jordan was probably there to tell her to stay away from her client.

  “Isn’t this fortuitous, running into you here?” The pleasant tone of Jordan’s voice didn’t sound like there was a warning on the horizon, but Maya kept her guard up. Cleo, meanwhile, had totally frozen in place unable to speak. Her eyes bugged out like she was excited to be in the presence of royalty.

  “Are you looking for Nicole?” Maya asked. It seemed unlikely since Nicole didn’t have any morning classes. Jordan, of all people, would know something like that.

  “No,” Jordan said. “Nicole isn’t my only client on campus, you know.”

  Maya hadn’t known that, actually, but it made sense. An agent as powerful as Jordan must have clients all over the world.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t have a chance to chat at the Open this weekend,” Jordan continued. “You played very well.”

  “Thank you.”

  “It got me thinking, actually,” Jordan said. “I’m always on the hunt for new talent. Call me sometime if you want to talk.” A business card appeared in Jordan’s hand, almost like magic. Just as suddenly, the card found its way into Maya’s palm.

  “Chat later?” Jordan said in lieu of good-bye.

  Maya watched her walk off, as speechless as Cleo.

  “What was that?” Maya finally asked when she found her voice.

  “Oh, nothing much,” Cleo said. “Just one of the top agents in the business wants you to be her client!” She punctuated her statement by slapping Maya on the arm.

  “Ow!” Maya rubbed the spot that was already turning pink. The golfer obviously didn’t know her own strength. “Oh, come on. She was just being nice.”

  “Maya, I’ve never met her, but Jordan Cromwell doesn’t exactly have a reputation for nice. More like for being a barracuda.”

  Maya slipped the card into her purse. “She probably gives these cards out all the time. If she was really interested in me, she would have set up an appointment or something. She just ran into me.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Cleo asked. “Oh, wait. I forgot. You’re still new.”

  Maya had been at the school for a couple months, but Cleo was right. Most of the time Maya felt like she’d just stepped off the bus.

  “Let me break it down for you,” Cleo said. “Jordan comes to the tennis courts. She’s on the fields, the pools, even stops by the greens from time to time. Occasionally you might see her in the Admin building. But I have never, ever caught of glimpse of her by the classroom buildings. Nails likes to keep the academics away from the business side of things. Most agents don’t care about that, so you see them all over the place. But Jordan Cromwell respects the system. That’s why she gets the first call about students to watch for. She doesn’t want to mess that up by crossing the line.”

  “You think Nails called her about me?”

  “You really think she needed a call? You’re the story out of Toronto, not Nicole. I can’t say what’s going on behind the scenes, but I do know one thing: running into Jordan here was no accident.”

  Maya pulled Jordan’s business card back out of her purse. It was just a small piece of white card stock with some writing on it and a company logo. Nothing special. And yet, suddenly, Maya felt like she was holding on to a golden ticket.

  Chapter 5

  It was shaping up to be a week’s worth of British entertainment for Maya. On Monday she’d gotten a golden ticket. By Tuesday evening she felt like she’d been transported into an old-time English drama.

  The Reed mansion was far more contemporary than a British estate, but to Maya, who grew up in a cramped two-bedroom house, it was as big as a castle. But that wasn’t the reason she felt like they’d all been transported back in time.

  To make Diego feel welcome, Nails had suggested his guests greet the new student when the car they’d sent for him pulled up to the house. Maya was stuck shivering in the chilly night air along with some of her teachers and people she’d never met before waiting for the car to arrive. Surrounded by faculty and coaches, she was probably the only one who felt like part of the serving staff.

  Jake was nowhere to be seen, which was likely Nails’s doing. He would never straight-up tell his son that he wasn’t invited. That’s not the way Nails operated. He would just talk about the party around Jake until it became obvious that he wasn’t getting an invitation. Then Jake would do the rest by making himself scarce.

  Maya didn’t like that she knew so much about the inner workings of the Reed family, but in this case she didn’t really mind the result. She wasn’t ready to deal with both Reed brothers in such a public setting.

  Travis not being at the party was the real surprise. It was exactly the kind of thing Nails liked his favored son to be involved in. Maya wasn’t exactly excited about seeing Travis, but they were trying to be friends. She could use a friend right now. Making small talk with adults she barely knew was not a skill she possessed.

  After what felt like an eternity, but was probably less than five minutes, a limousine pulled up the long driveway. It was a far cry from the bus that dropped Maya off outside the Academy and probably total overkill for Diego. His life was less privileged than hers. Arriving in a limousine to a mansion with a group of semi-formally dressed people would have intimidated the heck out of her.

  The limo stopped at the foot of the stairs and the driver got out and double-timed it to the rear passenger door. He opened the door with a flourish and for a moment Maya felt like she should applaud. She wasn’t the only one leaning forward waiting for Diego to make his grand entrance. It all felt so forced. And pointless, considering no one got out of the car.

  Maya wondered if Diego had slipped out of the limo on the ride up the nearly endless driveway. He might have taken one look at what was waiting for him and ditched. Maya wouldn’t have blamed him. But the driver surely would have noticed. He wouldn’t continue to stand there, awkwardly, holding on to the door.

  Seconds stretched into minutes with no sign of Diego. The receiving line outside the Reed estate wasn’t exactly welcoming, but the Diego she’d met down in Rio didn’t seem the type to be easily intimidated. He couldn’t possibly be afraid to come out, could he?

  Finally she saw some movement inside the car. Everyone else must have seen it, too. The shuffling feet stopped and they all turned their attention back to the car.
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  Travis’s head popped out the door, solving that particular mystery. Of course he’d gone to pick up Diego at the airport. The welcome carpet was probably rolled all the way across the city.

  Travis held up the “one moment” finger to his father before disappearing back into the darkened interior. Nails remained stone-faced, as if he was used to this kind of thing.

  Maya considered suggesting that they should all wait inside, but she was too afraid to speak up. This group intimidated her, and they weren’t even looking in her direction.

  Scratch that. One set of eyes had fallen on her: Nails’s. She could only assume it was his way of asking for help. Maya wasn’t sure what she could do, but she reluctantly stepped forward and made her way to the limo.

  Now Maya had all eyes on her. If this was anything like what Diego felt inside the limo, she didn’t blame him for staying in there. It was uncomfortable to the max.

  “Hello?” she tentatively asked as she peeked in the door.

  She was unprepared for what she saw inside. Instead of a frustrated Travis trying to coax a reluctant Diego out of the limo, she found them both playing a video game on the small TV in the back. Diego seemed completely unaware that anyone was waiting for him, but Travis’s eyes pleaded with Maya to do something.

  “Mind if I come in?” she asked.

  Diego’s eyes darted to her for a split second. “Maya! Get in here. Grab that controller. Travis sucks at this game.”

  Maya slipped into the car and took the controller from Travis. The back of the limo was roomy enough that they could probably host the party in there. They had games, music, and even a minibar. It was far more comfortable than the Reed estate.

  Maya took control of Travis’s robot character. She didn’t recognize the game and had no clue what she was supposed to do. “You do know people are waiting, right?”

  “Yep.” Diego pounded on his controller as red laser beams filled the screen. “You’re really bad at this.”