Angela swung the racquet as hard as she could with the backhand swing. She connected with the tennis ball strongly, sending the ball sailing over the net. It landed just before going out of bounds and grabbing the point. Rachel Williams finished rolling into the fence; she had dove for the ball giving a valiant effort, but it was just outside of her reach. Angela had hit the ball too hard. It was like a rocket and she felt lucky it had landed in bounds.

“Yes!” Naomi shouted, rushing over and slapping Angela a high five. “Way to go, bitch!”

Angela was not sure whether she should feel insulted, but Naomi’s riotous laughter was rather infectious as she wrapped her arms around her and practically lifted her off the court. She, Naomi, Rachel, and Natalie had decided to spend the Saturday playing doubles on the tennis court. It was something Angela and Naomi had been doing since high school together and later on they brought the other two girls on board as well. Playing doubles was always more fun than playing singles anyway.

“You got lucky on that one!” Natalie said.

“Luck? There is no luck with Team Victory!” Naomi yelled. Angela looked around a little embarrassed. Naomi was the only girl she knew who would yell and scream at a sporting event as much as a drunk frat boy.

“Oh, come on. You barely beat us,” Rachel said, walking to the net and rubbing her elbow the whole way.

“You okay?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, I think I’ll live. I should have known I couldn’t get that one,” Rachel said.

“You forget that you’re not Anna Kournikova?” Natalie teased.

“No, I’m way hotter. And I’ve actually won before,” Rachel joked.

The group joined her laughter. Rachel was one of the funniest girls they hung out with, but she was not around that much since her family moved upstate several years before. Her dad was a software developer who had sold a huge piece of software to Microsoft for three hundred million dollars a few years ago. After that, they moved to the Hamptons and the other girls had not really seen Rachel very often.

She was hilarious and way more athletic than the rest of them, but Angela had a few good moments on the tennis court that she loved to savior. This was definitely one of them.

“Great shot!”

The voice came from behind them.

Angela thought the voice sounded very familiar but she never dreamed who would be standing there when she turned around. It was Richard.

He was with another man that Angela didn’t recognize. They were both dressed in typical polo shirts and dressy athletic shorts—typical tennis attire for the wealthy elite. Richard looked immaculate as always. The way the sun glistened off his tanned face and the way his clothes clung to his muscular, toned frame was enough to make a woman drool and Angela had to fight her urge to do just that. For a second she forgot that Naomi was standing right beside her.

“Thanks,” Angela said, remembering that Richard had remarked about the shot that she made.

“Fancy seeing you lovely ladies here. Naomi, I thought you were going shopping today?”

“Well, my friends decided we would do this instead. Is that okay with you?” Naomi responded condescendingly.

Richard smiled and laughed it off as both Natalie and Rachel glared at her. They knew that she had a strained relationship with her father, but it was still tiresome to listen to. All anyone ever saw was a sexy, sweet man who loved his daughter. But his love seemed lost on Naomi.

“I don’t believe you’ve met my good friend Teddy Giles,” Richard said, introducing the handsome stranger.

Teddy smiled good-naturedly. Angela noticed that while he might have been good looking, Teddy instantly put out a vibe of someone she would never fully trust. She wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but some people just seemed smarmy.

“Teddy, this is my daughter Naomi, and her friends Angela, Natalie, and Rachel. Great to see you again Rachel.”

Teddy nodded a hello to each one.

“We actually met at the party,” Natalie said with a slight roll to her eyes. Angela could infer from her expression that she had not enjoyed the first time around with Teddy.

“Oh, that’s right,” Teddy said. Angela could tell he didn’t remember her at all.

“Well, it’s good to see that your tennis game has not faded at all, my dear,” Richard said to Naomi.

“Several of us played at school whenever we could,” Naomi responded in her deadpan way. Richard had paid for Naomi to have private instruction since she was six years old until she went away to college. Angela wondered how much Richard hated to see that his daughter was barely an average player after all of the lessons and work she had put into the game over the years. She truly loved to play, but she had been born with the coordination of someone who couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time.

Angela, on the other hand, had never really had any formal instruction. She loved the game, but it had always come fairly easily to her. Although she considered herself to be better than average, she was in no way an amazing player. Still, she could hold her own on the court with just about anyone she had ever played with.

“We’ve got to get going,” Natalie said as she and Rachel began to walk away.

“Bye girls!” Angela said.

They both had family functions they were expected to attend, or so they said. Natalie and Rachel were both somewhat secretive about what they did outside of this friendship group, but it seemed that they always had something else going on that prohibited them from really being a part of things.

“Well, sad to see those two go,” Teddy said as his eyes watched Rachel and Natalie walking away. He was really taking in the view, which only added to his smarmy demeanor.

“I hope you girls aren’t done for the day. Teddy and I are just getting warmed up. Doubles?” Richard said.

“That sounds good to me,” Angela replied. She hoped the enthusiasm in her voice wasn’t too obvious.

“Okay, but I want to be on Teddy’s team,” Naomi said as she walked to her place on the court.

“Fair enough. Besides, too much of our family awesomeness on one team wouldn’t be fair to anyone else competing against us,” Richard joked.

“Dream on, old man,” Teddy replied as he stepped around the net and jogged over to join Naomi.

“I’m still young enough to take you down,” Richard shot back as he and Angela took their places.

When they were out of earshot of the other two, Richard spoke to Angela, “It’s great to see you again,” he said.

“Likewise,” Angela replied in a neutral voice that took an iron will to produce and keep steady.

“I tried to get in touch with you the other day, but I guess you were busy,” Richard said.

“Oh, yeah. It’s been a crazy week,” Angela said. Richard had phoned her twice and left voice mail messages both times. She almost called him back but she was really busy with work, and she was also busy playing a little bit hard to get. Angela had never really been the type to play games, but something told her that this time she needed to remain a bit aloof. She trusted Richard and what he had told her about himself and that he was not quite the man most people thought he was, but still, words and actions were not the same things.

So Angela decided to just play this one by ear and let things work out as they may. She was not in any rush, even though she had thought about him and his sweet touch almost constantly. Even at work when she was supposed to be concentrating on something else she found her mind drifting and wandering back to that hansom cab ride and those sweet kisses. Every time she thought about it, her whole body got a little bit warm and she almost started to perspire.

The effect that just the thought of this man had on her was a bit frightening and overwhelming.  But no matter how much she wanted to give in she was adamant about forcing herself to take it slow and make Richard prove himself to her. She was seriously considering letting him be the first to initiate her into the ways of physical love, but she had to be sure. He had to prove that she was not just one of his throwaways. He had to prove that he wanted her.

“I hear that, but you can’t work all the time. It’s not healthy for the soul,” Richard remarked.

“Says the biggest workaholic I know,” Angela retorted.

“Touché,” Richard replied.

“You guys ready?!” Naomi shouted.

Angela and Richard raised their hands as Naomi tossed the ball up and hit a strong serve that sailed over the net. Richard instantly sprang into action and returned the ball back across the net, sailing right past the feet of Teddy who watched it swoosh by him with a dumbfounded look on his face.

“That was great,” Angela gasped.

Richard winked at her.

She tried to hold back the blush, which only intensified as Richard performed athletic feat after athletic feat, dominating the court and making all of them feel like they had no business being out there. Angela was amazed at the physical prowess of the man. He was moving with agility and strength that a man fifteen years younger could not have mustered. The man was a sexy machine that was for sure.

After the third game, Angela and Naomi were completely beat and they all decided to call it quits. Angela and Richard had won each and every game by a large margin. Naomi and Teddy were getting increasingly frustrated and by the third game were bickering like some old married couple. If there was any romantic spark between them at all to begin with (with Naomi there was a chance of that with any somewhat good-looking, successful guy in her vicinity) it had all been dashed to smithereens by the middle of the second match. It was rather entertaining to see how flustered they were.

Angela felt that she held her own and she had made several great shots, but nothing like what Richard had accomplished. He might have won the game if she had not even been there. There was not one ball that got past him if it landed anywhere near him.

“Well, this has been fun,” Teddy said, trying to not appear as out of breath as he clearly was. “Richard, old friend, I’ve got to be off. I have a lunch date scheduled with a lady friend of mine.”

Richard shook Teddy’s hand. Teddy said goodbye and nodded politely at Naomi before making his departure. Angela wondered how much of what Teddy did was a complete act and fabrication. He reminded her of some old, stately British gentleman when he was just a kid from a wealthy section of Queens.

“I’m going to take off too,” Naomi said. “I’ll see you later Angela.”

Angela observed Richard’s face as his only daughter walked away without so much as a goodbye; it was cold and Angela felt bad for him. His eyes were still beaming with pride and love for the daughter who practically ignored him. It was a horrible situation and Angela was not sure how much longer she could continue biting her tongue with Naomi. The girl needed a wake-up call in the worst possible way.

“I thought she was getting better,” Angela said.

“What?” Richard asked, moved from his thoughts.

“Well, with the party and everything she seemed like she finally was starting to break down some of the walls that she has built between you two all these years. That speech you gave was beautiful and I saw some love and tears in her eyes for the first time in a while. What happened?”

“She did weaken briefly. She got caught up in the emotion of everything, but one good night’s sleep and waking up in a different environment was all that was needed for the old Naomi to come back into the picture. It’s okay. I didn’t think it was going to work miracles. I didn’t do it hoping to win her over; I did it because I love her and I wanted her and everyone else to see how proud I am of my little girl who is a little girl no longer.”

“That’s what I’m talking about. I know how much you love her. How can she not see it? How can she not feel that bond that you have with her?”

“I think she does feel it. And it pisses her off.”

“Why?”

“Because it reminds her that she is directing her anger towards the wrong person. She refuses to believe anything bad about her mother. Since she was old enough to form her own thoughts and opinions, Stephanie has been her whole world and when she just up and left the family behind, Naomi didn’t know how to process that. So she just lashed out at me. And she’s still doing it. She’s a grown woman, she knows what she’s doing is wrong, but her fear and her pain won’t let her give in. She’s terrified of what might happen inside of her if it did.”

“I wish some of your insight would rub off on my parents,” Angela said.

“Your parents are good people. A little misguided at times, as all parents are, but you know that when it comes to you they’re convinced that they’re always doing the right thing.”

Angela blushed. “You’re right. I hate that about you. Why are you always right about everything?” she teased.

Richard blushed slightly, “I’m not always right. I like to think that I know what is right when I see it, but there are times when I don’t have all the answers. It’s just something that comes along with time. You’ll get there.”

“What? Are you saying I’m too young to be so insightful?” Angela teased.

“No, I’m saying you’re too young to become this embittered and disillusioned with the world,” Richard replied.

“Okay, well that’s better, I guess. I do like to keep my positivity and I hope it stays around for a good long while.”

“I’m sure it will. Did Nick send you the pictures yet?”

Angela felt her face start to glow. “Yes! He did. They’re fantastic. I can’t believe it’s really me!”

“Of course it’s you. I told you: you have the kind of raw talent that is given to the very few.”

“Oh, I bet you say that to all the girls,” Angela said. She felt weird reciting such a clichéd line but she was too tired to really think of anything wittier. She was a bit preoccupied thinking about just sliding down into a warm, sweet bubble bath. That would hit the spot. It would hit the spot even better if the sexy Richard Kane would join her. But she knew it was too soon for that, far too soon. But it was definitely in the cards for the future.  She could tell that.

“Only the ones named Angela Walters,” Richard said with a smile.

“So, what are you up to the rest of the day?” Angela asked. She felt odd that she had let that slip out of her mouth, but she had been so taken aback by the blushing comments he just said that she let slip the first thing that came to her mind.

“No plans really,” Richard said. “What did you have in mind?”

“I didn’t have anything in mind; I was just making conversation. You’re a very curious individual,” Angela said, admiring her own remarkable ability to improvise and cover the slip up so well.

“Well, it just so happens I do have a very busy day planned. I have a golf game in a bit with a few colleagues of mine. It’s mostly fun, but of course, when it involves colleagues there’s going to be some business done at some point. So it’s a little boring, but not totally. Do you play?”

“Golf? Oh, I have played, but I’m really not that into it. My dad loves it, though. He used to drag me to play it every Sunday when I was a kid. For some reason, it was his way of having strong father-daughter time.”

“Well, that is an important thing to get. It’s not always easy for fathers to relate to daughters on their own level, so we reach out at anything we can possibly think of to bond over. It’s rarely successful, but daughters need to be aware that we are trying and that they should love us for it.”

Angela smiled at Richard, “I guess I never really thought of it that way, but I do hate the game. It’s too much walking around and accomplishing nothing.”

“You just have to appreciate the quiet nature of the game. It’s really more about communing with nature than anything else, I think.”

“Maybe, I’ll give it a shot sometime. I have to go, but it was great seeing you again.”

“Sure thing. Let’s get together this week some night. I’m not taking no for an answer; no excuses,” Richard said with a smile.

Angela shook her head. The man was impossible and she loved that about him. That was the kind of persistence she was looking for.

“Okay, it’s a date.”

“Great. I’ll say hi to your dad when I see him,” Richard said.

“When will that be?”

“In about two hours on the golf course,” Richard said with a wink as he walked away.

Angela felt strange suddenly. She wondered if anything about her would come up during the golf game and who else might be in on this game. She knew that it shouldn’t matter; after all, she was a grown woman and if she wanted to allow Richard Kane to pursue her then that was her own business, but for some reason, she felt like she was doing something naughty that her father was going to punish her for.

Of course, his punishment typically meant he would lecture her to death. She was surprised her own father had not become a lawyer. Not only did he have the analytical brain for it and the innate ability to tell when anyone was not being completely truthful about something, but he could talk and talk about a simple topic until you were so sick of hearing it that you would say whatever he wanted just to get him to shut the hell up.

As Angela walked back to the locker room she thought about Naomi and how she was going to blow up if she knew about her and Richard. It was not going to be a pretty scene and it was possible she might lose a friendship over it—at least initially—but she had decided it was worth it. It was not worth it because she was already falling in love with Richard, but it was worth it because she knew that this was not anyone else’s business and no one really had the right to be upset about it. Especially Naomi. Her father could do what he wanted and Angela could do what she wanted. If Naomi was willing to dissolve their friendship over something so silly then that was just her problem. Angela was tired of thinking about it and worrying. Besides, it was still too early to tell what was going to happen with it all.

She kept using the term ‘falling in love’ when she thought about Richard. Was it true? Did she really feel that way? She still hardly knew the man in that way, but with what she already knew and the way she had found herself becoming fixated on him over the past few years, it really didn’t feel that fast. She felt like it was something that was slowly brewing for quite some time and now it was ready. This was the time to experience the love that was possible for the two of them to feel.

But did Richard feel the same way? That was a different story. He was naturally flirty and full of confidence so it was tough to tell when he was being seductive intentionally or when he was being himself, which was also very seductive—he probably wasn’t even really aware of it.

Angela finished her shower and changed back into her street clothes. Then she went to the mall to do some shopping; that always took her mind off things.

And that was exactly what she needed now.