Welcome to the Jungle
Chapter 1
Casey stared out at the New York skyline admiring how the buildings looked against the summer sunset. Even though she found the city remarkably beautiful she couldn't help but feel uneasy every time she came here.
"Come watch TV with me, Casey," her brother said from the couch as he took the remote from the coffee table.
Casey ignored her brother. She knew he was only trying to make her feel more comfortable about being back in New York City but she was too mesmerized by the lights.
She heard the dull sound of the remote being thrown into the cushion as Carter moved to stand by her.
"I always loved the city," he commented.
Casey could make out his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window and didn't bother to answer her brother. He knew her feelings about this city.
She watched as Carter pressed his face against the glass to peer down at the five practice courts eleven stories below them. He pressed his index finger to the window.
"Look," he said, "someone's practicing."
"I see them," she said as she pressed her own face to the glass and watched the two tiny people move around the tennis court like they were doing some sort of intricate dance.
"I wonder who it could be..." Carter said quietly. Casey could tell he was slowly becoming entranced by watching the two players from above.
"Who knows," she said. Her attention was no longer on the court far below her window but trained now on Arthur Ashe stadium that stood looming in the distance.
After a few moments she felt a tug at her elbow and she looked to see Carter's happy face.
"Let's see if they have anything good on Netflix."
Casey and Carter were laughing hysterically at an old episode of The Office.
"I love Steve Carell. That man knows how to make me laugh," Carter said as he wiped a tear away from his eye.
"Tell me about it," Casey said, finally a smile on her face. "Everyone in this show is fantastic!"
"I know, I know...Stanley and Kevin have the best facial expressions in the world. I love when Kevin just looks sideways at the camera," he said, trying to imitate Kevin's sideways expression.
Casey pushed Carter's face away from hers, giggling the entire time. "I would love to meet John Krasinski."
"Really?" Carter said, "I didn't think tall guys were your type, shorty." He grabbed the top of Casey's head and mussed her hair.
"You don't know anything about my type, Carter," she said, pulling his arm away from her head. She grabbed the remote and started the next episode.
Carter smirked. "I know your type, sis. Trust me on that."
"Oh yeah? Then what is it?"
"Dark, muscular, funny, foreign."
Casey's eyebrow piqued in interest. "Name one person that I've been interested in that looks has all of those things your just described."
Carter's smirk widened. "Novak Djokovic."
Casey's eyes widened and her mouth dropped.
"Told ya I knew." Carter crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch, satisfied at his sister's reaction.
***
"If Dad tells me to put more spin on my second serve the ball's gonna die before it even crosses over the net!" Casey whispered to her brother as they took a seat at the hotel's outside cafe.
"Don't listen to him. Your serves were so good this morning," Carter said as he opened his menu. "As they always are."
"Damn right," she muttered under her breathe as she looked at her menu.
She and Carter had spent all morning practicing together against their hitting partners. They spent most of the time working on double's strategies; this would be the first time since juniors that they were playing mixed doubles in a grand slam.
"I think we have a pretty good chance at the mixed doubles title," Carter mentioned as he scanned down the appetizers. "We are gonna lay a brutal smack down on anyone who steps onto court with us."
The waitress came to take their orders. Casey decided on the turkey club while Carter went for the spaghetti.
"Did you hear, though?" Casey said once the waitress left them alone. She rested her arms on warm surface of the metal table as she leaned closer to her brother.
Carter leaned in too, eager for his sister's gossip.
"Clijsters and Federer are teaming up for mixed doubles this year," she said, watching her brother's face carefully. At first he looked stunned and then he looked as if he were about to throw up.
Carter feared Federer more than any other player on the tour.
"No way!" Carter exclaimed, sitting back in his chair as if Casey's words had blasted him backwards.
"Yep." Casey nodded as she unfolded the cloth napkin on her lap. "Hopefully you'll get over this irrational fear of a man who has been nothing but nice to you."
"I don't exactly qualify beating me sixteen times as being nice," Carter said as their food was set in front of them.
They ate in silence for several minutes before either of them talked.
"So are we not going to discuss what we talked about last night?" Carter said as he coiled noodles around his fork.
Casey shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You should ask him to the party tonight." Carter smiled, glancing up at Casey only to laugh at her expression of total loathing.
The party was for all of the tennis players entered to play the U.S. Open. The annual start-of-the-tournament party held by the two leading sponsor's of the men's and women's tour: Mercedes and Sony Ericsson.
"I barely know him, Carter."
Carter snorted. "You two have been introduced a handful of times and I do believe he kissed you, on both cheeks, at the party after the Olympics."
Casey blushed and became very interested in the applesauce she had dumped on her plate. She couldn't believe Carter had even remembered that party after the 2008 Summer Olympics; he had been so drunk that night showing everyone his silver medal.
"I have his number if you want to call and ask," he said pulling out his iPhone.
"NO!" Casey yelled, leaping up and snatching the phone from Carter's hands. She sat down immediately and threw it into one of the compartments of her tennis bag.
Carter laughed heartily. "I'm only joking. I wouldn't put that sort of pressure on you with the tournament starting in a few days."
Casey grumbled. Her brother sure knew how to make her feel better.
"Who are you taking, Casanova?" she asked, her tone sharp.
"Who do you think? I'm rolling with the boys tonight."
"Oh right, you and Andy are coming out tonight. Won't that be a shock to all the women in the world when you two stroll down the red carpet holding hands."
Carter made a face. "Yeah. Funny."
"Come watch TV with me, Casey," her brother said from the couch as he took the remote from the coffee table.
Casey ignored her brother. She knew he was only trying to make her feel more comfortable about being back in New York City but she was too mesmerized by the lights.
She heard the dull sound of the remote being thrown into the cushion as Carter moved to stand by her.
"I always loved the city," he commented.
Casey could make out his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window and didn't bother to answer her brother. He knew her feelings about this city.
She watched as Carter pressed his face against the glass to peer down at the five practice courts eleven stories below them. He pressed his index finger to the window.
"Look," he said, "someone's practicing."
"I see them," she said as she pressed her own face to the glass and watched the two tiny people move around the tennis court like they were doing some sort of intricate dance.
"I wonder who it could be..." Carter said quietly. Casey could tell he was slowly becoming entranced by watching the two players from above.
"Who knows," she said. Her attention was no longer on the court far below her window but trained now on Arthur Ashe stadium that stood looming in the distance.
After a few moments she felt a tug at her elbow and she looked to see Carter's happy face.
"Let's see if they have anything good on Netflix."
Casey and Carter were laughing hysterically at an old episode of The Office.
"I love Steve Carell. That man knows how to make me laugh," Carter said as he wiped a tear away from his eye.
"Tell me about it," Casey said, finally a smile on her face. "Everyone in this show is fantastic!"
"I know, I know...Stanley and Kevin have the best facial expressions in the world. I love when Kevin just looks sideways at the camera," he said, trying to imitate Kevin's sideways expression.
Casey pushed Carter's face away from hers, giggling the entire time. "I would love to meet John Krasinski."
"Really?" Carter said, "I didn't think tall guys were your type, shorty." He grabbed the top of Casey's head and mussed her hair.
"You don't know anything about my type, Carter," she said, pulling his arm away from her head. She grabbed the remote and started the next episode.
Carter smirked. "I know your type, sis. Trust me on that."
"Oh yeah? Then what is it?"
"Dark, muscular, funny, foreign."
Casey's eyebrow piqued in interest. "Name one person that I've been interested in that looks has all of those things your just described."
Carter's smirk widened. "Novak Djokovic."
Casey's eyes widened and her mouth dropped.
"Told ya I knew." Carter crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch, satisfied at his sister's reaction.
***
"If Dad tells me to put more spin on my second serve the ball's gonna die before it even crosses over the net!" Casey whispered to her brother as they took a seat at the hotel's outside cafe.
"Don't listen to him. Your serves were so good this morning," Carter said as he opened his menu. "As they always are."
"Damn right," she muttered under her breathe as she looked at her menu.
She and Carter had spent all morning practicing together against their hitting partners. They spent most of the time working on double's strategies; this would be the first time since juniors that they were playing mixed doubles in a grand slam.
"I think we have a pretty good chance at the mixed doubles title," Carter mentioned as he scanned down the appetizers. "We are gonna lay a brutal smack down on anyone who steps onto court with us."
The waitress came to take their orders. Casey decided on the turkey club while Carter went for the spaghetti.
"Did you hear, though?" Casey said once the waitress left them alone. She rested her arms on warm surface of the metal table as she leaned closer to her brother.
Carter leaned in too, eager for his sister's gossip.
"Clijsters and Federer are teaming up for mixed doubles this year," she said, watching her brother's face carefully. At first he looked stunned and then he looked as if he were about to throw up.
Carter feared Federer more than any other player on the tour.
"No way!" Carter exclaimed, sitting back in his chair as if Casey's words had blasted him backwards.
"Yep." Casey nodded as she unfolded the cloth napkin on her lap. "Hopefully you'll get over this irrational fear of a man who has been nothing but nice to you."
"I don't exactly qualify beating me sixteen times as being nice," Carter said as their food was set in front of them.
They ate in silence for several minutes before either of them talked.
"So are we not going to discuss what we talked about last night?" Carter said as he coiled noodles around his fork.
Casey shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You should ask him to the party tonight." Carter smiled, glancing up at Casey only to laugh at her expression of total loathing.
The party was for all of the tennis players entered to play the U.S. Open. The annual start-of-the-tournament party held by the two leading sponsor's of the men's and women's tour: Mercedes and Sony Ericsson.
"I barely know him, Carter."
Carter snorted. "You two have been introduced a handful of times and I do believe he kissed you, on both cheeks, at the party after the Olympics."
Casey blushed and became very interested in the applesauce she had dumped on her plate. She couldn't believe Carter had even remembered that party after the 2008 Summer Olympics; he had been so drunk that night showing everyone his silver medal.
"I have his number if you want to call and ask," he said pulling out his iPhone.
"NO!" Casey yelled, leaping up and snatching the phone from Carter's hands. She sat down immediately and threw it into one of the compartments of her tennis bag.
Carter laughed heartily. "I'm only joking. I wouldn't put that sort of pressure on you with the tournament starting in a few days."
Casey grumbled. Her brother sure knew how to make her feel better.
"Who are you taking, Casanova?" she asked, her tone sharp.
"Who do you think? I'm rolling with the boys tonight."
"Oh right, you and Andy are coming out tonight. Won't that be a shock to all the women in the world when you two stroll down the red carpet holding hands."
Carter made a face. "Yeah. Funny."