To France With Love
Lessons and Meetings
I came in early for work the next day. Today was the first day that we were allowed to play on the outdoor courts. I walked into the pro shop and saw Tyler.
"Hey Ty." I said. "You're lookin' dapper in your fresh new whites!" He laughed.
"Why thank you." He rolled his eyes. "So are you." I walked behind the desk to see my schedule for the day. I was teaching a lesson at nine o'clock for the Kittson twins, two girls that looked exactly the same. Then I was going to play with Tammie Summers, the wife of some CEO of some company who liked to play (and win). I let her win most of the points, anything to keep the members happy. Then I had a lunch break. Next I had a lesson with a five-year old girl whose pushy parents want her to be Olympic ready by the time she was 8, the girl had other plans. Finally, the best part of my day, my practice with Tyler, emphasis on MY.
I ran on my every morning and if we were both here early enough, Tyler and I would hit some together, but the end of the day was my time to actually practice. That time couldn't come any faster.
I breezed through my first lesson and my weekly match with Tammie. Then Tyler and I had our lunch. Then I finished up my last lesson with the girl whose parents were pushing her into the sport, and endured a talk with her mother about college tennis and pro stuff while her daughter tried to make a castle out of the rocks on the clay court.
Finally it was time for my lesson. I walked back into the pro shop to find Ty. Tyler and I weren't't the only pros there. There was Madison, the youngest (and biggest) guy who taught here, Hank, who was the oldest and most experienced pro, and Neil, who had worked here for a while.
"Hey Maddie!" I said. I usually teased Madison. Calling him Maddie was hilarious to me, because he was a foot taller than me and way stronger than me, and Maddie sounded like a cutesy little girl's name. "You seen Tyler?"
"Yes, Emelie." He said. He was a good sport. "He's in the staff locker room." I didn't usually go in the staff locker room. I was the only girl, so I stored my stuff in the women's locker room. I talked to Madison while I waited for Ty.
"Did ya hear that I played with Maria Kirilenko yesterday?" I asked.
"Yeah I did." He answered. "She hits well, doesn't she?"
"Yep." I said. "She told me I was good, just sayin" The other pros and I were really close. We went to lunch with each other a lot and talk about pretty much anything.
"That's nice." He said.
"Are you jealous?" I asked.
"Not at all." Said Madison.
"You're jealous." I said as Tyler walked out of the locker room.
"Sounds like you're jealous." Said Ty to Madison as he grabbed a cart of balls for our practice. Ty and I laughed as Madison rolled his eyes.
.................................................................................................
My practice with Ty went really well by the time we were done I was sweating like crazy and panting. We didn't really put a time limit on practices. We just finished when we finished. Today, we played lots of points, we had been out there for three hours. I grabbed my racket and a towel and headed into the pro shop to gather my stuff before I left.
I walked into the pro shop and saw Maria standing at the desk she looked over at me. "Dad, this is who I tell you about." I was confused. I knew Maria's dad was her coach, but was she really telling him about me? Maria motioned for me to walk over.
"I'm Emelie." I said. I shook hands with her father.
"Yes." Said Maria's father. "I am Yuri. Do you have coach?"
Yes." I said. "He should be right behind me." The shop door opened. "Ty." I motioned him over. "This is my coach, Tyler."
"Good to meet you." Said Yuri. "Maria talk to me about Emelie. Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah sure." Said Tyler. "Maria, Emelie. Why don't you go hit some serves. I left a cart out on court 2." I nodded.
Maria and I walked outside. "What are they talking about?" I asked Maria.
"I just told him how good you are. I don't know exactly what he say to Tyler." She said.
"Thanks." I said. "You really thought I'm good?" I was so flattered and excited. I almost didn't know what to say.
"Yes." Said Maria. "You young too." Maria and I hit serves on the court when Ty and Yuri walked on the court.
"You right." Said Yuri. "She is good."
"Hey Ty." I said. "You're lookin' dapper in your fresh new whites!" He laughed.
"Why thank you." He rolled his eyes. "So are you." I walked behind the desk to see my schedule for the day. I was teaching a lesson at nine o'clock for the Kittson twins, two girls that looked exactly the same. Then I was going to play with Tammie Summers, the wife of some CEO of some company who liked to play (and win). I let her win most of the points, anything to keep the members happy. Then I had a lunch break. Next I had a lesson with a five-year old girl whose pushy parents want her to be Olympic ready by the time she was 8, the girl had other plans. Finally, the best part of my day, my practice with Tyler, emphasis on MY.
I ran on my every morning and if we were both here early enough, Tyler and I would hit some together, but the end of the day was my time to actually practice. That time couldn't come any faster.
I breezed through my first lesson and my weekly match with Tammie. Then Tyler and I had our lunch. Then I finished up my last lesson with the girl whose parents were pushing her into the sport, and endured a talk with her mother about college tennis and pro stuff while her daughter tried to make a castle out of the rocks on the clay court.
Finally it was time for my lesson. I walked back into the pro shop to find Ty. Tyler and I weren't't the only pros there. There was Madison, the youngest (and biggest) guy who taught here, Hank, who was the oldest and most experienced pro, and Neil, who had worked here for a while.
"Hey Maddie!" I said. I usually teased Madison. Calling him Maddie was hilarious to me, because he was a foot taller than me and way stronger than me, and Maddie sounded like a cutesy little girl's name. "You seen Tyler?"
"Yes, Emelie." He said. He was a good sport. "He's in the staff locker room." I didn't usually go in the staff locker room. I was the only girl, so I stored my stuff in the women's locker room. I talked to Madison while I waited for Ty.
"Did ya hear that I played with Maria Kirilenko yesterday?" I asked.
"Yeah I did." He answered. "She hits well, doesn't she?"
"Yep." I said. "She told me I was good, just sayin" The other pros and I were really close. We went to lunch with each other a lot and talk about pretty much anything.
"That's nice." He said.
"Are you jealous?" I asked.
"Not at all." Said Madison.
"You're jealous." I said as Tyler walked out of the locker room.
"Sounds like you're jealous." Said Ty to Madison as he grabbed a cart of balls for our practice. Ty and I laughed as Madison rolled his eyes.
.................................................................................................
My practice with Ty went really well by the time we were done I was sweating like crazy and panting. We didn't really put a time limit on practices. We just finished when we finished. Today, we played lots of points, we had been out there for three hours. I grabbed my racket and a towel and headed into the pro shop to gather my stuff before I left.
I walked into the pro shop and saw Maria standing at the desk she looked over at me. "Dad, this is who I tell you about." I was confused. I knew Maria's dad was her coach, but was she really telling him about me? Maria motioned for me to walk over.
"I'm Emelie." I said. I shook hands with her father.
"Yes." Said Maria's father. "I am Yuri. Do you have coach?"
Yes." I said. "He should be right behind me." The shop door opened. "Ty." I motioned him over. "This is my coach, Tyler."
"Good to meet you." Said Yuri. "Maria talk to me about Emelie. Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah sure." Said Tyler. "Maria, Emelie. Why don't you go hit some serves. I left a cart out on court 2." I nodded.
Maria and I walked outside. "What are they talking about?" I asked Maria.
"I just told him how good you are. I don't know exactly what he say to Tyler." She said.
"Thanks." I said. "You really thought I'm good?" I was so flattered and excited. I almost didn't know what to say.
"Yes." Said Maria. "You young too." Maria and I hit serves on the court when Ty and Yuri walked on the court.
"You right." Said Yuri. "She is good."