To France With Love
Racket Bags and a Photo Shoot
Rafa and I walked back to the hotel hand in hand. We stopped along the way to sit on a bench for a rest and to talk for a while. I put my racket bag on the ground. It was getting heavy. The thing was almost as big as I was. I had five rackets in that bag, mostly because I was going to be away for a month. I did tend to bring more for tournaments, though.
I took off my sweater and tied it around my shoulders. It was getting warmer out. Rafa and I decided to walk back to the hotel, get changed, and then go to lunch together and try to sit outside somewhere because it was so nice.
When we stood up he grabbed my bag to carry it for me. It was very sweet for him to carry my stuff as well. Being around pro players and playing lots of tennis, I knew that Rafa had to have like seven or eight rackets in his bag. Those things can get heavy!
"Thanks." I said as I reached to hold his other hand. "When is your first match?"
"The 27th at eleven in the morning." He answered. "Will you come watch?" I laughed.
"Of course I will!" I said nudging his arm. "I'm with Maria. I can go to any match I want." I smiled at him and he squeezed my hand.
....................................................................
"Everything is going so well" I thought to myself after I had gotten back to my room after lunch with Rafa. I changed out if the white jeans and Lily Pulitzer halter that I had worn to lunch and threw on some sweats and a t-shirt.
I had texted Maria right when I got in, and right after I changed I heard an excited knocking at the door. I answered it and let her in. She was smiling, but her expression changed when she saw my outfit.
"I hope that not what you wore to lunch." Said Maria with a frown. I cracked a smile.
"You really think I would wear this to court a guy?" I said while giving her a look. She smiled at me. "Yeah. Didn't think so."
"Okay, better question now. Is that what you're wearing to the photo shoot later?" She asked.
"No!" I laughed. "You're wearing yoga pants! Why am I the one in the wrong."
"Yoga pants and sweats is two way different things!" She giggled.
"Where's Tyler?" I wondered aloud. He was here when I left, but not anymore.
"He and Yuri go to talk about coach things." She answered. "I'm not really sure what that mean, but they've been gone all day. I think Alex went with them" We watched TV until it was time for her to go shower for her photo shoot and I had to change into real clothes, again.
Right after Mari left Ty waltzed in. "Tyler," I said, "What were you doing all day?"
"I talked tennis with Yuri," He said, " and then Alex caught up with us and we did man stuff." I rolled my eyes.
"Well I have to change to accompany Maria to the player photo shoot." I said as I grabbed my clothes and stepped into the bathroom.
...........................................................................
I stood with Yuri in the green room while Maria got her makeup done. We talked about upcoming matches and practice schedules until Maria came in. We followed Maria and the photographer onto the set. Maria Sharapova walked off the set as we came in. She was taking her photos before us.
My Maria worked the camera really well. She posed for some still ones, then took some action shots with her racket. She wore a black Adidas skirt and shirt along with a yellow visor and yellow wristbands.
When she was finished we were going to wait with her in the green room for the players to take group shots. As Maria was finishing up her shoot, and looking at the pictures she had taken, the next player walked in. It was Rafael.
Maria walked over to us and talked to us about the photo shoot, while Rafa walked onto the set to take his photos. I gave him a small smile when I caught his eye. He returned it as we walked out and into the green room.
"Did I look good?" Asked Maria with a flip of her ponytail.
"You looked fabulous." I gushed over dramatically. "I'm really liking the yellow visor."
"I sense sarcasm." She said. "Just because I from Russia, does not mean I don't know sarcasm." I laughed hysterically, while she crossed her arms and pouted. I wrapped my arms around her.
"I seriously do like the visor!" I exclaimed. She giggled and returned my hug.
We were getting closer and closer over these few days. Maybe it was just because I was younger than her or because I lived with boys all my life, but I felt like she was my sister. I mean, that was how sisters acted, right?
...........................................................................
I was having lots of fun in Paris. I celebrated my birthday a few days ago. I was finally nineteen! To celebrate we had dinner like normal, Rafa sat with us. Then we had ice cream cake that Maria had been hiding in the mini fridge in her room. It said "Joyeux Anniversaire Emelie!" Rafa and I stepped out onto the balcony in my room and he gave me a birthday kiss under the stars in Paris, which was any girl's dream. Then he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, of course!
I took off my sweater and tied it around my shoulders. It was getting warmer out. Rafa and I decided to walk back to the hotel, get changed, and then go to lunch together and try to sit outside somewhere because it was so nice.
When we stood up he grabbed my bag to carry it for me. It was very sweet for him to carry my stuff as well. Being around pro players and playing lots of tennis, I knew that Rafa had to have like seven or eight rackets in his bag. Those things can get heavy!
"Thanks." I said as I reached to hold his other hand. "When is your first match?"
"The 27th at eleven in the morning." He answered. "Will you come watch?" I laughed.
"Of course I will!" I said nudging his arm. "I'm with Maria. I can go to any match I want." I smiled at him and he squeezed my hand.
....................................................................
"Everything is going so well" I thought to myself after I had gotten back to my room after lunch with Rafa. I changed out if the white jeans and Lily Pulitzer halter that I had worn to lunch and threw on some sweats and a t-shirt.
I had texted Maria right when I got in, and right after I changed I heard an excited knocking at the door. I answered it and let her in. She was smiling, but her expression changed when she saw my outfit.
"I hope that not what you wore to lunch." Said Maria with a frown. I cracked a smile.
"You really think I would wear this to court a guy?" I said while giving her a look. She smiled at me. "Yeah. Didn't think so."
"Okay, better question now. Is that what you're wearing to the photo shoot later?" She asked.
"No!" I laughed. "You're wearing yoga pants! Why am I the one in the wrong."
"Yoga pants and sweats is two way different things!" She giggled.
"Where's Tyler?" I wondered aloud. He was here when I left, but not anymore.
"He and Yuri go to talk about coach things." She answered. "I'm not really sure what that mean, but they've been gone all day. I think Alex went with them" We watched TV until it was time for her to go shower for her photo shoot and I had to change into real clothes, again.
Right after Mari left Ty waltzed in. "Tyler," I said, "What were you doing all day?"
"I talked tennis with Yuri," He said, " and then Alex caught up with us and we did man stuff." I rolled my eyes.
"Well I have to change to accompany Maria to the player photo shoot." I said as I grabbed my clothes and stepped into the bathroom.
...........................................................................
I stood with Yuri in the green room while Maria got her makeup done. We talked about upcoming matches and practice schedules until Maria came in. We followed Maria and the photographer onto the set. Maria Sharapova walked off the set as we came in. She was taking her photos before us.
My Maria worked the camera really well. She posed for some still ones, then took some action shots with her racket. She wore a black Adidas skirt and shirt along with a yellow visor and yellow wristbands.
When she was finished we were going to wait with her in the green room for the players to take group shots. As Maria was finishing up her shoot, and looking at the pictures she had taken, the next player walked in. It was Rafael.
Maria walked over to us and talked to us about the photo shoot, while Rafa walked onto the set to take his photos. I gave him a small smile when I caught his eye. He returned it as we walked out and into the green room.
"Did I look good?" Asked Maria with a flip of her ponytail.
"You looked fabulous." I gushed over dramatically. "I'm really liking the yellow visor."
"I sense sarcasm." She said. "Just because I from Russia, does not mean I don't know sarcasm." I laughed hysterically, while she crossed her arms and pouted. I wrapped my arms around her.
"I seriously do like the visor!" I exclaimed. She giggled and returned my hug.
We were getting closer and closer over these few days. Maybe it was just because I was younger than her or because I lived with boys all my life, but I felt like she was my sister. I mean, that was how sisters acted, right?
...........................................................................
I was having lots of fun in Paris. I celebrated my birthday a few days ago. I was finally nineteen! To celebrate we had dinner like normal, Rafa sat with us. Then we had ice cream cake that Maria had been hiding in the mini fridge in her room. It said "Joyeux Anniversaire Emelie!" Rafa and I stepped out onto the balcony in my room and he gave me a birthday kiss under the stars in Paris, which was any girl's dream. Then he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, of course!