Her sweatshirt was creased in the center of her chest. I looked
down at her jeans that were slightly creased below the knee. Her
hiking boots looked like they’d never seen a trail, though there
was a bit of grass clinging to the heel of one. I looked back up at
her hair that was held back off her face by her sunglasses.
When I first saw her, I thought she was attractive, but now
as I looked at her, she was stunning. I averted my gaze, unable
to look at her any longer. She stirred something within me that I
knew I would always have to deny.
“I think it was easy for you to see what I do with my clothes
because you do the same thing,” I said with a smile that she
returned. “I believe you have to dress up for work and truly enjoy
being casual when you can. You don’t hike, though you’re wearing
the boots for it, and I think maybe you took Fuzzy somewhere
grassy recently.”
“Very good,” Hailey said. “You really—”
“You’re hiding something that you’re not ready to talk about,”
I blurted out, unable to stop myself. It was the twitch thing she did
with her lips. Kalen always opened her eyes very wide when she
didn’t want to be forthcoming.
1
Robin Alexander
Hailey’s leg started to bounce like mine was still doing. “You
pay closer attention than I thought you did.”
“That kind of surprised me, too,” I admitted. “I won’t ask you
what your secret is because when you’re ready, I think you’ll tell
me.”Hailey’s lips twitched again before she laughed nervously.
“Okay.”
2
Pitifully Ugly
Chapter 7
What the hell does love have to do with tennis?
The next morning, I had a tennis date. I couldn’t think of a
better way to start the day, although I’d be working late hours to
make up for the playtime. For a straight woman, Hailey had no
problem with standing close behind me as she showed me how to
swing the racket for a serve. With her hand on mine, we swung
the racket as a machine hurled balls at us with startling speed. We
thwacked what seemed like a hundred balls before we took to the
court to play.
“We’re not going to try to keep score today,” Hailey reassured
me. “Just get used to the volley for now.”
I watched her saunter off in a pair of white shorts pulled tight
across her ass with her front pockets full of balls. Many jokes
came to mind, but I kept them to myself. Within minutes, Hailey
was dripping with sweat, and she pulled off her sweatshirt as she
chased down the balls I managed to lob across the net. Her damp
T-shirt clung to her body, distracting me, and my returns only
became more erratic.
We took a break to collect all the balls that were lying around
the court. I bent over to pick up the first and heard that familiar
thwack, then felt a sting in my ass. When I turned around, Hailey
was busy picking up balls and didn’t look my way. I picked up
two more and a ball sailed over my right shoulder. It was war.
Serious tennis players with their multiple rackets and carts
of balls stopped to watch us hit balls at each other. I failed to hit
Robin Alexander
Hailey once, but she nailed me more times than I could count.
We were laughing so hard that neither of us was able to catch our
breath. Winded and exhausted, we sat on a bench and watched
people who actually knew what they were doing play for a
while.
“I’m going to hate it when I have to go back to work on
Monday. I won’t be able to play during the day anymore,” Hailey
said as she wiped sweat from her brow.
“We could come out after you get off work if you want.”
“Really? You’d want to do this again?” she asked with a warm
smile.
“Only if we can hit balls at each other after my lessons.”
“You’ve got a deal,” she said, thrusting out her hand.
I shook her hand briefly, and sadness washed over me. Why
couldn’t I meet someone like Hailey? Why did I always end up
with women like psycho Jackie or anal Stacy?
“I guess I need to get home. I’m sure Grease is finished
playing, and Fuzzy will need a potty break.”
After a shower, I tried to delve into my work, but I found
myself checking my messages from the Rainbow Room in hopes
that Newbie had sent me a message. It wasn’t out of the realm of
possibility that she’d met someone who she was already dating.
Her rejection, kind as it was, still stung and intensified more with
her silence.
I could write her, I thought as I stared at the screen. Just to let
her know I was interested. And then I thought of Stacy and how
badly that’d gone, and I let the idea drop. I was on my way down
the self-pity highway when I heard a knock at the door. I opened
it to Fuzzy standing in the hall with her ball, which she wiped on
the front of my pants.
“Are you inviting me to play ball with you?” She growled and
walked in place for a second.
Hailey peeped around the corner and smiled. “She’s very
jealous that she wasn’t invited to play today. I know you’re
working, but she’s been bitching about it all morning, and I
thought you might like to take a break.”
4
Pitifully Ugly
“I was going to agree as long as she didn’t hit me with the
ball, but she’s already done that.” I pointed at the slobber stain on
my pants leg. “Wanna come in while I get my coat?”
Fuzzy and Hailey stepped in at the same time, and both
looked around, surveying my place. “Yours is bigger, I think,”
Hailey said as she walked farther into the room.
“I could make a few jokes with that statement, but I’ll spare
you my sick humor,” I said with a wicked grin.
“Yes, please,” Hailey said with a laugh. “While I’m here, you
should give me the nickel tour.”
As we walked from room to room, Fuzzy’s claws tapped
lightly on the hardwood floor. She followed, surveying everything
with a sniff, but shied away from the bathroom when we walked
in. “She doesn’t like the bathroom, it has a tub,” Hailey said in
a whisper.
“I’ve never washed a dog in here.” I looked at Fuzzy in the
doorway. She gave a small snort of what I perceived as disbelief
and backed down the hall with a wary look.
“I love these old claw-footed tubs,” Hailey said as she eyed
mine. “Fuzzy doesn’t appreciate them much, though. She doesn’t
get the appeal of soaking for hours while reading a good book.”
I thought back to the night I soaked for hours in mine. I
silently prayed that Hailey didn’t peek in my kitchen garbage can
because the murdered strap-on was still in there.
“You keep Bath & Body Works in business, don’t you?”
Hailey picked up one of numerous bottles of bath salts.
“My sister’s weakness is antiques, and mine is bath
accoutrements. Just don’t look in the cabinet. You might start an
avalanche.”
We moved down the hall first to the spare bedroom that served
as my filing room. “I see you decorate in early American office,”