MATCH POINT , art donaldson

I.

2019,
New Rochelle, New York

ELODIE CARTER ( NEE. REINER) HAD ALWAYS BEEN A FACE OF TENNIS. despite never actually picking up a racket and playing professionally she remained a prominent modern figurehead of the sport.

Maybe it was her talent, although not taken up professionally — her dabbling in the sport whilst studying at Stanford was nothing less than legendary. Or maybe it was her parentage, her own father breaking records in the sport since his professional debut at the age of nineteen. A rags to riches story from a boy from Brixton with nothing to aid him through his career except his dream. Who started the foundation which he employed his one and only child as the face of, all the charity galas and summer tennis tournaments to raise money. Some of which started off the careers of tennis stars including Tashi Duncan and Tom Carter.

Speaking of which, maybe it was Elodie's marriage to the proclaimed king of the court Thomas Carter which kept her relevancy. The pictures of them at Stanford together where they were stood in opposite sides, but her husband would later come out in interviews and say he wished he ' had the courage to speak to her in college.'.

A man who would call her over when he held the trophy to hold the other side with him. Who would kiss her head when the cameras flashed and it was clear she was embarrassed. A man who blew kisses to her from the stands at his matches, many of which caught on camera.

The man who walks through the hotel room door, his hair wet and his towel still slung over his shoulder. The man who smiles when he notices his wife at the table.

" Morning." Tom's pursed lips push into her cheek as she smiles. Briefly turning her head to look at her husband as he returned from the hotel gym she was yet to find and use for herself.

Her smile curving gently in the corners of her lips, " morning, good session?" she hums, not looking as she asks.

Instead turning to focus her attention back to the three year old girl who sits in her seat at the small dining table the hotel room has. Using one her plastic forks to poke at the cut up banana pennies which sit uneaten on her plate.

" bea, come on." Elodie hums gently, pushing back her daughter hair from her eyes " you know you have to eat your fruit,"

The blonde haired toddler scrunches her face as she continues to push the spikes of the fork into the banana pieces. Elodie exhales before looking at her husband who graces over from the other side of the room.

he nods, pushing a hand through his wet hair "yeah yeah good, Tony thinks I'm in good shape for the Open." he says as Elodie hums with a small smile.

She watches as he pulls out a chair next to her, his hand sitting on her shoulder as he kisses the skin of her neck. She leans into the kiss slightly she places her hand atop his,

" then why are we here?" she asks, noticing how Tom pulls away. Furrowing his brows pretending he doesn't know what his wife is asking, " if your coach is saying you're in good shape, you don't need to make up points for the open qualifying never mind the actual open ." she says, moving her other hand to gently stroke his cheek.

" so, Tom why are we here in new Rochelle at a challenger ?" she hums as he smiles gently, although it looks more menacing that Elodie things he intends it to.