MATCH POINT , art donaldson

VIII.

PRESENT DAY
( 2019, New Rochelle)

WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE A RELAXING TRIP TO THE HOTELS GYM TURNED INTO A WORK DAY. ever since her dad stepped away from the foundation and business side of his legacy and handed it down to Elodie, the one and only heir to his legacy. her workload had doubled. And she felt enough stress to take the ninth call from one of the summer interns despite her technically being ' out of office'.

She walks through the hotel lobby in her white biker shorts and faded Stanford Tennis shirt which she sometimes doesn't know if it's one of Art's or Tom's. As she presses her phone to her ear. Hiding a sigh behind a normal exhale as she reaches the elevator.

Her eyes close as she listens to the idiocy of whatever intern has been allowed to roam free whilst she's away. The doors finally open and Elodie gently smiles at the people that exit before she steps inside.

Her back pressed to the railing , her ear pressed to her phone as she exhales " look, can you just send the emails to me on Monday, I'm out of town for the weekend." she suggests to the intern who doesn't seem to understand what she is saying.

Despite this being her fourth time regurgitating the same information to help them understand.

The idea that the foundation is falling apart when Elodie isn't in the same state falls the front of her mind as she lets another slip from her lips.

" you know what? just send them to me now and I'll check them when I get a second ok?"

The elevator begins to move, the intern muttering something about having sent them across.

" brilliant, I'll take a look soon." she hums, soon hanging up the phone and tilting her head back as she exhales heavily through her mouth.

The doors open on one of the other floors. Her eyes scanning out of interest, out of a very normal habit for anyone but especially Elodie. Her breath catching in her lungs as she notices him. His short cut blonde hair not poking out under his cap like she remembered.

She heard of his injury, his aggressive playing and anger towards the opponent and umpire alike. His uncharacteristic changes that made him out to be a bad person — he began drinking like had had when he was eighteen and taking the drugs he had declined in college.

Elodie wanted to reach out, although with the timing of it all and everything that had happened between them. It was more likely to cause more damage than actually repair anything.

Nine years. That's how long it had been, since Chicago. Since the break up. Eight years and twenty seven days since he had come to New York looking for her. Stuck outside the gates of the Reiner home that he was no longer allowed inside of.

Two years and ten months since they had last spoken, since they had last held each other, since she had kissed those lips and moaned his name in bed instead of her husband's.

And yet, despite the pain and the aching of it all that has carried with her since that night and will most likely continue to carry until the day Elodie dies, Her heart leaps at the sight of him. a sensation of not her own chosing.

Her love for the man who sheepishly steps into the elevator knows no mental bounds, it's beyond her. It's beyond anyone really.

And she thought she could handle seeing him playing tennis, a safe proximity between them. But this, stood side by side in the metal box of the hotel elevator. The familiar scent of the cologne he's been wearing since he was twenty stings her nostrils and forces her eyes to close.