Wanda jumped and turned. “Coming!”
Natti waited until Wanda took her position and Seth got settled at the far end of the court. He flashed a beguiling smile her way. A headache pounded into Natti’s head while her heart rate raced. She shook her head, gazed down at the ground, and tried to push the pain aside by focusing on the game. Stepping forward, she put the first rally into play. The ball shot back and forth over the net in easy, rhythmic strides. Natti could hardly keep her attention on the game. Her headache was searing every time she even caught a glimpse of the ball. It was so painful, she was afraid a migraine was coming on.
What the fuck? she cringed.
Wanda finally made the first point with a volley that squeaked past Seth. He hit his racquet against the fence and casually paced back to his position. The headache eased enough for Natti to congratulate Wanda with a high five, then they switched places, and Natti readied the second serve.
“Fifteen-love!”
Once again the headache flared, even some white spots appearing in her vision. She glanced over at Seth, his eyes trying to draw her into their depths. Was this because of him? She often had headaches around Seth, but not like this. This felt more like something was drilling into her skull with a power drill.
She tore her gaze away, refusing to give in. With determination, Natti serviced, slamming the ball into the clay by Ky’s feet. Ky wheeled on Seth.
“Dude, what’s going on?” Natti heard Ky hiss. “Turn up the charm, will you?”
“I’m trying.” Seth snarled under his breath.
“Try harder! I’m not losing to a bunch of chicks!”
Seth shot Ky an icy glare before his attention shifted to Wanda. A charming grin graced his lips. The headache Natti felt pressing on her temples vanished. O-kay, she thought, shaking her head in disbelief. She had convinced herself the headaches had something to do with taking in too much of Seth’s spiced cologne or his myrrh scent. Now, they were coming and leaving with his intense, hypnotic gaze.
Natti called out the third point. “Thirty-love!”
Ky shot Natti’s serve back over the net, giving her only a second to react. She returned the ball with a flat forehand. Seth volleyed the ball and flashed one of his charming grins. Wanda froze in her place, caught up in Seth’s smile.
“Wanda! The ball!” Natti hollered, chasing after the ball in a sprint, which slipped from her racquet’s reach. She stumbled over her feet, landed on all fours, and pounded her fist into the clay, enraged.
“Sorry!” Wanda called, snapping out of her trance.
Natti pushed herself up and shot a glare at Seth. He offered a small, comforting smile and shrugged, which from the heaviness against her heart was a complete lie. He was doing something, somehow trying to push the game in his favor.
“It’s okay,” Natti told Wanda when she picked up the tennis ball. “Just try to focus.”
Wanda nodded, and they switched places again.
Natti lined up for the next service. “Thirty-fifteen!”
The ball moved into play, gliding back and forth between the courts. Between strokes, Seth began to pull Wanda back into his snare. Her muscles sagged, causing her movement to become sluggish and her grasp on the racquet to slack. Enraged, Natti took one of Ky’s lobs and sent it toward Seth with an overhead smash. The ball whizzed through the air, and Seth jumped to the side before it collided into him. His shoulder smacked into the chain-link fence.
Ky roared with laughter. “Dude . . . she nearly took off your balls with that shot!”
Seth’s cheeks burned. He scanned the other courts, to see if anyone had seen, and then turned on Natti. “Right, Natti. You wanted a challenge? Then you’ve got one!”
Natti smiled, Bring it!
Seth grabbed the ball and tossed it back to her before whispering to Ky. Natti caught the ball and lined up behind the service line. Finally parting, Ky walked into the receiver position with a snicker.
“Forty-fifteen!”
Natti sent a beautiful serve only to have it returned like a speeding bullet. She dropped before the ball could hit her square in the face. Glancing back at the ball, she watched it fall from a bent little nook in the fence and roll back onto the clay.
“Out of bounds!” Wanda called as if she didn’t notice the warp in the chain-link. Natti gaped at it. What was Ky on? Some kind of steroids?
“But so worth it.” Ky clapped his hands, and Seth laughed.
“Hey, Natti!” Seth bellowed. “Are you going to get back in the game or what?”
Natti’s eyes shot to Seth, realizing he was the one who orchestrated the little stunt. Her fear and shock gave way to anger. “So, that’s how you want to play it? Then it’s so on!”