Page 46 of In a Pickle
“You’re gross,” said Liana to Brock. “Don’t talk about her like that.”
“It’s okay,” said Mary Grace, speaking up for the first time. She looked perfectly poised, holding Brock’s hand, and Liana wondered if Mary Grace had been affected by Brock’s words. It probably wasn’t the first time Brock had spoken this way in front of Mary Grace, and Liana suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for her boyfriend’s ex.
Mary Grace continued, “Brock has graciously agreed to be here to bring clout and lend his celebrity to your event, James. He has made a sizable donation to your little foundation on top of his pickleball entry fee. He will bring additional gravitas to your event, since he is a household name, as you know.”
James mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “the day Brock brings gravitas is the day the apocalypse comes,” but then he continued in his normal volume, “Brock, I appreciate your taking the time to drive down here and come to this event, but if you make any more jokes in poor taste, I won’t hesitate to kick you out. I don’t tolerate people who talk about women in such a degrading way. And I certainly won’t tolerate any disrespect of my girlfriend.”
“Got it, dude. Chill out. Don’t worry. I’m on my best behavior.” He raised his hands in mock surrender.
“You two are on court four to start,” said James. “I suggest you go out there and start warming up. And Brock, I suggest you think twice before speaking.”
“Actually,” said Mary Grace, “I was hoping to talk to you for a minute, James. Right now, if you can. Maybe as we walk over to the courts?”
James started to shake his head no, but Liana touched his arm. “It’s all right if you want to talk to her, James. It might be good to clear the air so we can all move on.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded encouragingly. “If you want to hear what she has to say, I’m all for it. I’m going to get a cup of that iced coffee, and then I’ll meet you on the court.”
James ran an exasperated hand through his hair. “Fine. Mary Grace, you have two minutes.”
Mary Grace glanced over at Liana smugly like she’d won some kind of victory. Liana tried to keep her face devoid of emotion as she watched Mary Grace walk off with James, Brock ambling self-assuredly behind them. Liana told herself she had nothing to worry about as she walked over to the coffee cart.
A couple of minutes later, as Liana approached the pickleball courts, she saw James shout at Mary Grace, turn on his heel, and storm off. Uh oh. Maybe that chat hadn’t offered James the closure Liana had envisioned.
Liana sighed and jogged over to her boyfriend. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” said James. “I’m so over her, honestly. It was just typical Mary Grace being petty, trying to get a rise out of me. I’m just going to tune her out for the rest of the day.” He pressed a quick kiss to Liana’s temple and then held his hand up for a high five. “Okay, partner. Let’s play!”
Chapter 29: James
James was surprised at how well Liana played pickleball, and then he was immediately ashamed of himself for being surprised. He knew Liana had great instincts and played well during their Thursday pickleball classes, but she was also new to the sport. He’d told himself not to put any expectations on her to play well — this tournament was just for fun, after all — but he was pleasantly surprised when he and Liana breezed through their first two matches. James wasn’t even trying his hardest.
Sure, Liana wasn’t ready to sign up for a pro pickleball circuit, but for an amateur she was damn good, and James was proud. Proud that Liana had moved past a serious physical setback. He couldn’t believe that this woman, who was sprinting for the ball left and right, couldn’t walk up two flights of stairs not so long ago.
Every time he said as much to Liana, she worried her lip and told James not to jinx things — that her disease had not been cured and that it would not ever fully go away, and there might be more bad times in the future. James told her honestly that no matter what the future held, she should be proud of her hard work these past few months and should recognize her accomplishment. He knew she still lived in fear each day of going back to the way her health had been last year, and he knew he couldn’t fully appreciate everything she had gone through.But he was insanely proud of her and loved playing pickleball with her.
In no time, they were into the quarterfinals. James was also surprised at how well the two of them meshed effortlessly. It seemed like he’d been playing with her for years, the way the two of them could anticipate each other’s moves. James loved the little touches she gave him in between points, even if they were sometimes just high-fives.
The quarterfinal match was tricky because James and Liana played a mother-son duo who had clearly practiced. James had even taught the mom in a few of his classes. James told himself he didn’t care if they won or lost, but he was secretly thankful when they pulled out the win in the end after a crucial dink from Liana.
After shaking his opponents’ hands, James turned toward the water tent, only to be stopped by a hand on his chest. Brock stood in front of him, blocking his way. “We meet at last,” Brock said. “The epic showdown. The semifinal match.”
“Well, that’s dramatic,” James snorted. “But seriously, are we playing you now?”
“You’d best believe it, pretty boy,” Brock replied. “Me and the girl you used to have, up against you and your new chick. We’ll see which of us is the victor.”
James rolled his eyes. “This isn’t some sort of dick-measuring contest, Brock. Don’t make this into something it’s not. This whole day is for charity, remember.”
“Sure, mate. Charity. Let’s go.”
With another eye roll, James jogged over toward Liana, who was eyeing him and Brock warily. “You ready?” James asked her.
“I guess,” she replied. “To be honest, this whole day, I was hoping we could play him so we could kick his ass. But now I’m nervous. I’m not that good, and if he wins, I can’t imagine the things he’s going to say to you.”
“Hey, don’t worry about him. My ego isn’t fragile enough for a guy like him to hurt it. Besides, you really are good. We’re going to wipe the floor with his ass.”
She chuckled but then grew serious. “Are you okay with this? I mean, playing Mary Grace in this strange contest between you and Brock that she’s cooked up?”