I made a point of walking along the marina before work the next morning. I wanted to see the Buells’ yacht and how it measured up to the others, considering it belonged to an extra special VIP and all. So I wasn’t surprised when I saw The Lucky Lady. There wasn’t any sign that proved it belonged to the Buells but I had a few clues. First, it was new in the marina, or at least it hadn’t been there the last time I walked by. Second, it looked like a baby cruise ship before it grows up. It hogged more than one marina slip and seemed to have its own ecosystem, not to mention a labor pool that was probably bigger than all the other crews combined. It almost blocked out the sun from where I stood.
When I was done gawking, I hurried off to work so I could get there before opening and coordinate the FAB luncheon with the club’s kitchen staff. Bing unlocked the door for me and reminded me about ordering the sandwiches the minute I walked in, which was exactly what I was hoping to avoid. I’d envisioned myself greeting him and then going to the phone and calling the kitchen, proving I was able to take charge of a task without being told. I hate having to be reminded of something I’m just about to do. If Bing was my dad I would’ve said, “I know. I was just gonna do it.” But of course I couldn’t talk back to Bing like that, so I just smiled and picked up the phone.
__________
I began to fixate on the Buells as a way to alleviate my boredom at work. If they had everyone else buzzing with excitement then they should be entertaining, or at least distracting. Mattie Lynn and LeGrand were the story—it didn’t take me long to catch on.
I didn’t have to wait long for them to show up. Only an hour after opening, Mr. and Mrs. Buell made their grand entrance. I immediately noticed the change in Bing when Mrs. Buell offered him a lazy hand in greeting.
“So good to see yew, Bing,” she drawled.
Her platinum blond hair was perfectly done in a French twist updo. Either she was a hair styling genius or they had a stylist on staff at The Lucky Lady. And Mrs. Buell for sure was one lucky lady. They say people “drip” diamonds. Well, she had a total downpour going on. A huge rock weighed down her left hand, a platinum string of diamonds encircled her right wrist, and her earlobes weren’t spared. She was beautiful, of course. Could she be Mrs. Buell and not be beautiful? But her face was tightly pulled back, which always makes me cringe. Still, it was fun to observe her, in a reality show kind of way.
Mr. Buell was tall, silver-haired, and elegant, which made me wonder why men could be silver-haired and still considered handsome, but if women were silver-haired they were considered old. He looked like he should be drinking a mint julep or at least something like it. Not that I knew what a mint julep was, but it sounded like something you would drink if you were rich and living in the South.
Note to self: taste a mint julep.
I was ready to give the Buells the extra special VIP treatment which would have been the same treatment I gave everyone else, when I caught Mr. Buell giving me the eye. That is, the eye in a flirtatious sense. He looked me up and down and then went back to his conversation with his wife and Bing. Could he really be looking at me that way? Seventeen-year-old me? With his wife standing mere inches away?
After some more chatting about upcoming singles tournaments, and getting some help from Bing with his serve and his wife’s tennis elbow, the Buells decided they’d better get out on the court before it got too hot. They were going to hit with each other that day, since they had a luncheon planned for some friends on the boat, and Mrs. Buell wanted to get back to supervise preparations.
At one point Bing mentioned my name and pointed in my direction. I put on my friendliest, most helpful smile, and Mrs. Buell swiveled her frozen face in my direction and returned my smile with what I would describe as a semi-friendly gaze. Mr. Buell looked over at me and nodded all business-like. Then he followed his wife out the door, racket in hand. When he shifted his body to close the door behind him—which wasn’t necessary because it was the kind of door which closed by itself—he looked at me again. That time there was no mistaking the look he gave me. It sent shivers through my body. The bad kind.
__________
The rest of the morning was much like the day before. I was busy inside while Bing was busy outside. I honestly don’t know what he would have done without me there since Kay was on leave. I suppose they would have sent someone over from the golf shop to help out—they had more funding and therefore a bigger staff. But I liked to think I was making myself indispensable since I already knew so much about the tennis scene and didn’t require much instruction.
After lunch the Club sent over the sandwiches, cookies, and lemonade I ordered for the Friends Across the Bay program, which was supposed to start at two o’clock. Already some of the participants were straggling in, wanting to get there early for the first day. I could spot them from their anxious expressions. A few of them knew each other and sat quietly in a corner, occasionally whispering, but mainly just looking around pretending to be disinterested. I wondered how many of them were there against their wills, forced by their parents, like Alonso, to do something out of their comfort zones. I also wondered how many of them would view this experience as a positive event in their lives after a month under Mattie Lynn’s supervision.
The adults cleared out and the young club members trickled in. I counted twelve kids who I was pretty sure were FAB participants. Twelve was the magic number so I went over and directed them to help themselves to the refreshments—thin, crustless white bread sandwiches and huge, chunky gourmet cookies. This inspired only a little bit of interest, probably because most of them had likely already eaten lunch before arriving.
Half of the group was African-American, in stark contrast to the mentors, who were all white. The other half was white, with the exception of one Asian boy, who looked very small, very young, and very shy. I’d have to keep an eye out for him if he didn’t partner up with someone I considered nurturing enough. I could already tell he had the potential to break my heart.
Of the African-American kids, I tried to guess which one was Alonso, and I came to a quick conclusion. Three of them were boys, and two of them looked fairly athletic. Only one looked like the type of kid whose muscles were underdeveloped—probably the result of TMCT, an acronym my dad invented when we were younger for Too Much Computer Time. TMCT was considered a bad thing by my parents. The three boys stood off to the side, separated from the others.
Since I promised Dee I’d check up on Alonso, I walked over to the boy I assumed was him. “Are you Alonso?” I asked.
He shook his head, “No, I’m James.” So much for my powers of observation.
I looked over at the other two boys who were standing within earshot. One of them immediately looked down at the ground. The other one smiled at me and nudged the one looking at the ground.
“He’s Alonso,” the smiling boy finally said when there was no response from the nudged, ground-looking boy.
Alonso had his mother’s beautiful skin and warm looks.
“I’m Babe,” I said to the three of them. James suppressed a giggle which was, I suppose, the result of hearing my name. “Alonso, I know your mom,” I went on.
“I know. She told me.” He looked everywhere but at me—the wall, the floor, James, the cookies . . . everywhere.
“I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know if you need anything, any of you, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” James said. Ma’am? Did I look that old? I was probably only two or three years older than these guys.
“Thanks,” the smiling boy said as he nudged Alonso again.
“Yeah, thanks,” Alonso said to the sandwiches.
“Can I have everyone’s attention please,” Mattie Lynn rapped the side of a glass with a metal spoon. I wondered where she picked up that move. “I think we’re all here now and I’d like to welcome our friends from across the bay.” She seemed genuinely happy. The others applauded enthusiastically as though Mattie Lynn had just announced the nominees for Miss Teen USA.
“I’ll be calling out your names so please listen to hear who you’ll be partnered with. Mentors, please introduce yourself to your friend when you hear your name called.”
Bing was watching from the sidelines. He looked on approvingly but nervously, ready to get involved if anything went wrong but relaxed enough to know he probably wouldn’t be needed. After all, this was supposed to be a “youth-directed” community outreach program.
Mattie Lynn went down the list saying things like, “Leanne, please welcome Emma. Emma is fourteen and likes to dance. Her favorite color is red.” I swear Mattie Lynn was a natural for something, I’m just not sure what that something was.
The little Asian kid who stole my heart was one of the last to be called. He was already wringing his hands when Mattie Lynn finally called his name.
“Kiet is twelve and is a fan of NASCAR. His favorite color is blue, and he hopes to be an astronaut when he grows up.” All the girls cooed over him like a flock of pigeons.
“He’s super cute,” I heard one member of Mattie Lynn’s posse whisper to another, as if they were twenty years older than him. But I must admit, he was pretty adorable.
“Kiet will be with me,” Mattie Lynn announced proudly. I wasn’t sure if I was horrified or thrilled for him. He would be well cared for under her protective umbrella.
Only Alonso remained and there was an uncomfortable pause in the welcoming ceremony as Mattie Lynn nervously scanned the room. All of a sudden her face lit up and she resumed speaking. I followed her gaze to the doorway, the place where her expression had transformed from worry to delight.
A slender, tallish guy about my age leaned against the wall, his front leg resting at an angle. Arms crossed across his chest and a bemused expression on his face, his dark blond hair was sort of wind-swept and shaggy in a very chic way. He had steely blue eyes with perpetually half-closed lids that said, I’d rather be somewhere else but you’ve got my attention for now. The corners of his lips were barely turned up in a half-smirk like he’d just heard a joke no one else would ever get. There was nothing second rate about him, in physical appearance at least. LeGrand Buell had finally made his appearance.
“And last but not least is Alonso, who loves computers and fixing things. He’s fourteen years old, and his favorite food is Italian. Alonso will be paired with LeGrand, who has just joined us.”
At that announcement, all the female heads in the room swiveled around every which way looking for the star of the show. Soft murmurs of delight could be heard once their target was spotted. LeGrand ambled up to the place where Alonso stood and performed one of those left hand on the shoulder, right hand in a handshake moves guys pull off so well. LeGrand was talking and Alonso appeared to be listening, even making eye contact every once in a while.
After the welcoming ceremony everyone went out to the courts and I was left alone with Bing for the next few hours. I cleaned up the luncheon table. Barely any of the food had been touched so Bing told me to take home whatever I wanted. I packed away enough sandwiches and cookies for my family’s dinner that night, even though I’d be eating out with Mai. No sense in letting expensive club food go to waste.
After a few hours, cars started pulling up in the tennis club parking lot which I figured must be the parents of Friends Across the Bay participants. I even saw the white pick-up truck with “Cummings Emergency AC Repair” on its side. Some of the kids came through the club on their way to meet parents, helping themselves to the icy cold water bottles I’d laid out on the luncheon table. Others skipped the clubhouse and walked all the way around the building to get to their parents’ cars. It was hard to tell what they were thinking after this first day of tennis camp because everyone wore the same exhausted and heat-swamped expression on their faces. I wondered how many of the twelve would be back the next day.
Mattie Lynn and a few of her maidens-in-waiting lingered, talking about their “friends,” plotting the next day’s strategy, and obviously just waiting to see what LeGrand was going to do next.
LeGrand was floating around, checking out a new tennis racket, sipping from a water bottle. He seemed to be oblivious to the sensation he created around him. He was like a magnet, pulling people toward him, but when they got too close, they bumped up against the force field keeping them at a safe distance. LeGrand had the power of confidence, but more than that, confidence combined with indifference. A deadly combination when it came to adoring female fans. I wasn’t completely immune.
As he drifted, he came closer and closer to my work station until, all of a sudden, he was standing right in front of me. Like looking out the window of an airplane, you feel as if you’re suspended in air and then an hour later you’re 500 miles away. That was LeGrand. Just as you got a fix on him in one place, he was already somewhere else.
“I haven’t seen you here before.” His drawl was ridiculously sexy.
“That’s because this is only my second day of work.”
“That so? Where y’all from?”
Mattie Lynn watched from the corner of her eye. I knew that for a fact because I was watching her out of the corner of my eye.
“California,” I said. No need to go into all those other places I was from. California was the most recent and sounded the coolest.
“That so?” he said again. “I’ve been to California a few times. I’d like to go again.”
“It’s a great place.” I wasn’t very good with small talk.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.” Which sounded like “bah” as in “bah bah black sheep.”
He moseyed out the door, and Mattie Lynn, noticing his departure from the corner of her other eye, quickly disengaged from the meaningless conversation she was carrying on and ran after him. I saw her through the window as she jogged a few steps to catch up with LeGrand. The two girls she left, mid-sentence, looked foolishly at each other, completely lost without their leader. After a few minutes they left too.