Ali Vali - Love Match

"Who's their boss?" Emily pointed to the two men dressed similar to Parker.

"One of the vice presidents for the company that makes Head rackets," answered Parker before moving to shake hands with the two delivery guys. With their greetings out of the way, one of the blondes started opening cans of balls and dropping them into a practice basket he had pulled out of the trunk. Emily was about to ask what he was doing when Parker unzipped one of the bags on the sidewalk and pulled out a slew of racquets.

For the next hour Emily and the guests she had invited sat on the steps of her building watching Parker play tennis in the street. Methodically Parker took each racquet out of the bags and tried them until there were six standing against Emily's legs.

Parker picked up one of the new ones her sponsor had sent over and popped open a last can of balls. With a smile on her face she called out to Bobbie, "Want to play with me?"

"Ooh, Bobbie, I'd be careful, I'm familiar with that look she gets. You may be in trouble." Natasha laughed when Emily's friend gulped beside her.

"Try to remember I don't do this for a living. Ok?"

"I'll do my best." Parker winked at Emily before tossing up the first ball. Some of the little boys that had been watching ran after the ball when Bobbie swung at it and missed. Emily's new neighbors along the block had gotten a kick watching a more personal Open played so they could watch out their windows.

Gray snorted some beer out of her nose when an elderly woman had asked Emily if she was planning on dating Becky Hammon from the New York Liberty next to let her know so she could make it down to the playground to watch. The volleyball player was trying to decide if the old lady's question or Emily's blush was funnier.

"Thanks guys, tell Wilson I appreciate the prompt service." Parker shook hands with the two tennis players that had delivered her racquets.

"His name's Wilson and he works for Head?" asked Emily. Parker cuffed her softly in the back of her head before taking one bag upstairs. Gary and Nick grabbed the other one happy that had turned out all right including having all the tools Parker would need for the rest of the tournament.

Upstairs Emily and Natasha worked in the kitchen heating up the food that had sat forgotten on the stoop when Parker had started to play. Emily took notes on how much to order the next time she had the idea to invite a pack of ravenous athletes to her house for dinner. After the kisses and hugs goodbye at the stoop, Kimmie and Gray offered to get Bobbie and Natasha back to their doorsteps for the night, and the guys flagged a passing cab so Emily took her player upstairs for a hot bath.

"You must've sweat off five pounds out there, and picked up another six in dirt." Parker didn't take Emily's fussing too seriously since the blonde was kneeling next to the tub naked. She stepped in and kneeled between Parker's legs so she could wash her hair. "Move one leg up for me, sweetheart."

Parker draped half of her left leg out of the tub to give Emily room to get closer. When Emily did, Parker sucked in the nipple right in front of her getting Emily to forget what she was doing for a moment.

"You taste so good," said Parker from around her now perky friend.

"Oh no, you can stop right there. I know you don't have to play tomorrow, but you are going to bathe and going to bed. As much as I love watching your cute butt running around the court, I like those short matches much better. I have a feeling you do to." Emily heard and felt Parker release her with a 'pop.'

"You're no fun."

"I just want to take care of you." Emily rinsed the suds out of Parker's hair and finished the task with a kiss.

"And I thank you for it," said Parker with a smile. When Parker was dry and in another t-shirt and shorts, Emily propped her up against the headboard of the bed and fed her dessert.

Parker could hear Emily cleaning the dishes they had used, but the smaller woman had given her strict orders to stay in bed and out of the kitchen. She was hoping it really was because Emily wanted her to rest and not because she didn't know what to say after what had happened earlier in the afternoon. Emily cuddled up to her as soon as she had turned out the lights and slipped into a short nightgown.

"Thanks for coming out for all my games so far. It means a lot to me to look up and see you sitting up in the stands." Parker spoke softly and pulled Emily closer. The compact body loaded with curves felt so good pressed up against her that Parker couldn't help but let her hands roam a little. Emily was so physically beautiful she reminded Parker of a line she had read in a book. "She had an hour glass figure with an extra thirty minutes tacked on for kicks." Or something like that, now I know what he meant. The thought ran through Parker's mind as her hand came to rest on Emily's backside.

Emily's mouth curled up in a smile after hearing what Parker had said. It was sweet considering the amount of people around the globe glued to their televisions so they could watch Parker play, that it'd be Emily the pro was the most excited to have there. "Not more than it means to me to be there to watch you play. In a way it's kind of strange." The long body under Emily's jiggled her a bit when she laughed.

"Strange?"

"Not strange as in bizarre, sweetie. Strange as in seeing someone who does something for a living that other people want to go see and cheer on. Does that make sense to you?"

"I've never thought of it that way."

"I'm not complaining, it's nice looking down and watching you do something you love. I love flying, but I don't have a fan club, and my naked butt isn't on a bill board at Time Square." Emily kissed the patch of skin under her lips wishing the tournament was over so Parker could relax for a couple of weeks.

"Don't be so sure about that, I'm a big fan of yours, and if you want I can have Nick talk to Nike. I've seen your butt, and it definitely competes with mine any day at Time Square."

"I don't know why you'd be a fan of mine. I almost got you killed today." Emily moved up a little and pressed her fingers against Parker's mouth to stop the protest that was coming. "You know I'm right. Crazy wouldn't have tried to kill you if it wasn't for me."

Parker opened her mouth and nipped at Emily's fingers getting her to laugh and forget about the mood the smaller woman was falling into. "I'd want to kill someone too if they stole you away from me, Em. You're so special, and I love you so much," the fingers came back to stop Parker again as a blush colored Emily's face.

The thought of what could have happened to Parker flooded through Emily's brain again like a nightmare and she released a sob from deep in her chest. When Gail's knife had sliced into Parker's bag, in that one second of violence Emily realized she had fallen so in love with her it would have killed her to see Parker hurt. What a tragedy would it have been to know that in one instant, then have it torn away from you in the next heartbeat?

"You didn't steal me away from anyone, Parker. I tried, I really did but all the fighting and drinking wore me down. That night Gail scared me out on those dunes and I've never been able to forget the look on her face as she fought herself not to hurt me. Now she's tried to hurt you," Emily's tears fell in earnest at the admission.

"Hey, Em, it's ok. We are fine and Gail can't hurt us anymore. Come on now, it's going to be fine." Parker gathered the crying woman into her arms and just held her as she talked. "Want to hear what I figured out today?" The blonde head nodded against her chest as the crying slowed and was replaced by hiccups.

"I was playing today and Marsha was kicking my ass, gloating the whole time and for a while there I was thinking I was going to lose to America's sweetheart." Emily looked up from Parker's chest interested in where this story was going. "Last year that thought would have pissed me off because of the work that goes into preparing for a tournament like the Open, but this year I figured you wouldn't think any less of me if I lost so it didn't matter as much. I looked up there and saw you biting your thumbnail and it hit me."