Parker finally looked up from her book to find an empty plane and Willy waiting at the door with her large bag of rackets and a pen. Alicia and Gary hadn't been the only avid fans in the stands, and the attendant saw this as his opportunity to get his program signed. When she got up he handed the bag over and held the booklet up with a pleading look.



"Willy, my man, I didn't know you were interested in tennis." She accepted his pen and sat down in the first set of first class seats waiting to hear his answer before writing something in the glossy book in her hand.



"I had to trade some really bum flights to be able to go and watch you play. The final match was awesome, though I wish it had lasted longer. Had that first ace you rocketed over the net hit Jill, I think the match would have been over because of a chipped bone. Having you on our flight home was just an extra added bonus." He stopped his babble of hero worship when Parker started writing. She handed his program back with a thank you note for his hospitality then took the time to sign some of the other souvenirs the rest of the crew had produced.



Emily watched from the door of the cockpit as Parker entertained her crew acting very unlike the person most of the press had written about. The tennis player never looked impatient as another item was pressed into her hand for signing and finished by unzipping the large black bag sitting at her feet and sliding out one of the rackets. With Willy's pen she signed Parker 'Kong' King and the date along the grip.



"Sorry you didn't get to see more play, Willy, but I was anxious to catch my flight. You might get your wish at the Open since it seems to be my Achille's heel." On the other side of her name Parker wrote 'first ace racket Wimbledon.' "I hope this makes up for your shitty schedule. That means a lot to me when people go so out of the way to come see me hit some balls." The rackets were custom made for her by the sponsor and were a valuable collector's item for the few fans that had gotten one as a gift. The one she had used for the majority of the match would rest along side the trophy at home. Both she and Gary laughed at the squeal Willy let out at her gift. Parker could only imagine the hardships the man had endured in his lifetime because of his obvious sexuality preference. She respected people like Willy who had a real survivor's spirit and let it shine through.



"Oh my god, thank you. This is the best gift I've ever gotten, Parker, thank you." Willy hugged her as she stood up and almost fainted as Parker hugged him back. "I know all those tabloids were full of shit," said Willy.



"Thank you, Willy, that means a lot." Parker squeezed him one more time and smiled at the sentiment. "Don't play with that one. Save it for your next vacation, at auction it should get you to Hawaii if you hit it on the right day."



"No way, this one's a keeper," said Willy. The crew bid them safe travels as Parker shouldered her bags and stepped off the plane noticing the cockpit door was closed as she stepped out. The impromptu autograph session had let her escape without having to confront Emily again.



"Is Nick going to pick us up?" asked Parker. The next leg of their trip to Tampa was less crowded and they finished their calendar review without interruption.



"Yep he is. Some of your contracts were coming up so hopefully he's resigned everyone and is over having to miss this trip." Gary sighed; Nick Spoli was a sweet man but could whine for days given a reason to. He and Gary lived together as well was worked together at keeping Parker both happy and ranked.



"Like you said, you're the one that has to live with him, buddy, not me. Just remind him of his commission if it gets out of hand. The smallest one alone should get him that new sports car he wants along with a new wardrobe to go with it." Parker wiggled her eyebrows at him and laughed when Gary scowled at her. Nick and the flight attendant they had just met, Willy, could compete on the flamboyancy scale in Parker's opinion.



The two men were Parker's role models when it came to a loving relationship having been together for fifteen years. They had built their home close to her on Press Cove, a mostly deserted stretch of beach near Clearwater Florida. Her house had everything she needed to train for upcoming tournaments while giving her the solitude she needed to prepare for the weeks on the road. Gary looked forward to these trips home as much as Parker did in that it gave he and Nick the time they needed to strengthen Parker's mental state as well as her body. Having every vice imaginable at your fingertips would have ruined her career had it not been for their influence along with that of Parker's two sisters.



Parker seldom complained about the schedules, knowing her career wouldn't last forever. There was a small window of opportunity to get all her goals accomplished before she either retired to her house, or to the commentator's chair. At twenty-two she had plenty of time to contemplate her future barring any injury. What happened to her coach was always with her, driving her to train harder in case her time on center court was fleeting.



"You know how much he loves to watch you play, so cut my boy some slack," said Gary. They moved onto the gate where their connection was boarding both anxious to get home. The woman that followed them on board couldn't believe her luck when she saw the two tall athletes go on ahead of her.



Don't tennis superstars live in New York or something? Emily asked herself as she slowed her pace not wanting to be noticed. The pilot had been looking forward to her own first class leather seat for a quick nap before meeting Gail. The thought of having to share the space with Parker King made her veer into the cockpit in search of an empty seat. Emily would settle for some mindless conversation with the crew instead of her nap.



Parker had apologized but something about her still rubbed the pilot the wrong way. Maybe it was the way she apologized. Emily couldn't help but think that Parker was one of those people not used to being wrong in any situation, or at least admitting she was wrong.



The young woman's assumption of her position on the earlier flight had just hit a raw nerve with the pilot negating the instant attraction Emily had felt when Parker had turned the corner. Emily was used to the cracks from men, but when it came from successful women it was even worse to her. No, Parker King could keep her wise cracks and good looks to impress someone else she wasn't interested. What she needed now was some time in the sun with Gail, but with out permission, Emily's brain drifted back to the sleeping tennis player on the other side of the cockpit door.




Chapter 2




"Over here, guys," said Nick. The tall Greek stood at the gate with two dozen roses in his arms. After kissing them both hello and taking their bags, he handed a dozen to Gary and one to Parker. "Come on, I have the car parked outside and the Terminator down waiting for your bags."



"Kimmie's here?" asked Parker. She hadn't seen her sisters in six months due to conflicting schedules. While Parker dominated women's tennis, her sisters Kimmie and Gray did the same in the sand playing volleyball.



"Yeah she and Gray are here for today. They are heading out in the morning for a tournament in Palm Beach, so they're cooking you dinner and crashing in your guest rooms tonight." Nick pointed them toward the exit knowing that he and the King sisters had more than exceeded their welcome outside, then again they didn't call Gray the Viper for nothing. One look had sent the young security guard back to his booth for the hour they had been waiting.



"Remember workout first, then family reunion," said Gary knowing the reprimand was unnecessary but he said it anyway.



"Yes, master, I remember."



By the Suburban outside stood two women that looked almost exactly like the tennis pro except for the hair. Kimmie and Gray both kept theirs cut short for easier maintenance when they played, but all of them had the same powerful build. They where all two years apart with Parker being the baby of the family and Gray being the oldest. For each, sports had been an escape from overly conservative parents that wanted prim ladies and lots of grandchildren to show off. Instead they had gotten three of the most famous lesbians in sports, which had been more than enough for their parents to disown them. With Nick's careful management all three had no more money concerns, just the heartache that came from their parents' rejection.



"Is that the Wimbledon champion we see?" asked Gray as she stepped out of the driver's seat. The surprise for Parker was cutting two days off their training schedule but had been worth it to see the smile on her little sister's face. It killed the older two not to be there for any of the matches Parker had played in, but hopefully in September they would be in the stands for the entire Open.



The family caught up on the happenings in their lives since they had seen each other last, having Gary write down some dates when Parker could go and watch her sisters play. From inside the airport Emily arrived at the exit in time to see Parker get into the vehicle right before it drove away. Gail as usual was running late and Emily waited inside in the air-conditioning not wanting to brave the heat until she was wearing a bathing suit.