Chapter 92
“Let’s just start,” Autumn said.
Hearing that, Dawson suddenly glanced at her.
Rico didn’t notice anything unusual and had already started demonstrating. His posture was very professional, and he broke down the steps clearly. So, it was easy to understand after just
one look.
“It’s definitely hard to learn at first, and it’ll take a lot of practice. But don’t worry, just keep practicing and you’ll get it. I’m even more reliable than a coach, so from now on, I’ll teach you myself.”
Autumn didn’t reply. She simply moved across to the opposite side from Rico.
“Autumn, how am I supposed to teach you if you stand so far?” Rico asked.
Autumn picked up a tennis ball from the court and tapped it against the ground with her racket to test its bounce. Her motion was smooth and natural, very much like how a professional player tested the ball before serving.
She then tossed the ball up and bent her knees slightly, then jumped and swung her racket. The ball shot straight toward Rico. Caught off guard, he froze for a moment, causing his forehand return to be a beat too slow.
The ball flew past his racket and toward the back. Just when he thought he had missed it, Dawson swung his racket and sharply sent the ball back.
Autumn moved quickly and steadily returned the shot. After a few exchanges, she managed a lucky net shot and won a point against Dawson.
Rico was stunned. He turned to Della and asked, “This is what she calls not knowing how to play?”
Della, sharing in the praise, said, “She plays like a pro!”
Autumn lost the next round.
While she was picking up the ball, Della asked her, “When did you learn how to play tennis?”
It was her mother, Virginia, who had taught her to play tennis. In Autumn’s eyes, Virginia was capable of anything. Even after she grew up, the image of her mother in her heart had never changed.
“I learned back in elementary school.”
“Ah, you have been trained since you were young. No wonder your form looks so professional,” Della said, waving her racket. “Rico, come play with me.”
Rico had originally intended to provoke Dawson, but Autumn’s skill caught him off guard. He figured she must have lied before because it was their first meeting, and she hadn’t wanted too
much interaction.
Now that she was willing to come out and join them, that was already a good sign. So, he let it go and joined Della for a match.
Autumn’s form was undeniably polished. But after so long without playing, her arm strength just wasn’t there.
Dawson’s shots came at her fast and heavy. After a few returns, her form was already starting to break down. Still, she clenched her teeth and kept going.
Then, she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but the next shot that came her way felt noticeably lighter. She couldn’t help but glance over at Dawson.
From a distance, he said coolly, “Keep going. I’ll practice with you.”
The days of delicate and skinny being the ideal were long gone. Women should be strong and muscular. Only her enemies would want her to be weak. That was why Autumn was determined to build strength and power, and to do that, she needed to train harder.
Y
“Okay!” she replied.
With a tennis expert like Dawson available as a sparring partner, it would be a waste not to take advantage. Without systematic strength training, playing tennis was exhausting. So, usually they would have a larger group and rotate players. When one pair rested, another would take the court.
Robin and Jamie arrived a bit late. Since they entered from the west entrance, it was unavoidable that they saw Damien. But they said nothing and just walked past.
Naturally, Damien saw them too.
Autumn had also gone over in that direction. Since he hated having her in his line of sight, he told her to stay off to the side. To her credit, she obediently disappeared from view.
But when Damien saw Robin arrive, a sudden doubt crept in–was Autumn really doing what he thought?
As a certain possibility came to mind, his eyes darkened sharply.
After throwing down his racket, he pushed open the wire gate of the court and followed after Robin.
Emilia wanted to go too. If Robin were there, that probably meant Rico and Dawson were nearby as well. Could it be that Autumn was actually playing tennis with Dawson?
Just imagining that possibility soured Emilia’s mood. She had to check, no matter what.
“Won’t it be awkward for you to be there if Autumn and Damien started arguing later?” Barry drawled lazily.
