Love Match

Correctly reading the way Darian set up to serve, Scott had anticipated accurately. He was just beyond the baseline, feet and hips set for a forehand, and that's exactly where the ball came. The serve was probably over 110 mph, but he had seen faster than that from guys now on the satellite tour.

When the ball rose to waist height, Scott unleashed a wicked topspin that ducked just over the net and spun forward toward Darian, who was trying to plant his feet and get set for the volley he didn't expect to have to make.

He was off balance, and his volley went into the net.

That was the final straw, and he blew up. He hurled a tirade of curses at everyone on the court and watching, but quickly settled on Scott as his target. He stood a foot away from the net, brandishing his racquet at Scott. "You fuckin' CUCK!" he screamed. "You think you're hot shit, but your wife loved my big cock so much she died for it! And that slut you're with now? I tossed her away a few months ago for better pussy! What's the matter, Cuck? Can't get it up unless you think about my big cock fuckin' your women first?"

Al proclaimed, "That's it! I'm not playing with trash like you!" and started walking off. Ken yelled, "You're disqualified, Huxley! Get your bag and get off this property - you're permanently banned from every tournament here!"

Darian yelled, "Fuck you too, bitch! I think I'll fuck you wife and sister both before I leave!"

"Darian," Scott said quietly, "if you aren't out of my sight in 10 seconds, I'm going to jump this net and give you the beating you have earned."

"Ten seconds? I don't need ten seconds to kick your scrawny ass!" Darian jumped toward the net and swung his racquet at Scott's head. Scott quickly hopped back and the racquet swished the air in front of him. Before he could re-cock his racquet, Ken stepped forward and knocked it out of his hands with the head of his racquet.

Darian's racquet tumbled to the ground, and Scott held up his hand with three fingers bent back against his palm. He lowered another. "Six...five"

Darian leaped across the net and swung his right fist at Scott's head, missing by several inches. He was off balance and an easy target, but Scott just smiled and began bouncing on his toes, hands up in a boxing stance. He want to give Huxley a beating, not end the fight with his first punch. He smirked at his foe, knowing Huxley was about to receive a dose of payback.

Darian's second roundhouse right was thrown while he was still off balance. It was easily blocked by Scott's left arm, and he hit the bigger man in the liver with an uppercut right. Darian froze in place as the fist embedded itself in his soft abdomen. "Oooff" escaped from his throat, and he bent over and grabbed his belly in pain.

Scott opened his fists and slapped Darian's face with his left hand and then his right. His head flew back and forth, and blood flew from his mouth. Before he could shake it off, Scott clubbed his left cheek with a closed fist, using the ulnar (pinky) side of his hand, and then did the same to the other side.

Huxley was clearly dazed. For the crowd, Scott loudly asked, "Had enough?" He then hissed, "If you come at me again, Fuck Face, I'm going to mess your sissy ass up!"

That challenge revived Huxley. He lunged at Scott in a surprise attack, throwing a knockout punch at his chin... it caught only air. Stretched out and off balance, he received a punishing left hook to the ribs on his left side, and a right jab to the nose when he backed away to hold his ribs.

Darian was big, he was a bully, and he was a brawler; he screamed and rushed at his foe, blood squirting from his nose.

Scott was smaller, but he was a well-trained boxer and a decent street fighter; he stepped aside and tripped Huxley as he staggered by. Huxley pushed himself back up, with court rash on his arms, cheek, and belly, and stupidly tried again.

The result was as ugly as Darian's face after Scott finally let him fall to the court and curl up, whimpering and whining.

Scott turned away from the bloody form on the court and surveyed the hushed crowd; every eye in the crowds around courts 1 & 2 was locked on him.

He took a breath and loudly addressed them. "I'm sorry you had to hear and see that - none of that belongs on a tennis court, and I apologize for my part in it. I hope you saw Ken and Al Adams doing their best to keep this man under control before he started swinging, saw me try to avoid a confrontation, and saw me offer him multiple chances to back off.

"I know you saw what happened, in spite of our efforts.

"Huxley brought a personal vendetta to the court, but too much has already been said, so I'm not going to add anything. I'd appreciate not having to answer questions about this. Thank you."

Both of the local doctors walked out onto the court and knelt beside the fallen figure, which was lying in the fetal position. Ken picked up Darian's racquet and carried it to his bag. A buzz began in the crowd that grew louder and louder. Scott put his racquet in this bag, picked it up, and turned toward the gate.

"Scott! Stop!" cried Sarah's insistent voice. She was flanked by her partner and both opponents. "I want to check your hands and they want to talk to you!"

"I'm fine," he answered without turning to face her, but she grabbed him by the arm, pulled his racquet bag free, examined his hands, and aggressively led him to the gate between the courts and across the parking lot; the other three women followed.

He was having trouble keeping his emotions under control, and the last thing he wanted was four emotional women hovering over him - but that's exactly what he got. Sarah stood beside him, wrapped her arm around his back, held him tightly, and said, "Go ahead, Barbara and Amy."

Barbara stepped close, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, "I've never regretted anything more than letting Darian talk me into bringing him to this tournament! I'm embarrassed and humiliated by his conduct, and, honestly, I wish you had beat him even worse!

"I was mortified at what he yelled at you, at what he said about your wife and Sabrina! He deserved the beating you gave him!

"He's an ass, and he can figure out how to get back to Midland - he's not riding with us!"

Graining a little better control, Scott said, "I appreciate you saying that, but you have nothing to be ashamed of; as far as I could see, your conduct has been impeccable. As you say, Darian is an ass, and he proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt today - but his conduct does not reflect on you, in any form, shape, or fashion."

Amy Adams stepped up beside her and interjected, "You're being kind! All three of us - Barbara, Al, and I - had misgivings about bringing him along, but we gave in to his pleading and promises. We've already apologized to Sabrina, and regardless of what you say, we owe you an apology!

"We love this tournament, but I doubt we'll ever have the guts to show our faces here again, after this debacle! We're so very sorry this happened, and hope you will forgive us for bringing that sorry bastard with us!"

Scott chuckled. He looked down at his "sister" and then at Sabrina. "Did I miss something? They seemed to be very friendly and proper whenever I watched them. What kind of bitches did they morph into on the court while I wasn't watching?"

Sabrina blinked and furrowed her brow; Sarah pinched the skin on his side and commanded, "Stop that! Just be gracious and accept their apologies, even if you don't think they're needed!"

Sabrina, Barbara, and Amy caught on; they smiled, and all three joined Sarah in hugging him. He let it go for a longer time than was proper, because they felt so dang good; then he acquiesced verbally. "Okay! Okay! You. Are. Forgiven! Now stop squashing me!"

He felt several more pinches before Barbara said, "I would have pinched you harder, but I can't find a place! You don't have any fat on your body - just hard muscles!"

"Hey, if you guys going to feel me up, I get to feel you guys up!"

He began tickling the ultra-ticklish Sarah with his left hand, and Sabrina with his right. They shrieked and squirmed away, giggling; he started toward Barbara and Amy with his fingers extended; they broke and ran several steps, before Barbara stopped and said, "No tickling! Now if you really want to 'feel me up', I'm ready and willing!"

Then she winked at Sabrina.

Scott chuckled again and told them, "Thanks for cheering me up! There's nothing like four deliciously delectable women to distract a guy from his woes!

"Now, I believe you guys have a match to complete. Let me escort you back to the court, by way of the gate by the bleachers. I want everyone to know you two are blameless, so smile and let your outer and inner beauty shine!"

It was partly heartfelt, partly affected, but the girls made a show of laughing and giggling as they walked to the gate with Scott, and retook the court. He walked behind their court to retrieve his racquet bag from the other court, and exited through the north gate, between the courts.

He almost made it to his car before he heard his Dad's voice and turned to face not only his parents, but also Sabrina's. "Son... listen. I... we... we understand! We've always counseled you to avoid violence, but we're 100 percent behind you on this - you were pushed beyond human tolerance by that asshole!

"Don't worry about the law either; the sheriff was sitting behind us, and he went down and arrested Darian after the doctors got him sitting up. They took him to the hospital in a nearby town, but the sheriff said he would be jailed for assault after he gets released."

"Are you alright, Honey?" his mom asked, while taking his hand, "And I don't mean physically. I saw you recoil at the terrible things he said - it must have hurt you badly to have your wife's death thrown at you like that!"

"I'm not gonna lie, Mom: it hurt. I doubt I'll ever get over what she did, because it cost her life! And I know I'll never forgive him for tempting her like he did, knowing what he knew!

"I'm trying to put it behind me and move on. Thanks to my friends here, I have been feeling better every day, but now... I feel sick and empty again!"

Doug stepped up. "Son, this ain't really my business, but I'm butting in anyway. We hardly know you, but we already think the world of you, and our daughter thinks you hung the moon! Put your bag in your car and come back with us. Watch your friend Sarah and her friend Sabrina play against y'alls' new friends, and then go win that mixed doubles championship with our daughter!

"You're the better man in every way - don't let some piece of crap like that pull you down!"

He had been looking deeply into Doug's eyes, and Scott recognized the feelings he saw. After Doug stopped speaking, Scott looked at Sabrina's mom, and saw love in her eyes too.

He nodded, let a smile cross his face, said, "Thank you!" to all four, and put his bag in his Jeep. Then he turned and walked back to the bleachers, a set of parents on each side, and his mom's and Briana's arms looped through his.

Sarah played to the crowd, loudly teasing herself and Sabrina when a mistake was made, with her sparkling smile allaying the sting of her words. Barbara and Amy were obviously having a great time, even though they were losing rather badly.

Al, however, was standing away from the court, off to the side, looking miserable.

Scott got up and ambled over to him. They talked briefly, and then Al walked back to the bleaches with him. They sat together and cheered the women on, applauding every good shot regardless of who made it. If anyone was attributing blame to Al, it was now clear he was without fault in Scott's mind.

Sabrina and Sarah won the match, hugged their opponents, and the four walked off the court together.

Mixed doubles was the only event left, and a replacement partner for the beautiful Barbara was easily found. A recently divorced friend of Ken's named Charlie quickly volunteered, and the mixed doubles teams began play as soon as the Championship, Runner-up, and Consolation awards were presented. Some award go to the trash a year later, but not the large, medium, and small Yeti ice chests they won. They were real trophies, embossed with the tennis association logo!

Other than Barbara/Charlie and Sabrina/Scott, the partners in this draw were couples - either married or dating. You could hear the genuine laughter and the joking on each court, regardless of matchups, as each couple competed to the best of their abilities while enjoying the sport, comradery, and competition.

The morning and afternoon flew by as the players moved from one match to another with nothing more than restroom breaks and water. The players in the consolation bracket was having as much fun as those in the championship bracket, which was perfectly attuned with the "friendly competition" reputation of this tournament.

It was getting late in the afternoon, they had eaten little, and Ken kept reminding everyone that his parents and grandparents were having a barbeque for everyone after the tournament ended, with free beer!

The pace of play was fast, but Sarah and Cody went three sets before losing to her brother and Melissa, while Sabrina and Scott cooled their heels waiting for Barbara and Charlie to beat Al and Amy in another three-setter.

When that match was over, Sabrina and Scott made short work of Charlie and Barbara. The finals were next, but it was after seven, they were hungry, and the barbeque was calling!

Sabrina and Scott quickly made their ways to court one , where they waited impatiently for the finals to begin. Ken and Melissa walked up hand in hand, and Melissa loudly proclaimed, "We forfeit! I've got blisters, and our babysitters have to leave at one am, so we're ready to go PARTAY! Meet y'all at the river!"

With that announcement, she made sweeping gestures with her arms, including all the remaining contestants and bystander in her invitation. "If you don't know how to get there, Ken will send you directions - cell service out there is questionable, so your map program may not work!

"Now, go get cleaned up, grab a swimsuit - unless you prefer to use your birthday suit - and get rolling! We have BBQ with all the fixin's waitin', so all you need to bring is you!"

Scott turned to Sabrina, who smiled and said, "My clothes are in your Jeep. We'll shower at the Cabin!"

****

There was a herd of people, but Roy and Grampa Ray had two pits full of brisket and venison sausage ready, and Anita and Nana had tables laden with beans, potato salad, cole slaw, and homemade bread. Folding chairs were stacked about, so you got your chair and set it up before you got in line to eat.

Sabrina and Scott decided to wait until after the meal to clean up, giving them a chance to talk to those already there. Pretty much everyone there had seen his tussle with Huxley, but no comments were made and no questions were asked, as he had requested.

They were wondering aloud whether the Midland bunch was coming when Al's Tahoe drove up.

"You almost missed the meal!" a man hollered, and both women pointed at Al. "Someone doesn't know how to follow directions!" Amy loudly proclaimed.

Al hung his head in mock shame but then tried to blame the navigators, who vehemently denied they were at fault.

After having foregone meals all day in an effort to speed things up, the twenty-four open division players and the twelve others from the age-based groupings were famished. They did an honorable job of consuming copious amounts of the delicious food and cold beer, but fell well short of finishing the bounty.

Plastic bags and food containers appeared, and the hosts prepared the remains for storage while their guests cleaned up and put tables and chairs back in the storeroom.

When things had been cleaned up and put away, the elders made their excuses and went into the house to have a toddy and visit some more.

When they were gone, Ken yelled for the men to pick up the ice chests full of beer and carry them to the riverbank. Sarah told the women to carry lawn chairs or blankets down and "get set up in the grass beside the granite outcropping."

Melissa went ahead to show everyone where to set up, and then pulled out her iPad. She arranged two small Bluetooth speakers on the granite, and began playing her favorites list. It was an eclectic mix of country, rock, southern rock, and Americana, with a majority of slow, romantic songs that fit the setting perfectly.

Some couples set their chair side by side; other laid out blankets on the grass, and those best prepared - like Melissa, Sarah, and Sabrina, set out ground blankets and covered them with comfy sleeping bags. Some began whispering and kissing, but most of the couples were chatting with neighbors and drinking cold beer.

The waning gibbous moon was at 95%, casting a bright glow over the river and the people beside it. Scott was enchanted by the glowing aura that lit Sabrina's head, and by the beautiful face it illuminated. His rapt attention kept him from noticing or caring about anything but the pretty girl who had broken down his formidable barriers in three short days.

The object of his rapture was so engaged in conversation with Al, Amy, Barbara, and Charlie, who were sitting on nearby blankets, that she had no idea he was watching her.

Barbara saw it though; she winked at Sabrina and subtly nodded toward Scott. Sabrina shifted slightly, as if getting more comfortable, and caught the enthralled look on Scott's face with her peripheral vision. Amy was carrying on about their tennis club in Midland, which allowed Sabrina to surreptitiously watch her watcher without losing track of the conversation.

That first kiss has been earth shaking - to her, at least - but his exchanges with her since had been nothing more than friendly, as if it hadn't happened. The look he was giving her now, however, was definitely not 'friendly'; it was the awed look of love she had seen on her Daddy's face when looking at her Mom, and on her grandfather's face when he looked at his late wife's picture.

Without speaking, she shifted again, moving her butt to a spot directly in front of him. She scooted back until she was between his spread legs with her butt against his groin, and leaned her body back until it was against him. He obediently brought his arms around to encompass her, and rested his hands on her forearms. She snuggled in, rested the back of her head on his broad shoulder, and exhaled a tiny sigh.

He slid his hands under her arms and rested them on either side of her taut tummy. That felt so good she put her hands over his, pulled them to the middle, and pressed them against her lower belly. They were still covered in dry sweat and a bit smelly, but she found their combined odor exciting rather than repulsive.

'Strange', she thought. 'Normally I can't stand being dirty and smelly, much less the smell of a dirty, sweaty man!'

The fire she had kept banked since the kiss last night began to spread as she maintained contact with him. It first consumed her groin, and then spread throughout her body. Her nestling inflamed Scott, whose swollen appendage was soon pushing against her tight little ass, magnifying the effect for both.

Amy, Al, Barbara, and Charlie had quit talking and were watching the mutual seductions, which were beginning to affect them as well.

"Alright, that's enough talking! I've been hot and sweaty all day long, and I hear the river calling! Ken and I are naturalists when we're in the river at night, so if nudity bothers you, turn your head!"

Ken chimed in, "And anyone not in the water in five minutes, clothed or unclothed, is gonna get pulled in and stripped! And, in case you don't know or have forgotten..."

"What happens on the river stays on the river!" the experienced members of the party chorused.