Noah and I stepped onto the tennis court, the sun warm but not overbearing.
It was a perfect day for a game.
As you've probably already guessed, I'm here for one reason only.
Quinn.
Noah already said the activities were just to build connections. Since everybody already does it, there's no need for me to even hide my intentions.
But if Quinn didn't come today, then, she wasn't into tennis as much as I'd thought she was.
Noah and I stood on the court, already in our tennis gear. I swung my racquet, testing it as I studied the court.
The white lines on it were freshly painted and the grass neatly trimmed.
The court had an Aura that made it feel like we were playing in the Wimbledon or something.
That was how luxurious it looked.
I bounced the ball a few times, getting the feel of it in my hand as Noah took up his position on the other side of the net, his competitive grin already in place on his face.
"Ready to lose, Voss?" He called out, spinning his racket like he was warming up for a serious match.
I grinned, bouncing the ball one last time before tossing it up. "We'll see about that."
I whacked the ball over the net, giving it a spin.
I hadn't been busy during the time I'd spent waiting for my acceptance into the club. I'd spent time studying and practicing tennis.
I had to if I wanted to impress anybody.
Fortunately for me, my opponent was also impressive.
Noah ran to meet the ball, returning it to me with a hard volley.
I had to sprint across the court and barely managed to get my racket on it.
I sent it back, aiming for the far corner. Noah raced toward it, his footsteps pounding on the court but he couldn't reach it in time.
The ball bounced out of his reach and rolled to the fence.
"One point to me." I said, smirking as I straightened up.
Noah laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, okay, you've got some moves."
The match continued with both of us trading banter as we played.
I already knew Noah was good at the game, having played him the last time I was here.
He was fast on his feet and had great reflexes. Unfortunately for him, my body was a gift from the heavens.
I definitely wasn't about to let him win without a fight.
As the game went on, I fell into the zone.
For a moment, I forgot about everything that hung over me.
Quinn, the country club, my plans and my deadline.
It was just me and Noah playing tennis.
By the time the match was getting to the end, we were both breathing hard and grinning like kids.
I managed to hit a fast serve, catching Noah off guard. He stumbled and wasn't able to get to the ball on time.
"Alright, alright!" He laughed, holding his hands up in defeat. "I give up. You win this one, man."
I walked up to the net, extending my hand. "Good game, though."
He shook my hand, still chuckling. "Yeah, yeah, I'll get you next time."
As we were catching our breath and grabbing water bottles from the bench, I looked up to see them.
Two women walking to the court next to us. They were dressed in their tennis gear which managed to leave very little to the imagination.
It was Quinn and her friend Charlotte who had been playing with her the last time I was here.
"Looks like we've got company." I said casually to Noah, nodding toward them.
They had gotten to their court and were now in the process of setting up for their own match.
Noah glanced over and raised an eyebrow. "Quinn Adams."
I smirked, pulling out the idea I'd prepared for this exact situation.
"How about we make this a bit more interesting?" I asked noah. "How about a doubles match."
He chuckled as he wiped the sweat off his face with his towel. "You think they'll go for it?"
I shrugged, keeping my eyes on Quinn. "Only one way to find out."
I stood up and walked over to the edge of their court, catching Quinn's attention with a wave.
She looked up at me, her expression curious as she paused her conversation with Charlotte.
"Hi." I called with a friendly smile, gesturing back at Noah. "We were thinking of playing a doubles match. You two up for it?"
Quinn glanced at Charlotte who raised an eyebrow and judging by the look on her face, I could tell that she wasn't against the idea.
Then Quinn turned back to me smiling. "You want to play against us?"
Interest. I could work with that.
I grinned at her, shrugging. "Why not? It'll be fun."
Charlotte looked between Noah and I, sizing us up. "What's in it for us?" She asked playfully.
I could feel Noah watching us in amusement as I leaned on the fence.
"Bragging rights." I said, matching Quinn's energy. "Plus, it's not every day you get to face competition this good."
That earned me a laugh from both women and Quinn shook her head, glancing at Charlotte. "Alright, why not? But don't say we didn't warn you."
I grinned as I jogged back over to Noah. "We're on. It's me and Quinn versus you and Charlotte."
Noah raised an eyebrow at that. I could tell that he was surprised by how quickly they had agreed.
"Impressive. I guess your charm works on everyone, huh?"
"What can I say?" I shrugged, grinning. "I'm just exceptional like that."
Before long, the four of us were taking our positions on the court.
We started the game and from the get go, it was clear that both women were not ordinary amateurs at tennis.
They played with the kind of experience and coordination that one would find in professional matches.
But Noah and I weren't slouches either. We were able to keep up with our partners.
Before long, the match turned into a back and forth battle.
I found myself working in sync with Quinn. Every now and then, she would flash me a grin or a quick glance as if enjoying the game as much as I was.
Very soon, we began to laugh and banter. It wasn't about winning again and was more about having fun.
And that's exactly what I needed. An easy, light hearted atmosphere to build a relationship between us all and lay the groundwork for what would come later.
The game finally ended with Quinn and I winning by a narrow margin.
I held up my hands in mock victory, grinning at Noah. "Looks like we've got bragging rights."
Noah laughed, shaking his head. "I'll give you that. But next time, I'm picking a different partner."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, playful sarcasm in her tone. "Yeah, blame the partner. Classic move."
After the match, we gathered by the benches, catching our breath and cooling off.
I turned to Quinn, offering a hand. "That was fun. I'm Nico, by the way."
She smiled, shaking my hand. "Quinn."