6

I put my phone down and grabbed some wedge sandals from the closet to go with my dress. Oh, Caleb. I looked back at the mirror. I am going to give you something to dream about tonight, I thought.

Practically since the incident with Todd, Caleb had been the only boy I interacted with at any length. True to his Mom's description, he was a sweet, shy kid who definitely enjoyed spending time alone with me. He had never come close to making any kind of move on me, which I appreciated, but that hadn't stopped him from stealing glances at my tits and ass whenever he thought I wouldn't notice. I snuck more than few aces by him by putting a little extra "bounce" in my serve.

Since we didn't really do anything other than play tennis, he had only ever seen me in athletic wear. Now, I make a tennis skirt look good, but it can't compete with spaghetti straps and wedges. I was looking forward to seeing his face when he saw me today.

"Lola!" my Mom yelled from downstairs. "Time to go!"

...

The Matthews family lived in a large, Tudor-style home with a big lawn on a shady street, all qualities that were unusual in the suburbs outside Las Vegas. Mr. Matthews was some kind of casino executive and it was clear even from outside the house that the family was very well-off.

We walked up to the entrance and I lifted the heavy doorknocker. Just as I had hoped, I heard Caleb's voice ring out eagerly from inside.

"I'll get it!"

The door swung open.

"H-hi, Lola." Caleb's eyes opened wide the second he saw me. He gulped, trying hard not to let his eyes wander in front of my Mom. "Hi, Mrs. Andrews. I'm... Caleb." I smiled coyly. Poor boy nearly forgot his own name.

"Hi Caleb," my Mom said, sticking out her hand. "I'd prefer it if you call me Ms. Kim, please."

"Oh, sure, Ms. Kim," he said, tearing his eyes away from me to shake her hand. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay," my Mom replied. "This is Benji, Lola's brother."

"Hi!" Benji said. "Do you have any video games?"

"Yes, we do, Benji," said Mr. Matthews, appearing in the doorway behind Caleb. He was tall, looked to be in his mid-50s, with thick gray hair and rugged, good-looking features that had been exposed to just a bit too much sun. "Hi, Mark Matthews," he said, extending his hand to my mother.

"Lina Kim, nice to meet you."

"And you must be Lola," he said, reaching out a big, beefy arm in my direction. "The new state champ and guest of honor!"

"Nice to meet," I replied. "Thanks for inviting us."

"Our pleasure! Come on in, gang. Alice is out back setting up."

I walked past Caleb and followed Mr. Matthews through the house. He was a large man with the build of an athlete gone to seed, powerful but thickened through with the added mass of middle age. The house itself was even more extravagant than it had appeared from outside. High ceilings, wooden floors, rich leather furniture, and tasteful modern art that suggested the work of an expensive interior decorator. Caleb followed behind me like a puppy dog, saying little. Even without looking behind me, I could tell he was fully absorbed by the view of my legs and ass.

As we walked out onto the back patio, Coach Matthews greeted me.

"Lola! So glad you made it," she called from the barbecue pit. "Lina, Benji, welcome to our home."

The backyard was equally lavish: a vast expanse of green with a pool, a hot tub, and a tennis court all hidden behind the walls of a privacy fence. So this is how rich people live, I thought. I gave Coach Matthews a hug and sat down.

"Wow, Lola!" Coach Matthews said. "I see you clean up nicely after practice."

"Thanks, Coach," I said, smoothing the hem of my dress against my leg.

"Doesn't Lola look nice today, Caleb?" Coach Matthews asked with a cheeky smile.

Caleb blushed. "It's a nice dress," he stammered.

"Lola, sit down for a minute," Coach Matthews pulled up a chair. "I want to talk to you and your Mom about something before dinner."

The three of us sat down. Caleb, unsure of what to do with himself, stood awkwardly off to the side of the table, staring blankly out at the backyard.

"Hey, bud," Mr. Matthews called. "Why don't you help me season the steaks while we let the girls chat?"

"Okay," Caleb said, looking relieved. He trotted inside behind his dad.

"Lola," Coach Matthews began. "Your Mom and I started talking a couple of weeks ago about colleges and recruiting. I know you've been getting a lot of recruiting letters, and now that you've won the state title, that's only going to intensify. It's time for you to start making campus visits, and your Mom asked me if I would be willing to help coordinate with some of the tennis coaches at the schools you are interested in visiting. Of course, I'd be delighted, but I wanted to make sure that's okay with you."

"Are you kidding? That would be awesome!" I shouted. "To be honest, I've been feeling a little nervous about the whole process."

"That's perfectly normal," Coach said. "But remember, these schools are out to court you. A girl with your game on the tennis court and brains in the classroom is going to be a very sought-after commodity."

Now it was my turn to blush.

"So," Coach continued, "which schools are you considering?"

"Uhh, well, I really miss California," I said, thinking aloud. "I definitely want to visit a few of the UC campuses. UCLA, Santa Barbara..."

"All good schools that would be lucky to have you," Coach said. "I'll make some calls. Anywhere else in California you are dreaming about?"

"Stanford!" My Mom yelped.

"Mom!" I shouted. "I'm not gonna get into Stanford, okay? Just chill with that."

"Now hold on," Coach Matthews said, placing a hand on my arm. "Let's wait before we jump to conclusions about where you will or won't get in. Are you interested in Stanford?"

I paused. "Well, yeah," I admitted. "Isn't everyone?"

"It's been her dream since she was in middle school," my Mom chimed in. I shot her a look.

"Stanford is a great school, with a very strong tennis program, as I'm sure you know," Coach Matthews said. "Would you be okay with attending a school where you won't be the star recruit?"

"I don't care about that. I wasn't the best player at my old high school until junior year."

"Well, okay," Coach said. "In that case, I think it's definitely worth setting up a visit."

"Do you really think I have a shot?"

"I can't guarantee anything, obviously, but I think you're a strong candidate for them," Coach Matthews said. Then, she smiled. "And as it happens, I know a little something about getting into Stanford. Did you know that's where our older son Cam goes to school?"

Immediately, the photo on Coach Matthews' desk popped into my head. Not for the first time, I mind add.

"Wow! Congratulations," my Mom cooed. "See, Lola? It's not so out of reach."

"Actually, he should be home later tonight, so I'll introduce the two of you," Coach Matthews said. "He's a scholarship athlete, too."

"He plays tennis?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "Caleb takes after me, but Cam takes after his father. Baseball."

"He'll be here tonight?" my Mom asked.

"Yeah, there's a showcase tournament in Las Vegas tomorrow that he's playing in," Coach said. "Lucky timing, eh, Lola?"

"Yes," I replied softly, lost in my own thoughts.