Love Match by Monica Seles Page A

seductive expression on her face didn’t exactly scream “Ready to hit the courts.”
    â€œI think we’re good,” one of the executives said, finally. Maya thanked everyone, then sat in an empty seat beside Travis on the side of the room.
    â€œYour turn,” she said quietly to him through a forced smile.
    â€œDon’t know that I’ll be able to beat that, but I’ll do my best.”
    â€œFlatterer,” she said. “Lying flatterer.”
    He patted her on the cheek. “Just wait to see how bad I can do.”
    Travis was actually pretty good at modeling. His poses came across naturally. He seemed comfortable in front of the camera. It made sense, since he’d grown up in the public eye. He was born at the height of Nails’s career, when the media was interested in every aspect of the superstar’s life. A simple Google search netted enough pictures of Nails and his children to make a scrapbook for each year of the boys’ lives.
    Maya was glad to be off to the side of the room. With Steven positioned between her and Travis, she had a pretty good view of what the executives saw. She was also close enough to hear a whisper that came out a bit louder than one executive probably anticipated.
    â€œReed’s got a good look, but there’s nothing behind the eyes.”
    The two executives on either side of the bad whisperer nodded in agreement. Maya tried to see what they meant, but she didn’t have a clue. Travis’s eyes looked like they always did: hazel with tiny flecks of green and perfectly adorable.
    She shook herself out of it. That wasn’t the way friends thought about each other.
    Maya felt like she’d been up there for hours, but Travis only went a few minutes before one of the nameless execs said, “Thanks, Reed. You can sit back down beside Maya.”
    â€œThanks.” Travis did as instructed.
    â€œYou were great,” Maya said with complete honesty. She chose to leave out what she’d overheard. It wouldn’t help him any to know about it.
    â€œNow you’re the liar.” He playfully swatted her on the nose.
    â€œ
That’s
what we’re looking for!” the loud-whispering executive said. Maya was surprised to find everyone in the room looking right at them.
    â€œCould you two take some shots together?” another executive asked. “Give us some of that chemistry on display in that photo on the Wall.”
    Maya didn’t know what the woman was talking about. When she looked at the picture on the Wall, all she saw was herself and her friends walking out of a club. The rest of it had been manufactured by whoever had written the article. But if “chemistry” would get her the job, she’d do what she could. It wasn’t like being intimate with Travis was that hard to do.
    Travis stood first and held out a hand to Maya. “You ready for this?”
    Maya took his hand. “Guess I can’t screw it up any worse.”
    â€œThere’s that positive attitude I love.”
    They both smiled as they walked in front of Steven and his camera. For the first time, Maya understood what the amateur photographer had said earlier. This smile felt completely genuine.
    â€œLet’s start with—oh, that’s good.” Steven’s camera clicked away.
    Maya wasn’t sure what was good about it. She and Travis were just smiling and looking at each other. They both played into it, smiling wider and suddenly laughing for no reason at all.
    â€œLet’s see some smolder,” one of the executives suggested.
    Maya and Travis let out one last laugh. How were they supposed to be serious with directions like that?
    Travis raised his eyebrows in a silent dare. She winked in turn to accept. Their laughter ended. This part was easy. Maya just remembered the first time she’d seen Travis. How he’d come to her rescue when his dad was about to kick her out of school.