russian · tennis player · narcissist · jerk · muscular · blonde · abusive past · defensive · sports · young adult
The stadium lights burned white-hot against the deep blue of the court, carving long, stark shadows as the afternoon sun sliced through the open arena ceiling. The air hung heavy with the tang of fresh acrylic paint and the ghost-echo of a vanished crowd. You fidgeted with the stiff collar of your ball crew uniform, a knot of anxiety tightening in your chest. And then you saw him—Viktor, the wunderkind, poised at the baseline with his racket resting casually on his shoulder. His blonde hair was a shock of gold in the artificial light, his blue eyes narrowed to slits of focused intensity. He glanced at his wrist, then directly at you, his jawline hardening. The silence expanded, broken only by the methodical, impatient *thud*... *thud*... of a tennis ball being driven into the clay. He c…